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VATICAN CITY—Religious communities are increasingly seeking to invest in companies that match their faith values and ethical concerns, but experts say the financial market lags in providing the appropriate options. A conference in London on November 11 and 12 sought to bridge that gap by bringing together financial service industry experts with Anglican and Catholic leaders, who represent dioceses and congregations all over the world and an estimated portfolio of $1.75 trillion. “What we are seeing is that there’s increasing interest from religious organizations, not just Catholic, but also other Christian denominations, to make sure money is indeed managed in an aligned way with their faith,” Peter Hugh Smith, chief executive of London-based CCLA Investment Management, told Religion News Service (RNS) in an interview. CCLA, a London-based organization that manages funds for the Church of England and other religious charities, hosted the conference. The Mensuram Bonam Summit, from the Latin meaning “for good measure,” was named after a document published in 2022 by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, which laid out guidelines for Catholic companies and investors seeking to invest their money for good. The document, inspired by Pope Francis’ teachings, followed dozens of regional guidelines issued by Catholic bishops’ conferences around the world and suggested a practice of “engagement” with investment companies and, when necessary, to offer a faith-based perspective to “enhance” their portfolios. Only if these two methods failed, the document called for Catholics to “exclude” investing with those companies. While Muslims have created sophisticated methods to promote investment in Shariah-compliant funds—ones that aren’t, for example, involved in pork, tobacco or alcohol—Christians lack similar resources. “I think people of faith are becoming more aware that they actually do have a choice with where they invest their money, and not a very good choice at the moment, and that’s what we’re trying to fix,” Smith said. “Just generally, the industry is not servicing that demand particularly well,” he added. To achieve this goal, the conference focused on educating financial services providers about the demands and concerns of Christian and especially Catholic investors. Mensuram Bonam listed 24 ethical questions Catholics should ponder before they invest, including abortion, the environment and social issues. “We’re continuing down a road of education to try and inform financial advisers that there are other things besides the financial return on investment,” said the Rev. Séamus Finn, an expert in faith-based and socially responsible investing and a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, speaking to RNS. Finn noted that even among Catholics there are diverging opinions about what should disqualify an investment, citing different positions on the death penalty or on animal rights in different regions of the world. But most Catholics agree on core issues of the faith, he said. “It’s important that you feel that through the money that you’re investing, what you are building is a better and a more sustainable future on the planet for your grandchildren and for those who are marginalized, the poor and the thousands of migrants that we have crossing the world every day with barely enough to survive,” Finn said. The conference was supported by US firms and organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Investment Services and CBIS Catholic Responsible Investments, as well as other organizations in Europe. Cardinals from the bureaucratic offices at the Vatican, the Roman Curia, attended the event, as well as Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, the president of the Institute for Religious Works, commonly referred to as the Vatican bank. Plagued by financial scandals in the past, the newly reformed Vatican bank has made an effort to set itself as an example of transparency and efficiency for Catholic institutions, which are often led by clerics with limited understanding of financial issues and are dependent on outdated reporting and budgeting systems. Claire Giangravé/Religion News Service via AP Finn said he hoped the conference would also “get the Vatican to be more proactive on this front” by sharing best practices and would “encourage those who have been afraid of doing any of this because they don’t feel like they’re experts in the area of finance, that there are ways to start, and there’s plenty of help out there.” Participants at the conference looked for a middle ground between Christian concerns about where to invest their funds and the practical reality of needing financial returns. “Our point is that you can invest ethically, and it will not affect your return,” Finn said. “There are companies out there who want to do good and want to do right.”A pair of AFC North squads with opposite records open up Week 12 on Thursday, Nov. 21 with the Cleveland Browns hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. The game is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on NBC in Pittsburgh and ABC in Cleveland. Fans looking to watch this week’s “Thursday Night Football” game outside of those markets need to be an Amazon Prime Member to watch it on Prime Video , which offers a 30-day free trial for new users when they sign up. After the 30-day free trial ends, an Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. You can cancel at any time, including before the free trial ends. For those in the local markets looking to watch, you can do so through FuboTV , which offers a free trial and $20 off your first month, or DirecTV Stream , which also offers a free trial. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but does have other promotional offers available, and NFL+ airs all local market games. The Steelers are at the top of the division at 8-2 after holding off the Baltimore Ravens last week in an 18-16 win. The Browns are 2-8 and only 1-4 at home, while Pittsburgh is 4-1 on the road. Cleveland’s last win also came against Baltimore, but the Browns have lost two more games since that October victory. Who: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns When : Thursday, Nov. 21 at 8:15 p.m. EST Where : Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland Stream : Prime Video with an Amazon Prime membership. Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year and offers a 30-day free trial for new users. FuboTV (free trial) ; DirecTV Stream (free trial) ; Sling ; NFL+ What is FuboTV? FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME . From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial, and $20 off the first month for new costumers. What is DirecTV Stream? DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX , Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz. What is SlingTV? SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation. What is NFL+? NFL+ and NFL+ Premium allow fans access to the most NFL content available online. From game replays, coaches film and all-22 field angles of the games to NFL Network original programing, NFL+ and NFL + Premium allow fans to stay fully locked in with every NFL team no matter where you are in the country. More College Football RELATED CONTENT: Kickers are as good as ever these days, yet some of the NFL’s true standouts are suddenly struggling By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — This is supposed to be a golden age for placekicking in the NFL. Try telling that to the fans in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Cincinnati right now. Justin Tucker, Jake Elliott and Evan McPherson — three of the more dependable kickers in the league in recent years — are in slumps that have reached a crisis point. It’s a jarring development not just because of what these players accomplished previously, but because this is an era when misses have become increasingly rare. “It’s certainly frustrating, especially when we know that these (Ravens-Steelers) games come down to the wire, like this one did today, that I let a couple get away,” Tucker said after missing two field goals in the Ravens' 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh last weekend. “But, like I’ve said before, the only thing that we can do is just get right back to work and focus on making the most out of our next opportunity.” A five-time All-Pro, Tucker has been a phenomenon for most of his career. His combination of leg strength, accuracy and clutch performance gives him a case as the greatest of all time at the position, and he’s stood out even as kickers throughout the league have raised expectations. Kickers league-wide have made 84.9% of their field-goal attempts this season. That’s down a tick from last year’s 85.9%, but still ranks among the most accurate seasons in NFL history. And on attempts of 50-plus yards, kickers are converting 71.9% of the time in 2024. Thirty years ago, that figure was below 40%. While the rest of the league has caught up to kickers such as Tucker, he’s also taken a step back. He’s already missed six field goals this season, and two weeks ago the Ravens had to overcome a missed extra point in the fourth quarter of a win over Cincinnati. “He’s going to get it figured out. We have coaches. We have technique. We look at the tape,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s practicing well. He’s got to kick it straight.” Tucker did make a game-tying 56-yard kick against Cincinnati last month, in a game the Ravens eventually won in overtime. In that same game, McPherson missed a 53-yarder that would have won it for the Bengals. When McPherson came into the league in 2021, he went 9 of 11 from 50-plus yards during the regular season — then made all 14 of his field-goal attempts in the playoffs. He’s been far more erratic this season. With the game tied Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, McPherson had fourth-quarter misses from 48 and 51 yards, and the Bengals went on to lose 34-27. “He knows to make those kicks,” star receiver Ja’Marr Chase said. “That’s why we paid him those bucks — to make those kicks in crunch time.” The Eagles are in a better spot than the Ravens and Bengals — Philadelphia has won six straight. But Elliott has given them a little to worry about. He missed two field goals and an extra point in a win over Washington on Thursday night. “We have so much faith in him,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “This team believes so much in Jake Elliott because of his track record and who he is and the teammate he is and the captain he is.” After earning second-team All-Pro honors last season, Elliott signed a four-year, $24 million extension in March. That was followed by big extensions for Cleveland’s Dustin Hopkins (three years, $15.9 million), Kansas City’s Harrison Butker (four years, $25.6 million) and McPherson (three years, $16.5 million). Elliott has missed five field-goal attempts this season, and Hopkins and McPherson have missed six each. Butker has kicked fine but recently needed surgery on his non-kicking knee. There’s enough time left in the season for some of these struggling kickers to steady themselves, and certainly their track records suggest that may happen, but for teams such as Baltimore and Philadelphia in particular, it’s highly likely they’ll be in the playoffs. And when that happens, the kicking game will be magnified. At the beginning of the season, few would have expected that the Ravens and Eagles would have any problems in that area. Now it’s a real concern. “He’s definitely our best option, and he’s going to make a lot of kicks — I really believe that — going forward,” Harbaugh said. “But it’s up to him. It’s up to him and the guys he works with every day to make those balls go straight.” The Associated Press contributed to this article
Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS): Despite stock market volatility amid geo-political uncertainties, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net investors in India so far this year, as the country’s economy showed tremendous resilience, market watchers said on Saturday. For 2024 (till December 27), FIIs sold equity for Rs 119,277 crore through the exchanges. In contrast to this selling trend, they invested Rs 120,932 crore through the primary market, said experts, citing data from the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL). “This means FIIs are net investors in India so far this year. The selling through exchanges is mainly due to the high valuations and investing through the primary market is mainly due to the fair valuations,” said Dr V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services. The selling spree by FIIs seen in October and November declined in December. There has been occasional buying by FIIs in early December but they turned sellers again, though not on a sustained basis like in October and November. “An important characteristic about FII investment is that they have been consistent investors of equity through the primary market. In December through 27th, FIIs invested Rs 17,331 crore through the primary market,” said Kumar. This trend of selling through the exchanges and buying through the primary market is discernible in the year-long trend in 2024. In the debt market, FIIs have invested Rs 112,409 crores so far this year, as per the NSDL data. According to market experts, FIIs may again turn sellers into equity in early 2025 since the dollar has been appreciating (dollar index is above 108) and the US 10-year bond yields are attractive at around 4.4 per cent. “FIIs will turn buyers in India when there are indications of growth and earnings recovery,” they added. Manoj Purohit, Partner and Leader, Financial Services Tax, Tax and Regulatory Services, BDO India, said that after a couple of months of continuing hefty burnouts, the capital markets witnessed a comeback from the foreign fraternity this month. The feather in the cap is the record-breaking investments via the FDI route thereby crossing the $1 trillion mark. “The return of foreign participants to India market can be attributed to various factors. Primarily, on the macro front, the recent policy announcements in the US impacting the peer countries, settling geopolitical situation among Middle East countries, the well-controlled inflation, and interest rate check,” Purohit explained.
Avista Posts Updated Corporate Responsibility Report
United Internet AG (OTCMKTS:UDIRF) Short Interest Down 83.6% in December‘Big Bullshit’: Govinda’s Daughter Tina Ahuja Gets Brutally Slammed for Calling Period Cramps ‘Psychological’ (Watch Video)AP News Summary at 9:47 p.m. EST
China's star sprinter Su Bingtian to retire after 2025 National GamesSusman Godfrey LLP Files Antitrust Lawsuit Alleging Align Technology, ADA, and AAO Conspired to Eliminate Competition in the Dental MarketPandas An An and Ke Ke celebrate their 1st Christmas in Hong Kong HONG KONG (AP) — A pair of five-year-old pandas, named An An and Ke Ke, celebrated their first Christmas early in a Hong Kong park, munching on special treats and looking cute for the cameras. An An, the male panda, was presented with an ice slab that had “Merry Christmas” written on it with sweet potato and carrots while Ke Ke, his female companion, got a snowman garnished with slices of carrot and apple in a special press event Monday before visitors streamed to the park. China sent the pair to Hong Kong in late September in a bid to boost tourism in the city. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby: Spurs-Knicks Christmas game is also an animated one at Disney World NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. While Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are facing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, an alternate animated telecast will have the teams playing in the Magic Kingdom, with some Disney characters participating. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. 'Squid Game' returns looking for win with season 2 The first season of “Squid Game” was Netflix's most-watched series and went on to win a variety of accolades including the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series for Lee Jung-jae and a directing award for Hwang Dong-hyuk. The show returns for its second season on Dec. 26 and is already nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama. It's rare for TV shows made in Korea to have more than one season but Lee describes Hwang as “a genius.” A third and final season has already filmed. Netflix is also invested in expanding its “Squid Game” universe with a reality competition series and an English-language version in development. In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there's now a tiny Christmas tree DARDGHAYA, Lebanon (AP) — A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones in the ruins of a Catholic church in southern Lebanon that was hit by an Israeli airstrike during the war with Hezbollah. It's a small and modest tree. There are no lights because the war destroyed power lines. The ground is too uneven to set up the Nativity scene. The priest says his blood pressure went up and he lost his balance when he saw the church's destruction. Now he leads Mass in an underground room that serves as a temporary worship space. He tells the community it “is more like the cave where Jesus was born.” Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90 The Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, says the huge crocodile that rose to fame with a cameo in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” has died. The aquarium says Burt died over the weekend and was at least 90 years old. A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 5 meters long. The 1986 movie stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile, before being saved by Dundee. Elaborate holiday light displays are making spirits bright in a big way CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. But others are adorned with thousands of blinking lights synched to blasting music. In Mesa, Arizona, 14 homeowners have been going all-out on holiday lights for 30 years, and those buying homes in the neighborhood often find the attics full of décor left behind by previous owners. In Santa Clarita, California, residents began coordinating their holiday lights to bring some joy to their community after an earthquake. And in Edmond, Oklahoma, those looking to the western sky will easily spot the Miranda family’s elaborate display featuring images and music from the movie “Wicked.” Santa braves the sticky heat of the Amazon jungle to bring gifts to children in Brazilian village CATALAO, Brazil (AP) — Santa Claus has braved the sticky heat of the Amazon rainforest this weekend, taking two boats to bring gifts to the children of a small village near the Brazilian city of Manaus. The visit was arranged by Amigos do Papai Noel, a Brazilian charity that has been taking gifts to children in the Amazon rainforest for the past 26 years. More than 600 children from different villages gathered in Catalao to receive presents from Santa, who dressed in his traditional nightcap, white gloves and red suit, while enduring the stifling jungle heat. NASA's Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before NEW YORK (AP) — A NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. On Tuesday, Parker will pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface. That's nearly seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft. Scientists won’t hear from Parker until a few days after the flyby. It’ll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand what drives the solar wind and why the corona is so much hotter than the sun's surface. 174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after a lift cracks WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials are investigating what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders. The evacuation happened Saturday on a gondola lift at Winter Park Resort. A spokesperson says the lift stopped automatically when a crack was detected in a structural piece of the lift. Passengers were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours. No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday season. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales.
Halle Bailey ’s ex DDG is still part of her world. In celebration of their son Halo ’s first birthday, The Little Mermaid actress shared a series of cute family photos with the rapper and their son. “Happy birthday to my halo,” she captioned the Dec. 23 Instagram post . “God gave me the greatest gift in you. Time flies when you’re having fun & mommy just can’t believe that you’re one.” This birthday reunion comes two months after Halle and DDG (whose real name is Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr. ) called it quits , less than a year after welcoming Halo. "After much reflect and heartfelt conversations, Halle and I have decided to go our separate ways," DDG shared in an Oct. 3 statement posted on Instagram Stories. "This decision was not easy, but we believe it’s the best path forward for both of us. I cherish the time we’ve spent together and the love we’ve shared." "We are still best friends and adore each other," the 26-year-old continued. "As we focus on our individual journeys and our roles as co-parents, we cherish the bond we’ve built and the beautiful moments we’ve shared." And as The Color Purple actress shifted her focus on her own motherhood journey, she began to discover the importance of prioritizing herself and her own well-being. “I think this new chapter in my life is just all about self-love and giving all that love that I pour out of myself back into myself,” she told E! News in October. “I feel like you have to fill yourself up in order to be able to love other people and beings.” And one way that the 24-year-old focused on herself was by cherishing the time she gets to spend raising her precious son. “I think the best part of motherhood is knowing that you are being loved unconditionally by this beautiful being that you were given,” she explained. “And he is a reminder to continue to love yourself, and that you're important and special because of how much he needs you.” And as Halle and DDG set off on their own self-discovery journeys, they might not always be on the same page. In fact, Halle called out DDG for featuring their 11-month-old son on a Twitch livestream and deleted her own social media accounts shortly after the incident. "Hi everyone. just so you know i am out of town and i don't approve of my baby being on a stream tonight," Halle posted to X after the stream went live in November. "I wasn't told or notified and i am extremely upset to have my baby in front of millions of people." "I am his mother and protector and saddened that i wasn't notified,” she added, “especially when i am out of town." As for how the “I’m Geekin” rapper responded? He stood up for his family and quieted the negative criticism Halle was receiving for her reaction online. “One thing I don’t like when people do, I don’t like when people hate on Halle,” the 27-year-old told fans in a Nov. 7 YouTube video . “I don’t care if you think she’s wrong or not, or if I think she’s wrong or not, she could be going through something mentally after having a kid that I, as a man, cannot understand. So when situations like this happen, I try to handle it with as much grace as possible.” “We going through a very different transition, we only been parents for 10 months, we going through a little break up, we going through something that’s hard for us,” he continued. “I just don’t appreciate when people try to put me against her.” To look back at Halle and DDG’s journey together, keep reading... January 2024: Introducing Son Halo, Their First Child Together December 2023: L.A. Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors Game November 2023: Beyoncé's Renaissance Film Premiere October 2023: Glamour Women of the Year Awards March 2023: Vanity Fair Oscars Party February 2023: Creed III Premiere February 2023: Milan Fashion Week January 2023: Atlantis, the Royal Event in Dubai December 2022: Avatar 2 Premiere October 2022: Wearable Art Gala September 2022: Roger Vivier Event in Paris August 2022: Variety Power of Young Hollywood Event June 2022: Red Carpet Debut at the BET Awards