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President appoints two new Ministry SecretariesGARY LINEKER has landed his first job since announcing his Match of the Day exit. The legendary England striker, 63, revealed earlier this month he will leave the iconic BBC programme at the end of the season after 25 years as host. And just two weeks later his newest project has been unveiled as he prepares to get involved in Baller League UK. The football tournament was launched in Germany earlier this year and includes the likes of Mats Hummels and Lukasz Podolski. The league is made up of 12 teams consisting of six players on each side, with weekly matches taking place indoors across two 15-minute halves. Now the trailer announcing UK and US versions has been released on social media - with a plethora of star-studded names involved. The ad, set in an airport, features a mix of YouTubers and ex-footballers. Lineker is joined by Match of the Day pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards for his segment of the video. Lineker and Shearer are left in hysterics as Richards swandives on to the floor and rips his trousers in an attempt to beat his MOTD pals to a header. The BBC presenter then says "Talk about bursting on the seam!" - a play-on words on Richards' famous "bursting on to the scene" quote. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS Lineker has been named a team manager in the league - with a host of former players joining him to head up rival sides. Shearer and Richards have also been confirmed as head coaches, along with Chelsea legend and ex-England captain John Terry - who replicates his 2012 Champions League final antics by appearing in the video in full kit. Arsenal Invincibles trio Jens Lehmann, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljunberg will also be coaches, as will ex- Real Madrid superstar Luis Figo. Ronaldinho is also seen at the end of the clip as he smiles on a plane in a scene with IShowSpeed - who will be the Baller League USA president. It is unclear what Ronaldinho's involvement will be. KSI has been announced as the president of Baller League UK. It is set to get underway in March next year and finish in May - with coverage being hosted by Chunkz on Twitch. Rule changes will also take place during certain matches - including 3 vs 3 games, goals scored from the back two thirds of the pitch counting for double, and one-on-one match-ups starting behind the halfway line. Trials for players hoping to take part in the league will be staged in London and Manchester. They will include free agents, futsal players, academy youngsters, street ballers and retired pros. KSI said: "I have high hopes for what this league can bring to the sport. "We're bringing a different style to football, a different energy to the normal and showing a different level of entertainment to the sport. "Very exciting times ahead!" GARY LINEKER dropped the shock news that he is QUITTING Match of the Day. The popular presenter, 63, took over hosting duties on the flagship BBC programme from Des Lynam in 1999. But after more than 25 years in the studio hotseat, he has called time on his MOTD gig. But as part of a huge shake-up, the BBC is considering rotating the presenters on a weekly basis. So with Lineker vacating the chair, new names will step into his giant boots. But who could they be? MARK CHAPMAN Chapman, 51, is the obvious early favourite to follow on from Lineker as MOTD presenter. He already has the gig as MOTD2 host on a Sunday night plus landed the presenting job for the new BBC Champions League highlights show. ALEX SCOTT Scott gets the nod from the Beeb bosses when Lineker is away. The former right-back, 40, is used to presenting the Saturday night show as well as live match coverage - plus ticks the box as a former England international. GABBY LOGAN Like Scott, Logan, 51, is one of the understudies to step in when Lineker is not available. She has done most gigs since joining the BBC in 2007, including Olympics, Sports Personality of the Year and Final Score. MICAH RICHARDS Lineker's top pick to replace him is exuberant former Man City defender Richards. The departing host told his close pal, 36, on their Stick to Football podcast: "I'd love to see you take over Micah, I think you'd be brilliant in the chair." JASON MOHAMMAD Mohammad could earn the "promotion" from Final Score to Match of the Day. The 51-year-old Welshman - who took over from Logan in 2013 - is one of the BBC's top earners already and is more senior than fellow Final Score and BBC Sport broadcaster Kelly Somers, who could in theory become the main live host for the afternoon slot. JEFF STELLING He couldn't, could he? While Lineker has been the face of Saturday night TV for football fans for years, the face of the afternoons was Stelling in his role as Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday presenter. He would bring plenty of on-screen charisma, wit and legendary TV expertise - but at nearly 70 and currently with talkSPORT, the Hartlepool fan would not be a cheap or long-term appointment.
Unveiling the Future: AI’s Surprising Turns and Innovations
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NFL Week 12 Recap: Tennessee Titans 32, Houston Texans 27Fortinet Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitorsGIS in Telecom Sector Market Unidentified Segments - The Biggest Opportunity Of 2024 11-25-2024 09:14 PM CET | Media & Telecommunications Press release from: AMA Research & Media LLP The latest study released on the global 'GIS in Telecom Sector' market by AMA Research evaluates market size, trend, and forecast to 2030. The 'GIS in Telecom Sector' market study covers significant research data and proofs to be a handy resource document for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people to have ready-to-access and self-analyzed study to help understand market trends, growth drivers, opportunities and upcoming challenges and about the competitors. Get free access to Sample Report in PDF Version along with Graphs and Figures @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/91586-global-gis-in-telecom-sector-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul Some of the key players profiled in the study are: Bentley Systems Incorporated (United States), Blue Marble Geographics (United States), Harris Corporation (United States), Hexagon AB (Sweden), Pitney Bowes Inc. (United States), RMSI Inc. (India), Trimble Inc. (United States), Autodesk (United States), Maxar Technologies (United States), ESRI Inc. (United States), GIS stands for geographic information system are set of tools which are used to interpret the geographical information and data, the device digitalized the data and then process, stores, interprets, analyze it to provide required output. It helps Telecom companies in solving their problems such as capacity management, personnel management, market segmentation, real time knowledge of network structure and demand forecasting. Telecom companies are adopting the GIS market analysis to offer a wide range of services for increasing their customer reach. Various end-user segments are using GIS tools for Hadoop by ESRI, a GIS provider to study the impact of driver carpooling as it aids in visualization and the analysis of maps. Keep yourself up-to-date with latest market trends and changing dynamics due to COVID Impact and Economic Slowdown globally. Maintain a competitive edge by sizing up with available business opportunity in GIS in Telecom Sector Market various segments and emerging territory. Influencing Market Trend •Increase in Demand for Improved Reality & Virtual Reality in the Industries Market Drivers •Upsurge in Demand of GIS Applications for Mobile & Broadband Services •Increasing Demand of Network Installation across the World Opportunities: •Rising Investment on Research & Development on 5G Technology •Growing Investment in IT Infrastructures •Increasing Government Spending To Develop and Built Smart Cities Challenges: •GIS Technology Is an Expensive Software Analysis by Type (Software, Service), Application (Small & Medium Enterprise (SMEs), Large Enterprise), Deployment (On-Premise, Cloud) Have Any Questions Regarding Global GIS in Telecom Sector Market Report, Ask Our Experts@ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/91586-global-gis-in-telecom-sector-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul The regional analysis of Global GIS in Telecom Sector Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North America is the leading region across the world. Whereas, owing to rising no. of research activities in countries such as China, India, and Japan, Asia Pacific region is also expected to exhibit higher growth rate the forecast period 2024-2030. On May 13, 2019 Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the leading global provider of comprehensive software and digital twins services has announced the acquisition of Keynetix, a UK-headquartered provider of cloud-based software. The addition of Keynetix software will expand Bentleys geotechnical offerings and accelerates Bentleys vision of enable subsurface digital twins for infrastructure projects and assets. Table of Content Chapter One: Industry Overview Chapter Two: Major Segmentation (Classification, Application and etc.) Analysis Chapter Three: Production Market Analysis Chapter Four: Sales Market Analysis Chapter Five: Consumption Market Analysis Chapter Six: Production, Sales and Consumption Market Comparison Analysis Chapter Seven: Major Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Analysis Chapter Eight: Competition Analysis by Players Chapter Nine: Marketing Channel Analysis Chapter Ten: New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis Chapter Eleven: Manufacturing Cost Analysis Chapter Twelve: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers Read Executive Summary and Detailed Index of full Research Study @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/91586-global-gis-in-telecom-sector-market?utm_source=OpenPR/utm_medium=Rahul Highlights of the Report • The future prospects of the global GIS in Telecom Sector market during the forecast period 2024-2030 are given in the report. • The major developmental strategies integrated by the leading players to sustain a competitive market position in the market are included in the report. • The emerging technologies that are driving the growth of the market are highlighted in the report. • The market value of the segments that are leading the market and the sub-segments are mentioned in the report. • The report studies the leading manufacturers and other players entering the global GIS in Telecom Sector market. Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA - 08837 Phone: +1(201) 7937323, +1(201) 7937193 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com About Author: AMA Research & Media is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enables clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. This release was published on openPR.
HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions as the AFC South-leading Texans lost for the third time in four games. Jimmie Ward had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries. Tennessee extended the lead to 23-17 on a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk with nine minutes left in the third. Stroud threw his second interception with about 90 seconds left in the third quarter but Ward’s touchdown came three plays later to put the Texans on top 24-23. The Titans fumbled a punt early in the fourth quarter and Houston recovered it. A 54-yard field goal by Fairbairn extended the lead to 27-23 with about 10 minutes to go. Dameon Pierce returned the opening kickoff 80 yards to get the Texans in the red zone. Houston cashed in on the next play when Stroud found rookie Cade Stover on a 19-yard pass for his first touchdown reception. The Titans trailed by four after a field goal by Folk when Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got in front of the defense and was wide open for a 38-yard TD catch that made it 10-7 late in the first quarter. Tennessee extended the lead to 17-7 when Tony Pollard ran 10 yards for a touchdown with about 11 minutes left in the second. Pollard finished with 119 yards and a touchdown. Nico Collins scored on a 5-yard reception with about six minutes left in the second. Levis fumbled on the Houston 32 with 31⁄2 minutes left in the first half and Houston recovered the ball. Stroud connected with Collins on a 56-yard pass on the next play, but the Texans couldn’t move the ball and settled for a 28-yard field goal to tie it at 17-17. Houston forced a punt after that, but rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. got his first career interception two plays later to give Tennessee the ball back. Folk’s 56-yard field goal, which tied his career long, put the Titans up 20-17 at halftime. The Titans were without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, after he was placed on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury, and safety Amani Hooker, who was added to the injury report Sunday morning with an illness. Hooker leads the Titans with three interceptions. ... Houston S Jalen Pitre injured his shoulder in the second quarter and didn’t return. ... CB Ka’dar Hollman left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. Titans: Visit the Commanders next Sunday. Texans: Visit Jacksonville next Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflJapanese automakers Nissan and Honda on Monday announced they had entered into official talks to merge and create the world's third-largest automaker by sales . In a press conference on Monday, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the companies needed greater scale to compete in the development of new technologies in electric vehicles and intelligent driving. A business integration would give the companies an "edge that will not be possible under the current collaboration framework," Mibe said, according to a translation. The deal would aim to share intelligence and resources and deliver economies of scale and synergies while protecting both brands, he said. A holding company would be formed as the parent company of both Honda and Nissan, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The larger Honda will nominate most of the integrated entity's board members. The merged group has the potential to deliver revenue of 30 trillion yen ($191.4 billion) and operating profit of over 3 trillion yen, he said. Discussions are set to conclude in June 2025. Mibe added that if approved, the integration would be a mid to long-term project that is currently not expected to show visible progress until 2030 and beyond. Nissan's strategic partner Mitsubishi has been offered the chance to join the new group and will take a decision by the end of January 2025. The companies are grappling with intense global competition in the EV market from the likes of Tesla and China's BYD. The proposed deal was first reported by Japan's Nikkei newspaper on Dec. 17. Nissan shares spiked following the initial report of a merger. Analysts say the potential tie-up is a result of financial underperformance at the company and of the restructure of its longstanding partnership with France's Renault . In its most recent quarterly results, Nissan said it would cut 9,000 jobs and reduce global production capacity by a fifth. Honda CEO Mibe on Monday said some of the company's shareholders may feel that the deal would represent Honda supporting Nissan, but noted the merger was "based on the assumption that Nissan completes its turnaround action." "If Nissan and Honda fail to stand on their own feet the business integration talks will not come to fruition," he said. Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida told reporters that the discussion of integration did "not mean we have given up on a turnaround" and was instead about ensuring the company's competitiveness for the future. "After doing this turnaround action for future development, future growth, we need to look at ultimate size and growth. This growth will be through partnerships," he added. Nissan has "been struggling in the market, it's been struggling at home, it doesn't have the right product line-up," Peter Wells, professor of business and sustainability at Cardiff Business School's Centre for Automotive Industry Research, told CNBC's " Street Signs Europe " last week. "There are so many warning signs, so many red flags around Nissan at the moment that something had to happen. Whether this is the answer is another question," Wells added. — CNBC's Ruxandra Iordache and Sam Meredith contributed to this story.
Michael Croley | (TNS) Bloomberg News In the old days of 2016, when golfers visited the Dormie Club in West End, North Carolina — 15 minutes from the hotbed of American golf, Pinehurst — they were greeted by a small, single-wide trailer and a rugged pine straw parking lot. Related Articles Travel | A preview of some stunning hotels and resorts opening in 2025 Travel | Travel scams that can hurt your credit or finances Travel | Travel: Paddle the Loxahatchee River, one of two National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Florida Travel | 7 family-friendly ski resorts in the US that won’t break the bank Travel | Disneyland 2025: The top Disney events and festivals to plan for That trailer is now long gone. A gate has been installed at the club’s entrance and a long driveway leads to a grand turnaround that sweeps you past a new modern clubhouse that’s all right angles, with floor-to-ceiling glass. Seconds after you exit your car, valets are zipping up in golf carts, taking your name, then your bags, handing you keys to your own golf cart, and then zipping off to drop your luggage in the four-bedroom cottage where you’ll stay. A short walk past an expansive putting green you’ll find the pro shop — and then you’ll see the club’s most elegant feature: its golf course. The changes have all come about because Dormie Club was acquired in 2017 by the Dormie Network, a national group that owns seven private golf facilities from Nebraska to New Jersey. (“Dormie” is a word for being ahead in golf — the names were coincidences.) A key to the network’s success has been its ability to find clubs ripe for acquisition, with outstanding golf courses and existing on-site lodging or the room to build it, says Zach Peed, president of the company and its driving force. After investing in Arbor Links Golf Club in Nebraska City, Nebraska, in late 2015, Peed believed he saw an opening in the golf market: a new model of hospitality for traveling professionals who wanted a pure golf experience that eschewed the pools and pickleball courts of their home clubs. His clubs would become dream golf-only getaways for avid players and their pals. “Dormie Network’s concept was sparked by having played competitive golf in college, combined with an element of experiencing and understanding hospitality,” says Peed. “It made sense to blend the two to create golf trips that had more value than just playing golf. We want genuine hospitality to help create unforgettable memories and new friendships.” Part of that formula has been in the lodging strategy; in North Carolina, 15 four-bedroom cottages now are a short golf cart ride from the main clubhouse. In each, golfers all have their own king-size bed and en suite bathroom. A large common room is dominated by a flatscreen television along with a well-stocked bar and snacks. That ability to be both social, or tucked away in your room, extends to the expansive new clubhouse, where a high-ceilinged bar area with blond wood creates an inviting space for dining and drinking, and several hideaway rooms allow for more private diners with just your group. So far, their commitment to hospitality has been helping them expand in both membership and club usage in the increasingly competitive market for traveling golfers. Major players such as Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst Resort, and the Cabot Collection have created — or renovated — a new paradigm where golfers get dining and lodging that’s as showcase-worthy as the courses they play. Comfortable sheets and options beyond pub food aren’t luxuries anymore, but staples for many group trips. Dormie has answered that call by focusing on both the big details and the small ones, like having the dew wiped off each golf cart at dawn outside guest cottages before the day begins or having a tray of cocktails delivered to golfers as their final putt falls on the 18th green. These touches may seem over-the-top, but they stand out in a world where golf travel is increasingly popular — and expensive — after the pandemic lockdowns. Since 2020 there has been an explosion in participation in the sport, with new golfers picking up the game and avid golfers playing more: According to the National Golf Foundation, a record 531 million rounds were played in 2023, surpassing the high of 529 million set in 2021. Supreme Golf, a public golf booking website, reports in its latest analysis that the average cost of a tee time has increased to $49 in 2024 from $38 in 2019, a 30% increase. Those cost increases are also on par (pun intended) with the costs of private clubs and initiation fees during that same period, where membership rosters that were dwindling pre-COVID now have waitlists 50 to 60 people deep, according to Jason Becker, co-founder and chief executive officer of Golf Life Navigators, which matches homebuyers with golf course communities. “There’s been an absolute run on private golf. If we use southwest Florida as an example, where there are 158 golf communities, this time last November, only five had memberships available,” he said. That inability to find a club close to home has pushed avid golfers to look farther afield, choosing national memberships at clubs that require traveling, usually via plane, to play. Dormie has capitalized on this growing segment, offering two types of memberships: First, a national membership, where members pay an initiation fee and monthly dues just as they would at a local club, but instead of one club they have access to seven. The second option is a signature membership for companies, “which allows businesses to use our properties for entertainment needs and requires a multiyear commitment,” Peed says. The network also offers a limited number of regional memberships for those living within a certain distance of one of its clubs. Dormie Network declined to provide the cost of memberships or monthly dues and wouldn’t give membership numbers, but the clubs are structured to lodge roughly 60 golfers, max, on-site at any given property at any time. The total number of beds across the network’s portfolio of properties has increased from 84 in 2019 to 432 today. It saw a jump from 10,000 room nights in 2019 to 48,000 in 2023. This September, Dormie opened GrayBull in Maxwell, in Nebraska’s, Sandhills region. Dormie Network tabbed David McLay Kidd to build the course, who also built the original course at Oregon’s famed Bandon Dunes. Kidd says of the property GrayBull sits on, “It’s like the Goldilocks thing: not too flat, not too steep. It’s kind of in a bowl that looks inwards, and there are no bad views.” That kind of remote destination, where the long-range views are only Mother Nature or other golf holes, is what drives many traveling golfers these days. Peed says his team leaned on years of knowledge from Dormie’s acquisitions as they built GrayBull, which started construction in 2022. “We had an understanding of how our members and guests use the clubs that allowed us to take a blank canvas in the Sandhills of Nebraska and combine all of the greatest aspects of each Dormie property into one.” ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The Rotary Club of St Helens came up with the idea of linking care homes with local primary schools to ensure residents feel loved during the festive season. They then designed the cards for the children to complete. This year, 340 cards, featuring Christmas pictures and a personal message, were sent to residents at Stocks Hall Nursing Home, Eccleston, St Helens Hall, Greenfields, and Victoria care homes. Each card had the name of a resident for the children to address. Merton Bank children with their Christmas cards (Image: Supplied) Rotary St Helens' vocational team leader, Gaynor Winstanley, said: "Rotary St Helens are always looking at ways of supporting our local community. "We wanted to bring together the young and elderly during Advent so by delivering this ‘Christmas Card project’, has brought much joy within our community at this special time of year. "For many of the residents, it will be the only Christmas card they will receive. "So, receiving a card from a child is magical. "This year’s Rotary’s theme across the world is ‘The Magic of Rotary’ which seems very appropriate." Residents of Victoria Care Home, Pat and Elaine, said: "It was a fabulous surprise to get cards from local children. "They have brightened our day. "Thank you very much." A resident with her Christmas card (Image: Supplied) Richard Holtby, home manager at Stocks Hall Care Home, added: "Our residents were really pleased to receive the Christmas cards from the children. "We would like to thank them for the time they have taken to make the cards. "To receive a card from a child is extra special and it really brightened up our resident’s day during this season of goodwill." The children who took part attend Holy Cross, Parish Church, Merton Bank, Rivington, and Bleak Hill primary schools.I thought about whether to pen this article on the anniversary of the brutal massacre of 150 children and teachers at the army public school in Peshawar 10 years ago on this day. There is constant pain in Pakistan and everyday one thanks the Almighty we have survived another sunup and hope for a hopeful next day. Is this the life envisaged by the Creator for his flock? Or is this the life we have allowed to fester out of control. Taking stock 10 years after an event which shook the soul of Pakistan on that fateful morning in Peshawar, on 16 December 2014, what have we learned and changed since? The details of every minute of that day are etched in our DNA. Madmen took hostage the students of a school nestled in the security of a cantonment, surrounded by the most ‘secure’ apparatus ‘safeguarding’ all that is privileged and dear. What we witnessed was what happens when humans are dehumanized and radicalized by deprivation and provided all the tools to display the outcomes – over generations. All those families who lost so much that day cannot be consoled or provided an adequate explanation of how was that possible, inside a cantonment area. But they are fully aware, as is the rest of the nation, why it was possible. The mindset which believes this kind of violence is possible still roams without impunity Today 10 years later, the same government and regime has chosen to shut down all the schools across the nation, to commemorate the darkest day in our living memory. The government ‘notification’ did not explain to the schools as to why they were to remain closed, and also sent the notification the evening before Monday the 16th of December. In the middle of exams, all schools had to shut down. When the children and young adults ask “Why?”, what should we tell them? Will they ask? Will they know the answer without being told? In this silence we continue. In the 10 years since 150 children and their teachers were butchered by terrorists who came and went without a single obstacle, the government’s response has been no justice for the families of the victims and absolutely no actions to ensure that it does not repeat itself. Pakistan's 'Cargo Cult' Democracy Is The Problem, Not The Solution The closing down of schools is not only an inappropriate gesture but also indicates even more emphatically how little has changed; there is a danger it can happen again. The mindset which believes this kind of violence is possible still roams without impunity. Today the madrassas remain unregistered unregulated and tools of the permanent problem. Where in the world is it acceptable to so limit the public discourse around regulating those accused of child abuse, radicalization of minds and souls, legitimizing millions poor abandoned children to the fate of further isolation from a hopeful future? The argument that Pakistan will once again become a target of FATF is a deterrent or a motivational factor to attempt to register these unregulated training educational fora. Sadly, it is because we would like to see Pakistani citizens irrespective of social economic conditions access basic, healthy, sane education opportunities, where children are safe from unregulated predators and radicalizing generations on the pretext of peddlers of faith. What have we done since 16 December 2014? What steps have we taken to ensure that this kind of violence is never seen again? We saw the ‘release’ of TTP’s Ehsanullah Ehsan, responsible for the APS massacre in a bizarre unbelievable escape from prison. Was he an asset of the state? What has changed since 2014 to make Pakistanis believe we have learned any lesson from that tragedy? All I feel is a sinking feeling, rather than seeing schools staying open, so as to open the minds, hearts and souls of the future of Pakistan. All I see is that schools remain closed to mark the day when a school was made a site of butchery.
Court of Appeal rejects Epic Lanka’s request to extend interim order against Thales/JIT
It’s a common seasonal refrain: “Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.” This is not a new complaint. History shows that Christmas traditions are just as subject to change as any other aspect of human societies, and when customs change, there are always some who wish they could turn back the clock. In the 1830s, the English solicitor William Sandys compiled a host of examples of Britons bemoaning the transformation of Christmas customs from earlier eras. Sandys himself was especially concerned about the decline of public caroling, noting the practice appeared “to get more neglected every year.” He worried that this “neglect” was indicative of a wider British tendency to observe Christmas with less “hospitality and innocent revelry” in the 19th century than in the past. Yet the 19th century also produced new holiday customs. In fact, many of the new Christmas practices in Sandy’s time went on to become established traditions themselves – and are now the subject of nostalgia and fretted over by those who fear their decline. Take, for example, the humble Christmas card. My research shows that these printed seasonal greetings borrowed from the customs of the past to move Christmas into a new age. A British tradition Annual sales and circulation of Christmas cards have been in decline since the 1990s. Laments over the potential “death” of the Christmas card have been especially vocal in the United Kingdom, where the mailing of Christmas greetings to family and friends via printed cards was long considered to be an essential element of a “British Christmas.” Indeed, historians Martin Johnes and Mark Connelly both argue that throughout the 20th century the Christmas card was viewed as just as essential a part of Britain’s distinctive blend of holiday traditions as children hanging stockings at the end of their beds, Christmas pantomimes, and the eating of turkey and Brussels sprouts. Yet, as these same historians are quick to note, at one time Britons did none of these things at Christmas. Each of these traditions became an element of the customary British Christmas only during the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th. This makes them all relatively new additions to the country’s holiday customs, especially when viewed in light of Christmas’ more than 2,000-year history. Industrial revolution and Christmas cards The custom of mailing printed Christmas cards began in the middle decades of the 19th century and was a product of the industrial revolution. It was made affordable by new innovations in printing and papermaking and more efficient modes of transportation such as the railway. The development of this new tradition was also facilitated by Parliament’s introduction of the Penny Post in 1840, which allowed Britons to mail letters to any address in the United Kingdom for the small price of a penny stamp. Most historians date the Christmas card’s arrival to 1843, the same year in which Charles Dickens published “A Christmas Carol.” In that year, the inventor and civil servant Henry Cole commissioned the artist John Callcott Horsley to design a card to help Cole handle his Christmas correspondence more efficiently. Printed versions of Cole’s card were also made available for sale, but the high price of one shilling apiece left them outside the bounds of affordability for most of the Victorian population. Cole’s experiment, however, inspired other printers to produce similar but more affordable Christmas cards. The use of these cheaper cards began to spread in the 1850s and had established itself as a holiday tradition by the final decades of the century. A Victorian invention? While the Christmas card may have seemed like an entirely new invention to Victorian senders and receivers, the first Christmas card’s design was actually influenced by other, older British holiday traditions. As historians Timothy Larsen and the late Neil Armstrong have demonstrated, Christmas’ status as an established holiday meant that new Christmas customs developed during the 19th century needed to connect with, supplement or replace already existing traditions. The Christmas card was no exception to this recorded pattern. In 1843, many Britons bemoaned the disappearance of a variety of “Old English” Christmas customs. Foremost among these were traditions of Christmas “hospitality,” including Christmas and New Year’s visiting, when family, friends and neighbors went to each other’s homes to drink toasts and offer best wishes for the holiday and the coming year. Scholars argue popular belief in these traditions depended on a mixture of recalled reality and constructed fictions. Foremost among the latter were the popular stories depicting “old English hospitality” at Christmas by the American writer Washington Irving, published in the 1820s. In fact, Britons regularly invoked Irving’s accounts of Christmas at the fictional country house, Bracebridge Hall, when debating the changing character of their nation’s Christmas observances. Regardless of these “old” customs’ historical reality, they nevertheless came to feature prominently in discussions regarding the supposed disappearance of a range of community level Christmas observances, including feasting, caroling and public acts of charity. All of these, it was believed, were endangered in an increasingly urban Britain characterized by class tensions, heightened population mobility and mass anonymity. A union of the old and the new While it is unclear whether these ongoing debates inspired Cole’s decision to commission his 1843 Christmas card, the illustration Horsley designed for him alluded to them directly. The card features a family framed by trestles adorned with holly and mistletoe, accompanied on either side by charitable scenes involving the feeding and clothing of the poor. The center of the card – and the symbolic center of Horsley’s Christmas vision – however, is the family of three clearly defined generations enjoying a collective feast, including the classic English Christmas pudding. They face the viewer, their glasses raised in a toast, directly above a banner wishing them a “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” The central visual imagery of the card – as a “paper visitor” to the home of the recipient – replicates the social act of toasting associated with the older custom of holiday visits. In fact, Horsley’s design invoked many of the same elements featured in Irving’s stories. This is not surprising, given that in later life Horsley recalled the impact of reading Irving’s depictions of the “Christmas at Bracebridge Hall” as a boy, and how he and his sister Fanny had been “determined to do our best to keep Christmas in such a notable fashion.” Refashioning ‘old English hospitality’ Early Christmas cards favored similar imagery associated with the “Old English” Christmas of carolers, acts of charity, the playing of country sports, games such as blindman’s bluff, copious greenery, feasting and the toasting of Christmas and the New Year. These Christmas cards were thus novel, industrial products adorned with the imagery of British Christmases past. The development, and ultimate triumph, of the Christmas card in Victorian Britain demonstrates how nostalgia was channeled into invention. The Christmas card did not revitalize the traditions of Christmas and New Year’s visiting; it offered a paper replacement for them. Industrial production and transportation transformed the physical visitor into a paper proxy, allowing more people to visit many more of the homes of others during the holiday season than they ever would have been able to in person. The desire to hold on to one element of an older, supposedly declining Christmas tradition thus proved instrumental in helping to create a new holiday tradition in the midst of unprecedented changes in the character of communications and social relations. Today, a similar context of social and technological changes has caused some to predict the “death” of the Christmas card. The history of the 19th century suggests, however, that should the tradition die, whatever replaces it will thrive by drawing selectively on the Christmas customs of the past. Christopher Ferguson is Associate Professor of History, Auburn University. The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content.PITTSBURGH (AP) — Technically, the standings still show the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North. It just doesn't exactly feel that way at the moment. While the Steelers still have everything in front of them even after a 34-17 loss in Baltimore on Saturday in which a pair of Russell Wilson turnovers and a battered defense starting to show signs of wear allowed the Ravens to pull away, the grasp they had on the division two weeks ago is now far more tenuous. There were no excuses offered afterward. Yet there's also no time to pout either. Not with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs visiting Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Day. “The one thing I’m not going to do is keep my head down," Wilson said shortly after a fourth-quarter pick-6 allowed Baltimore to pull away. "I know for us, we got so much great confidence in who we are and what we can do and how we’re going to respond.” If Pittsburgh wants the home playoff game that capturing a division title for the first time since 2020 would provide, it doesn't really have a choice. To do it, the Steelers will likely have to beat the two-time defending Super Bowl champions on three days' rest and then the Bengals in the regular-season finale, not exactly ideal opponents for an injury-marred defense that has given up more than 400 yards in consecutive weeks for the first time since the first three games of the 2019 season. Beating Philadelphia and Baltimore on the road even in the best of times is a tough ask. The Steelers came up empty twice in six days, and while Wilson's turnovers didn’t help, Pittsburgh’s inability to match up with either team in the trenches could be a far bigger problem going forward if it can't find a way to regain the physicality it showed earlier this season. True, the Ravens and Eagles have the two best running games in the league led by backs who are putting together Hall of Fame resumes. Still, every team the Steelers figure to face in the postseason will almost certainly try to follow the blueprint Philadelphia and Baltimore used so effectively. Pittsburgh's truncated schedule — the visit by the Chiefs will be its third game in 11 days — means the tackling issues that have popped up of late will have to be addressed more in theory than in practice. It's a less-than-ideal situation. Yet despite the step or two back recently, the Steelers believe that everything they want to do this season is still in front of them. That's certainly true. Wilson — who knows a thing or two about winning this time of year — remains upbeat. “We can’t let a tough game like this take us into a negative state of mind because there’s a lot more to play for and a lot more we’re searching for, and we can still win the (AFC) North,” he said. "There’s still a lot of opportunity there, too, as well. And so we just got to buckle down and get back to work.” What's working Being disruptive in the red zone. Minkah Fitzpatrick's fourth-quarter pick of Lamar Jackson — his first in 26 games — was the fifth takeaway by the Steelers inside their 20 this season, tied for second most in the NFL. What needs help Just about everything else in the red zone. The Steelers allowed Baltimore to score touchdowns on its first three drives that reached the Pittsburgh 20. The other two ended with Fitzpatrick's interception and a chip-shot field goal by Justin Tucker in the final minutes. Two short touchdown throws from Jackson to tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews bothered Steelers coach Mike Tomlin the most. “It is just too late in the year to have guys running open like that, to be quite honest with you," Tomlin said. “So we’ve got some work to do this week and try to shore some of that up.” Stock up Calvin Austin III is the only wide receiver who seems capable of being a difference-maker with George Pickens out of the lineup. The 5-foot-9 Austin has nine receptions for 130 yards over the past two games, and while Wilson's fourth down heave to Austin at the goal line in the third quarter fell incomplete, it also symbolized the faith Wilson has in a highly motivated player who thrives on being underestimated. Stock down Complementary football. The Steelers surged to the top of the division by having a team that thrived in all three phases. That hasn't happened of late. The Ravens turned Wilson's fumble into a 96-yard touchdown drive. Fitzpatrick's interception appeared to give the Steelers momentum only to have Wilson give it right back with a poor throw that Marlon Humphrey turned into the clinching score. Injuries Pickens could return from the hamstring injury that has forced him to miss the past three games. Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring), defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin), cornerback Donte Jackson (back) could also play after sitting out against Baltimore. The news isn’t as positive for starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip), both of whom left against the Ravens and did not return. Key number 39 — field goals this season by Chris Boswell, five short of the NFL record set by David Akers with San Francisco in 2011. Next steps Try to heal up quickly and beat Mahomes for the first time. The Kansas City star is 3-0 against the Steelers with 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Will Graves, The Associated Press