This Christmas, buy green gifts that don't cost the earth
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., arrives for the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25, 2024. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Meta shares continued their extended rally on Friday, rising 2.4% and closing at a record after a federal appeals court upheld a law requiring China's ByteDance to sell TikTok or face an effective U.S. ban. The Facebook parent has climbed 77% this year after almost tripling in 2023, pushing Meta's market cap close to $1.6 trillion. Alongside Meta, Amazon also closed at all-time high on Friday, and is up 49% this year. Apple slid slightly from its high on Thursday. The hefty gains this year among tech's megacaps helped lift the Nasdaq to a record. The index rose 0.8% on Friday and has gained 32% in 2024. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined president-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last week for a dinner, where he demonstrated the company's camera-equipped Ray Ban specs, Fox News first reported. Zuckerberg, who has been the subject of frequent verbal attacks by the incoming president, is apparently seeking an active role working with the Trump administration. TikTok is one of Meta's biggest rivals and has soared in popularity in recent years, particularly with younger audiences, and now has about 170 million users in the U.S. In April, President Joe Biden signed a law that would require ByteDance to divest the app, or companies such as Apple and Google as well as internet hosting providers would have to stop supporting it. The unanimous ruling on Friday by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., rejected TikTok's argument that the law is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment rights of its users. TikTok said later Friday that it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the appeals court decision. "The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans' right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," a TikTok spokesperson said in an email. Meta's rally began in late 2022 and picked up steam early last year after Zuckerberg declared 2023 the "year of efficiency." The company slashed about 21,000 jobs and rebuilt its advertising systems with the help of new advancements in artificial intelligence. In its third-quarter earnings release , Meta reported a 19% increase in year-over-year revenue while warning of a significant acceleration in its infrastructure expenses in 2025. The company reported 3.29 billion "daily active people" for the third quarter, up just 5% year over year. Zuckerberg has been talking up Meta's efforts to develop new AI products and services, which will require spending billions of dollars on Nvidia graphics processing units and the energy to run them. And Meta has been building out data centers to shore up the technology infrastructure needed for its AI strategy. Posting on the Threads app on Friday, Zuckerberg said Meta AI "now has nearly 600 million monthly actives," and will soon release version 3.3 of its Llama open source large language model. Zuckerberg didn't say how Meta counts a "monthly active" user for its AI technology. WATCH: Meta is leading the race to monetize generative AI, says Morgan Stanley analyst watch now VIDEO 2:28 02:28 Meta is leading the race to monetize generative AI, says Morgan Stanley analyst Squawk Box Asia
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An 11-year-old boy has been arrested after throwing rocks at an elderly man on Auckland's North Shore. Police said they were aware of the incident on Anzac Road in Browns Bay on Wednesday. They had noted the large amount of discussion the original post of the attack had generated on social media. Posted anonymously on a community Facebook page, residents have voiced their outrage at the boy's actions. One user described it as absolutely disgraceful and disrespectful behaviour. "I wonder how these kids would like to sit anywhere and have stones thrown at them!!" one wrote. "This didn't happen back in the day because kids were disciplined," said another. Hibiscus and Bays local board member Julia Parfitt said the community came together to alert authorities. "I'm also told that the police response was extremely swift," she said. "And that was because we've got those eyes and ears out there in our community, who contact the police and ensure that everyone else is safer." Parfitt said there did not appear to be any motivation for the attack. "Christmas is quite a stressful time of the year for many people," she said. "I don't know what the young person's motivation was - it doesn't sound like there was any motivation does it. "It's a random thing, and really awful..." "It just shows you that when you can, though, work together, and if you do use those police contact numbers, that you can get a swift response." Police also responded on social media, saying they had arrested an 11-year-old boy. "Police share your concerns about this unacceptable behaviour," they said. "Our Browns Bay community officers have since identified the young boy involved, an 11-year-old, and he has been apprehended." The boy was being dealt with through Youth Aid, police said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.KyKy Tandy, FAU close out Oklahoma State in Charleston
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Awkward moment Ed Sheeran politely asked to leave after gatecrashing Ruben Amorim interview live on Sky SportsHeidi Jorgensen, owner of Jem Custom Designs in Forsyth, combines technology with artistry to create beautiful, laser-engraved wood décor. Since 2020, her business has grown from a small creative endeavor to a full-time passion, specializing in intricate designs that range from personalized earrings and door signs to elaborate travel maps and wall hangings. A Pandemic Pivot to Crafting Jorgensen offers complex, multi-piece designs made from 100 different cuts of wood. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. This custom-made travel map comes with a box of individually cut states to be added to map. Jem Custom Designs items range from cutting boards to games and intricate art pieces. Get our free email newsletters — latest headlines and e-edition notifications.
Tributes have been paid to a former BBC football commentator dubbed the "voice of Leicester City" following his death at the age of 85. Neville Foulger, a respected journalist for over half a century, was synonymous with a glory period for the Foxes in the late 1990s through to his retirement in 2004. Among those paying tribute was Geoff Peters, now at TalkSport, who was his colleague and friend for many years at BBC Radio Leicester. He said: "He's been a constant throughout my life... he was a real father figure." Mr Foulger, who lived in Barrow upon Soar, also had spells working in Nottingham, Birmingham and Coventry during his career in journalism. His final game working for the Coventry Telegraph was Coventry City's famous 3-2 FA Cup triumph in 1987 before he moved to Leicester to run a press agency. He then went on to report and commentate on football and cricket at BBC Radio Leicester for many years until he retired. Mr Peters recalled how he was employed by Mr Foulger at his news agency when he was 16 and went on to work with him at BBC Radio Leicester in the mid-1990s. They were reunited again in the press box during Leicester City's fairytale Premier League title-winning run in 2016. He added he was moved by the many tributes on social media from those who listened intently to games over the years. "As a boss he was hard but fair... I owe him lots. Today is a sad day," he said. "I learned so much from him, he was a brilliant journalist. He was a very giving, kind, caring person. "He was a wonderful family man - I saw him earlier this year and he really sparkled when he was talking about his family. "My heart is full of so much love that I could spend so much time with him over the years and learn from him." In a statement, Leicester City said: "We are all saddened to hear of the passing of much-loved journalist, Neville Foulger. "Covering countless City games, Nev commentated on some of the club’s greatest moments across several decades. "Nev was known by many generations as the voice of Leicester City, and will be sadly missed by all who knew him." He is survived by his wife Fran, children David and Anne, and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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