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France's second woman premier makes surprise frontline returnApple continues to experiment with the screen sizes of its iPhones. After enlarging the displays in this year's iPhone 16 Pro models, the company is preparing new changes for the iPhone 17 line in 2025. Both minor adjustments and a complete refusal from one of the models are expected. Mashable ME reported that the standard iPhone 17 may get a 6.3-inch display, which is larger than the 6.1-inch screen of the iPhone 16. Thus, it will be equal in size to the current iPhone 16 Pro, occupying a niche between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. However, Apple is rumored to be planning to abandon the Plus model for good due to low sales. It will be replaced by a new model called the iPhone 17 Air. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to have a display that measures between 6.55 and 6.65 inches, making it smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max but larger than the iPhone 17 Pro. Thus, Apple aims to create an intermediate option between the Pro and Pro Max, offering users a choice among different sizes. There is currently no information about the display size changes in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. It is expected that they will be the same - 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively, as in the iPhone 16 Pro. However, according to The Information, the Pro models will undergo significant design changes. These changes include the use of an aluminum frame instead of a titanium frame, a semi-aluminum, semi-glass back panel instead of an all-glass back panel, and a redesigned camera bump that is now rectangular. These changes can significantly affect the look and feel of the devices. ProMotion expansion and new display technologies Apple plans to expand ProMotion technology to all iPhone 17 models, meaning that all devices in the line will support 120Hz refresh rates for smoother content playback. Previously, this feature was available only for Pro models. In addition, ProMotion will allow you to reduce the display refresh rate to 1 Hz to save power, which will ensure that the Always-On Display mode is always active, displaying the time, widgets and notifications even when the screen is locked. According to unofficial sources, the iPhone 17 Pro may feature a new display technology called Low-Dielectric TEE (Transmission Electrically Enhanced). This technology likely involves the use of materials with low dielectric constant to reduce energy loss and improve the display's energy efficiency. There are also rumors about the use of an ultra-hard anti-reflective coating on the iPhone 17 displays, which will be more scratch-resistant than the Ceramic Shield used in the iPhone 15. Perhaps Apple will use Gorilla Glass Armor technology, similar to that used in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. According to analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a much narrower Dynamic Island due to the use of smaller "metalens" for the Face ID system. Metalens are thin, flat lenses with microscopic patterns that focus light more accurately. The reduction of the Dynamic Island will be the first change to this feature since its introduction in the iPhone 14 Pro, MacRumors writes . History of iPhone resizing Apple has been constantly experimenting with iPhone screen sizes over the years. From the 3.5-inch screen of the first iPhone to the 6.7-inch screen in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the company always quickly responded to market needs and technological capabilities. The introduction of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus happened amind the popularity of phablets, and the iPhone X marked the transition to a bezel-less design. The iPhone 12 mini was an attempt to return to a compact size, but it did not gain much popularity. The increase in screen size in the iPhone 16 Pro was another step in the development of the line, and the upcoming changes in the iPhone 17 indicate the continuation of this trend. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels on Telegram and Viber to keep abreast of the latest events.Manchin, Sinema prevent Democrats from locking in majority on labor board through 2026 WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats failed in their bid to confirm a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board after the Senate rejected a razor-thin vote that hinged on the pivotal rejections of independent Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. If the nomination had been successful, the board would have had a Democratic majority until 2026. President-elect Donald Trump will now have a chance to nominate a replacement. The NLRB is a government agency that handles labor relations and unionization in the workplace. It also has the power to investigate potential unfair labor practices, meaning its leadership is highly scrutinized by business interests and labor groups. The failed vote is another blow to Senate Democrats and outgoing President Joe Biden's agenda. Arizona AG sues Saudi firm over 'excessive' groundwater pumping, saying it's a public nuisance PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says she is suing a Saudi Arabian agribusiness over what she calls “excessive pumping” of groundwater. She alleges that the Fondomonte alfalfa farm in western Arizona is violating a public nuisance law even though the area has no groundwater pumping regulations. Mayes said Wednesday that Fondomonte's use of groundwater threatens the public health, safety and infrastructure of local communities in rural La Paz County. It's Arizona's latest action against foreign companies that use huge amounts of groundwater to grow thirsty forage crops for export. The Associated Press emailed Fondomonte seeking a response to the lawsuit. US inflation ticked up last month as some price pressures remain persistent WASHINGTON (AP) — Fueled by pricier used cars, hotel rooms and groceries, inflation in the United States moved slightly higher last month in the latest sign that some price pressures remain elevated. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, up from a yearly figure of 2.6% in October. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core prices increased 3.3%. Measured month to month, prices climbed 0.3% from October to November, the biggest such increase since April. Wednesday’s inflation figures are the final major piece of data Federal Reserve officials will consider before they meet next week to decide on interest rates. The November increase won’t likely be enough to discourage the officials from cutting their key rate by a quarter-point. Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history has crumbled. The two companies have accused each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through, and Albertsons pulled out of the $24.6 billion deal on Wednesday. The bitter breakup came the day after a federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington issued injunctions to block the merger, saying that combining the two grocery chains could reduce competition and harm consumers. Albertsons is now suing Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee, as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger says the legal claims are “baseless.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. Supreme Court allows investors' class action to proceed against microchip company Nvidia WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing a class-action lawsuit that accuses Nvidia of misleading investors about its past dependence on selling computer chips for the mining of volatile cryptocurrency to proceed. The court’s decision Wednesday comes the same week that China said it is investigating the the microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. The justices heard arguments four weeks ago in Nvidia’s bid to shut down the lawsuit, then decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place. They dismissed the company’s appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward. Apple's latest iPhones get the gift of more AI as holiday shopping season heats up SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is pumping more artificial intelligence into the latest iPhones during the holiday shopping season. It comes in the form of a free software update that includes a feature that enables users to create customized emojis within a matter of seconds. The Wednesday release of the iPhone’s upgraded operating system extends Apple’s expansion into AI months after rivals such as Samsung and Google began implanting the revolutionary on their devices. The update builds upon another one that came out in late October. The latest round of AI tricks includes “Genmojis,” Apple’s description of emojis that iPhone users will be able to ask the technology to create and then share. EU targets Russia's ghost fleet shipping oil in a new round of sanctions BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union envoys have agreed a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine. The EU's Hungarian presidency said Wednesday that the measures will target in particular a vast shadow fleet of ships that Moscow is exploiting to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and fuel. The sanctions are aimed at about 50 of what are routinely decrepit ships. The sanctions will hit more officials and entities alleged to be helping Russia to improve its military technology by evading export restrictions. EU foreign ministers are set to formally adopt the sanctions package on Monday. Can ordinary citizens solve our toughest problems? BEND, OREGON (AP) — Research shows Americans are frustrated with what they perceive as aloofness and gridlock within civic institutions. Citizen assemblies may be able to help. The groups which have direct involvement in decision-making can help “overcome polarization and strengthen societal cohesion,” says Claudia Chwalisz, founder of DemocracyNext. Her nonprofit, launched in Paris in 2022, champions such assemblies worldwide, hoping they can “create the democratic spaces for everyday people to grapple with the complexity of policy issues, listen to one another, and find common ground.” In Europe, examples of such changes abound. In the United States, results are spottier. Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is promising expedited federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion. But like other Trump plans, the idea is likely to run into regulatory and legislative hurdles, including a landmark law that requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impact before deciding on major projects. Environmental groups called the plan a clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. The chief policy advocacy officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council says Trump should be careful what he wishes for. She said, "What if someone wants to build a waste incinerator next to Mar-a-Lago or a coal mine next to Bedminster golf course?”
Maschmeyer's 34 saves carry Ottawa Charge past New York Sirens, 3-1
Bucharest (Romania), Dec 24 (AP) Romanian lawmakers on Monday voted narrowly in favor of a new pro-European coalition government led by incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania's 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, the center-right National Liberal Party, PNL, the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a Dec. 1 parliamentary election, a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement Monday. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis," he said. "It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romani's 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It's widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. President Klaus Iohannis was expected to swear in the new government later Monday. Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. Romania was plunged into turmoil after Georgescu's surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the Dec. 8 runoff, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we'll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organize the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all lawmakers from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute. (AP) AS AS (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Summer Lee overcame a primary challenge to return to office in January. Two of her close allies did not. While Lee of Swissvale easily dispatched Edgewood Council member Bhavini Patel last spring, challengers ousted two other members of the left-wing group of House Democrats known as the Squad. What Lee and the two Democrats who lost their reelection bids — U.S. Reps. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri — had in common was that they have been among Israel's fiercest critics in Congress, even before Hamas launched an attack on the Jewish State on Oct. 7, 2023. "While the number of anti-Israel Democrats and their influence have been exaggerated, there's no doubt that the defeat of two of them should send a strong message to those who refuse to condemn the Iranian attack on Israel in April or voted against a resolution standing with Israel against Hamas or more recently has called on the administration to withhold weapons," said Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. But while Bowman's and Bush's races attracted millions of dollars from the pro-Israel community, Lee's did not. Her district is more liberal than others — Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris received more votes in 2024 against Donald Trump than Joe Biden did in 2020 — and Nachama Soloveichik, a partner in ColdSpark, a Pittsburgh-based Republican consulting firm, said there wasn't the outrage over Lee's positions as there was in those other two districts. "I don't think she has suffered from the same kind of negatives," Soloveichik said. Lee did not respond to requests for comment. But a close ally, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said the millions of dollars spent by outside groups influenced the outcome of the races. "It's really heartbreaking to have members depart from here, especially in races that had the highest levels of special interest spending that we've seen in American history," Ocasio-Cortez said. "I don't think anyone feels good about that." A super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel lobby, spent $14.6 million on the Bowman race and $8.6 million on the Bush race, according to the research group OpenSecrets. Those were the PAC's two highest-spending races in 2024, and AIPAC-backed candidates won both, as they did in 96% of Democrats the group endorsed. AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittman said the results showed that "being pro-Israel is both good policy and good politics." Congressional Progressive Caucus leaders recommended that the Democratic National Committee ban super PACs from spending money in party primaries. Outgoing caucus chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said that the outside money was a big factor in Bowman's and Bush's defeats. "Those two individuals had a lot of big money come in against them," Jayapal said. "Every election you have to convince voters. It gets very difficult, when you get enormous amounts of money coming in, to make your case. I don't think there's any big lesson to learn from it other than big money." After all, she said, many other progressives were reelected despite the outside spending. "I think people want to look at those two instead of looking at the whole range of progressives that won, including ones that had a lot of big money against them," she said. "But we obviously think we need to get big money out of these primaries." Another caucus member, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., cautioned against calling the primary losses a backlash to progressive politicians. "There are unique factors to each of those districts, which I think we ought to refrain from making general statements," McGovern said. "Those districts are different, and there were a bunch of factors. I don't think it was a repudiation of the Squad or people wanted to move to the right. These are individual races." Still, Democratic strategist Joel Rubin, a Squirrel Hill native, said Lee should study why so much money was spent in those other races and why it worked. "It would benefit her and her political position to look at the lessons from the Bowman and the Bush races and rather than chalk it up to one generalized talking point, look deeper at why the money that went into the race had the impact on voters that it did," said Rubin. But Soloveichik cautioned that politicians aren't very good at personal introspection. "If Oct. 7, which was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, did not cause people to question their votes and their rhetoric, I don't think anything will," Soloveichik said. "They talk to people who think and vote just like them. Their supporters are hard-left activists, and their districts are overwhelmingly liberal. I doubt that we'll see anything." Lee's district includes the large Jewish community in Squirrel Hill, site of the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history when Robert Bowers gunned down 11 worshippers in a local synagogue in 2018. She obtained $1 million in federal funds to convert the Squirrel Hill synagogue into a memorial and education center, and another $547,000 for the 10.27 Healing Partnership, which helps those traumatized by the shooting. Soifer said the congresswoman needs to build a better relationship with her Jewish constituents. "One doesn't always have to agree, but one should always have open lines of communication with one's constituents," Soifer said. And Soloveichik warned that Lee's electoral success in 2024 didn't close the door on a future, more successful challenger if she continues on her current path regarding the Jewish state. "I feel pretty confident that the people who care about Israel are keeping an eye on her performance and if there is an opportunity to fire her electorally, they will jump on it," she said. One of those watching Lee is Pittsburgh resident Lou Weiss, a local pro-Israel activist and member of the Republican Jewish Coalition. "If the appropriate candidate pops up, we'd love to happen to her what happened to these others," he said. "Hopefully she joins her buddies Jamaal and Cori in early retirement." In the wake of the primary defeats of her Squad colleagues, Lee disregards her Jewish constituents at her own risk, Rubin said. "What kind of relationship does she want to have with these constituents and will that influence her positions?" Rubin said. "If it doesn't and if the way she's engaging continues to make them concerned and upset, then you bet they're going to be looking for alternatives. ...If you keep on having your voters and constituents upset, you increase the likelihood of a credible challenger appearing." So far, Lee hasn't changed her positions on Israel. She was one of 14 House members to vote against a Republican-led resolution condemning antisemitism and one of nine opposing a resolution expressing support for Israel and condemning Hamas for the October 2023 attack. Earlier this month, Lee helped lead a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, urging them to suspend transfers of offensive weapons to Israel. "Continuing to transfer offensive weapons to Netanyahu's government prolongs the suffering of Palestinian families, puts Israeli lives in further danger, and risks our own national security by sending a message to the world that the U.S. applies its laws and values selectively," Lee said. Among the 19 other lawmakers signing the letter were Bowman and Bush. But Lee acts at her own peril if she doesn't acknowledge that Bowman's and Bush's positions on Israel were factors in their defeats, said Sam Markstein, national political director for the Republican Jewish Coalition. "As a proud Squad member, Congresswoman Lee has embraced, time and again, the most radical elements in the Democratic Party," Markstein said. "Congresswoman Lee would be wise to change course, but we know she won't." (c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
AP News Summary at 3:40 p.m. ESTHuawei has officially unveiled the in Shenzhen, showcasing four models. This article focuses on the and , highlighting their , specs, and pricing. The Mate 70 is the phone in the lineup, at 7.8mm thick, and it features a flat frame. Both models boast IP69 certification, which offers protection against pressurized water jets. The sports a display with FHD+ resolution and a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate. Meanwhile, the stretches to , retaining the same resolution and refresh rate. Both models deliver an impressive and are protected by second-generation for enhanced drop resistance. Both phones share a with a and , accompanied by a . : Features a camera with . : Upgrades to a with . A standout feature is the , designed to capture detailed color data for accurate color reproduction, natural skin tones, and improved shadow details, even in complex lighting conditions. Gizchina News of the week For selfies, the Mate 70 uses a , while the Pro adds a for secure face unlocking. Huawei hasn’t confirmed chipset details but rumors suggest the with a 6nm architecture built on SMIC’s N+3 process. Both devices run , with an update to expected later. : , 66W wired, and 50W wireless charging. : , 100W wired, and 80W wireless charging. Both phones come in . Pre-orders are live in China, with deliveries starting . No global release plans have been announced. The Mate 70 series showcases Huawei’s focus on innovative features, advanced imaging technology, and robust performance, offering strong competition in the flagship space.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott is the quarterback of the near future for the Dallas Cowboys. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones will have to decide soon whether he feels the same about coach Mike McCarthy. Cooper Rush is making a good case to stay as Prescott's backup. If Rush can help pull an upset in either of the final two games at Philadelphia on Sunday or home against Washington, he'll have a winning record in three different seasons filling in for Dallas' injured star QB. It was 1-0 in 2021 when Prescott had a calf strain, 4-1 a year later after Prescott broke a thumb in a season-opening loss and now 4-3 following a season-ending hamstring tear for the three-time Pro Bowler. Rush, who is a free agent after the season, helped keep a playoff season on track in 2022. He couldn't do that again this season, losing the first two starts to cap a five-game losing streak that was too much for Dallas to overcome in pursuit of a fourth consecutive postseason trip for the defending NFC East champions. The Cowboys (7-8) were eliminated a few hours before kickoff against Tampa Bay on Sunday night. They won anyway, the 26-24 victory costing the Buccaneers control of their playoff fate. Rush had a career high for passing yards in a half with 226 before the break, and the defense made the big plays late when the offense couldn't run out the clock. A week earlier, Rush threw a career-best three touchdown passes in a 30-14 victory over Carolina. “I think you’ve just seen a man take full advantage of his opportunities,” McCarthy said. “And what I love about Cooper is, you look at his performance, it’s improved every week because he’s always prepared properly. He’s an ace in the quarterback room, as far as getting ready each and every week even when he wasn’t the starter.” Last year, Dallas traded for Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick by San Francisco in 2021, to play behind Prescott and Rush and give the Cowboys another consideration for the future. There's been plenty of talk about the Cowboys seeing what they have in a young QB who flamed out quickly with the 49ers. Lance's contract is up after the season as well. Dallas has been steadfast in believing Rush was the best option to win now, and made winning a priority even as the playoff hopes faded. Now, it appears whatever future Lance has will be elsewhere. Like any QB, Rush would love a chance to start full time. He's also 31 and knows a good situation when he sees one, even if the Cowboys did at one point give up on him by going with Andy Dalton as the backup in 2020. Rush returned later in that pandemic-altered season, and is about to finish an uninterrupted four-season run behind Prescott. “This is ball,” Rush said. “This is what you do. You get paid to do it. I don’t think people need much more motivation.” What's working WR CeeDee Lamb simply won't let an injured right shoulder sideline him this season. He has at least 100 yards receiving in the first half of the past two games and has surpassed 100 catches for the third time in his five seasons. Only two other receivers have done the latter. What needs help The Dallas run game was finally stuffed after a lengthy stretch of helping control games. McCarthy half-expected it against the usually stout rushing defense of the Bucs. The Cowboys had 31 yards rushing, their fewest in a win in almost four decades. Stock up K Brandon Aubrey had two 58-yard field goals and another from 53 against Tampa. He and Houston's Ka'imi Fairbairn are in an intriguing duel for an NFL record. Aubrey has 14 field goals of at least 50 yards to 13 for Fairbairn this season. Whichever kicker finishes with more will have the record, unless they end up sharing it. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton might be better off watching the final two games as long as veteran Chuma Edoga stays healthy. They rotated early, but Guyton ended up getting just seven snaps. Guyton has been battling a variety of injuries this season. Injuries LB Eric Kendricks couldn't go because of a calf injury, opening the door for Nick Vigil to play a season-high 69 snaps and lead the Cowboys with 10 tackles. It had been six weeks since Vigil played any defensive snaps. Key number 10 — Star edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons. He would be the fifth player to do it. The other four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Next steps Rush is 9-2 as a starter against teams other than Philadelphia. He's 0-2 against the Eagles, including a 34-6 loss in his first start after Prescott's injury this season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Schuyler Dixon, The Associated PressYoung Boys players pay tribute to teammate Meschack Elia in Champions League game after his son diedG7 Foreign Ministers Renew Support For Ukraine In Final Summit Document
Owning ( ) shares normally comes with a pleasing flow of . However, the isn't the only option for . The ASX is quite heavily weighted towards and banks, so getting exposure to different industries and geographies could be a good move for Aussies focused on the domestic economy. With many banks competing for the same borrowers and savers, profit margins have been pushed down. The high RBA is leading to some borrowers getting into arrears, which could challenge profitability and may hurt ANZ's profit and dividend growth. Considering these difficulties, I think it could be a good idea to diversify if an investor's portfolio is too heavily focused on an ASX bank share like ANZ. Telstra Group Ltd ( ) In my eyes, Telstra is the leading telecommunications business in Australia, with the most subscribers, the best collection of spectrum assets and the widest network coverage. The business has been steadily growing its annual dividend per share over the last few years. In , it grew its dividend by 6% to 18 cents per share, which is a grossed-up (including ) of 6.6%. I like the idea of owning Telstra shares for passive income because of its stronger market position (compared to ANZ's loan market position), its ability to increase prices for customers without losing market share, its operating leverage, and its defensive dividend. If I had to choose an ASX share from Telstra and ANZ shares, I'd choose Telstra. SPDR S&P Global Dividend ETF ( ) What's better than owning one dividend stock? How about owning a whole portfolio of attractive dividend payers? As the name suggests, this is about investing in various stocks from across the world with good dividends. The businesses within this fund have increased their dividend every year for at least the last ten years. They also need to have a relatively high dividend yield. When you combine those two elements, it's a powerful combination for investors focused on passive income. The biggest positions in the portfolio are currently . According to State Street Global Advisors, the portfolio of businesses is collectively expected to grow by 6.4% over the next three to five years. The WDIV ETF currently has a dividend yield of 5.1%, and since its inception in November 2023, it has delivered an average fund distribution return per year of 5.2%. I'm not expecting much capital growth from this fund, but it does offer very different exposure to ANZ shares.2025’s hottest resources stocks: Pt 2Storm dumps record rain and heavy snow on Northern California. Many in Seattle still without power
Support grows for Blake Lively over smear campaign claimBeer before liquor? Busting 6 popular myths about hangoversFERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national who prosecutors say went by the alias “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, 50, an American from Florida, were part of a sophisticated illegal operation that has brought increasing numbers of Indians into the U.S., prosecutors said. They were each convicted on four counts related to human smuggling, including conspiracy to bring migrants into the country illegally. “This trial exposed the unthinkable cruelty of human smuggling and of those criminal organizations that value profit and greed over humanity,” Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said. “To earn a few thousand dollars, these traffickers put men, women and children in extraordinary peril leading to the horrific and tragic deaths of an entire family. Because of this unimaginable greed, a father, a mother and two children froze to death in sub-zero temperatures on the Minnesota-Canadian border,” Luger added. The most serious counts carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Associated Press before the trial. But federal sentencing guidelines rely on complicated formulas. Luger said Friday that various factors will be considered in determining what sentences prosecutors will recommend. Federal prosecutors said 39-year-old Jagdish Patel; his wife, Vaishaliben, who was in her mid-30s; their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and 3-year-old son, Dharmik, froze to death Jan. 19, 2022, while trying to cross the border into Minnesota in a scheme Patel and Shand organized. Patel is a common Indian surname, and the victims were not related to Harshkumar Patel. The couple were schoolteachers, local news reports said. The family was fairly well off by local standards, living in a well-kept, two-story house with a front patio and a wide veranda. Experts say illegal immigration from India is driven by everything from political repression to a dysfunctional American immigration system that can take years, if not decades, to navigate legally. Much is rooted in economics and how even low-wage jobs in the West can ignite hopes for a better life. Before the jury’s conviction on Friday, the federal trial in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, saw testimony from an in the smuggling ring, a of the treacherous journey across the northern border, border patrol agents and forensic experts. Defense attorneys were pitted against each other, with Shand’s team arguing that he was unwittingly roped into the scheme by Patel. Patel’s lawyers, The Canadian Press , said their client had been misidentified. They said “Dirty Hary,” the alleged nickname for Patel found in Shand’s phone, is a different person. Bank records and witness testimony from those who encountered Shand near the border didn’t tie him to the crime, they added. Prosecutors said Patel coordinated the operation while Shand was a driver. Shand was to pick up 11 Indian migrants on the Minnesota side of the border, prosecutors said. Only seven survived the foot crossing. Canadian authorities found two parents and their young children later that morning, dead from the cold. The trial included an inside account of how the international smuggling ring allegedly works and who it targets. Rajinder Singh, 51, testified that he made over $400,000 smuggling over 500 people through the same network that included Patel and Shand. Singh said most of the people he smuggled came from Gujarat state. He said the migrants would often pay smugglers about $100,000 to get them from India to the U.S., where they would work to pay off their debts at low-wage jobs in cities around the country. Singh said the smugglers would run their finances through “hawala,” an informal money transfer system that relies on trust. The pipeline of illegal immigration from India has long existed but has increased sharply along the U.S.-Canada border. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested more than 14,000 Indians on the Canadian border in the year ending Sept. 30, which amounted to 60% of all arrests along that border and more than 10 times the number two years ago. By 2022, the Pew Research Center estimates more than 725,000 Indians were living illegally in the U.S., behind only Mexicans and El Salvadorans. Jamie Holt, a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said the case is a stark reminder of the realities victims of human smuggling face. “Human smuggling is a vile crime that preys on the most vulnerable, exploiting their desperation and dreams for a better life,” Holt said. “The suffering endured by this family is unimaginable and it is our duty to ensure that such atrocities are met with the full force of the law.” One juror Kevin Paul, of Clearwater, Minnesota, told reporters afterward that it was hard for the jurors to see the pictures of the family’s bodies. He said he grew up in North Dakota and is familiar with the kind of conditions that led to their deaths. “It’s pretty brutal,” Paul said. “I couldn’t imagine having to do what they had to do out there in the middle of nowhere.”