jili super ace demo
The Prime Minister insisted the UK will back Ukraine “for as long as it takes” as he made a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, but for the first time acknowledged the conflict could move towards a negotiated end. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks suggested he is open to a possible ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv and its European allies meanwhile fear the advent of Donald Trump’s return to the White House could result in American aid being halted. President-elect Trump has said he would prefer to move towards a peace deal, and has claimed he could end the conflict on “day one” of his time in power. As he attempts to strike up a good relationship with the incoming president, Sir Keir revealed he had told Mr Trump the UK “will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come”. In his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister said there is “no question it is right we support Ukraine”, as the UK’s aid to Kyiv is “deeply in our self-interest”. Allowing Russia to win the war would mean “other autocrats would believe they can follow Putin’s example,” he warned. Sir Keir added: “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes. “To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their own future.” Mr Zelensky told Sky News over the weekend he would be open to speaking with Mr Putin, but branded the Russian president a “terrorist”. He also suggested Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia. In a banquet speech focused on foreign affairs, the Prime Minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest the UK must choose between its allies, adding: “I reject it utterly. “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose. “The national interest demands that we work with both.” Sir Keir said the UK and the US were “intertwined” when it came to commerce, technology and security. The Prime Minister added: “That’s why, when President Trump graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower, I told him that we will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come.” He also repeated his commitment to “rebuild our ties with Europe” and insisted he was right to try to build closer links with China. “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t simply look the other way. We need to engage. To co-operate, to compete and to challenge on growth, on security concerns, on climate as well as addressing our differences in a full and frank way on issues like Hong Kong, human rights, and sanctions on our parliamentarians,” he added. The Prime Minister said he wants Britain’s role in the world to be that of “a constant and responsible actor in turbulent times”. He added: “To be the soundest ally and to be determined, always, in everything we do. “Every exchange we have with other nations, every agreement we enter into to deliver for the British people and show, beyond doubt, that Britain is back.” Ahead of Sir Keir’s speech, Lord Mayor Alastair King urged the Prime Minister and his Government to loosen regulations on the City of London to help it maintain its competitive edge. In an echo of Sir Keir’s commitment to drive the UK’s economic growth, the Lord Mayor said: “The idealist will dream of growth, but the pragmatist understands that our most effective machinery to drive growth is here in the City, in the hands of some of the brightest and most committed people that you will find anywhere in the world.”
Vajpayee’s ‘Nation-First’ Principle Must Guide Us: LG
NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun Watson
By Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News Worried that President-elect Donald Trump will curtail federal efforts to take on the nation’s medical debt problem, patient and consumer advocates are looking to states to help people who can’t afford their medical bills or pay down their debts. “The election simply shifts our focus,” said Eva Stahl, who oversees public policy at Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that has worked closely with the Biden administration and state leaders on medical debt. “States are going to be the epicenter of policy change to mitigate the harms of medical debt.” New state initiatives may not be enough to protect Americans from medical debt if the incoming Trump administration and congressional Republicans move forward with plans to scale back federal aid that has helped millions gain health insurance or reduce the cost of their plans in recent years. Comprehensive health coverage that limits patients’ out-of-pocket costs remains the best defense against medical debt. But in the face of federal retrenchment, advocates are eyeing new initiatives in state legislatures to keep medical bills off people’s credit reports, a consumer protection that can boost credit scores and make it easier to buy a car, rent an apartment, or even get a job. Several states are looking to strengthen oversight of medical credit cards and other financial products that can leave patients paying high interest rates on top of their medical debt. Some states are also exploring new ways to compel hospitals to bolster financial aid programs to help their patients avoid sinking into debt. “There’s an enormous amount that states can do,” said Elisabeth Benjamin, who leads health care initiatives at the nonprofit Community Service Society of New York. “Look at what’s happened here.” New York state has enacted several laws in recent years to rein in hospital debt collections and to expand financial aid for patients, often with support from both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature. “It doesn’t matter the party. No one likes medical debt,” Benjamin said. Other states that have enacted protections in recent years include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Many measures picked up bipartisan support. President Joe Biden’s administration has proved to be an ally in state efforts to control health care debt. Such debt burdens 100 million people in the United States, a KFF Health News investigation found . Led by Biden appointee Rohit Chopra, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has made medical debt a priority , going after aggressive collectors and exposing problematic practices across the medical debt industry. Earlier this year, the agency proposed landmark regulations to remove medical bills from consumer credit scores. The White House also championed legislation to boost access to government-subsidized health insurance and to cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, both key bulwarks against medical debt. Trump hasn’t indicated whether his administration will move ahead with the CFPB credit reporting rule, which was slated to be finalized early next year. Congressional Republicans, who will control the House and Senate next year, have blasted the proposal as regulatory overreach that will compromise the value of credit reports. And Elon Musk, the billionaire whom Trump has tapped to lead his initiative to shrink government, last week called for the elimination of the watchdog agency . “Delete CFPB,” Musk posted on X. If the CFPB withdraws the proposed regulation, states could enact their own rules, following the lead of Colorado, New York, and other states that have passed credit reporting bans since 2023. Advocates in Massachusetts are pushing the legislature there to take up a ban when it reconvenes in January. “There are a lot of different levers that states have to take on medical debt,” said April Kuehnhoff, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, which has helped lead national efforts to expand debt protections for patients. Kuehnhoff said she expects more states to crack down on medical credit card providers and other companies that lend money to patients to pay off medical bills, sometimes at double-digit interest rates. Under the Biden administration, the CFPB has been investigating patient financing companies amid warnings that many people may not understand that signing up for a medical credit card such as CareCredit or enrolling in a payment plan through a financial services company can pile on more debt. If the CFPB efforts stall under Trump, states could follow the lead of California, New York, and Illinois, which have all tightened rules governing patient lending in recent years. Consumer advocates say states are also likely to continue expanding efforts to get hospitals to provide more financial assistance to reduce or eliminate bills for low- and middle-income patients, a key protection that can keep people from slipping into debt. Hospitals historically have not made this aid readily available, prompting states such as California, Colorado, and Washington to set stronger standards to ensure more patients get help with bills they can’t afford. This year, North Carolina also won approval from the Biden administration to withhold federal funding from hospitals in the state unless they agreed to expand financial assistance. In Georgia, where state government is entirely in Republican control, officials have been discussing new measures to get hospitals to provide more assistance to patients. “When we talk about hospitals putting profits over patients, we get lots of nodding in the legislature from Democrats and Republicans,” said Liz Coyle, executive director of Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy nonprofit. Many advocates caution, however, that state efforts to bolster patient protections will be critically undermined if the Trump administration cuts federal funding for health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the insurance marketplaces established through the Affordable Care Act. Trump and congressional Republicans have signaled their intent to roll back federal subsidies passed under Biden that make health plans purchased on ACA marketplaces more affordable. That could hike annual premiums by hundreds or even thousands of dollars for many enrollees, according to estimates by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank. And during Trump’s first term, he backed efforts in Republican-led states to restrict enrollment in their Medicaid safety net programs through rules that would require people to work in order to receive benefits. GOP state leaders in Idaho, Louisiana, and other states have expressed a desire to renew such efforts. “That’s all a recipe for more medical debt,” said Stahl, of Undue Medical Debt. Jessica Altman, who heads the Covered California insurance marketplace, warned that federal cuts will imperil initiatives in her state that have limited copays and deductibles and curtailed debt for many state residents. “States like California that have invested in critical affordable programs for our residents will face tough decisions,” she said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Cruise into this holiday season with a non-traditional vacationPARLIAMENT has reshuffled the chairpersons of various committees, with Murehwa West Member of Parliament Farai Jere and Clement Chiduwa being reassigned. Jere, who was serving on the Sports, Arts, and Recreation Committee, has replaced Chamu Chiwanza as its chairperson. The committee has been holding the Ministry of Sports, Arts, and Recreation accountable for the improvement of sports facilities in the country. Interestingly, Clement Chiduwa, who was previously chairing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance, has been reassigned to the Industry and Commerce Committee, and he has been succeeded by Energy Mutodi. Former Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Supa Mandiwanzira, has been appointed to chair the Primary and Secondary Education Committee, moving from the Local Government and Public Works Committee. Hon. Dr. T. Khupe – Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology. Hon. I. Ndudzo – Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Hon. J. Tshuma – Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. Hon. D. Malinganiso – Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. E. Mutodi – Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development. Hon. E. Maoneke – Committee on Defence, Home Affairs.Security Services and War Veterans. Hon. T. Karikoga – Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development. Hon. S. Mandiwanzira – Committee on Primary and Secondary Education Hon. F. Jere – Committee on Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. C. Chiduwa – Committee on Industry and Commerce. Hon. J. Samkange – Parliamentary Legal Committee.
Who is “Blockchain Pedro”, the host of the house where Yishum Qiu died?CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is ending the season on injured reserve for the second year in a row. The league has been reviewing the case for months , trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. “The matter is closed,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said Friday in an email to The Associated Press. “There was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault in Texas by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damages before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson strongly denied the allegations through his attorney, Rusty Hardin. The 29-year-old Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in October. He's been rehabbing the injury in hopes of returning next season. The Browns still owe Watson $46 million in each of the next two seasons after they traded three first-round picks to Houston and signed him to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract that has backfired. Watson has only played in 19 games over three seasons due to the suspension and injuries. He was acquired by the Browns, who were comfortable with his character despite Watson being accused of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. While he's in the clear with the league, Watson's future with Cleveland isn't so certain. His massive contract — and its salary-cap ramifications — has put the Browns in a bind in terms of trying to improve their roster. Cleveland has had a disappointing season after making the playoffs a year ago and could move on from Watson, but the cost would be exorbitant if the team just releases him. The Browns signed Jameis Winston for one season to be Watson's backup. Winston has gone 2-3 as a starter since taking over and he's put some life into Cleveland's offense, which didn't score 20 points or gain 300 yards with Watson before his injury. His 2023 season was ended by a broken bone in his shoulder, requiring surgery. Winston has indicated he would come back, and he could be a viable option as a starter even if the Browns draft a young QB. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Tom Withers, The Associated Press
Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs reportNoneThe Minnesota Vikings are sitting at 10-2 on the season. It's a pretty impressive feat for the Vikings when you consider their preseason win total was set at 6.5 wins. Already being 3.5 wins ahead of that mark with five games to go is a mark that should earn head coach Kevin O'Connell plenty of Coach of the Year votes. Being that much better than their win total brings a lot of questions about how they have accomplished that. Some are bringing up the 2022 season with their 11-0 record in one-score games to try and discredit the 10-2 Vikings. However, things are certainly different now than they were two years ago. Even though the Vikings have the underlying metrics to back up their record much better than they did in 2022, there are still areas that aren't sustainable. Let's take a look at a few that resonated from the Cardinals' game. Penalties Going into the game, the Cardinals were the least penalized team in the National Football League. They were called for just 51 penalties in their first 11 games with a league-high 10 games where they had five or fewer penalties. Against the Vikings, they had a whopping 10 penalties for 96 yards. It was a season-high for the Cardinals, but it also follows a trend for the Vikings. This season, the Vikings have been called for 85 penalties (11 declined) for 607 penalty yards. Their opponents have been called for a whopping 108 penalties (14 declined) for 788 yards. The majority of those penalties have been false starts, where the Vikings' opponents have been called an astounding 24 times. That is something the Vikings can't count on in every game, but the U.S. Bank Stadium crowd is very impactful Red Zone possessions The Vikings have been great in preventing teams from getting to the red zone. Going into Sunday's game, they were second in the NFL with just 26 red zone possessions allowed and eighth in total touchdowns allowed with 17. After Sunday's game where they held the Cardinals to one touchdown on six attempts, they are tied for third in red zone possessions allowed with 32 and seventh in touchdowns allowed with 18. Most importantly here, the Vikings went from 27th in the league in red zone touchdown percentage allowed to 18th in the league. It's quite the jump, but a 1-6 performance will do that. Holding teams to that little of success won't be the norm for the Vikings all season, but the lack of red zone possessions allowed is relatively sustainable. They will be facing some lethal offenses down the stretch, meaning it will be paramount that their success continues. Fumbles Fumbles just cannot happen if you are the Vikings. Far too often, they turn the ball over. After Sunday's game, the Vikings are 27th in the NFL in drives that result in a turnover at 13.3%. Just the last three weeks, the Vikings have had four first quarter fumbles, all of which were by Aaron Jones . He has developed a fumbling problem with five total fumbles across 219 touches whereas he had just 15 across 1,499 touches with the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings rank tied for 16th in fumbles with 15 on the season but those turnovers have been their own worst enemy this season. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Notre Dame’s resurrection: Its chief architect on rebuilding France’s ‘heart’ in 5 yearsApple appeals Nebraska tax ruling resulting in $652K in additional taxes