H-1B: Indian Migrants Want Elon Musk to Help Them Win Green Cards
OECD: Filipinos enjoying pensions close to pre-retirement income
T-Mobile Declares Quarterly Cash DividendABILENE, Texas (AP) — Sam Hicks scored on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 171 yards on the ground to lead Abilene Christian to a 24-0 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday in the first round of the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats (9-4), ranked No. 15 in the FCS coaches poll and seeded 15th, qualified for the playoffs for the first time and will travel to play No. 2 seed and nine-time champion North Dakota State (10-2) on Saturday at the Fargo Dome. The Bison had a first-round bye. Abilene Christian grabbed a 7-0 lead on its second possession when Carson Haggard connected with Trey Cleveland for a 37-yard touchdown that capped a 10-play 97-yard drive. Northern Arizona (8-5), ranked 17th but unseeded for the playoffs after winning five straight to get in, picked off Haggard on the Wildcats' next two possessions but could not turn them into points. NAU went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 9:30 left before halftime, but Jordan Mukes tackled Ty Pennington for a 4-yard loss. That led to a 46-yard field goal by Ritse Vaes and a 10-0 lead at halftime. The score remained the same until Hicks' big run with 10:16 left to play. Haggard passed 6 yards to Blayne Taylor for the final score with 2:16 to go. Haggard completed 23 of 29 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions. Abilene Christian's defense allowed at least 20 points in every game during the regular season and yielded at least 30 six times. The Wildcats lost their season opener to FBS member Texas Tech 52-51 in overtime. Abilene Christian's last shutout came in a 56-0 victory over Lamar on Sept. 25, 2021. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
FIANNA Fail were tonight licking their wounds as Grainne Seoige was a huge flop with voters. The former TV star, 51, will fail to win a seat in Galway West despite a high-profile campaign. Seoige — who denied claims she was a celeb candidate — was aiming to retain the seat of seasoned TD Eamon O Cuiv in her political debut. Responding to the result, FF leader Micheal Martin said: “Well firstly I do not like that term, celebrity candidate. “Grainne is a substantive person. I think she ran a very spirited campaign.” But Mr Martin said FF was happy “on one level” as running mate John Connolly could still bag a seat in the constituency. Asked what went wrong for Grainne , outgoing TD O Cuiv said: “She hadn’t had the opportunity to do the leg work on the ground, particularly in Connemara. “I knew from my own work just how much hard work was involved, the detailed knowledge of policy you have to have. “I think that lack of that particular level of expertise didn’t stand to her in this election.” But Independent hopeful Catherine Connolly said it was “an insult to people on the ground” putting her forward, adding: “I will leave FF to do their own post-mortem.” Connolly branded the decision to run the TV star as a "daft strategy". The Leas-Cheann Comhairle told media that a "celebrity candidate" is unlikely to take a seat. Speaking to Virgin Media News on Saturday, she said: "I don’t like commenting personally on a candidate. “However, from day one I thought it was a daft strategy really, I think it was an insult to people that work on the ground, but I’ll leave Fianna Fáil to do their own post-mortem”. A GENERAL election is held in Ireland at least every five years in order to vote for who will represent the Irish public in Dail Eireann. As Ireland is a parliamentary democracy, voting must be held in order for the public to collectively choose who will represent people in Government and what parties will form the Government. In a General Election, the public votes for members of Dail Eireann who go on to become Teachta Dala - TDs. According to the Irish Constitution - a General Election must be held every five years and cannot go on for longer than five years. However, the Dail can be 'dissolved' at any time to call an early or snap election. The President is responsible for dissolving the Dail and this process usually takes place on the advice of the Taoiseach. The President can only refuse to dissolve the Dail if the government does not have a majority of TDs in the Dail. A General Election can also be called if the Taoiseach or Government lose a vote of no confidence. Or in the instance where a coalition party - the smaller party that joins with larger parties to form a government - withdraws its support for those in government. This is called a dissolution and a general election must take place within 30 days of the dissolution of the Dail. Once the Dail is dissolved a polling day must be set by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government - the roll currently held by Fianna Fail TD Darragh O'Brien . Meanwhile, all three leaders of the biggest parties have regained their seats. Fine Gael leader Simon Harris won on the first count in Wicklow while Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin won in Cork South Central, again on the first count. Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald won in Dublin Central on the third count.
BEAMING Micheal Martin declared he has a “clear route back to government” as Fianna Fail aim to become the most popular party in the country. But as the count continued late into the night, Fianna Fail , Fine Gael and Sinn Fein are looking at a photo finish in the General Election . And a defiant Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald declared: “Two-party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history .” Some vote counts are expected to drag on into Monday due to the tight results. The three big parties are each claiming they could hit 40 seats. The Social Democrats look to be the standout performers among the smaller parties, with sources telling The Irish Sun they believe they could double their six TDs. Labour are also confident of gains and are already being eyed up by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael as potential coalition partners to replace the Greens, who have been decimated in the polls. A delighted Mr Martin arrived at the count centre in Cork South Central, which he won easily, flanked by his family . He told reporters there was a “clear route back to government”. And Fianna Fail were tonight confirmed as taking 21.1 per cent of the first preference vote, with Fine Gael at 20.7 and Sinn Fein in third at 19.7 per cent. An earlier exit poll on Friday night had put Fianna Fail at just 19.5 per cent — with Sinn Fein marginally out in front. Mr Martin admitted: “When I saw the exit poll, I was disappointed, I said to myself ‘What the hell?’ “In the current situation, one or two per cent is massive and particularly in a multi-party situation with lots of independents and so on. “It looks like now we will exceed the exit poll, and we could be the largest party in the popular vote.” But asked if he would consider partnering with Sinn Fein, he said: “I have made it clear throughout this campaign that we don’t expect to align with their policies. “We will align with protecting the economic model we have in this country , a pro-European disposition and home ownership.” The results are a hammer blow to Sinn Fein’s hopes of forming a government. But Ms McDonald said she will reach out to the leaders of left-wing parties such as Labour and the Soc Dems to try and form a coalition. Speaking at the RDS count centre in Dublin , she said: “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould her in this state. “Two-party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that in itself is very significant.” And asked if she believes the numbers are there for Sinn Fein to form a coalition of the left, Ms McDonald said: “I am looking to bring about a government of change and I am going to go and look at all formulations. “The bottom line is the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years in our strong opinion is not a good outcome for Irish society. "Obviously I want to talk to other parties of the left and those we share significant policy objectives with. I’m going to do that first and hear their mind and thinking. Be very clear — we will be very actively pursuing entrance into government.” Taoiseach Simon Harris , elected on the first count in Wicklow tonight, was boisterous about the results and claimed Fine Gael would top the poll in at least ten constituencies across the country. But he would not be drawn on coalition options, saying he was “optimistic and excited” for the weeks ahead when government formation talks will commence. “It looks like now we will exceed the exit poll, and we could be the largest party in the popular vote.” Mr Harris said: “I think anybody who makes any projection on who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government they are a braver person than I am. "Our electoral system dictates that there will be many, many transfers that will go for hours, if not days, before we know the final composition of the Dail. “What I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead and I am cautiously optimistic and excited about what the weeks ahead hold.” The results so far mean that a return of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in coalition with another small party or group of Independents is likely to be the make-up of Ireland’s next government. Ex-Green Party leader Eamon Ryan encouraged smaller parties to consider going into coalition, despite the Greens suffering a near wipeout of their 12 seats following their term in government. Mr Ryan said: “I would still advise any party if you have the opportunity to go in to government and represent your electorate and all the people — I think it is the right thing to do.” The Social Democrats look set to the be the biggest of the small parties. Leader Holly Cairns retained her seat , despite having to limit her canvassing due to being pregnant. “The bottom line is the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years in our strong opinion is not a good outcome for Irish society." Ms Cairns gave birth to a baby girl on polling day, meaning she didn’t even get to vote. Deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan — — who will ease back into his seat in Dublin Bay North — has stepped into her role temporarily. He told us the party will speak to Labour about a possible left alliance before considering coalition talks with any of the three big parties. He said: “We certainly intend talking to the Labour Party and other parties over the coming days.” Labour leader Ivana Bacik — who will easily retain her seat in Dublin Bay South — wants to unite with the Soc Dems and the Greens to form a left block to enter coalition negotiations on a stronger footing. She said: “We must have a critical mass of numbers to deliver on the mission of change that we have. “We want a left block on a common platform to come together to deliver on the change we want.” Meanwhile, the political establishment has tonight played down gang boss Gerry Hutch’s chances of becoming a TD, with the Taoiseach arguing: “It’s not nailed on.” But as The Monk continued to hoover up transfers, Mary Lou McDonald became the first person elected in Dublin Central on the third count. The Monk was boosted by 218 votes in transfers from Mary Lou McDonald with the gang boss securing the highest portion of the Sinn Fein leader’s spare ballots. It now appears to be a fight between Hutch and Labour’s Marie Sherlock for the fourth and final seat in the constituency. And on a day of huge political shocks , some of the biggest names were in danger of being dumped out of the Dail — including Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and almost EVERY Green Party TD. But Dublin Central was the constituency to watch as the scale of support for Hutch became clear from the first tallies. The gangland kingpin landed a whopping 3,098 first preference votes — putting him fourth in the poll with Ms Sherlock chasing behind with 2,465 votes. Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe and Social Democrat Gary Gannon both look set to retain their seats after big turnouts. But incumbent Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan faces the chop, with former MEP Clare Daly also failing to make an impact in the constituency after deciding to run here at the last minute. Transfers will decide who wins the final seat between The Monk and Labour’s hopeful, with Hutch expected to receive transfers from right-wing Independent Malachy Steenson, while Sherlock will pick up votes from the Greens, People Before Profit and the Soc Dems. And with the final seat looking likely to go down to the wire, Taoiseach Simon Harris insisted the mobster’s audacious Dail run could still end in failure. He said: “In relation to Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, I always buy into the very basic tenant of democracy that the people are sovereign. "Whoever the people choose to elect is entirely a matter for them. But I remain to be convinced that he will be a TD. “I think there is a long way to go and as I talk to people on the ground in Dublin Central, and as I read the mood music, I don’t think he’s nailed on at all.” And Ms McDonald — who topped the poll — said the last seat was going to be a “battle royal”. Speaking about the dramatic Dublin Central race , Ms McDonald said: “It’s a hat-trick for me in topping the poll in the constituency and I’m proud of that achievement. The last seat is in the balance. I think it’s going to be a battle royal .” “We must have a critical mass of numbers to deliver on the mission of change that we have." Pressed on whether she was surprised by Hutch’s 3,000 first preference votes, the Sinn Fein leader said: “Nothing in politics surprises me, I’m around far too long.” Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe said people will have to reflect on why The Monk performed as well as he has. Speaking at the RDS count centre, the outgoing Public Expenditure Minister said: “His performance was always possible in this election. I think it is worth noting that the vast majority of people in Dublin Central have not voted for him. “The vast majority of voters in Dublin Central have chosen to put their votes behind other candidates and we will have to reflect later why he performed like he did.” Soc Dem’s Gannon said Hutch’s solid vote shows how badly working class communities have been treated for years. He added: “When people are in a dark place they’ll search for very strange options and that’s what happened here. That’s a plague on all of our houses, it’s a reflection of politics as a whole.” And Clare Daly said “the political establishment should take note” of the mega Monk vote. She added: “I don’t see him being a national parliamentarian or a legislator per se, which is part of the job, but if elected he could, if the will was there, really keep a focus on an area that has been left behind and is crying out.” “I think there is a long way to go and as I talk to people on the ground in Dublin Central, and as I read the mood music, I don’t think he’s nailed on at all.” Legendary director Jim Sheridan said he was “shocked” at the strong backing that The Monk received after filming him on the campaign trail for a documentary . Speaking at the count centre in the RDS, the My Left Foot director said he was “totally surprised” at the level of support Hutch received from voters. He said: “I was thinking of just doing a small documentary about the election — that’s all. I never thought he’d get in or have a chance and I don’t know if he will still, but he has a chance.” Asked why he thought people backed The Monk at the polls, Sheridan said: “It is anger at their position. Years of drugs and nothing happening in that community. “Some people are trying to help but there has never been anyone since Independent Tony Gregory who provided a cohesive attitude towards the many problems.” The Monk’s shock election performance resulted in the Green’s Neasa Hourigan losing her seat with her party facing a total wipeout after a dismal display. The Greens had 12 TDs in the outgoing Dail, but have failed to avoid the tradition of smaller coalition parties being hammered in the polls after their stint in Government. Voters have turfed out the Greens with the party now facing an agonising wait to see if they can even return one TD to the next Dail. Leader Roderic O’Gorman, who is in a fight for the fifth seat in Dublin West, admitted it was a difficult day for his party. Speaking at the count centre in Ongar, he said: “We got a mandate in 2020 and that was a mandate to go into Government to act on climate and to support families and children all over the country. “We worked hard over four and a half years. We now have our lowest carbon emissions in the last 30 years. We’ve invested in public transport and we’ve halved the cost of childcare .” Ex-Green leader Eamon Ryan denied that the devastating result would spell the end for the party. He said: “No matter what the result today, there will be a strong Green Party in Ireland .” And Health Minister Stephen Donnelly looks to be one of the biggest names in politics that could lose his seat in the election with the Fianna Fail TD suffering a bitter defeat in Wicklow. The redraw of constituencies resulted in Wicklow becoming a four seater with Taoiseach Simon Harris topping the poll and looking likely to bring in a running mate in Edward Timmons. Asked about this blow to the party, leader Micheal Martin said: “He is still in the hunt and could potentially benefit from transfers from Simon Harris. We always felt that would be competitive.”NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask. Michael R. Sisak And Cedar Attanasio, The Associated PressCanucks’ Filip Hronek Out 8 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Trudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for Syria
By MITCH STACY COLUMBUS — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday as Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag and were met by Buckeyes who confronted them. Police had to use pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. Ohio State police said in a statement “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” Ohio State police will investigate the fight, according to the statement. After the Ohio State players confronted their bitter rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines’ flag and ripped it off the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Eventually, police officers rushed into the ugly scene. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood the actions of his players. “There are some prideful guys on our team who weren’t going to sit back and let that happen,” Day said. The two Ohio State players made available after the game brushed off questions about it. Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, didn’t like how the Buckeyes players involved themselves in the Wolverines’ postgame celebration. He called it “classless.” “For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game,” he said in an on-field interview with Fox Sports. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know some people got to — they got to learn how to lose, man. ... We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters, to do all that fighting.” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said everybody needs to do better. “So much emotions on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.”Here are strategies to make RPL mainstream so prior learning can be validatedDonald Trump is reiterating his threat to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods if the federal government doesn't take action on border security — and a former official from his first administration says the U.S. president-elect isn't bluffing. "I'm a big believer in tariffs. I think tariffs are the most beautiful word.... It's going to make us rich," Trump said in an interview on NBC's Meet the Press that aired on Sunday. The president-elect continued to extol the power of tariffs and said they're "a powerful tool not only economically, but also for getting other things outside of economics." Analysis Trump's tariff threat is testing both Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre As an example, Trump referred to his threat to slap a 25 per cent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico unless they curb the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. Four days after the threat was issued, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Trump's estate in Florida for a surprise dinner. The president-elect joked about the saga in his NBC interview. "In fact, [Trudeau] flew to Mar-a-Lago within about 15 seconds after the call," Trump said. The president-elect also said he told Trudeau that Canada has to "close up" its border and that "drugs are pouring in at levels never seen before." "And I said to the president of Mexico and to Justin Trudeau, if it doesn't stop, I'm going to put tariffs on your country at about 25 per cent," Trump said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dined with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in late November. Trump described the meeting as 'very productive' on his social media platform Truth Social. (@JustinTrudeau/X) Trump's threat is 'serious,' says former official Ken Cuccinelli, a former official in the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's first administration, said the president-elect's tariff threat is "very serious" given the issues at hand. "And I think one of the things that people around the world know about Donald Trump is that he will follow through with things like this," Cuccinelli said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live that aired Sunday. When asked what he thinks can be done to protect the Canada-U.S. border, Cuccinelli said that he "wouldn't expect the president to give the prime minister a checklist." WATCH: Former official discusses Trump's border concerns and deportation plan: What will Canada-U.S. border security look like under Trump? 3 hours ago Duration 9:41 In a Canadian exclusive, CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with Ken Cuccinelli, a former official in the Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump, about what the U.S. president-elect expects from Canada on border security, and what his deportation plan could look like. The goal isn't "zero illegal crossings," he added. Instead, it's about driving them down to "the point where it's not worth people trying to, for example, come to Canada as a way to get into the United States." What Trump specifically wants from Canada in exchange for removing his tariff threat still isn't clear, according to Canadian officials familiar with the details of the surprise dinner in Florida. The federal government has made some announcements in the wake of the Trudeau-Trump meeting, including adding more helicopters and drones to tighten up monitoring of the Canada-U.S. border. Canada to buy helicopters, drones to meet Trump's demand for tighter border security The takeaway from Trudeau's trip to Mar-a-Lago: For Trump, fentanyl is priority No. 1 David Cohen, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Canada, said the Biden administration has not proposed a 25 per cent across-the-board tariff because of concerns it would contribute to inflation and lead to job losses in both countries. "I think in the end, the value of that from a trade perspective is not going to be very compelling," he told Rosemary Barton. Cohen also said there's a "pretty clear window" for Canada and the United States to work through the issues underlying Trump's tariff threat.
NEW DELHI: BJP on Saturday announced that the new Mahayuti govt will be sworn in on Dec 5 in what is being seen as a signal to Eknath Shinde to make up his mind fast about joining the govt led by Devendra Fadnavis. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said in a post on X that the swearing-in ceremony will take place at Azad Maidan and PM Modi would attend it. "The wait for this historic swearing-in is over. We thank the public for their support," Bawankule said. CM will be from BJP, deputies from NCP & Sena, says Ajit The announcement came after talks had paused after the three Mahayuti netas, caretaker CM Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar met home minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The unambiguous post on X and the timing of it came as a surprise because there has been no communication between Shinde and BJP since he left Delhi and headed to his village in Satara district, after which he has been reportedly unwell. Political circles in Delhi and Mumbai were unanimous that the post was a clear message to Shinde to come around and agree to be part of the Fadnavis govt. During deliberations, Shinde had raised the issue of the awkwardness of him joining govt as deputy CM after having served as CM of Mahayuti govt. Sources said Shah is learned to have told him calmly that even Fadnavis, an ex-CM, had joined him as deputy and it was not a decision Fadnavis took on his own but because he was asked to do so by the party. BJP's confidence is based on the numbers it has in the assembly: 132 plus five independents, which with Ajit's support swells to a daunting 178, putting the ball in Shinde's court. NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Saturday reiterated the CM would be from BJP and there would be two deputy chief ministers, one from NCP and the other from Shiv Sena . However, Sena would, in addition to seeking the deputy CM's post, keep up its demand for the home portfolio and for retaining all the nine ministries it held in the Shinde-led govt, a Sena functionary said. These include the industries and urban development departments. Asked about Sena's demand for the home portfolio, Ajit Pawar said, "It's the CM's prerogative to decide portfolios. There is no tug-of-war regarding portfolios." Shiv Sena's Sanjay Shirsat justified the party's demand. "When BJP held the deputy CM's post, they got the home portfolio. So it's only fair that we insist on it. If there is a dashing leader in charge of the home department, it will keep rioters at bay," he said. The Sena functionary said there are no backchannel talks or negotiations going on with BJP and any formula will only be discussed when Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar meet in person. "Before the meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, CM Shinde had made it clear he was wholeheartedly accepting of their decision on the next CM. In the Delhi meeting, no name for CM was announced. It was only indicated that the CM will be from BJP. It was decided that the exact formula will be decided by CM Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar in Mumbai and then reported to New Delhi. After CM Shinde's return from Delhi there has been no communication with BJP or NCP, and BJP hasn't elected its own legislature party leader," the Sena functionary said. In the outgoing govt, CM Shinde headed urban development department. Gulabrao Patil helmed water supply and sanitation, Dada Bhuse led ports and mining, Uday Samant was industries minister and Tanaji Sawant had public health and family welfare portfolio, among others. The Sena functionary said, "Our ministers got only 2.5 years in this govt so they need more time to perform. Sena is clear on this. Whether CM Shinde is the DCM or he nominates someone else is his decision." Meanwhile, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said, "Before the MVA govt was formed, they declared President's rule. Now after such a massive majority, the Mahayuti govt has still not been formed. The term of the assembly is over. Why hasn't President's rule been declared?" Thackeray took a dig at Shinde's trip to his village in Satara on Friday. "After such a massive majority, some people are going to their fields instead of Raj Bhavan," he said. Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut said, "Shinde looks uneasy, both mentally and physically. The smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes is gone. It's like he was offered something which has been taken away," Raut said. Shiv Sena's Shirsat hit back at Raut, saying, "After this verdict, it's clear to us whose mental balance has been affected."
Iran lifts ban on WhatsApp and Google Play, state media says
"GOP senator releases shocking report on telework abuse by federal employees," reads the headline of a tweet by Townhall. 'Out of Office': GOP Senator Releases Shocking Report on Telework Abuse by Federal Employees https://t.co/i7OBXnbyRY Sen. Jonin Ernst (R-Iowa) is quoted in the body of the story by Townhall as saying the following. “The headquarters of most agencies remain largely abandoned,” said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus, in a report titled “Out of Office.” “Bureaucrats have been found in a bubble bath, on the golf course, running their own business, and even getting busted doing crime while on taxpayers’ time,” the summary states. “Members of President Biden’s own cabinet claimed to be on the clock while being out of office and unreachable. Just three percent of the federal workforce teleworked daily prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, six percent of workers report in-person on a full-time basis, while nearly one-third are entirely remote. Most federal employees are eligible to telework and 90 percent of those are. Some come to the office as infrequently as once a week.” Do not blame telework, please. All freedoms can be abused by corrupt people doing corrupt things. Telework does not come into existence corrupt but can be used as a method of corruption when employed by individuals with the motive of cutting a corner to get out of work. Doing pleasurable activities is not itself a problem, but doing such activities instead of assigned work while using telework as a workaround is a problem. There are some amazing technological aids available in our world today. For every good and innovative technological advancement that has come along, we should be thankful. Telework can be a helpful tool, but it should not be used as a workaround to get out of doing assigned jobs.KILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she suffered an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just can’t move,” she said later in a video posted on social media . “I have a pretty good abrasion and something stabbed me. ... I’m so sorry to scare everybody. It looks like all scans so far are clear.” She plans to skip the slalom race Sunday, writing on Instagram she will be “cheering from the sideline.” The 29-year-old was leading after the first run of the GS and charging for her 100th World Cup win. She was within sight of the finish line, five gates onto Killington’s steep finish pitch, when she an outside edge. She hit a gate and did a somersault before sliding into another gate. The fencing slowed her momentum as she came to an abrupt stop. Reigning Olympic GS champion Sara Hector of Sweden won in a combined time of 1 minute, 53.08 seconds. Zrinka Ljutic of Croatia was second and Swiss racer Camille Rast took third. The Americans saw Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien finish fifth and sixth. “It’s just so sad, of course, to see Mikaela crash like that and skiing so well,” Hector said on the broadcast after her win. “It breaks my heart and everybody else here.” The crash was a surprise for everyone. Shiffrin rarely DNFs — ski racing parlance for “did not finish.” In 274 World Cup starts, she DNF'd only 18 times. The last time she DNF'd in GS was January 2018. Shiffrin also has not suffered any devastating injuries. In her 14-year career, she has rehabbed only two on-hill injuries: a torn medial collateral ligament and bone bruising in her right knee in December 2015 and a sprained MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her left knee after a downhill crash in January 2024. Neither knee injury required surgery, and both times, Shiffrin was back to racing within two months. Saturday was shaping up to be a banner day for Shiffrin, who skied flawlessly in the first run and held a 0.32-second lead as she chased after her 100th World Cup win. Shiffrin, who grew up in both New Hampshire and Colorado and sharpened her skills at nearby Burke Mountain Academy, has long been a fan favorite. Shiffrin is driven not so much by wins but by arcing the perfect run. She has shattered so many records along the way. She passed Lindsey Vonn’s women’s mark of 82 World Cup victories on Jan. 24, 2023, during a giant slalom in Kronplatz, Italy. That March, Shiffrin broke Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark’s Alpine mark for most World Cup wins when she captured her 87th career race. To date, she has earned five overall World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals — along with a silver — and seven world championships. In other FIS Alpine World Cup news, the Tremblant World Cup — two women’s giant slaloms at Quebec’s Mont-Tremblant scheduled for next weekend — were canceled. Killington got 21 inches of snow on Thanksgiving Day, but Tremblant — five hours north of Killington — had to cancel its races because of a lack of snow. AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report. More AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!NoneManufacturing, mining exhibit resilience in Q3