Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.
SAN DIEGO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra (NYSE: SRE) (BMV: SRE) today announced it has been recognized by Newsweek as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies" for 2025, earning this distinction for the sixth consecutive year. The annual list ranks companies based on their commitment to corporate responsibility in the areas of corporate governance and responsible social and environmental practices. Sempra has been included since the list's inception. "At Sempra, we believe our responsible business practices improve the value of our franchise. By strengthening governance and risk management and improving the safety and resiliency of our business operations, it allows us to better meet the needs and expectations of our customers, while also adding scale to our business," said Lisa Larroque Alexander , senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer for Sempra. "We will continue to approach global energy challenges with an entrepreneurial mindset, steadfast optimism and confidence in our vision of delivering energy with purpose." Newsweek's recognition of Sempra as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies" is based on publicly available key performance indicators derived from the company's Corporate Sustainability Report and an independent survey that asked U.S. citizens about their perception of Sempra's commitment to corporate social responsibility. Details of Sempra's approach to responsible stakeholder engagement and corporate governance can be found in the company's most recent Corporate Sustainability Report, which is available here . In addition to being recognized on Newsweek's America's Most Responsible Companies list, Sempra is included in the FTSE4Good Index and JUST 100 list, has been named one of TIME Magazine's World's Best Companies and one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies , and earned a perfect score on the CPA-Zicklin Index of Corporate Political Disclosure and Accountability , among other accolades. About Sempra Sempra (NYSE: SRE ) is a leading North American energy infrastructure company focused on delivering energy to nearly 40 million consumers. As owner of one of the largest energy networks on the continent, Sempra is electrifying and improving the energy resilience of some of the world's most significant economic markets, including California , Texas , Mexico and global energy markets. The company is recognized as a leader in sustainable business practices and for its high-performance culture focused on safety and operational excellence, as demonstrated by Sempra's inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and in The Wall Street Journal's Best Managed Companies. More information about Sempra is available at sempra.com and on social media @Sempra . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sempra-named-among-newsweeks-most-responsible-companies-302324298.html SOURCE Sempra
Alarm grew in France on Friday over the fate of a prominent French-Algerian novelist detained in the country of his birth, with his publisher urging his immediate release and President Emmanuel Macron closely following the case. Boualem Sansal, a major figure in francophone modern literature, is known for his strong stances against both authoritarianism and Islamism as well as being a forthright campaigner on freedom of expression issues. His detention by Algeria comes against a background of tensions between France and its former colony which have also appear to have spread to the literary world. The 75-year-old writer, granted French nationality this year, was on Saturday arrested at Algiers airport after returning from France, according to several media reports including the Marianne weekly. The Gallimard publishing house, which has published his work for a quarter of a century, in a statement expressed "its very deep concern following the arrest of the writer by the Algerian security services", calling for his "immediate release". There has been no confirmation from the Algerian authorities of his arrest and no other details about his situation. Macron is "very concerned by the disappearance" of Sansal, said a French presidential official, asking not to be named. "State services are mobilised to clarify his situation," the official said, adding that "the president expresses his unwavering attachment to the freedom of a great writer and intellectual." A relative latecomer to writing, Sansal turned to novels in 1999 and has tackled subjects including the horrific 1990s civil war between authorities and Islamists. His books are not banned in Algeria but he is a controversial figure, particularly since making a visit to Israel in 2014. Sansal's hatred of Islamism has not been confined to Algeria and he has also warned of a creeping Islamisation in France, a stance that has made him a favoured author of prominent figures on the right and far-right. Prominent politicians from this side of the political spectrum rushed to echo Macron's expression of concern for the writer. Centre-right former premier and candidate in 2027 presidential elections Edouard Philippe wrote on X that Sansal "embodies everything we cherish: the call for reason, freedom and humanism against censorship, corruption and Islamism." Far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen, another possible 2027 contender, said: "This freedom fighter and courageous opponent of Islamism has reportedly been arrested by the Algerian regime. This is an unacceptable situation." In 2015, Sansal won the Grand Prix du Roman of the French Academy, the guardians of the French language, for his book "2084: The End of the World", a dystopian novel inspired by George Orwell's "Nineteen-Eighty Four" and set in an Islamist totalitarian world in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. His publisher said that Sansal's novels and essays "exposed the obscurantisms of all kinds which are tragically affecting the way of the world." The concerns about his reported arrest come as another prominent French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud is under attack over his novel "Houris", which won France's top literary prize, the Goncourt. A woman has claimed the book was based on her story of surviving 1990s Islamist massacres and used without her consent. She alleged on Algerian television that Daoud used the story she confidentially recounted to a therapist -- who is now his wife -- during treatment. His publisher has denied the claims. The controversies are taking place in a tense diplomatic context between France and Algeria, after Macron renewed French support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara during a landmark visit to the kingdom last month. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is de facto controlled for the most part by Morocco. But it is claimed by the Sahrawi separatists of the Polisario Front, who are demanding a self-determination referendum and are supported by Algiers. Daoud meanwhile has called for Sansal's release, writing in the right-wing Le Figaro: "I sincerely hope that my friend Boualem will return to us very soon", while expressing his bafflement in the face of the "imprudence" that Sansal allegedly showed in going to Algeria. dax-vl-sjw/giv
Phoenix Go Glocal - Phoenix TV launches Premier International Communication Platform for Going Global 12-05-2024 09:34 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: Stones_PR The international event brand "Phoenix Go Glocal" owned by Phoenix TV Group is officially launched during the 19th ASEAN Marketing Summit, in Jakarta, Indonesia on December 5, 2024. It is the largest marketing summit of ASEAN, attracting nearly 5,000 government officials, entrepreneurs, experts and platforms this year. Leveraging international communication advantages, Phoenix TV is a premiere international communication platform for enterprises going global. In the opening ceremony of the 19th ASEAN Marketing Summit, Yeung Ka Keung, Executive Vice President and CFO of Phoenix Television, announces the official launch of "Phoenix Go Glocal" ! This initiative is to offer global development support through international media services for both Chinese and international companies, blending the global with the local, helping more Chinese businesses expand abroad, and supporting more international companies in coming to China. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/0cf86ba7ddc12b7b76ee9f13f76da2c4.jpg Phoenix TV Group and Kotler Marketing Group sign a strategic cooperation agreement, aiming to make full use of the strengths of two sides to support enterprises in their international development. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/5b970b238566a5f793ef49b1b21ee8c6.jpg "Phoenix Go Glocal" debuts with "Enterprise Global Development Forum", jointly organised by Kotler Marketing Group and Phoenix TV Group, with Yongyou Network and Creality as strategic partner, in the afternoon of December 5 at main venue of the 19th ASEAN Marketing Summit. China has been the top trading partner of ASEAN for 15 consecutive years, and Indonesia, as the largest economy in ASEAN and the fourth largest country in the world in terms of population, is the first choice of a number of Chinese enterprises to go global. The forum aims to explore the opportunities and challenges of Chinese enterprises in the process of globalization, and focus on how to better take root in the Indonesian market. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/6e1537378ce4ed3ed13475f0e1d2f642.jpg Yeung Ka Keung, Cao Hu, Global Partner and CEO for Greater China and Singapore at Kotler Marketing Group, Hermawan Kartajaya, Founder and Chairman of MCorp, and Sachin Gopalan, Founder of Indonesia Economic Forum deliver opening speeches respectively in the forum to further elaborate on the importance of strengthening Sino-Indonesian economic and trade cooperation in the context of globalization. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/5b0c487a227baff325fc6df1847c4c4f.jpg "We are the architects of platforms and providers of services, empowering the global growth of enterprises with our support and resources. We believe that through Phoenix's global communication, the Phoenix Go Glocal platform, as well as our international marketing services, our enterprise partners will better understand and integrate into the global market, and better face the unknown and mitigate risks." Yeung Ka Keung said in opening remarks. Cao Hu said: "Kotler Marketing Group and Phoenix TV Group are committed to helping Chinese enterprises to go global through overall empowerment from strategy to media. I hope this forum will drive the heat and depth of Chinese enterprises going overseas to ASEAN countries, exchanging experience, disseminating best practices, and acquiring business opportunities!" In the keynote session, Chen Qiangbing, President of Yongyou Network, a leading provider of digital software and services, mentions in his speech that China's new generation of enterprise software has reached the international leading level. Association of Fundamental Computing Education in Chinese Universities, Digital Games and E-sports Professional Committee, discusses "The Power of the eSports Ecosystem: New Growth Engine in Southeast Asian Markets", focusing on the development trends and opportunities in the global E-sports industry. Liu Ling, OPPO Global Chief Brand Officer, also shares overseas strategies and experience of OPPO. In a roundtable discussion, guests including Alen Wang, Executive Vice Secretary General of China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia, Director of PT China Telecom Indonesia, Ethan Wu, CEO of PT Gree Electric Appliances Indonesia, Xu Longhua, Founder & CEO of PT WOOK Global Technology, Zhang Xiangyu, Founder & CEO of Shenzhen Yunyi Intelligent Network Co., Ltd. and Kelvin Chia, Vice President of PT Bank UOB Indonesia, engage in an in-depth discussion on topics as "How to gain foothold in Indonesia" and related, providing insights and ideas for Chinese enterprises going to Southeast Asia through case studies. CHENG Ching Mon. Libera, Director-General, Jakarta ETO of HKSAR Government, also presents the forum. Image: https://www.getnews.info/uploads/d96367a74b3635f77f31465d80357a32.jpg With 63 correspondent stations across the globe, Phoenix TV shares absolute advantages on universal presence, global coverage, and international communication! "Phoenix Go Glocal" is committed to serving the core needs of enterprises and industries, and helping Chinese enterprises to build world-class strategic marketing capabilities and brand influence. Media Contact Company Name: Phoenix TV Contact Person: Caoyuxuan Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=phoenix-go-glocal-phoenix-tv-launches-premier-international-communication-platform-for-going-global ] Country: China Website: http://www.phoenixtv.com This release was published on openPR.Govt doesn’t take it seriously, Tarar on PTI’s deadline for talks Federal minister categorically rejects that incarcerated PTI founder had been offered any deal Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar addressing a press conference at the PTV HQ on February 7, 2023. — APP ISLAMABAD: Reacting to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) January 31 deadline for the result-oriented talks, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Thursday that the federal government “does not take it seriously”, terming it a “face-saving” attempt. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); Earlier Thursday, the PTI negotiation committee set the deadline for the government after meeting its party founder in Adiala jail, reiterating the demands of judicial probe into the May 9 riots and November 26 late-night crackdown and release of “political prisoners”. “PTI founder [Imran Khan] is ready to forgive everyone for all the ill-treatment he has suffered for the sake of Pakistan,” Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza said while speaking to journalists after the meeting. Raza, who is also a part of the PTI’s dialogue team, also noted that the first phase of civil disobedience movement, ‘boycott of remittances’, would remain in place despite talks with the government. Tarar, speaking on Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, claimed that the Imran Khan-founded party was issuing ultimatums to the government for “face-saving” as it suffered back-to-back “political defeats”. Responding to a question, he claimed that the PTI’s call to the overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances would meet the same fate as its “final call” protest in Islamabad last month. He went on to say that such calls would not make any difference as the former ruling party faced back-to-back failures on several occasions including the 26th Constitutional Amendment and “do-or-die” protest. To another question, the federal minister categorically rejected that the incarcerated PTI founder had been offered any deal wherein he would be placed under house arrest or move to a prison in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where his party is in power.
Edmonton, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) is pleased to announce that Paul Wynnyk, CMM, MSM, CD, P.Eng., has been selected as its new registrar & CEO (RCEO), effective April 1, 2025. Wynnyk brings a wealth of experience serving the public, spanning four decades in the Canadian Armed Forces and with the Government of Alberta. Wynnyk holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, was commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1986 and currently serves as the acting deputy minister of Executive Council for the Government of Alberta. “I am honoured to join APEGA as its next registrar & CEO, and I am grateful to be selected for this role where I may continue serving the public interest,” says Wynnyk. “APEGA has a proud history of regulating the engineering and geoscience professions in Alberta, and I am dedicated to ensuring we maintain the high standards that have been built over the past century.” Wynnyk was selected after an extensive search by an executive search firm and a thorough review by an APEGA Council task force. The task force began its work in April 2024 when current RCEO Jay Nagendran, P.Eng., FCAE, ICD.D, FEC, FGC (Hon.), announced his upcoming retirement. “I am proud of what Jay has accomplished in his tenure of almost eight years as registrar & CEO of APEGA,” says APEGA President Tracey Stock, KC, P.Eng., PhD, FEC, FGC (Hon.). “On behalf of council and as the task force chair, it has been a pleasure working with Jay, and we wish him well on his upcoming retirement. I also thank the council task force for finding such an outstanding successor. With Paul’s background as a professional engineer, a dedicated public servant, and an accomplished leader, APEGA will be in capable hands.” -30- BIOGRAPHY, PAUL WYNNYK, CMM, MSM, CD, P.ENG. Paul Wynnyk currently serves as the acting deputy minister of Executive Council with the Government of Alberta, and previously served as the deputy minister for several other ministries, including Health, Intergovernmental Relations and Municipal Affairs. Before joining the government, he served as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces for more than 38 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant-general. Along with tours and commands overseas in Afghanistan, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Germany, he held numerous high-level positions in Canada, including command of the Canadian Army and vice-chief of the defence staff. Born in Edmonton and raised in Breton, Alberta, Wynnyk attended Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College of Canada. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degrees in war studies and business administration. ABOUT APEGA As the regulator of engineering and geoscience in Alberta for more than 100 years, APEGA continues to drive the province forward with courage and innovation. We are the largest regulator of self-regulated professionals in Western Canada, with nearly 70,000 registrants who safeguard the public welfare and contribute significantly to Alberta’s economic success and quality of life. Attachments APEGA Names Paul Wynnyk, P.Eng., as New Registrar & CEO Paul Wynnyk, P.Eng., New APEGA Registrar & CEOAs concerns about AI security, risk, and compliance continue to escalate, practical solutions remain elusive. While NIST released on July 26, 2024, most organizations are just beginning to digest and implement its guidance, with the formation of internal AI Councils as a first step in AI governance. So as AI adoption and risk increases, it’s time to understand why sweating the small and not-so-small stuff matters and where we go from here. Recently, I attended the annual member conference of the , a non-profit organization focused on improving cybersecurity defense for enterprises, universities, government agencies, and other organizations. From the discussions, it is clear that today, the critical focus for CISOs, CIOs, CDOs, and CTOs centers on protecting proprietary AI models from attack and protecting proprietary data from being ingested by public AI models. While a smaller number of organizations are concerned about the former problem, those in this category realize that they must protect against prompt injection attacks that cause models to drift, hallucinate, or completely fail. In the early days of AI deployment, there was no well-known incident equivalent to the 2013 Target breach that represented how an attack might play out. Most of the evidence is academic at this point in time. However, executives who have deployed their own models have begun to focus on how to protect their integrity, given it will be only a matter of time before a major attack becomes public information, resulting in brand damage and potentially greater harm. The latter issue, data protection, touches every company. How do you ensure that your core IP, code, customer data, etc., isn’t intentionally or accidentally exfiltrated into a public LLM model? It’s become ultra-important for CISOs to monitor LLM interactions, track protected source code in cloud repositories (repos), and prevent unauthorized AI indexing of intellectual property and other private data. From the data observed at the recent conference and talking with other industry security executives, it is clear that only a minority of organizations have deployed solutions to protect their enterprises against AI dangers. In general, it appears that there are three mindsets at this point in time: No matter your beliefs, protecting your organization’s internal data has to be at the top of the CISO checklist. For those with proprietary AI models, preventing malicious attacks, data leaks, or model contamination (both accidental and intentional) are critical tasks. Time is short to deliberate further on activating these cyber protections. As , it’s time to advance these organizational efforts in 2025. CISOs are and should be concerned about several AI-related areas in their cybersecurity pursuits. One is the monitoring of employee’s AI use. While many organizations can now track which Large Language Models (LLMs) employees are accessing, can your teams monitor the actual prompt content? For many, that’s a significant blind spot. Additionally, does your enterprise flat-out restrict or permit public LLM access? That’s an additional hand-wringing dilemma shared by technology executives. Even if there is a prohibition on corporate networks and assets, will employees find a way around these restrictions if they believe that they provide a shortcut to getting their work done? This can create the problem of Shadow AI, which organizations should avoid. Second, enterprises face concerns over data protection. AI usage may bring the risk of sensitive data exfiltration through AI interactions. Thus, CISOs must emphasize the need for a balance between accessibility and security and oversee the growing demand for logging and tracking capabilities. For example, a concern that security executives frequently discuss is the monitoring of source code movement into public repos or LLMs where it should never flow. Several notorious instances have been made public where developers foolishly or accidentally used public resources to troubleshoot or look for advice on how to fix their code. These have led to the exposure of core IP, API keys, and other sensitive data. So, how do you prevent your source code from being put into a public GitHub or GitLab repo or input to ChatGPT? While employee training is a must to avoid these behaviors, in some cases it goes directly against the desires of the development team to maximize productivity and meet schedule deadlines. I’ve talked to development executives who have encouraged the use of public tools and repos for their employees who are “stuck.” As one recently told me, it can create a time and quality advantage to upload code segments into public repos, so long as it is just a small enough segment that IP leakage is avoided. But how does one measure the risk of “small enough”? These are the types of situations that are driving a considerable thrust around next-generation data exfiltration, protection, and prevention. While the foundations of AI security threats exist, the current landscape is driven more by preventative concerns than actual incidents. We’ve heard rumors of model contamination or poisoning, even though documented research shows potential vulnerabilities (e.g., training image recognition models to misidentify objects). Anecdotal evidence shows that even LLM firewall providers haven’t encountered attacks in recent months. Sure, we hear about , but we’ve yet to hear much about an AI-generated attack in which an organization’s model was contaminated or poisoned. At this time, organizations need to focus on developing balanced, practical security measures rather than overly restrictive protocols. These will start with existing controls and be augmented with new AI-specific ones. As regulations continue to evolve, businesses need to implement new reasonable security measures while maintaining the productivity benefits of AI tools. The challenge lies in finding the balance between protection and practicality. CISOs should be taking essential small steps to protect against any data breach event and any accidental (or malicious) AI-related incidents. The first should be to have a clear, common-sense policy around your data usage, with internal limits for access. Your enterprise should have a policy around an LLM that’s no different than current policies for putting information into the cloud or web today. Continuous training is essential. Create an audit trail of employees’ interactions with a specific LLM. Find out what questions employees ask via LLM prompts and what data they might ingest. Track these efforts internally for further exploration. Choose to adopt a private instance explicitly built for the organization’s needs without compromising data privacy. Your enterprise needs to decide if your employees will access public LLMs or a dedicated, isolated version of an AI model trained solely on an organization’s data. This private instance will help ensure that sensitive information remains confidential and is not shared with other users or the broader AI platform. This customized internal AI system effectively controls the company’s data and model usage. After all these are implemented, CISOs can look at protecting their AI models once they are in place. With bigger use cases to come, that may be the subject of a forthcoming column here. Beyond focusing on the items discussed above, some CISOs foresee futuristic doomsday-type scenarios to be wary of. For example, what if a tech hacker disliked a particular hedge fund manager and launched a coordinated strike against all of the AI models their firm used to trade? That manipulation of financial trading platforms might cause the company and its investors to lose a great deal of money. Or imagine a bad actor that goes after the self-driving algorithms of automobiles, leading to physical harm. While we all hope these are in the realm of negative speculation at best, it’s not unreasonable to fathom that these types of attacks are possible in the future. And before you say that these models wouldn’t be accessible from the outside world, there is always the risk of an insider threat. Rogue employees exist, and you never know what a disgruntled employee on the opposite of the political spectrum could do. We hope we won’t have to contend with these extreme cases of model contamination for a very long time, if ever. However, security executives and their AI Councils must focus on preventing these risks, however small, from materializing.
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Will Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Boswell posted 13 points and Tomislav Ivisic contributed 11 for Illinois (4-1). Coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday, the Illini led by as much as 52 despite hitting just 10-of-40 3-point attempts. Jalen Ware paced Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6) with 10 points before fouling out. Ketron "KC" Shaw, who entered Saturday in the top 20 of Division I scorers at 22.3 points per game, went scoreless in the first half and finished with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Hawks canned just 22.1 percent of their shots from the floor. Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:06, then missed its next six shots. That gave the Hawks time to pull into an 8-8 tie on Evan Johnson's 17-foot pullup at the 12:21 mark. That marked Maryland Eastern Shore's last points for more than seven minutes as the Illini reeled off 17 straight points to remove any suspense. Johnson opened the spree with a basket and two free throws, Ben Humrichous swished a 3-pointer and Tre White sank a layup before Kasparas Jakucionis fed Ivisic for a 3-pointer and an alley-oop layup. Jakucionis set up Johnson for a free throw, then drove for an unchallenged layup to make it 25-8 with 5:15 left in the first. Evan Johnson snapped the visitors' dry spell with a driving layup at the 4:56 mark, but Illinois went on to establish a 35-15 halftime lead on the stretch of 11 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points and 13 points off UMES' 10 turnovers. Maryland Eastern Shore needed nearly four minutes to get its first points in the second half as Illinois pushed its lead to 42-15. The Illini margin ballooned all the way to 70-24 on Boswell's driving layup with 8:11 to go. --Field Level MediaOpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship'