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Full list of what's open on Christmas Day and Boxing DayBUCHAREST, Romania (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. ___ Stephen McGrath reported from Warwick, England.

South Korean law enforcement officials have requested a court warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. They are investigating whether his short-lived martial law decree earlier this month amounted to rebellion. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the power grab that lasted only a few hours, confirmed it requested the warrant on Monday. Investigators plan to question Mr Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. Mr Yoon has dodged several requests by the joint investigation team and public prosecutors to appear for questioning and has also blocked searches of his offices. It is not clear whether the court will grant the warrant or whether Mr Yoon can be compelled to appear for questioning. Under the country’s laws, locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge and it is unlikely Mr Yoon will voluntarily leave his residence if he faces detainment. Mr Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 over his imposition of martial law that lasted only hours but has triggered weeks of political turmoil, halted high-level diplomacy and rattled financial markets. His fate lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Mr Yoon from office or reinstate him. Mr Yoon has defended the martial law decree as a necessary act of governance, describing it as a warning against the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has been bogging down his agenda with its majority in the parliament. Parliament voted last week to also impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had assumed the role of acting president after Mr Yoon’s powers were suspended, over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies ahead of the court’s review of Mr Yoon’s case. The country’s new interim leader is Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is also finance minister.Scheifele notches hat trick as Jets top Maple Leafs 5-2 ahead of NHL's holiday break

King and PM honour former US president Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100Tyler Huntley started the 2024 season on the Cleveland Browns. By late August, however, the Browns had released the quarterback. The Broward County native subsequently returned to the practice squad of the Baltimore Ravens — the team on which he got his NFL start. Then the Miami Dolphins lost franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion in Week 2, leading the team to sign Huntley to its active roster. Huntley would start three games in Tagovailoa’s absence, going 1-2, before he wound up on injured reserved with a shoulder injury. But when the news that Tagovailoa’s hip injury could force him to miss Sunday’s game against the Browns, there was no doubt Huntley would step in. What was unknown at the time, however, was just how well Huntley would play. “I feel good,” Huntley said after the game. “I actually feel more comfortable with these plays. A couple weeks in the office definitely makes a difference.” Huntley helped lead the Dolphins to 20-3 victory against the Browns , completing nearly 85% of his passes for 225 yards and a touchdown. The Hallandale High graduate only threw four incompletions in addition to his 52 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown. “I think what was evident was the positives of time for Snoop and how far he’s come since we last played with him,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I thought that was a tremendous outing for him. I thought he made some plays and was very good with the ball, and those are always cool things for a player when they’re playing a team that they were on in that same calendar year.” With the win, the Dolphins reached .500 for the first time since the start of the season and remained alive in the playoff race. They will need the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Denver Broncos to ultimately secure a spot in the postseason but Sunday’s victory was a good start. Here are four additional takeaways from Sunday’s victory over the Browns. Defense steps up The Dolphins defense had a very clear motto: bend don’t break. Despite allowing a little more than 275 yards on the day, the defense didn’t let up a touchdown, limiting the Browns to just three points on their two trips to the red zone. More evidence of their ‘bend don’t break’ mentality: the defense held the Browns to seven conversions on third down (41%) as well as zero fourth down conversions. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler praised the unit’s “communication” after the victory. “Staying on the same page and no one trying to take a shot and working within the bounds of the defense,” Sieler said. Added McDaniel: “They rose to the occasion. Having a couple turnovers and not letting them into the end zone. Guys made some plays just across the board.” Forcing turnovers The Dolphins came into the game ranked in the bottom five in terms of forced turnovers. Against the Browns, however, they were able to create two turnovers. With just more than four and half minutes before halftime, inside linebacker Tyrel Dodson picked off Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Then, with roughly five and a half minutes left in the third quarter, edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah sacked Thompson-Robinson, leading the quarterback to cough up the ball which defensive tackle D’Shawn Hand recovered. While none of these turnovers led to Dolphins scores, it’s a good sign that the defense could wreak havoc on a Browns offense down to its third quarterback. Poor rushing numbers: This has been written time and time again. The Dolphins offense truly struggles to run the ball. As a team, they finished with 74 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown. That’s roughly 2.74 yards per carry, which would rank dead last in the NFL. Remove Huntley’s touchdown as well as his 52-yards on the ground and the rushing numbers look awful to say the least: 20 attempts for 22 yards. Yes, you read that right. 20 attempts for 22 yards. That’s barely 1 yard per attempt. While offensive tackle Austin Jackson’s injury related absence has somewhat driven their poor rushing numbers, the Dolphins hung 166-yards on the San Francisco 49ers. Hopefully, they can recapture some of that form ahead of next week’s season finale versus the New York Jets. Dolphins need to clean up penalties: 11. That’s how many penalties the Dolphins had on the day. Six just so happened to be on the offense while the defense had three. Two penalties occurred on special teams. The plethora of penalties lost the Dolphins 94 yards. Obviously, the infractions didn’t ultimately hurt them; Miami just so happened to face a team that drew nearly as many penalties (nine for 84 yards). Against better teams, however, that won’t fly. “We got to get better to clean up our fundamentals,” Huntley said. “The flags were the stoppers of our drives. We could’ve put up way more points.” ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

As the rising star of cell therapy biotechs, Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ: IOVA) is a hot stock that's capturing a lot of attention, and for good reason. Iovance's one-of-a-kind medicine is already selling like hotcakes, and there's reason to believe that plenty more growth is on the way. Let's take a look at why this stock is worth purchasing today and never looking back. Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » Today, Iovance has a trio of bullish drivers are the legs of the stock's investment thesis. A rapidly growing market First, Iovance's first cell therapy to be approved for sale, Amtagvi, is quickly finding its home in the market. This year, management estimates that sales of the therapy will bring in at least $160 million in revenue, with 2025's sum totaling at least $450 million. So investors who buy the stock soon will be, in theory, exposed to a tripling of the top line in the near term, which is bullish. In practice, the biotech is taking the actions needed to deliver on that ambitious goal for next year. Amtagvi is intended to treat patients who have advanced melanoma and who have already been treated with a common immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab. Per management, its total addressable market is thus roughly between 20,000 and 30,000 patients annually. Serving those patients will require expanding the company's network of authorized treatment centers (ATCs). It's targeting a total of 70 ATCs in the U.S. before the end of the year, and progress is on track. Expanding manufacturing capability Another major initiative is expanding the company's manufacturing capacity for Amtagvi. Its current plans call for the expansion of one of its current facilities so it can generate doses for around 5,000 patients annually within the next few years, but it's also building up a network of contract manufacturers such that it can eventually treat an additional 15,000 patients per year. If those efforts are successful, it'll support Iovance's margins by controlling its cost of goods sold (COGS) . It might also be feasible for it to license out its facilities to produce cell therapies for other biopharma businesses, if it demonstrates exceptional competency in cell manufacturing. So the odds that Iovance will make good on its revenue estimates are decidedly favorable, and there's a clear runway for organic growth to continue after meeting them. A possible expansion of indications Finally, with a bit more research and development (R&D) work in the form of clinical trials testing Amtagvi in different oncology contexts, and in combination with pembrolizumab instead of only after a course of treatment, management thinks that it could one day treat as many as 70,000 patients with advanced melanoma globally. That'd expand its total addressable market by more than double, and likely require more manufacturing investments. Still, this is another bullish catalyst that is hard to ignore. The most important clinical trial is a study that's in phase 3 right now, investigating whether Amtagvi can be administered alongside pembrolizumab as a first line treatment. Being a first line treatment would lead to faster adoption of the therapy, rewarding shareholders in the process. The long haul could be even better Next year, Iovance will sync with regulators in Australia and Switzerland to see if they're willing to approve Amtagvi. It should also hear back from regulators in Canada, the U.K., and the E.U. in the same period, making for three potential catalysts and more revenue down the line. While it's true that there will be some lingering long-term execution risks relating to its cell manufacturing platform, the unique nature of its therapy means that it will likely retain the ability to draw on additional capital by taking out loans or issuing more shares of its stock. It'll probably need to do that before it becomes profitable at some point in the next few years. Nonetheless, as more and more patients globally gain access to Amtagvi, this company will have a lot of room to continue growing. Given Iovance's strong start to the therapy's commercialization, it's worth buying this stock. Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $368,053 !* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $43,533 !* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $484,170 !* Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. See 3 “Double Down” stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of November 18, 2024 Alex Carchidi has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Iovance Biotherapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . Got $1,500? Buy Iovance Biotherapeutics Now and Don't Look Back was originally published by The Motley FoolSome quotations from Jimmy Carter: We have a tendency to exalt ourselves and to dwell on the weaknesses and mistakes of others. I have come to realize that in every person there is something fine and pure and noble, along with a desire for self-fulfillment. Political and religious leaders must attempt to provide a society within which these human attributes can be nurtured and enhanced. — from 1975 book “Why Not the Best?” Our government can express the highest common ideals of human beings — if we demand of government true standards of excellence. At this Bicentennial time of introspection and concern, we must demand such standards. — “Why Not the Best?” I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry. — “Why Not the Best?” Christ said, “I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.” I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do — and I have done it — and God forgives me for it. But that doesn’t mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of wedlock. — Interview, November 1976 Playboy. This inauguration ceremony marks a new beginning, a new dedication within our Government, and a new spirit among us all. A President may sense and proclaim that new spirit, but only a people can provide it. — Inaugural address, January 1977. It’s clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation and recession. ... All the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. ... It is a crisis of confidence. — So-called “malaise” speech, July 1979. But we know that democracy is always an unfinished creation. Each generation must renew its foundations. Each generation must rediscover the meaning of this hallowed vision in the light of its own modern challenges. For this generation, ours, life is nuclear survival; liberty is human rights; the pursuit of happiness is a planet whose resources are devoted to the physical and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants. — Farewell Address, January 1981. We appreciate the past. We are grateful for the present and we’re looking forward to the future with great anticipation and commitment. — October 1986, at the dedication of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum. War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children. — December 2002, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. Fundamentalists have become increasingly influential in both religion and government, and have managed to change the nuances and subtleties of historic debate into black-and-white rigidities and the personal derogation of those who dare to disagree. ... The influence of these various trends poses a threat to many of our nation’s historic customs and moral commitments, both in government and in houses of worship. — From 2005 book “Our Endangered Values.” I think that this breakthrough by Barack Obama has been remarkable. When he made his speech (on race) a few months ago in Philadelphia, I wept. I sat in front of the television and cried, because I saw that as the most enlightening and transforming analysis of racism and a potential end of it that I ever saw in my life. — August 2008, commenting on then-Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy. I think it’s based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president. ... No matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect. — September 2009, reacting to Rep. Joe Wilson’s shout of “You lie!” during a speech to Congress by President Barack Obama. I’m still determined to outlive the last guinea worm. — 2010, on The Carter Center’s work to eradicate guinea worm disease. You know how much I raised to run against Gerald Ford? Zero. You know how much I raised to run against Ronald Reagan? Zero. You know how much will be raised this year by all presidential, Senate and House campaigns? $6 billion. That’s 6,000 millions. — September 2012, reacting to the 2010 “Citizens United” U.S. Supreme Court decision permitting unlimited third-party political spending. I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare, unfortunately following the example set during my lifetime by the United States. — From 2014 book “A Call to Action.” I don’t think there’s any doubt now that the NSA or other agencies monitor or record almost every telephone call made in the United States, including cellphones, and I presume email as well. We’ve gone a long way down the road of violating Americans’ basic civil rights, as far as privacy is concerned. — March 2014, commenting on U.S. intelligence monitoring after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks We accept self-congratulations about the wonderful 50th anniversary – which is wonderful – but we feel like Lyndon Johnson did it and we don’t have to do anything anymore. — April 2014, commenting on racial inequality during a celebration of the Civil Rights Act’s 40th anniversary. I had a very challenging question at Emory (University) the other night: “How would you describe the United States of America today in one word?” And I didn’t know what to say for a few moments, but I finally said, “Searching.” I think the country in which we live is still searching for what it ought to be, and what it can be, and I’m not sure we’re making much progress right at this moment. — October 2014 during a celebration of his 90th birthday. The life we have now is the best of all. We have an expanding and harmonious family, a rich life in our church and the Plains community, and a diversity of projects at The Carter Center that is adventurous and exciting. Rosalynn and I have visited more than 145 countries, and both of us are as active as we have ever been. We are blessed with good health and look to the future with eagerness and confidence, but are prepared for inevitable adversity when it comes. — From 2015 book, “A Full Life.”

By Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News (TNS) Tescha Hawley learned that hospital bills from her son’s birth had been sent to debt collectors only when she checked her credit score while attending a home-buying class. The new mom’s plans to buy a house stalled. Hawley said she didn’t owe those thousands of dollars in debts. The federal government did. Hawley, a citizen of the Gros Ventre Tribe, lives on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. The Indian Health Service is a federal agency that provides free health care to Native Americans, but its services are limited by a chronic shortage of funding and staff. Hawley’s local Indian Health Service hospital wasn’t equipped to deliver babies. But she said staff there agreed that the agency would pay for her care at a privately owned hospital more than an hour away. That arrangement came through the Purchased/Referred Care program, which pays for services Native Americans can’t get through an agency-funded clinic or hospital. Federal law stresses that patients approved for the program aren’t responsible for any of the costs. But tribal leaders, health officials, and a new federal report say patients are routinely billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the Indian Health Service, financial middlemen, hospitals, and clinics. The financial consequences for patients can last years. Those sent to collections can face damaged credit scores, which can prevent them from securing loans or require them to pay higher interest rates. The December report , by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, found these long-standing problems contribute to people in Native American-majority communities being nearly twice as likely to have medical debt in collections compared with the national average. And their amount of medical debt is significantly higher. The report found the program is often late to pay bills. In some cases, hospitals or collection agencies hound tribal citizens for more money after bills are paid. Hawley’s son was born in 2003. She had to wait another year to buy a home, as she struggled to pay off the debt. It took seven years for it to drop from her credit report. “I don’t think a person ever recovers from debt,” Hawley said. Hawley, a cancer survivor, still must navigate the referral program. In 2024 alone, she received two notices from clinics about overdue bills. Frank White Clay, chairman of the Crow Tribe in Montana, testified about the impact of wrongful billing during a U.S. House committee hearing in April. He shared stories of veterans rejected for home loans, elders whose Social Security benefits were reduced, and students denied college loans and federal aid. “Some of the most vulnerable people are being harassed daily by debt collectors,” White Clay said. No one is immune from the risk. A high-ranking Indian Health Service official learned during her job’s background check that her credit report contained referred-care debt, the federal report found. Native Americans face disproportionately high rates of poverty and disease , which researchers link to limited access to health care and the ongoing impact of racist federal policies . White Clay is among many who say problems with the referred-care program are an example of the U.S. government violating treaties that promised to provide for the health and welfare of tribes in return for their land. The chairman’s testimony came during a hearing on the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act, which would require the Indian Health Service to create a reimbursement process for patients who were wrongfully billed. Committee members approved the bill in November and sent it for consideration by the full House. A second federal bill, the Protecting Native Americans’ Credit Act , would prevent debt like Hawley’s from affecting patients’ credit scores. The bipartisan bill hadn’t had a hearing by mid-December. The exact number of people wrongfully billed isn’t clear, but the Indian Health Service has acknowledged it has work to do. The agency is developing a dashboard to help workers track referrals and to speed up bill processing, spokesperson Brendan White said. It’s also trying to hire more referred-care staff, to address vacancy rates of more than 30%. Officials say problems with the program also stem from outside health providers that don’t follow the rules. Melanie Egorin, an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said at the hearing that the proposed legislation doesn’t include consequences for “bad actors” — health facilities that repeatedly bill patients when they shouldn’t. “The lack of enforcement is definitely a challenge,” she said. But tribal leaders warned that penalties could backfire. Related Articles Health | How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic Health | How to kick back, relax and embrace a less-than-perfect holiday Health | New childhood leukemia protocol is ‘tremendous win’ Health | For some FSA dollars, it’s use it or lose it at year’s end Health | Norovirus is rampant. Blame oysters, cruise ships and holiday travel White Clay told lawmakers that some clinics already refuse to see patients if the Indian Health Service hasn’t paid for their previous appointments. He’s worried the threat of penalties would lead to more refusals. If that happens, White Clay said, Crow tribal members who already travel hours to access specialty treatment would have to go even farther. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report found clinics are already refusing to see any referred-care patients due to the program’s payment problems. The bureau and the Indian Health Service also recently published a letter urging health care providers and debt collectors not to hold patients accountable for program-approved care. White, the Indian Health Service spokesperson, said the agency recently updated the referred-care forms sent to outside hospitals and clinics to include billing instructions and to stress that patients aren’t liable for any out-of-pocket costs. And he said the staff can help patients get reimbursed if they have already paid for services that were supposed to be covered. Joe Bryant, an Indian Health Service official who oversees efforts to improve the referral program, said patients can ask credit bureaus to remove debt from their reports if the agency should have covered their bills. Leaders with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state helped shape the proposed legislation after their citizens were repeatedly harmed by wrongful billing. Tribal Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson said problems began in 2017, when a regional Indian Health Service office took over the referred-care program from local staff. It “created a domino effect of negative outcomes,” Erickson wrote in a letter to Congress. He said some tribal members whose finances were damaged stopped using the Indian Health Service. Others avoided health care altogether. Responsibility for the Colville Reservation program transferred back to local staff in 2022. Staffers found the billing process hadn’t been completed for thousands of cases, worth an estimated $24 million in medical care, Erickson told lawmakers . Workers are making progress on the backlog and they have explained the rules to outside hospitals and clinics, Erickson said. But he said there are still cases of wrongful billing, such as a tribal member who was sent to collections after receiving a $17,000 bill for chemotherapy that the agency was supposed to pay for. Erickson said the tribe is in the process of taking over its health care facilities instead of having the Indian Health Service run them. He and others who work in Native American health said tribally managed units — which are still funded by the federal agency — tend to have fewer problems with their referred-care programs. For example, they have more oversight over staff and flexibility to create their own payment tracking systems. But some Native Americans oppose tribal management because they feel it releases the federal government from its obligations. Beyond wrongful billing, access to the referred-care program is limited because of underfunding from Congress. The $1 billion budget this year is $9 billion short of the need, according to a committee report by tribal health and government leaders. Donald Warne, a physician and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, called the proposed legislation a “band-aid.” He said the ultimate solution is for Congress to fully fund the Indian Health Service, which would reduce the need for the referred-care program. Back in Montana, Hawley said she braces for a fight each time she gets a bill that the referral program was supposed to cover. “I’ve learned not to trust the process,” Hawley said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

UN publishes new death toll for massacre of older people and Vodou religious leaders in Haiti

BEIJING, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A record 3.4 million young Chinese flocked to the civil service exam this year, lured by the prospect of lifetime job security and perks including subsidised housing as an economic slowdown batters the private sector and youth unemployment remains high. Applicant numbers, which surged by over 400,000 from last year and have tripled since 2014, reflect the huge demand for stability from disillusioned Gen Z Chinese and the lack of attractive options in the private sector even though local governments are struggling to pay wages due to a fiscal crisis . Klaire, a master's student in Beijing, took the notoriously competitive exam in early December, studying for nine hours a day and spending 980 yuan ($134) on online tutoring. She cited social prestige and stability as major factors why she is only applying for government or state-owned enterprise (SOE) jobs. Klaire has also seen colleagues get laid off during a previous tech internship. "I only want to pass the exam and not worry about what happens next," said the 24-year-old, withholding her surname for privacy reasons. "Despite personally knowing civil servants who haven't been paid for months, I still applied because I don't wish to make lots of money." If she passes the exam, she will have a further interview as well as political background and physical checks, with the final outcome expected around April. Layoffs are rare in China's civil service, earning it the "iron rice bowl" moniker, though individuals can be dismissed for disciplinary violations. "The current leadership has no intent of reducing the size of public sector workers, who are the backbone of regime stability," said Alfred Wu, associate professor at National University of Singapore. Most civil service openings have an age limit of 35 and offer subsidised housing and social insurance, a major attraction for graduates disillusioned by the paucity of private sector job opportunities. Youth unemployment rates, which fell slightly in recent months, remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic figures as China's economy struggles to recover amid a prolonged property sector crisis and frail consumption. Many Gen Z Chinese "feel a strong sense of burnout and don't know what is meaningful" after having their university years defined by the pandemic and China's economic slowdown, said a Chinese sociology professor on condition of anonymity. As the present generation of Chinese graduates have not experienced the mass state sector layoffs of the 90s, many have an idealised view of government work, he said, noting an apt summation in a social media meme: "Becoming a civil servant is the endpoint of the universe". However, rare interviews with ten public sector employees across four Chinese provinces paint a different picture: widespread bonus reductions and pay cuts of up to 30% this year have prompted some to consider resigning, while local government austerity drives have led to sporadic staff cuts. Some civil servants say they have been unpaid for months. Others survive on as little as 4,000 yuan ($550) monthly while supporting families and paying off loans. Many asked for anonymity to avoid retribution. Despite these obvious woes, high nationwide youth unemployment has fed strong demand for civil service roles, which have surged from 2019's 14,500 to 39,700 this year. Katherine Lin quit her civil service job in the southern megacity of Shenzhen in July after her 15,000 yuan ($2000) salary dropped by a quarter, bonuses were scrapped, and managers hinted at further downsizing. "Some departments chose to either cut salaries by 30% or fire people in response to cost-cutting policies," she said. At least three Shenzhen district-level bureaux were merged and nine employees dismissed this year, public notices show. In her housing bureau role, she handled an unprecedented number of migrant worker protests last December, when they normally demand wages before Chinese New Year. Another civil servant in rural Guangdong province described his salary of 4,000 yuan ($550) as "stable poverty" after monthly bonuses of 1,000 yuan ($140) stopped in June. In Shandong, civil servants complained on social media in September about being paid only one month per quarter, part of a policy called "guarantee four (months' salary), strive for six". The State Council and Shenzhen government did not reply to faxed requests for comment. Beijing has long faced calls to reform its bloated state sector. Despite repeated downsizing campaigns, China's civil service jobs swelled from 6.9 million in 2010 to 8 million currently, with at least a further 31 million public employees such as school and hospital workers who have fewer employment protections than civil servants. Chinese provinces have quietly cut tens of thousands of public sector positions since 2020, mostly through hiring reductions and attrition. Wage arrears are "systematic and universal across the country, and are impossible to solve substantially in the short term," said a governance professor at an elite Chinese university on condition of anonymity, adding that this could increase corruption as officials supplement their salaries through tips and bribes, as well as increased administrative fines for citizens. "The most pressing issue now is social stability," said the professor. "Therefore the lesser of two evils will cause the expansion of civil service hiring and the neglect of institutional reform." Sign up here. Reporting by Laurie Chen and Beijing Newsroom; Additional reporting by Larissa LiaoEditing by Shri Navaratnam Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters Laurie Chen is a China Correspondent at Reuters' Beijing bureau, covering politics and general news. Before joining Reuters, she reported on China for six years at Agence France-Presse and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. She speaks fluent Mandarin.Got $1,500? Buy Iovance Biotherapeutics Now and Don't Look Back

Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’

Banks' 28 lead UMBC past American 96-93 in double OTHARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Eddie Ricks III had 13 points in James Madison's 96-64 win over Midway on Sunday night. Ricks added eight rebounds for the Dukes (7-6). Bryce Lindsay scored 13 points, going 5 of 9 (3 for 6 from 3-point range). Elijah Hutchins-Everett went 5 of 10 from the field to finish with 12 points. The Eagles were led by Miguel Shaw, who recorded 19 points and two steals. Robbie Henry added 14 points and five steals for Midway. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Complete guide to what's open on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day 2025Saquon Barkley ninth player with 2,000-yard rushing season

A bold, multi-billion-pound infrastructure project in South Africa promises to deliver a "truly post-apartheid city", complete with a cutting-edge water-treatment plant. The country's President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his 2020 State of the Nation address that the country would be getting a smart city near Lanseria Airport in the western part of Gauteng, as per MyBroadband . “A new smart city is taking shape in Lanseria, which 350,000 to 500,000 people will call home within the next decade,” Ramaphosa said. Plans for project, intially known as Cradle City began in 2007 with the idea of creating the country's first city built around an airport , in this case Lanseria International Airport, which serves the Johannesburg metropolitan area. Under the plans, estimated to cost 500billion South African Rands (around £21billion), the airport would be at the heart of the city, functioning as an economic driver the growth of the city. The airport currently sees around 3.5 million passengers per year, but its hoped a major revamp will see it once day accomodating 18 to 20 million. As well as limiting how much residents need to use transport by prioritising walkable streets, the plans also include up-to-date infrastructure for cell phones, Wi-Fi, information networks as well as high-speed broadband connectivity to make it easy for businesses and locals to work and connect. Authorities expect strong residential growth in the surrounding areas supported by improvements to existing road network, according to the outlet. Authorities foresee a sustainable and technologically advanced city being built around the travel hub, the goal of creating a smart city that "uses current technologies and innovative urban design to improve citizens' quality of life, infrastructure, and economic growth", TR Media reports. The city envions the creation of an "integrated urban ecosystem", with a focus on environmental sustainability and efficient transport links, the outlet says. The development of a high tech water-treatment plant was set to commence in October, promising to produce two megalitres per day (2MLD). The facility is designed to address both the lack of bulk infrastructure in the Lanseria region as well as markedly reducing environmental impacts, IOL reports. It was revealed that the works as a whole would take around 25 years to complete once contruction was greenlit. Property investment firm Crosspoint is implement the construction of the Lanseria Airport City Mega Project in cooperation with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, over a ten-year-period, according to reports. As part of the project, Crosspoint also partnered with the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) for the building of a mixed-use commercial precinct known as the the Lanseria Business District, spread over 90 hectares. However, the City of Johannesburg only adopted the provincial government’s plan for the epic metropolis in May 2021, meaning it may be some time before the smart city begins to take shape, according to MyBroadband . Earlier this year human settlements minister Mmamoloko Kubayi revealed that the Greater Lanseria Master Plan, of which the first phase includes the high-tech city, had been completed, but acknowledged that the bulk infrastructure to support the area still needed significant amounts of investment.

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