SINGAPORE: She has ridden her electric scooter to and from work since 2009, and hardly takes the bus or train. When Singapore banned such motorised personal mobility device (PMDs) from footpaths at the end of 2019, Sarah (not her real name) did not despair. She simply continued with her preferred mode of transport - be it legally on cycling paths and park connectors; or illegally over pedestrian walkways and short stretches of roads. According to the 50-year-old, it's impossible to be fully law-abiding during her 20-minute work commute, as the cycling paths are not seamless and often interrupted by pavements. “They say that with a PMD, we have to ride on paths with the red-coloured dotted line (indicating a shared path), but near my house, there aren't any. So what can I do?” Sarah was even caught last year by enforcement officers , who confiscated her PMD worth S$1,500 (US$1,110) and fined her S$500. She promptly bought another and resumed riding. “The officers can stop me ... but I’m going to buy some more. I won’t stop.” And in the face of such brazen acts of defiance, it is pedestrians who suffer, said those living in active mobility hotspots as identified by authorities. “The pavement has been robbed away from us,” said a Toa Payoh resident who only wanted to be known as Mark. The 62-year-old, who works in logistics, said that in the five years since the ban, he hasn't sensed any improvement in his safety while walking around his estate. Auxiliary police officers have been deployed to deal with errant riders "but it only works when they are there", said Mark. He recounted an incident about two years ago when a young boy illegally riding a PMD was "going super fast" and nearly hit him and his wife as they were taking a walk. Amid continued palpable tension between active mobility users and pedestrians, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) told CNA the number of accidents involving PMDs fell significantly in the years since the ban . There were 144 accidents involving motorised PMDs on footpaths in 2019; 30 in 2020; and six in the first half of 2024. The data alone implies that the ban has been a success, said Assistant Professor Terence Fan from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University. The population of e-scooters - the most common PMD, according to LTA - also dropped from more than 73,000 in 2019 to just over 5,200 in 2024. With fewer PMDs on the streets, what are the implications for Singapore's active mobility aspirations , which include a stated goal to build over 1,000km of cycling paths by the end of the decade? Many commuters clearly consider active mobility devices to be superior to other travelling modes, given their popularity, said Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) transport economist Walter Theseira. “The question is whether with more connectivity through legal paths, we can strike a balance between the possibilities new transport technologies offer us, and the risks to other path users." WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY According to LTA data, it's not just the number of accidents involving PMDs that's gone down - the same goes for other devices. These include bicycles, personal mobility aids (PMAs) and power-assisted bicycles (PABs). The total number of mishaps involving all active mobility options fell from 189 in 2019 to 83 in 2020 and 18 in the first half of 2024. For PMAs in particular, which have been the scourge of many residents in active mobility hotspots, accidents involving them dipped from six in 2019 to two in 2020 and none in the first half of 2024. At the same time, the number of offences involving PMDs has also declined in the past few years. For instance, there were 2,133 instances in 2020 of riders caught using motorised PMDs on footpaths; this dropped to 65 in the first half of 2024. LTA said it “remains committed to ensure path safety for all path users through regular enforcement and public education to encourage safe path-sharing practices”. Its team of active mobility enforcement officers patrol public paths daily and operations are conducted regularly to enforce against errant users, the authority said. “We have also stepped up enforcement and leveraged technology such as mobile CCTVs, and used feedback from the public as well as social media to complement our enforcement efforts.” HOW PEDESTRIANS FEEL With LTA ramping up enforcement efforts and reporting lower instances of active mobility accidents and errant PMD users, do residents feel safer? Prior to the 2019 footpath ban, Yishun resident Rosalind Yap was once hit by a man on a PMD, causing her to drop her phone. “After the ban, there has been an improvement," said the 61-year-old, who works in customer service. "Now there seems to be some separation along footpaths, where this path is for those on wheels, and another path is for those who are walking, so that is good.” A Tampines resident who only wanted to be known as Madam Kua said that before 2019, she didn't dare to use a side exit at her condominium, for fear of PMDs riding past at high speeds. “Now, there aren’t PMDs anymore, so I’m very happy,” said the 74-year-old retiree. But other residents at active mobility hotspots said they've observed a rise in the use of alternatives such as PMAs and PABs. No official statistics exist for PMAs - which include motorised wheelchairs and mobility scooters - as they don't need to be registered with LTA. To Yishun resident Ken Wong, however, PMAs have become more abundant now, and he still feels the need to look over his shoulder when walking on footpaths. “Most of the time I see PMA more than PMD to be honest ... (but) if you ask me to really go and differentiate, I can’t,” said the 40-year-old, who works in IT. “I’m pretty sure not all of them are medically required (to use a PMA).” In March, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) accepted recommendations by an Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) on PMA regulations. They are set to kick in next year and include allowing only those certified with relevant medical needs to use such devices, as well as a reduction in speed limit from 10kmh to 6kmh. Another Yishun resident, Mdm Santhony N, was unconvinced that the situation would improve. “PMAs are the ones that are affecting us the most, they can carry a lot of people and they are very heavy,” said the 64-year-old salesperson. “I find that this has to be banned, because it is really so dangerous.” “In fact, I feel safer on the road than on the footpath ... Because it's just like crossing a road, every time I turn, I’ve got to look out.” In an informal, anonymous poll conducted by CNA on Telegram, 70 per cent of over 15,000 respondents said that since the PMD ban, they did not feel safer walking along footpaths and park connectors. On top of potentially being unaware of falling accident numbers, the public may not base their perception of safety on statistics anyway, said SUSS lecturer Che Maohao. “PMAs and bicycles are generally larger in size as compared to PMDs,” said Dr Che, who researches road safety engineering and non-motorised transportation. “When residents have to share the narrow footpaths - in many cases 1.5m wide - it is reasonable that they do not feel safer.” Assoc Prof Theseira agreed that devices like bicycles and PMAs on pathways pose what pedestrians may feel is an “ongoing risk”. “What doesn’t help is that some neighbourhoods have pathway designs where unfortunately there are choke points or areas where all types of users tend to intersect, which makes things worse,” he said. “So, it's also an issue of whether our journeys as pedestrians tend to naturally place us in conflict and whether redesign of pathways could help.” WHO STILL USES PMDS? When asked why she didn't opt for a PAB - which can at least be ridden on the roads - Sarah said she had bad knees and was unable to pedal for long durations. A food delivery rider, who declined to be named, said the PMD was his preferred device. Bicycles are too tiring and he doesn't have a license to ride a PAB, the 29-year-old told CNA. He said that while he could only deliver food for up to six hours on a bicycle before exhaustion kicked in; on a PMD he could easily keep going for 10 hours. He bought his PMD three years ago despite the ban on footpaths already having been in place. Acknowledging that he sometimes “bends the rules” as there are simply no approved paths to get to his destination, he said: “It’s a struggle ... (if) we must push the PMD so far to get to the HDB block, what is the point?” Then there are those who still use PMDs for the thrill of it. A 20-year-old CNA spoke to in the Pasir Ris-Punggol area admitted to illegally riding along roads and footpaths "when we have to". Though he also uses his device to deliver food, it serves as his main transport mode - and to take frequent joyrides around the island late at night. “Sometimes, once in a while, you’d also want to go on an adventure,” he said. “If you cycle around Singapore ... it’s a bit troublesome.” Major food delivery firms told CNA that PMDs were not approved for use by its riders, and that they work closely with authorities to take action against those who flout the rules. Grab said most of its riders abide by the regulations, and that the small percentage who once flouted laws generally do not reoffend. A spokesperson said, however, that the upcoming regulations on PMAs could affect the earnings of its riders who use the devices, as stricter speed limits would mean covering fewer orders. Some "genuine" PMA users may also find it difficult to obtain the required medical certification and thus be deterred from platform work, the spokesperson added. Deliveroo said it would remain open to riders using vehicles like PMAs to fulfil deliveries. A spokesperson said the company does not impose time limits on riders to complete deliveries, nor does it provide incentives for fast deliveries. Foodpanda, as well as Grab, said they have been engaging authorities on the impending PMA rules, with a view to implementation "that is fair to all stakeholders and protects the livelihoods of our delivery partners". FIRST AND LAST MILE ISSUES? LTA has said that it encourages active mobility use and will continue to expand active mobility infrastructure. Walking, cycling or riding on public transport remains key to building a car-lite society, where Singaporeans choose more active and sustainable modes of transport to get around, the authority said. “The expansion of the cycling network will facilitate the take-up of these modes by making active mobility safer and more convenient." Since 2019, LTA has grown Singapore's islandwide network of cycling paths from 440km to over 600km currently. It is targeting around 1,300km of cycling paths by 2030, and for the the network to reach all towns. Dr Che said this could pave the way for extensive access to most neighbourhoods in Singapore - and for PMDs to perhaps become a viable and reliable option for daily commutes. Assoc Prof Theseira, however, noted that most park connectors and cycling paths still do not reach deep into common destinations such as Housing Board estates. “There could be approved paths for much of the journey, but if many journeys require manually pushing the PMD on footpaths some distance, the user will either be tempted to illegally use the PMD on a footpath or will decide that the pushing cost outweighs the benefit,” he said, adding that non-approved paths could also interrupt journeys and discourage PMD use. “Without viable options for first or last mile connectivity to HDB blocks or (other) destinations via PMD-approved paths, I think PMDs will not be taken up again.” LTA has additionally announced that bicycles and non-motorised PMDs like kick scooters will be banned from footpaths adjacent to cycling lanes, starting from July next year. This will leave PMAs as the only allowed devices on these so-called pedestrian-only paths. With additional regulations on their use to be announced next year, the prospect of a vibrant active mobility culture in Singapore remains murky, experts said. “(Enhanced regulations on PMAs) will probably greatly reduce the volume of PMAs on the paths," said Assoc Prof Theseira. "And we'll be back to a situation where there is no motorised, easy-to-operate local transport option."Comcast Holdings Corp. ( NYSE:CCZ – Get Free Report ) declared a quarterly dividend on Saturday, December 21st, NASDAQ Dividends reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 1st will be given a dividend of 0.448 per share on Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $1.79 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from Comcast’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. Comcast Stock Performance NYSE:CCZ opened at $61.07 on Friday. Comcast has a 1 year low of $53.54 and a 1 year high of $66.80. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $60.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $58.42. About Comcast ( Get Free Report ) Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Comcast Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Comcast and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Mitesco (OTCMKTS:MITI) Stock Price Down 2.8% – What’s Next?
Drake wins 65-46 against Belmont
Jeju Air shares hit record low after a deadly plane crash in South Korea. The crash occurred amid political turmoil with three presidents in a month in South Korea. Political uncertainty has increased market volatility in South Korea. Shares of South Korean budget carrier Jeju Air hit their lowest level on record following a plane crash over the weekend. On Sunday, a Jeju Air plane traveling from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport crashed at a South Korean airport crashed, killing 179 people. It was carrying 181 passengers and crew members. Jeju Air's stock slumped as much 16% and was 8% lower at 12:23 p.m. local time on Monday. The stock of AK Holdings, the airline's parent company, fell as much as 12%. The decline in Jeju Air shares comes on the back of a choppy month in South Korea's stock market amid political uncertainty. The country has been led by three presidents in a month following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol and acting president Han Duck-soo. Deputy prime minister and finance minister Choi Sang-mok became the country's acting president on Friday. The turmoil came after Yoon declared martial law — which lasted six hours — earlier this month. Han was impeached by the opposition after he refused to appoint three judges to fill the nine-member Constitutional Court, which will rule on Yoon's removal from office. The political uncertainty could persist. "If Choi Sang-Mok does not approve the three new justices for the Constitutional Court, it is likely that the Democratic Party will also try to impeach him," wrote independent analyst Douglas Kim, who publishes on the Smartkarma platform, on Saturday. South Korea's benchmark Kospi index was up 0.4% at 12:23 p.m. local time. It is down about 9% year-to-date. "Due to the high levels of political uncertainty, it appears that many participants are sitting on the sidelines, not wanting to commit too much on the Korean markets," added Kim, who expects trading in South Korea's markets to remain "highly volatile" in January.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jake Evans scored for the career-high fifth consecutive game and the surging Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Sunday night. Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Newhook also scored to help the Canadiens win for the fifth time in six games. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves. Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay. Jonas Johansson stopped 31 shots. Newhook opened the scoring on a one-timer midway through the first period. Hagel tied it 37 seconds into the second period, but Dvorak and Evans scored 5:54 apart in the period for a two-goal Montreal lead they would not relinquish. SABRES 4, BLUES 2 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jason Zucker scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 9:30 remaining and Buffalo notched their third straight victory by beating St. Louis. Jiri Kulich extended Buffalo’s lead with a breakaway goal that went between Blues goalie Jordan Binnington’s legs with 3:41 to play. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist against his former team as the Sabres won in St. Louis for just the second time in 12 years to sweep the season series. Zucker had a goal and an assist, and Jack Quinn had two assists for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 35 shots. Brayden Schenn and Nathan Walker scored for the Blues. Binnington had 12 saves. Buffalo scored on two of its first three shots, including its first of the game. DUCKS 5, OILERS 3 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Strome scored with 2:36 remaining as Anaheim rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period to defeat Edmonton. Strome’s goal, his sixth of the season, originally wasn’t called, but it was reversed after a review. Strome’s shot was entirely over the goal line before Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard could stop it with his skate. Mason McTavish added an empty-net goal. It is the first time since March 30, 2019, the Ducks have defeated the Oilers by more than one goal. Cutter Gauthier, McTavish and Robby Fabbri each had a goal and an assist. Drew Helleson also scored for Anaheim, which snapped a seven-game losing streak to Edmonton. Lukas Dostal made 20 saves. Leon Draisaitl had two goals and Connor McDavid two assists for the Oilers, who were 3-0-1 in their past four. Evan Bouchard also tallied a goal and Pickard stopped 27 shots. RED WINGS 4, CAPITALS 2 DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Kane reached the 1,300-point mark and Todd McLellan won for the first time as Detroit’s coach in their victory over Washington. Kane, who needed two points to reach that mark, had a power-play goal and assist during Detroit’s four-goal first period. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and Lucas Raymond added another as the Red Wings snapped a four-game losing streak. Alex Lyon made 26 saves. McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde prior to Friday’s loss to Toronto . Alex Ovechkin scored for the second consecutive game after missing the previous 16 due to a fractured fibula . The Capitals star forward is 25 goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 . Nic Dowd had the other Capitals goal. Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves but Washington remained one point behind first-place New Jersey in the Eastern Conference. PENGUINS 3, ISLANDERS 2 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists on Michael Bunting’s power-play goal and the Penguins beat New York. Crosby has 1,034 assists, good for 12th in NHL history. Only three players — Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman — have more assists with a single team. The 37-year-old Crosby has played 1,310-regular-season games. Lemieux played 915. Evgeni Malkin added the deciding power-play goal in the third for Pittsburgh, which has 14 goals with the man advantage in its last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 17. Kris Letang missed the game because of a lower-body injury, and defenseman Nathan Clurman made his NHL debut. Anders Lee and Bo Horvat scored third-period goals for the Islanders, who fell behind 3-0 before their rally fell short. Marcus Hogberg stopped 38 shots during his first start since April 28, 2021. GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, FLAMES 0 LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brett Howden scored his 15th goal of the season and Ilya Samsonov stopped 31 shots as Vegas Golden defeated Calgary. Howden redirected defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s shot from the top of the slot late in the second period and is now tied with Ivan Barbashev for the team lead in goals. Howden has scored a goal in four of the last five games. Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson also scored for the Golden Knights, who have shut out Calgary twice this season, beating them 5-0 on Oct. 28 . Dan Vladar made 34 saves for Calgary. The Golden Knights have now won six straight, the longest active win streak in the NHL, while improving to 25-8-3 on the year. They own a 13-2-1 record against Pacific Division opponents. SENATORS 3, WILD 1 ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Josh Norris broke a tie on a power play with 7:18 left, Leevi Merilainen made 30 saves in his fifth NHL game and Ottawa beat Minnesota. Ottawa has won seven of its past nine games, while the Wild have lost five of their past seven. The Senators won in Minnesota for the first time since 2016. With starter Linus Ullmark and backup Anton Forsberg out with injuries, the Senators have been relying on Merilainen and Mads Sogaard since before the NHL holiday break. Frederick Gaudreau opened the scoring for Minnesota late in the first period. Ridly Greig tied it early in the second. Claude Giroux added an empty-netter. STARS 5, BLACKHAWKS 1 CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn each had a goal and two assists, and Dallas beat Chicago. Jason Robertson, Evgenii Dadonov and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for Dallas, which had lost three of four. Jake Oettinger made 24 saves. Chicago dropped its fourth consecutive game. It lost three of four in its season series against Dallas. Connor Bedard scored his 10th goal for the Blackhawks, and Arvid Soderblom made 30 stops. Next up for Bedard and company is the Winter Classic on Tuesday against St. Louis. Dallas grabbed control after Chicago forward Tyler Bertuzzi was ejected 8:11 into the second period. Bertuzzi was sent off for elbowing Stars forward Colin Blackwell in the face. KINGS 5, FLYERS 4 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anze Kopitar scored twice, Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist, and Los Angeles got their seventh straight home win by beating Philadelphia. Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele also scored for the Kings, who trailed 4-2 midway through the second period before rebounding to sweep a back-to-back after defeating recent playoff nemesis Edmonton in overtime on Saturday. David Rittich made 17 saves. Kopitar was in the right place to redirect Quinton Byfield’s rebound in and tie it at 4 early in the third, before following it up by chopping in Kempe’s shot during a power play at 8:55 for the 5-4 lead. Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist for the Flyers after being benched for the third period against Anaheim on Saturday . Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee also scored, and Aleksei Kolosov made 15 saves.John Elway: remorse over bypassing Josh Allen in draft mitigated by watching Broncos rookie Bo Nix
How old was Jimmy Carter and when was he the US President?OTTAWA — The RCMP will create a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of Canada's border using helicopters, drones and surveillance towers. The move is part of the federal government's $1.3-billion upgrade to border security and monitoring to appease concerns of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump about the flow of migrants and illegal drugs. Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian and Mexican exports to the U.S. as soon as he is inaugurated next month unless both countries move to improve border security. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he has discussed parts of the plan with American officials and that he is optimistic about its reception. Canada will also propose to the United States to create a North American "joint strike force" to target organized crime groups that work across borders. The government also intends to provide new technology, tools and resources to the Canada Border Services Agency to seek out fentanyl using chemical detection, artificial intelligence and canine teams. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024. Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanovic won most of the votes in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, but must face a runoff against a ruling party candidate to secure another five-year term. With nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on Jan. 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned “this was just a first run.” “Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.” Milanovic is an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. He is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents. The most popular politician in Croatia, 58-year-old Milanović has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, he has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and continuous sparring between the two has lately marked Croatia’s political scene. Plenković, the prime minister, has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and NATO. He has labeled Milanović “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him and Milanović is quite simple: Milanović is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme military commander. Milanović has criticized the NATO and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, though it is a member of both NATO and the EU. Milanović has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a NATO-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war.” His main rival in the election, Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East.” His presidency bid, however, has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and featured prominently in pre-election debates. During the election campaign, Primorac has sought to portray himself as a unifier and Milanović as divisive. Primorac was upbeat despite such a big defeat in the first round. “I know the difference (in votes) at first sight seems very big,” said Primorac, who insisted that the center-right votes had split among too many conservative candidates. “Now we have a great opportunity to face each other one on one and show who stands for what,” he said. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.
Samsung Electronics Co.'s SSNLF Galaxy S25 Slim is reportedly not launching alongside the rest of the S25 series in early 2025. What Happened: The Galaxy S25 Slim, identified as model SM-S937, is absent from the carrier-specific list in the One UI 7 beta, reported Android Authority. This suggests a later release date, possibly in the second quarter of 2025, rather than its initial expected launch with the S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra models. See Also: Nvidia CES 2025 Keynote: How To Watch Jensen Huang Unveil The RTX 5000 Series GPUs The Galaxy S25 series is anticipated to be unveiled at a Galaxy Unpacked event, rumored for Jan. 22, 2025. While the S25 Slim may not be available immediately, the South Korean tech giant might still reveal or tease the device at the upcoming event, the report noted. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It Matters: According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series led the market for GenAI-enabled smartphones in the first quarter of 2024. In the third quarter of 2024, Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Experience (MX) division brought in approximately $21.6 billion in revenue, according to Statista, making it the largest revenue generator for the company. However, the company is encountering fierce competition from both Apple Inc. and China's Huawei Technologies . Samsung reported a net income of 9.78 trillion won ($7.1 billion) for the quarter ending in September. Photo by Karlis Dambrans on Shutterstock Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link . Read Next: Iran Turning Soft? Reformist Government Lifts WhatsApp, Google Play Ban — Promises ‘This Path Will Continue’ Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Evans scores again as Canadiens down Lightning 5-2
Cleanliness drive in Mahakumbh area to start today
JD Martin Expands Representation of Dialight into North and South Carolina
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic converted 11 of 15 from the free throw line and scored 20 points as California held off a late rally to post an 83-77 win over Sacramento State in the Cal Classic tournament on Sunday. Cal came into its tournament without three starters, Jovan Blacksher Jr., DJ Campbell and BJ Omot and the Golden Bears earned back-to-back wins over Air Force and the Hornets. Stojakovic scored a career-high 21 points and freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson stepped up with career-best 23 points against the Falcons. Against Sacramento State, Wilkinson came off the bench to score 16 points. Sacramento State took an early 12-7 lead after Emil Skytta hit a pair of free throws five minutes into the game, but Wilkinson hit back-to-back buckets and Stojakovic drew a foul on a three-point attempt and hit all three foul shots to take a 14-12 lead and the Bears pulled away to take a 40-33 lead at intermission. Julian Vaughns knocked down a trey three minutes into the second half to pull Sacramento State even at 43 and his free throw put the Hornets in front. Ryan Petraitis and Wilkinson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Cal up 51-47 and the Bears never trailed the rest of the way. Petraitis finished with 13 points, five assists and three steals for Cal (5-1). Joshua Ola-Joseph and Mady Sissoko each added 10 points. Jacob Holt scored 25 points with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal to lead Sacramento State (1-4). Vaughns scored 18 points and EJ Neal added 16. The game was just the third meeting between schools separated by roughly 80 miles, and first since 1992. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Islanders host the Red Wings after Palmieri's 2-goal gameNEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he’d let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen’s stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday’s showdown. RELATED COVERAGE Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen quits a tournament in a dispute over jeans After 20 years at the top of chess, Magnus Carlsen is making his next move Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen quits a tournament in a dispute over jeans “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn’t paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”TORONTO , Dec. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Franklin Templeton Canada today announced the estimated December 2024 cash distributions and the annual reinvested distributions for its ETFs and ETF series of mutual funds available to Canadian investors. Estimated December 2024 Cash Distributions As detailed in the table below, unitholders of record as of December 31, 2024 , will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable in Canadian dollars on January 9, 2025 . Fund Name Ticker Type Estimated Cash Distribution Per Unit ($) Payment Frequency Franklin Core ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CBL Active 0.435559 Annually Franklin Conservative Income ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CNV Active 0.520239 Annually Franklin All-Equity ETF Portfolio – ETF Series EQY Active 0.237462 Annually Franklin Brandywine Global Sustainable Income Optimiser Fund – ETF Series FBGO Active 0.030534 Monthly Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable Global Infrastructure Income Fund – ETF Series FCII Active 0.023401 Monthly Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable International Growth Fund – ETF Series FCSI Active 0.153550 Annually Franklin Global Growth Fund – ETF Series FGGE Active 0.000000 Annually Franklin Canadian Government Bond Fund – ETF Series FGOV Active 0.074000 Monthly Franklin Canadian Ultra Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FHIS Active 0.063945 Monthly Franklin Innovation Fund – ETF Series FINO Active 0.000000 Annually Franklin FTSE U.S. Index ETF FLAM Passive 0.111888 Quarterly Franklin FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF FLCD Passive 0.246693 Quarterly Franklin Canadian Corporate Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCI Active 0.064393 Monthly Franklin Canadian Core Plus Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCP Active 0.058611 Monthly Franklin Emerging Markets Equity Index ETF FLEM Passive 0.177597 Semi-Annually Franklin Global Core Bond Fund – ETF Series FLGA Active 0.037923 Monthly Franklin FTSE Japan Index ETF FLJA Passive 0.220823 Semi-Annually Franklin Canadian Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FLSD Active 0.054850 Monthly Franklin International Equity Index ETF FLUR Passive 0.235392 Semi-Annually Franklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF FLUS Smart Beta 0.187729 Quarterly Franklin Canadian Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVC Passive 0.017539 Monthly Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVI Passive 0.000000 Monthly Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVU Passive 0.009336 Monthly Franklin Growth ETF Portfolio – ETF Series GRO Active 0.340805 Annually Estimated Annual Reinvested Distributions The estimated annual reinvested distributions, as applicable, will not be paid in cash but reinvested in additional units and reported as taxable distributions, with a corresponding increase in each unitholder's adjusted cost base of their units of the respective ETF. The additional ETF units will be immediately consolidated so that the number of units held by the unitholder, the outstanding units and the net asset value of the ETFs will not change as a result of the annual reinvested distribution. The annual reinvested distributions, as applicable, are expected to be capital gains in nature for each of the ETFs. As detailed in the table below, unitholders of record on December 31, 2024 , will receive a per-unit reinvested distribution payable in Canadian dollars on January 9, 2025 . Fund Name Ticker Type Estimated Annual Reinvested Distribution Per Unit ($) Franklin Core ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CBL Active 0.253823 Franklin Conservative Income ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CNV Active 0.000000 Franklin All-Equity ETF Portfolio – ETF Series EQY Active 0.050761 Franklin Brandywine Global Sustainable Income Optimiser Fund – ETF Series FBGO Active 0.000000 Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable Global Infrastructure Income Fund – ETF Series FCII Active 0.000000 Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable International Growth Fund – ETF Series FCSI Active 0.000000 Franklin Global Growth Fund – ETF Series FGGE Active 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Government Bond Fund – ETF Series FGOV Active 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Ultra Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FHIS Active 0.001143 Franklin Innovation Fund – ETF Series FINO Active 0.000000 Franklin FTSE U.S. Index ETF FLAM Passive 0.000000 Franklin FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF FLCD Passive 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Corporate Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCI Active 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Core Plus Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCP Active 0.000000 Franklin Emerging Markets Equity Index ETF FLEM Passive 0.000000 Franklin Global Core Bond Fund – ETF Series FLGA Active 0.000000 Franklin FTSE Japan Index ETF FLJA Passive 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FLSD Active 0.000000 Franklin International Equity Index ETF FLUR Passive 0.105939 Franklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF FLUS Smart Beta 0.583352 Franklin Canadian Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVC Passive 0.025433 Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVI Passive 0.216455 Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVU Passive 0.319060 Franklin Growth ETF Portfolio – ETF Series GRO Active 0.462281 If there are any changes to these year-end distribution amounts, the final amounts will be announced on December 31, 2024 . The actual taxable amounts of cash and reinvested distributions for 2024, including the tax characteristics of the distributions, will be reported to brokers through CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. in early 2025. Franklin Templeton's diverse and innovative ETF platform was built to provide better client outcomes for a range of market conditions and investment opportunities. The product suite offers active, smart beta and passive ETFs that span multiple asset classes and geographies. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca/etf . About Franklin Templeton Franklin Resources, Inc. BEN is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. In Canada, the company's subsidiary is Franklin Templeton Investments Corp., which operates as Franklin Templeton Canada . Franklin Templeton's mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California -based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over US$1.6 trillion (over CAN$2.2 trillion) in assets under management as of November 30, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca . Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in ETFs and ETF series. Investors should carefully consider an ETF's and ETF series' investment objectives and strategies, risks, fees and expenses before investing. The prospectus and ETF facts contain this and other information. Please read the prospectus and ETF facts carefully before investing. ETFs and ETF series trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF and ETF series expenses will reduce returns. ETFs and ETF series are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Copyright © 2024. Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved. SOURCE Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2024/20/c3078.html © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.