Excel World Entertainment Park, one of regions best entertainment venue will invest more than Rs. 300 million next year to upgrade the property and introduce new features. General Manager, Excel World Entertainment Park, Thyaga Perera, said that for the first time they have now introduced ‘Zip lining’, a great activity for people of all ages to the venue. “in addition we have also brought back the highly anticipated Excel World’s Snow World, where the charm of the North Pole is just a heartbeat away. This will be on until 31 December from 4 to 10 p.m. ensuring everyone can partake in the festivities.”. “With the return of this much-loved annual attraction, spectators can revel in the frosty fun and festive cheer that fills the atmosphere.” Asked as to why Snow World cannot be a year round event since the region do not have such facility he said that up keep of it very expensive and have made it a seasonal feature.” “This event marks a significant milestone in our journey to provide unparalleled entertainment experiences in Sri Lanka.” “At Excel World, we’re not just creating an experience; we’re celebrating joy, family and the enchanting essence of winter right here in Colombo. Our aim is to immerse every visitor in a magical world, bringing the allure of the North Pole to the heart of our city.” The launch of Snow World last week was revealed in collaboration between principal sponsor Pepsi Co., and main media sponsor Voice of Asia Network. Adventura Kids Entertainment Park will introduce new, innovative attractions designed to captivate and inspire young minds. “This development aims to create a magical world where children can explore, learn, “Our Game Zone will undergo a comprehensive upgrade introducing state-of-the-art gaming technology and a wider variety of interactive experiences, ensuring that guests of all ages can enjoy cutting-edge entertainment.” Both these would be launched in May 2025. “We are also excited to announce plans for the Lake Edge Development, which will serve as a vibrant venue for open shows and carnivals.” This picturesque setting will offer a unique backdrop for cultural events, performances, live Musical Shows and festive celebrations, adding a new dimension to our entertainment offerings. These endeavors will also create new employment opportunities for more than 100. (SS)
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout'Let's not panic': Canada picks up the pieces after ugly Latvia loss at world juniorsNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies' plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments in New Orleans or seizing their property without following city laws and due process. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had called earlier this month for the City of New Orleans to remove a large encampment before Thanksgiving and warned he would intervene if the city did not comply. “If a judge believes that people have a right to be on whatever public space they choose, maybe that judge should have them move into her chambers and courtroom," Landry said after the judge issued the restraining order Monday. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Katharine Stegall said the agency’s legal team and the state Attorney General’s Office are reviewing the order. State police have “promptly halted activities” and are “complying with the restrictions” of the order, Stegall said. Landry and New Orleans officials have repeatedly clashed over how to address the issue of homelessness in the city. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris said Monday that directing more resources towards moving homeless people into stable housing was “infinitely more effective than punitive sweeps” of encampments. “Coordination between the government and service providers on the housing of people is imperative, and continuously moving people only makes it that much harder to house them,” Harris said. But the governor has pushed to clear homeless encampments. In late October, Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Transportation and Development converged on a homeless encampment under a highway to remove and relocate dozens of people prior to pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts in the nearby Superdome. Some people who had been away at the time of the clearances returned to the area to find they had lost their personal property including family heirlooms, identification documents and medication, according to testimony in court documents. City officials and advocates for homeless people decried the evictions and said they disrupted ongoing efforts to secure long-term housing for these individuals because they became harder to locate. A judge later granted a temporary restraining order preventing more clearances but declined to extend it beyond early November after lawyers representing the state police indicated in court that removals tied to the Taylor Swift concerts had ceased. But on Friday, homeless people began receiving flyers from state police officers ordering them to leave their encampments within 24 hours, according to a motion for relief filed on behalf of two homeless plaintiffs by the Southern Poverty Law Center and two other legal groups. The planned sweeps preceded the Bayou Classic football game on Saturday between Southern University and Grambling State University at the Superdome. “Your presence is considered a violation,” the flyers stated, according to the motion for relief. However, they were halted by the new temporary restraining order. On Dec. 3, the judge is scheduled to deliberate on whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the three state agencies. “The vulnerable people with disabilities who make up the vast majority of people living in the street deserve to be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” said Joe Heeren-Mueller, director of community engagement for Unity of Greater New Orleans, a homeless outreach organization. There are about 1,450 homeless people in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, according to a January survey by the nonprofit Unity of Greater New Orleans. The city has committed to securing housing for these individuals by the end of 2025. Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96Sheinbaum’s plans for the AIFA-Pachuca train route: Monday’s mañanera recapped
Farm tax row as Labour forced to deny plans to U-turn over inheritance raidPolice Minister Mark Mitchell has criticised the behaviour of a police officer posing for cameras while wearing a gang patch in the office. Footage of the police officer wearing the patch over his uniform emerged on social media just days after the gang patch ban came into effect. Mitchell said the behaviour was disappointing and fell short of expectations. The images were taken in June and the officer responsible had come forward, he said. Mitchell added that overall, he was pleased with how the Gangs Act had rolled out and police conduct regarding breaches. Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham said an internal process would determine any further action taken against the officer. Footage 'problematic' - Māori researcher Meanwhile, a kaupapa Māori researcher has described the footage as "problematic". Ihi Research director Catherine Leonard said the behaviour perpetuated the cycle of distrust between gangs and police. It demonstrated the need for extensive police training, she added. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
LOS ANGELES — The UCLA women’s basketball team rode a dominant first half to knock off No. 1 and defending national champion South Carolina, 75-60, on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. The Gamecocks (5-1) lost for the first time since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals. The No. 5 Bruins welcomed South Carolina to a sold-out Pauley Pavilion in the best way they knew possible: Gamecocks star Chloe Kitts went up for a jumper just in time for 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts to get a hand on the ball for a forceful block that sent Kitts to the floor as the opening quarter came to a close. The Bruins had double the amount of points as the Gamecocks in that moment. And yet, UCLA head coach Cori Close wanted more of her team: “Whatever the score is,” she told the crowd at halftime, “I know we can play better.” Betts continues to average a double-double and recorded 11 points and 14 rebounds in the game. Londynn Jones scored 15 points and was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range. Elina Aarnisalo and Gabriela Jaquez also finished in double-digit scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively. South Carolina was scoring an average of 45.6 points in the paint heading into the game, but UCLA had limited them to 18. Kitts, who averages a team-leading 14 points for South Carolina, finished with 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. The Bruins shook off a choppy start in which the shots weren’t falling and took off on an 11-0 run in the first quarter. It was unclear who would start at point guard between freshman Elina Aarnisalo and Kiki Rice, who was day-to-day with an injury. UCLA had both of them in the starting rotation and reaped benefits from Rice’s scoring abilities and Aarnisalo’s IQ. The Finnish hooper had a steal that led to a layup for UCLA’s first points of the game and she continuously came up with athletic plays throughout the game. She hit a midrange jumper and a 3-pointer from the top of the key in a matter of three minutes in the second quarter as the Bruins entered the break with a 43-22 advantage. The Gamecocks found rhythm in transition as they trudged on but were unable to put together a run of more than five points at a time. They switched their offensive attack to the perimeter but saw little success. Meanwhile, UCLA’s success from range grew. Jones made a shot from beyond the arc to keep the Bruins ahead by 20 points and Janiah Barker made a three of her own shortly after to extend the lead to 57-36. The Bruins added 16 points in the fourth quarter to keep the celebratory mood alive. A corner three by Jones sent three fingers from each player flying into the air after a steal by Dugalić and assist by Rice. The game was part of a big weekend in Los Angeles women’s basketball. No. 3 USC hosted No. 6 Notre Dame the night before and lost 74-61.
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Qatar tribune Agencies The growing popularity of Chinese sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shaken up Mexico’s luxury car market, hitting sales of traditionally dominant brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. According to industry experts, Mexicans are increasingly switching from traditionally dominant sedans to Chinese vehicles due to a combination of comfort, technology and price. It is no small feat in a country home to factories of foreign brands such as Audi and BMW, and where until a few years ago imported Chinese cars were stigmatized, as in other parts of the world. According to the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors the high-end segment of the market registered a sales drop of 8.1 percent from January to November. Audi’s sales slumped by 21.9 percent, while BMW, which includes the Mini brand, saw no growth in Latin America’s second-largest economy, home to 129 million people. Mercedes-Benz suffered a 9.8 percent decline, according to the state-run statistics institute INEGI.In contrast, Motornation, which sells the BAIC, JMC and Changan brands in Mexico, saw an 8.8 percent increase in sales in the first 11 months of this year, while those of Jetour rose 131 percent, it said. Chinese firms now control 9.3 percent of the Mexican market, according to the AMDA. They have brought stiff competition to the pickup truck segment, with many of the features of high-end models offered by premium brands, the association’s president Guillermo Rosales told AFP. Traditionally, the premium segment included sedan-type vehicles with luxury engines and top-of-the-range features. However, over the past decade consumer preferences have shifted toward utility vehicles such as pickup trucks, minivans and SUVs. Asian brands also benefited from an exemption from import tariffs on electric vehicles that was in effect in Mexico from 2020 until October 1. As in other Latin American countries, Mexicans are becoming more used to seeing Chinese brands on the streets that were unknown to them until about five years ago. Miguel Reyes, a 71-year-old retiree, said that choosing a Chinese car over others was “simple arithmetic.” “I needed a car that had the necessary technology, such as steering assist, to make driving safer,” Reyes said. As well as the design and comfort, the “competitive” price was another factor, said Reyes, who paid around 550,000 pesosroughly $27,000. Copy 29/12/2024 10Opposition fighters are at Damascus' gates. Who are they and what now?Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Carson Beck left the SEC title game Saturday after what coach Kirby Smart said was a hand injury. With one second left in the first half, Beck was looking to throw deep to try to get Georgia its first lead of the game. He got hit as he threw, and his arm appeared to be injured. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Carson Beck of the Georgia Bulldogs on the field after an injury against the Texas Longhorns during the second quarter of the 2024 SEC championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Dec. 7, 2024. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) Beck was quickly tended to by trainers and coaches, and he was slow to get up. He jogged off the field on his own, but it was clear something wasn't right. Speaking with ESPN just as the half ended, Smart said the injury would likely not keep Beck out of the game. But Georgia backup Gunner Stockton entered the game, and Smart then told ESPN at the start of the half that Beck would not return. Trey Moore (8) of the Texas Longhorns tackles Carson Beck (15) of the Georgia Bulldogs for a fumble during the second quarter of the 2024 SEC championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Dec. 7, 2024. (Butch Dill/Getty Images) NICK SABAN GIVES STERN OPINION ON FLAG-PLANTING AFTER RIVALRY WEEK MELEES: ‘UP TO EARS IN ELEPHANT S---’ With Beck under center, it was not a pretty sight for the Bulldogs, who managed just a field goal in the first half. On the bright side, Texas' offense, led by Quinn Ewers , didn't fare much better. The Longhorns converted two field goals for a 6-3 lead at half. With a loss, it would be the first time Georgia will have lost three games in a season since 2018. This year marked the first time the Bulldogs had lost to any team other than Alabama since 2020, when they lost to Ole Miss in Oxford. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) takes the field to warm up before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (Joshua l. Jones Athens Banner-Herald/USA Today Network) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Beck is expected to be an early selection in the NFL Draft in April. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter .
Nick Kern came off the bench for 20 points and 13 rebounds as Penn State remained unbeaten with an 85-66 thumping of Fordham in a semifinal of the Sunshine Slam on Monday in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Nittany Lions (6-0), who will play either San Francisco or Clemson for the tournament title on Tuesday, put four other players in double figures. Zach Hicks scored 16 points, while Puff Johnson added 15. Ace Baldwin and Yanic Konan Niederhauser each chipped in 12 points. Penn State sank nearly 53 percent of its field goal attempts and earned a 38-30 advantage on the boards, more than enough to offset missing 12 of its 32 foul shots. Four players reached double figures for the Rams (3-4), led by 15 points apiece from Jackie Johnson III and reserve Joshua Rivera. Romad Dean and Jahmere Tripp each added 13. Fordham was as close as 56-49 after Tripp made a layup with 14:25 left in the game. But the Nittany Lions responded with a 16-1 run, capped with a layup by Kern for a 22-point lead at the 9:33 mark, and they never looked back. The main storyline prior to tipoff was whether Penn State could continue its torrid early start that saw it come into the day leading Division I in steals and ranked second in scoring at 98.2 points per game. The Nittany Lions certainly played to their billing for most of the first half, establishing a 21-8 lead at the 10:08 mark via Hicks' three-point play. Fordham predictably struggled early with the pressure defense, committing four turnovers in the first four minutes. But the Rams got their bearings over the last 10 minutes and made some shots. They got as close as four on two occasions late in the half before Penn State pushed the lead to 42-34 at the half. The officials were busy in the half, calling 23 fouls and administering 27 free throws. --Field Level MediaYOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — EJ Farmer's 22 points helped Youngstown State defeat Oakland 66-50 on Saturday. Farmer shot 7 for 13 (5 for 8 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Penguins (5-5, 2-0 Horizon League). Nico Galette scored 11 points and added nine rebounds and six assists. Juwan Maxey and Jason Nelson both added 11 points. Allen David Mukeba Jr. led the Golden Grizzlies (3-5, 1-1) in scoring, finishing with 17 points. Tuburu Niavalurua added 12 points for Oakland. D.Q. Cole had 11 points. NEXT UP Up next for Youngstown State is a Saturday matchup with Toledo at home, and Oakland plays Michigan State on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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Lance Terry scored a game-high 22 points, helping lead Georgia Tech to a 92-49 rout of visiting Alabama A&M on Saturday in Atlanta. Javian McCollum added 18 points, while Jaeden Mustaf chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds, as Georgia Tech (6-7) won its second game in three outings. Baye Ndongo had 10 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 54.1 percent (33 of 61) from the field and made 10 of 21 (47.6 percent) on 3-pointers. AC Bryant and Bilal Abdur-Rahman each led the Bulldogs (4-9) with 11 points. Alabama A&M managed to shoot just 20.8 percent (15 of 72) from the field en route to its sixth straight loss. After London Riley's 3-pointer cut the Bulldogs' deficit to 16-15, McCollum's triple began a 12-0 scoring run, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 28-15 with 5:30 remaining in the opening half. Bryant's layup stopped the Yellow Jackets' run, but McCollum scored five straight points to push Georgia Tech's advantage to 15 at the 4:13 mark. The lead expanded to 18 points before Quincy McGriff's layup trimmed the Bulldogs' deficit to 16. Terry's back-to-back triples jump-started a 12-3 run to close the first half with Georgia Tech ahead 50-25. McCollum led all scorers with 18 first-half points, while McGriff led Alabama A&M with seven. Ndongo's dunk to open the second half started a 10-1 Georgia Tech run, stamped with Duncan Powell's triple with 17 minutes left to push the Yellow Jackets' lead to 60-26. After Angok Anyang knocked down a pair of free throws for the Bulldogs, Terry's fourth triple was followed by Naithan George's layup, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 68-35 with 11:49 left. Jaylen Colon and Terry then traded triples, before Georgia Tech's 13-6 spurt was stamped with Ndongo's layup at the 3:33 mark, giving the Yellow Jackets an 84-44 edge. Georgia Tech's dominant day was stamped with baskets from a pair of Yellow Jacket walk-ons, as Emmers Nichols and Marcos San Miguel each tallied their first career points in the closing minutes. --Field Level Media
WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.