India's 26 major listed realty firms sell Rs 35,000 crore worth properties in Q2; Godrej Properties at topCS asks LDA to make public service easier LAHORE:Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, on Tuesday, visited Lahore Development Authority (LDA) headquarters and issued instructions regarding the grant of online approval for commercial building maps. Speaking on the occasion, the chief secretary remarked that the provision of facility of online approval of maps, online availability of property status and sifting of records by the LDA is a milestone. He directed the authorities to make the provision of services to the citizens easier through use of Information Technology. The chief secretary also inspected the LDA Citizen Facilitation Centre and Identification Cell. LDA Director General Tahir Farooq briefed the chief secretary about the reforms made in the facilitation centre and the under-construction central monitoring system (control room). The control room comprising artificial intelligence and drone cameras would supervise the working of town planning, engineering, housing and metropolitan. Later, the chief secretary chaired an important meeting related to LDA affairs in which LDA DG gave a briefing on revenue generation and ongoing and proposed projects. The chief secretary appreciated the initiative of LDA to recover 850 kanals of valuable land. He directed the LDA officials to ensure title ownership in its schemes and expedite development works in the LDA City housing scheme.
It's the holiday shopping season, which likely means more use of your credit card. And with each swipe, a transaction fee follows. The fee is often paid by the retailer and may be passed onto the customer. A group of lawmakers are taking aim at lowering the rate of those transaction fees. Retailers currently pay around 2-3% on every transaction, totaling $224 billion in 2023, according to industry analysts CMSPI . Visa and Mastercard, two payment networks that dominate the market, argue the fees pay for a valued service for quick and secure transactions. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, says it's a problem that permeates every business accepting cards. "Visa and Mastercard don't bargain their charge on every single bill. They dictate how much they're going to charge," Durbin said. Durbin, who is pushing the Credit Card Competition Act, is advocating for more competition in the credit card market to help businesses play a hand in negotiating fees. "When you reduce the cost for retailers, whether they're restaurants or shops, they end up passing it along, and reduce prices for customers," Durbin said. But payment groups argue that there are already many payment options available that drive competition. "There's cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, credit card, debit card, the list goes on and on," Richard Hunt of the Electronic Payment Coalition said. "Millions of Americans use their credit card many times throughout the day. It is safe and it is secure and is very valuable to make ends meet." Hunt says the costs pay for services, protecting businesses and customers alike from fraud and stolen information. He says taking away the service could jeopardize not only private information but also take away benefits that customers rely on, like reward points or cash back. "[Customers] use that money to pay for groceries and gasoline prices and to buy gifts during the holidays. This move by Congress would jeopardize those reward points," Hunt said. But Sen. Durbin believes that increased competition will not harm rewards programs, which he says are a key factor in attracting customers to apply for credit cards in the first place. Earlier this year, Visa and Mastercard settled a lawsuit over the fees, resulting in lower costs over the next few years and allowing smaller merchants to collectively bargain for better rates. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week, both Republicans and Democrats questioned Visa and Mastercard's profit margins, which hover around 50 percent and are fueled in part by fees. Lawmakers argued that such high profit margins should not exist amid record-high credit card debt. Representatives for Visa and Mastercard defended the fees, stating they provide security from fraud, drive innovative payment technologies, and offer lifelines for customers, especially those who are low-income, relying on points and benefits. Sen. Durbin admits the bill is unlikely to pass in the current lame-duck session of Congress but notes there has been bipartisan interest in the proposal.Donald Trump has vowed to impose 25 percent tariffs on imported goods from Mexico and Canada unless, he says, those neighbors stem the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States. Chinese imports, he adds, will be taxed an extra 10 percent unless Beijing cracks down on the production of the narcotic fentanyl. Perhaps Trump is bluffing; it’s always hard to separate his bluster from his true intentions. But if he carries out his threats, the big losers will be American consumers – including a great many people who voted for him. As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said recently, “I think people south of the border are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive.” Chinese President Xi Jinping had a similar take: “Tariff wars, trade wars, and technology wars go against historical trends and economic rules, and there will be no winners.” There is a larger question here: How will Trump approach economic decisions – indeed, all critical policy choices – during his second term? Will he pay attention to “real reality” and “historical trends”? Or will he root his judgments in falsehoods and in campaign slogans that delight his voters but defy validity? The early signs are not encouraging, since he told the Economic Club of Chicago in October: “The word ‘tariff’ is the most beautiful word in the dictionary. I think it’s more beautiful than ‘love.’ ... I love tariffs!” But “the vast majority of credentialed economists” feel differently, writes the independent fact-checking website PolitiFact. These experts “say consumers in the tariff-levying country lose in these deals, paying higher prices directly for foreign goods, and indirectly because of higher prices for foreign-sourced raw materials used in domestic goods. Also, if the other country retaliates by raising tariffs on U.S. goods, sales can decline for U.S. producers.” If Trump does follow through, for example, food prices would shoot up because Americans get more than half of their fresh fruits and vegetables from Mexico. Construction costs would rise, as well, because one-quarter of the lumber used in the U.S. comes from Canada. This is not guesswork. Trump tried tariffs, on a much lower scale, during his first term, and while he maintained on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that those duties “cost Americans nothing,” PolitiFact labels his assertion “false.” So do most economists, including Alan S. Blinder of Princeton, who wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “No matter how many times Mr. Trump denies it, tariffs are (discriminatory) sales taxes. Discriminating against imported goods is their purpose. Sales taxes, of course, raise prices for consumers, and research says American consumers have paid for almost 100 percent of recent tariff hikes.” The United States International Trade Commission, a bipartisan entity that analyzes trade issues, studied Trump’s record, and Bloomberg summarized its findings: “U.S. importers bore almost the entire burden of tariffs that Donald Trump placed on more than $300 billion in Chinese goods during his presidency, raising costs for American companies. ... “The conclusions back the longtime assertion of U.S. Chamber of Commerce and independent academic economists that the cost of the tariffs hurt American firms, and contradict Trump’s claim that China paid the ultimate cost of the duties,” reported Bloomberg. Republicans who actually study economic rules have tried, and failed, to dissuade Trump from his faith in tariffs. “No country has ever tariffed its way to prosperity,” wrote former Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, a Republican, in the Wall Street Journal. “I understand the emotional appeal of trade-rules reciprocity – it satisfies an urge for revenge. But that revenge will be less satisfying for the working-class Americans facing unemployment and higher prices if Mr. Trump carries through on his import-tax promises.” Tariffs are only one example of Trump’s counter-factual approach to economic decision-making. He claimed that the massive tax cuts he engineered in 2017 would not only pay for themselves, but generate a surplus. “We’ll start paying off that debt like water,” he declared. But that assertion, like his claims on tariffs, turned out to be dead wrong. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that Trump’s tax policies will actually add $1.9 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, and if the law’s temporary reductions in estate and income taxes are made permanent, they would cost another $400 billion a year starting in 2027. “Real reality” and “economic rules” cannot be ignored. If Trump insists on doing that, if he embraces the fantasies of “alternative facts,” then all American families will pay the price. Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University. He can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com.
MONTREAL — Montreal’s police chief said he expects more arrests stemming from a Friday anti-NATO protest that turned violent, while one of the protest organizers on Sunday denounced political reaction as hijacking the underlying message of the demonstration. Uniformed police officers could be seen Sunday both inside and outside Montreal’s Palais des congrès convention centre as the annual meeting continued with no signs of demonstrations, although some protesters had planned a “counter-summit” at a community centre just north of downtown. Chief Fady Dagher told reporters on Saturday that more arrests would be coming thanks to additional evidence gathered during the protests, adding that police were aware of who was behind the vandalism including smashed windows and burned cars as well as alleged assaults on police officers. Police said that during the march, smoke bombs were deployed, metal barriers were thrown into the street and windows smashed of nearby businesses and the convention centre where delegates from NATO parliamentary assembly, including members and partner states, gathered for a session set to wrap Monday. Among the issues being broached were support for Ukraine, climate change and the future of the alliance. Dagher estimated that about 800 people took part in protests from several groups, but about 20 to 40 people were allegedly responsible for the trouble. “I do not want to advertise these groups and glorify these groups, it is a big trap to do so,” Dagher said. “But I can assure to you ... it is a few groups.” Montreal police arrested three people following Friday’s demonstration — a 22-year-old woman who was arrested for allegedly obstructing police work and assaulting a police officer and two men, 22 and 28, also each facing a charge for allegedly obstructing police work. All are scheduled to appear in court at a later date. “Despite what you saw in the images, last-minute impromptu events are extremely difficult to anticipate,” Dagher added. “We have other pieces of evidence. So probably we will have other arrests.” Friday night’s protest was condemned by politicians of all stripes Saturday as acts of antisemitism, which one organizer rejected, saying the protests were against the actions of the state of Israel and not Jewish people. On Sunday, the Divest for Palestine Collective denounced what it called “dishonest attempts” of politicians to hijack the “anti-militarist, anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist messages” delivered by protesters. In an emailed statement, it refuted allegations of antisemitism. “These are false accusations aimed at delegitimizing the solidarity movement for the liberation of Palestine and undermining the fight against antisemitism,” the group wrote. The group defended setting ablaze a doll representing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the protest. Earlier this week, the International Court of Justice issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu as well as his former defence minister and Hamas members. “It is a legitimate expression of collective anger against the political indifference at the heart of an ongoing colonial genocide,” the collective said. The collective also denounced what it called police violence against demonstrators, saying at least four protesters had to be taken to hospital with various injuries. Dagher said he could not make a firm link between Friday’s acts and antisemitism, but added that since the Oct. 7 attacks more than one year ago, incidents and acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia have both increased enormously in the city. The police chief however, defended his officers handling of Friday’s event, which he felt could have been much worse. He added he would spend the rest of the weekend with his officers on the ground to lend support. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 24, 2024. Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
FANS of The Great British Bake Off claimed one finalist was 'robbed' of the win. The Channel 4 series faces backlash from viewers as the hit show made history with its first ever Welsh winner . Advertisement 8 Bake Off viewers thought that Dylan was 'robbed' in the final Credit: Channel 4 8 He made it to the final with Christiaan de Vries (centre) and Georgie Grasso (left) Credit: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon 8 The former retail assistant struggled during all three rounds Credit: Channel 4 Paediatric nurse Georgie Grasso, 34, was awarded the coveted glass cake dish that was presented by Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding . This was despite never receiving one the highly sought after handshakes from Paul Hollywood, 58. She impressed Prue Leith, 84, with her incredible three tier lemon and elderflower hanging cake after she performed solidly in the technical. By comparison, fan favourite Great British Bake Off contestant Dylan Bachelet, 20, was having an off week. Advertisement READ MORE ON BAKE OFF STAR BAKER Great British Bake Off winner revealed as baker makes history with epic win BAKE OFF Where to shop Alison Hammonds Bake Off looks and they are all from the high street Throughout the show, he won acclaim for his innovative flavours and impeccable presentation. The retail assistant won the title of star baker twice, and was in the top two on three additional occasions. He failed to impress the judges with his scones, he came third in the technical and Paul Hollywood critiqued the proportions of each element of his showstopper. Viewers were left utterly devastated at the unfolding scenes as they took to social media in droves. Advertisement Most read in News TV BALLSED UP Lorraine apologises on air for using phrase she 'didn't know' was a swear word BEACH BABE Jean Johansson flaunts incredible toned figure & endless legs on Barbados beach HOST'S PAIN BBC's Glenn Campbell makes shock admission as he gives tumour battle update COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan stated: "I demand a recount. Dylan was robbed." A second user simply put: "Dylan. Robbed." First look at this year’s Bake Off finale as TWO bakers are forced to remake their creations in a race against time "Dylan was robbed. Gutted," wrote a third viewer. As someone else noted: "So gutted for #Dylan he has been the winner all the way through the competition then stuffed it up in the final." Advertisement Meanwhile, a fifth fan commented: "The story of Dylan in the final is a story ripped straight from ancient Greece . I've never watched a show about baking with such abject dread." And another added: "Watching Dylan lose the bake off after a great season was gutting." Great British Bake off cast 2024 The Great British Bake Off is back for another series of the heartwarming Channel 4 show. Legendary judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith are back to give their expert opinion, while hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond are on hand to lift the bakers spirits. Here are the amateur bakers all taking part in 2024. Andy, 44, car mechanic. Christiaan, 33, menswear designer. Dylan, 20, retail assistant. Georgie, 34, paediatric nurse. Gill, 53, senior category manager. Hazel, 71, former nail technician. Illiyin, 31, birth trauma specialist midwife. Jeff, 67, former university lecturer. John, 37, NHS directorate support manager. Mike, 29, farmer. Nelly, 44, palliative care assistant. Sumayah, 19, student. 8 The judges were not completely enamoured with his scones Credit: Channel 4 8 Dylan looked absolutely devastated as he came third in the technical challenge Credit: Channel 4 Advertisement 8 Paul criticised the proportions of the different elements of his showstopper Credit: Channel 4 8 Georgie became the first ever Welsh winner of the hit show Credit: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon 8 She stunned the judges with her lemon and elderflower hanging cake Credit: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon You can watch all the episodes of The Great British Bake Off 2024 on Channel 4 on demand. AdvertisementThis article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Elevai Labs’s 8K filing here . Elevai Labs Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Elevai Labs, Inc, a skincare development company, designs, manufactures, and markets skincare products. Its products include Empower and Enfinity post-skincare procedure care serums for the face, neck, and upper chest regions. The company was formerly known as Reactive Medical Labs Inc and changed its name to Elevai Labs, Inc in December 2021. See Also
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Canadian precious metal stocks are experiencing a powerful bull market phase thanks to an equally strong bullish trend in gold prices. However, the trend hasn’t remained limited to gold stocks; many are riding the momentum as well. A few other metal stocks, even though they are unrelated to this market, have also experienced a powerful upward surge. Collectively, there are three metal stocks that you should consider looking into, considering their powerful bullish momentum. They may help you achieve decent gains, even if you work with a modest amount of capital. A gold stock Let’s start with the gold stocks since gold prices are still surging. While many giants in this segment have seen serious gains, smaller players like ( ) are surging even more robustly. With a market capitalization of just $533 million, this little stock has risen about 197% in 2024 alone. It can easily double its capital in the next six months if it manages to sustain this pace. This Toronto-based company operates primarily in Guyana and has two different projects in the country. The projects are still in exploratory stages, but the results look quite promising. It recently secured exploration rights on a 30,000-acre parcel from a local entity. Both of the company’s projects are on very promising parcels of land, and the prospects of high-grade gold discovery are one of the factors fueling the stock’s surge. A silver stock ( ) is headquartered in Vancouver. The company focuses on the extraction of high-grade silver from relatively stable regions. Its current production-grade mine, the Cerro Los Gatos Mine, is in Mexico. The company is both operating and exploring in the heart of the country’s silver belt. Silver prices are also experiencing an upward surge, and the trend stretches back to 2023, though it’s not very linear. As a result, the stock has also been bullish for over a year and has grown by about 183% in 2024 alone. It experienced a minor slump recently but has really picked up the pace in the last two weeks. The stock is overvalued right now, but that’s not too big a price to pay for the kind of growth it’s offering. However, it would be wise to keep an eye on silver prices to identify when the stock’s bullish trend might end. An antimony stock Antimony is not a precious metal, but its demand is rising because of its use in electronics and potential use in solar panels and new battery technologies. This has brought companies like ( ) into the limelight. This Idaho-based company is working to revive an old Stibnite Gold Project because once it is up and running, it may be able to meet about 35% of the U.S.’s antimony demand (in the first six years). The nature of this project (revival instead of new mining operations) and the fact that it’s directly tied to renewable power make it an interesting buy from an perspective. More importantly, it’s a rapidly growing stock that has risen over 315% this year alone, and this kind of momentum can help you double your capital in less than four months (if it’s sustained). Foolish takeaway The three metal stocks are worth considering, regardless of the amount of capital you are working with. All three companies can double your capital in less than a year if they sustain their current growth pace. And if they manage to keep it up for more than a year, the returns can be reasonably enormous.
Decade Announces Non-Brokered Private PlacementGov. JB Pritzker on Friday picked a side in Illinois’ long-running debate over how to regulate delta-8 and other hemp-derived products, throwing his support behind a bill that would effectively ban most sales of the weedlike substances that have soared in popularity thanks to a loophole in federal law. Pritzker called it a matter of protecting children, despite the vehement opposition of hemp industry advocates who say state Sen. Kimberly Lightford’s bill would wipe out thousands of jobs and criminalize nonintoxicating CBD products at the benefit of billion-dollar cannabis corporations. “As this market has flourished, there have been far too many stories of people, especially children, ingesting intoxicating hemp products and getting sick,” Pritzker said during a West Loop news conference. He held up bags labeled “Nerdy Bears,” an example of the unregulated psychoactive gummies that are packaged to resemble familiar candy brands. The bill sponsored by Lightford, a Hillside Democrat, would limit sales of most hemp-derived products to licensed cannabis dispensaries, except for beverages, which would be allowable for licensed alcohol sellers and distributors. But pending a lengthy evaluation period to set consumer safety and licensing standards, most of the hemp product merchants who have proliferated in an estimated $800 million industry would be cut out completely. Pritzker, who championed weed legalization when he took office, has long called for regulations on hemp products, as have leaders of both the cannabis and hemp lobbies. The governor said Lightford’s approach was better than alternatives offered up by hemp industry leaders who welcome stringent licensing requirements that would let them stay in business. “I understand that there are a lot of stores that are selling these products that would not be able to sell these products,” Pritzker said. “But typically, they’re not stores that are dedicated to this product. There are a few, but mostly these are convenience stores, gas stations. They’ve got other products that they sell. They wouldn’t go out of business not selling this one.” Lightford’s bill passed the Illinois Senate by a 54-1 vote in the spring, but never made it to the statehouse floor . It’ll require a three-fifths House majority to pass it by the end of the lame duck session Jan. 7. West Side state Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, will be fighting it. He’s pushing to limit sales to people 21 or older, require manufacturers to undergo product testing to obtain $500 licenses, impose a 10% tax rate on sellers and — most importantly — allow current sellers to stay in the market. “To think we’re going to turn back the hands of time for a prohibition when we thought we learned from the prohibition of cannabis — that’s what’s most disappointing,” Ford said. “With synthetic drugs being spewed in communities, when you drive it to the underground market, it makes it more dangerous for people, and that was the main reason we regulated cannabis.” The hemp-based brouhaha centers around delta-8, the mind-altering substance that can be derived from the plant, which federal lawmakers didn’t account for when they legalized sales of hemp derivatives in 2018. Other derivatives like CBD are used in a wide array of lotions, oils, shampoo and more popular wellness products that don’t have psychoactive effects. Lightford said her bill “protects consumers, helps our cannabis industry flourish, keeps the promise to our social equity communities and doesn’t stifle reputable hemp business establishments.” But Jennifer Weiss said she’s terrified the proposed legislation would drive her out of business at Cubbington’s Cabinet, her Victorian-inspired apothecary in the Roscoe Village neighborhood. “Almost every single thing that I sell, due to the various components of the bill, would be banned,” said Weiss, who added that she opened the shop in 2020 specifically because of the lack of regulations around hemp products. “I wanted to provide a trustworthy source of these products. We’ve been pushing for thoughtful regulation.” Charles Wu, CEO of Chi’Tiva locations and director of the Illinois Hemp Business Association, estimated 10,000 people would be put out of work from the hemp product industry if Lightford’s bill becomes law. He called it “an unjust and cynical attempt to protect the handful of billionaires who own most of the licensed cannabis industry.” “It’s like a Coke vs. Pepsi situation, and Coke gets to make all the rules, which is not cool,” Wu said. “We’re not the bad guys. We’re not like the out-of-staters who are shipping in this [lookalike packaging] crap that the cannabis side tries to paint us as. We have been willing and asking for much more strict, limiting licensing.” Tiffany Chappell Ingram, director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, said in a statement that “we look forward to working collaboratively to put in place a measure that will empower consumers, protect public health and help ensure our state’s legal cannabis industry can reach its full potential.”
Hezbollah fires more than 180 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding at least 7 BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in the militant group's heaviest barrage in several days. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Pakistani police arrest thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of rally in the capital ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani security officer says police have arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in Islamabad to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year. But he remains popular and his party says the cases against him are politically motivated. Police Sunday arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters in eastern Punjab province, a Khan stronghold. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off the capital with shipping containers. It also suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” Uruguay's once-dull election has become a dead heat in the presidential runoff MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans are heading to the polls to choose their next president. In Sunday's election, the candidates of the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition are locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote. It's a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, a coalition of leftist and center-left parties that governed for 15 years until the 2019 victory of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou — overseeing the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.Forward Outranks All 14 Other Vendors, Achieving the Highest Scores for Key Features and Business Criteria and is considered an Innovator SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Forward Networks' digital twin technology is again recognized for delivering multi-layered benefits and substantial return on investment (ROI) to large enterprises. In the 2024 GigaOm Radar for Network Validation, Forward Enterprise is ranked an outperformer and positioned closest to the "bullseye" for the third consecutive year. The company is included in the Innovation/Platform Play quadrant, earning the highest scores for key features and business criteria, and is projected to continue to lead the network validation market over the next 12 - 18 months. With today's highly complex network landscapes, automated network validation is increasingly critical to ensuring business continuity, maintaining network security compliance, and ensuring efficient and outage-free change windows. GigaOm expects significant growth in this area to manage multi-vendor environments, improve the efficiency of change windows, secure network devices and services, and meet compliance. GigaOm cites AI/ML and robotic process automation as additional contributing factors driving market growth. Forward Networks excelled in the security category, earning a five-star rating for both compliance and security verification. The compliance verification score reflects the platform's ability to ensure that network configurations and operations align with industry best practices, organizational policies, and regulatory requirements such as ECA, GDPR, GLBA, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOX. Meanwhile, the security verification rating underscores the platform's effectiveness in evaluating network configurations and operations to meet stringent security standards, safeguarding against vulnerabilities and threats. These ratings reflect Forward Enterprise's ability to help organizations maintain a robust and secure network environment, reducing the risk of data breaches, cyberattacks, and reputational risks, attacks, and reputational harm. "As enterprises increasingly adopt AI and automation, having precise and reliable network data is essential. Our network digital twin technology offers a comprehensive suite of capabilities, with network validation as a key component. By providing accurate, real-time insights into network compliance, behavior, and configuration, we enable administrators to confidently leverage AI and automation without the risk of unintended outcomes," said Chiara Regale, SVP of Product and UX at Forward Networks. "Being recognized by GigaOm as an outperformer in network validation for the third consecutive year is a testament to the advanced capabilities and value of our platform. We are committed to continued innovation." Forward Enterprise creates an always-accurate digital twin of an organization's entire network infrastructure using a proprietary mathematical model. It documents, verifies, and analyzes network behavior across on-premises, cloud, and virtual overlay environments. The platform enables network operators to visualize network topology, perform end-to-end path analyses, verify behavior, ensure network compliance, and identify present security vulnerabilities. With features like automated auditing and customizable policy checks, Forward Enterprise helps network teams streamline operations, reduce errors, and enhance overall network security and performance. At its core, the platform creates a vendor-neutral digital twin of the entire network, accurately modeling infrastructure components such as switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, SD-WAN, and wireless solutions, whether on-premises or in the cloud. Designed to scale seamlessly, Forward Enterprise supports networks ranging from a few devices to supporting the world's largest and most complex networks. The report recognizes Forward Networks for its advanced capabilities, including: The 2024 GigaOm Radar for Network Validation analyzes 15 vendors' network validation offerings and provides a forward-looking assessment over a 12-to-18-month window. Forward Networks is ranked a Leader and Outperformer, earning the latter designation "due to its innovative features, rapid release cadence, and comprehensive product roadmap." To learn more about Forward Networks' network validation capabilities, view a 15-minute demo. To download the full report, click here . About Forward Networks Forward Networks is revolutionizing the way large networks are managed. Forward's advanced software delivers a digital twin of the network, enabling network operators to ensure the network is secure, reliable, and agile. The platform supports devices from all major networking vendors and cloud operators, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Forward Networks was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D. graduates and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Investors include MSD Partners, Goldman Sachs, Andreessen Horowitz, Threshold Ventures, Section 32, Omega Venture Partners, and A. Capital. For more information, visit www.forwardnetworks.com . Forward Networks Contacts: Dustin Rausa , Guyer Group dustin.rausa@guyergroup.com Dawn Slusher , Forward Networks dawnslusher@forwardnetworks.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/forward-networks-named-outperformer-in-2024-gigaom-radar-for-network-validation-for-third-consecutive-year-302334117.html SOURCE Forward Networks, Inc.
Pep Guardiola: It’s my responsibility to solve Manchester City’s poor run
NoneBy KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Related Articles Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.