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Brockville, Ont. cafe giving hundreds of Christmas dinners to people in need
Cardinals are average through 12 games and the frustration is it feels as if they could be betterCentralisation push A single election diminishes the role and priorities of the States and can only marginalise them. The drive towards ‘one nation, one election’ (ONOE) is to have India as a unitary, unidimensional, single-language nation, which it certainly is not. We are one because we are different. ONOE is essentially to dislodge regional parties as they appear to have stymied the Bharatiya Janata Party’s expansion moves. This push from the government leads to needless structural imbalance and a disruption of the concept of cooperative federalism. ‘One nation, one election’ is another step towards the centralisation of many aspects of administration and schemes. The ‘cost’ angle is unclear, as to date, the savings for simultaneous polls have not been quantified. H.N. Ramakrishna, Bengaluru Rural employment scheme The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is meant to eliminate seasonal unemployment in the agrarian sector. Put differently, the services of farmers/agricultural labourers during the lean season are utilised in the said scheme to create infrastructural assets in rural areas. It is disheartening that corruption plagues the scheme in West Bengal (Page 1, December 23). India is a federal country, and it is imperative that the Union government and States work in unison to ameliorate the economic condition of the poor in rural and urban areas. Politics, red-tapism and corruption are least expected in labour-intensive and socio-economic welfare programmes. S. Ramakrishnasayee, Chennai Music season, safety This time of the year, Chennai is busy with its annual Marghazi music season. City residents and non-resident Indians alike throng the numerous sabhas, enjoying music and the other performing arts apart from tasting exotic food items despite their being exorbitantly priced. But what is not so great about the situation is that many of the sabhas are not implementing the required statutory fire safety regulations, putting lives at risk. Statutory fire safety regulations such as smoke detection systems and alarms, unimpeded passage ways, fire evacuation plans and strategies, and, importantly, trained employees to handle a possible fire outbreak, are conspicuously absent in many of the sabhas. It is a common sight that when popular artists perform, people are allowed to sit on staircases. More chairs are brought in to seat more people, blocking all escape routes. The live kitchen adjoining the auditorium in many places is another potential fire hazard! The authorities concerned should, in the interest of public safety, inspect the various performing centres and have the required fire safety protocols implemented immediately. B. Swaminathan, Chennai Published - December 24, 2024 12:24 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit letters
[Source: Reuters] Syria rebel fighters raced into Damascus unopposed, overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad and ending nearly six decades of his family’s iron-fisted rule after a lightning advance that reversed the course of a 13-year civil war. In one of the most consequential turning points in the Middle East for generations, the fall of Assad’s government wiped out a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world. Moscow gave him and his family asylum. His sudden overthrow, at the hands of a Turkish-backed revolt with roots in jihadist Sunni Islam, limits Iran’s ability to spread weapons to its allies and could cost Russia its Mediterranean naval base. It also may pave the way for millions of refugees scattered for more than a decade in camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to finally return home. For Syrians, it brought a sudden unexpected end to a war that had been in deep freeze for years, with hundreds of thousands dead, cities pounded to dust, an economy hollowed out by global sanctions and seemingly no resolution in sight. The Assad police state – known since his father seized power in the 1960s as one of the harshest in the Middle East with hundreds of thousands of political prisoners in its gulag – melted away overnight. Bewildered and elated inmates poured out of jails after rebels blasted away the locks on their cells. Reunited families wept and wailed in joy. Newly freed prisoners were filmed at dawn running through the Damascus streets holding up the fingers of both hands to show how many years they had been in prison. As the sun set in Damascus without Assad for the first time, the roads leading into the city were mostly empty, apart from motorcycles carrying armed men and rebel vehicles caked with brownish mud as camouflage. Some men could be seen looting a shopping centre on the road between the capital and the Lebanese border, stuffing goods into plastic bags or into pick-up trucks. The myriad checkpoints lining the road to Damascus were empty. Posters of Assad had been torn at his eyes. A burning Syrian military truck was parked diagonally on the road out of the city. A thick column of black smoke billowed out from the Mazzeh neighbourhood, where Israeli strikes earlier had targeted Syrian state security branches, according to two security sources. Throughout the evening, intermittent gunfire rang out throughout the city in apparent celebration. Shops and restaurants closed early in line with a curfew imposed by the rebels. Just before it came into effect, people could be seen briskly walking home with stacks of bread. Earlier, the rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments. Thousands of people in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom”. People were seen walking inside the Al-Rawda Presidential Palace, with some leaving carrying furniture from inside. A motorcycle was parked on the intricately-laid parquet floor of a gilded hall.
Salah's outstanding performances have not gone unnoticed, as he has been named the PFA Fan's Player of the Month for November in the Premier League. This prestigious award is a testament to Salah's remarkable skill, consistency, and impact on the pitch.The strong performance of the tech sector today also helped to offset losses in other sectors, such as property and financial services, which have been facing headwinds in recent weeks. The resilience of the tech stocks in the face of market volatility underscores the importance of diversification and risk management in today's fast-paced and dynamic market environment.
OpenAI's launch of Sora marks a significant milestone in the evolution of AI-driven content creation tools. By combining state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technologies with intuitive user interfaces, Sora has the potential to democratize video production and empower a new generation of creative individuals to bring their ideas to life in ways never before possible.Costco will stop selling these popular itemsCNN panelist claims X is ideologically balanced — and cites network’s own reporting
Massage therapy, when done correctly, can offer a range of health benefits, including stress reduction, pain relief, improved circulation, and relaxation. However, it is crucial to ensure that the massage therapist is skilled, knowledgeable, and properly trained in the techniques they are using. Improper techniques, excessive pressure, or negligence during a massage session can lead to serious injuries, as tragically demonstrated in this case.
The decision to participate in the TGA comes as a pleasant surprise to many, as the creators of Palru have been notoriously secretive about their future plans. Speculation has been rife within the gaming community, with rumors swirling about a potential sequel, expansion pack, or even a spin-off series. With the announcement of Palru's TGA participation, fans can finally rest assured that their favorite game is far from forgotten.Washington, Dec 8 (AP) The sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is forcing the Biden administration and the incoming Trump team to confront intensifying questions about the possibility of greater conflicts across the Middle East. President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades, because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump's social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the US intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT." The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden's national security adviser. Biden was meeting with his national security team at the White House on Sunday. He was expected to make public comments later in the day. The US has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Assad's fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts, including Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, who takes office January 20, 2025, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia's war in Ukraine, noting that Assad's allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organisation and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. Vice President-elect JD Vance, a veteran of the US-led war in Iraq, wrote on own social media Sunday to express scepticism about the insurgents. “Many of the rebels' are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they've moderated. Time will tell,” he said, using another acronym for the group. Trump has suggested that Assad's ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Trump wrote that Putin's government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine” and the Republican called for an immediate cease-fire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders. Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria's minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad's horrific crimes, Russia's indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS," he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. “If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing US journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we're waiting for Austin,” Tice's mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. "We know that when he comes out, he's going to be fairly dazed & he's going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. (AP) GSP (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
Title: Over 5300 Stocks Surge, A-Share and Hong Kong Stock Markets Rally Across the BoardKnown for his iconic roles in films such as "A Better Tomorrow" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Chow Yun-fat has been a beloved figure in the entertainment industry for over four decades. Despite his immense success, the actor has always maintained a humble and down-to-earth persona, choosing to live a simple and frugal lifestyle.Trish McKelvey: ‘It’s a big honour, truly humbling’
Embrace the Holiday Magic in The BahamasIreland faces weeks of coalition talks before it gets a new government, as the country’s two major center-right parties work to form a stable administration. With all 174 legislative seats filled Monday after three days of counting election ballots, Fianna Fail had won 48 seats and Fine Gael 38. The two parties, who have governed in coalition since 2020, fell just short of the 88 needed to achieve a majority without third-party support. “The people have spoken, let us now get on with the work,” said Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App Left-of-center party Sinn Fein won 39 seats in the Dail, parliament's lower house, but is unlikely to be part of the next government. Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have a longstanding refusal to work with Sinn Fein, partly because of its historic ties with the Irish Republican Army during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland. “The outcome of the election is now clear. The numbers are there for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to form a government together," said Sinn Fein lawmaker Eoin Ó Broin. He said that would be “the worst possible outcome for the people of the country.” Longtime rivals with origins on opposing sides of Ireland’s 1920s civil war, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael formed an alliance after the 2020 election ended in a virtual dead heat. The two parties took it in turns to hold the post of premier, for about two years each. This time, Fianna Fail’s bigger seat tally means its Martin looks likely to become prime minister, or taoiseach, rather than Simon Harris of Fine Gael. Fianna Fail’s deputy leader, Jack Chambers, said coalition talks would require “time and space,” and it’s unlikely there will be a new government before Christmas. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin is hoisted up by his sons Cillian and Micheal Aodh, after the General Election, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Jacob King/PA via AP) Ireland has proved a partial exception to the anti-incumbent mood in elections around the world. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, which have dominated Irish politics for a century, remain in the driving seat, though their combined share of the vote has declined to just over 40 per cent. They will need support to command a majority in parliament, and could turn to the Social Democrats and the Irish Labour Party, who both increased their seat totals to 11 each, or to independent lawmakers. The new government will face huge pressure to ease rising homelessness, driven by soaring rents and property prices, and to better absorb a growing number of asylum-seekers. 5 Things to Know newsletter: Get the biggest headlines in your inbox each morning The cost of living — especially Ireland’s acute housing crisis — was a dominant topic in the election campaign, and immigration has become an emotive and challenging issue in a country of 5.4 million people long defined by emigration. A stabbing attack on children outside a Dublin school just over a year ago, in which an Algerian man has been charged, sparked the worst rioting Ireland had seen in decades. For all the focus on migration, anti-immigration independents made few breakthroughs. Ireland does not have a significant far-right party to capitalize on the issue.
One of the key changes at the House Mountain Bus Station is the introduction of new routes and schedules. With a focus on enhancing connectivity and accessibility, the bus station now offers a wider range of routes that cover more areas within the city. This means that commuters will have more options when it comes to planning their journeys, allowing them to reach their destinations more efficiently and conveniently.Jharkhand to transfer hiked monthly amount of Rs 2,500 to 5.5m women
Google Launches Quantum Chip "Willow": Solving a Major Problem of 30 Years, Completing a Calculation Equivalent to 10^25 Years of Supercomputing in Five MinutesOverall, the transfer of Esposito from Inter Milan to Napoli represents a significant move for both clubs. Napoli has secured the services of a talented young striker, while Inter Milan stands to benefit financially from any future transfer involving the player.