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Mixed reactions as JI restructured in KP PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) decision to abolish the provincial setup and divide the party in the province into four zones has sparked mixed reactions within the party. Many members believed that the absence of a strong and unified voice at the provincial level would significantly damage the party’s political stature. The tragic incident in Bajaur, where the party’s district general secretary was assassinated by so-called “unknown assailants,” has highlighted the void in provincial-level representation, especially after the restructuring. A senior party member remarked that the division into four zones-Central, Northern, Hazara, and Southern-has party’s voice at the provincial level. Following this decision, the provincial structure has been replaced with four zones, each headed by a caretaker leader until elections for the offices are held in December. The interim heads are Abdul Wasi for the Central Zone, Inayatullah Khan for the Northern Zone, Abdur Razzaq Abbasi for the Hazara Region and Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan for the Southern Zone. Prof Ibraheem, who previously served as the provincial president, has been promoted to central deputy chief of JI. He now heads a coordination committee comprising the four zonal leaders, tasked with addressing urgent matters requiring a unified stance at the provincial level. However, recent incidents, such as the unrest in Kurram, demonstrated the limitations of this model, as Northern Zone President Inayatullah Khan’s reaction to the incident failed to attract significant media attention. Political analysts emphasized the importance of a provincial-level leader based in the capital for effectively addressing critical issues. “A province without a provincial emir is a politically flawed model,” said a party leader familiar with the developments. Local leaders at the zonal level can handle issues like negotiating seat adjustments and addressing local demands such as Hazara province’s status, rights issues in Malakand and others. However, the absence of a provincial head is likely to hinder cohesive political representation, potentially causing long-term harm to the party’s prospects. When contacted, Central Zone President Abdul Wasi said that a committee was formed after JI’s poor performance in the 2018 general election to identify the reasons for failure. Led by the then-central deputy chief Asadullah Bhutto, the committee recommended dividing the party into various zones under the provincial structure. Although these recommendations were initially rejected by the central shura, the current Emir of JI, Hafiz Naeemur Rahman, revived and implemented them. Unlike Khyber Pakhtun- khwa and Punjab, where the party has been divided into four and five zones respectively, Sindh’s provincial structure remains intact due to resistance from its leadership. Each zone in KP has been granted the status and powers of a provincial-level organization, with elections for zonal emirs already underway and expected to conclude in December next. However, it is highly expected that the interim heads will continue in their roles as the central chief has the discretion as per the party’s constitution to appoint provincial and zonal presidents irrespective of the opinion of the party members. Organizationally, this decision may strengthen JI at the grassroots with decentralization. Politically, however, it may weaken the party’s ability to present a unified stance and field competitive leadership against rival political forces. “Let’s wait and see the results of this decision,” commented a senior party member. The central leadership of the party has defended the restructuring as a necessary step to accelerate party activities. Despite some dissenting voices within the provincial shura, the decision faced little resistance, possibly due to the influence of central leadership. Some reports suggested that Inayatullah Khan had bagged the majority of ballots in the recent elections for provincial chief. But the central chief of the party used his discretionary power to overlook him in favor of Prof Mohammad Ibraheem Khan, who was perceived to be little resistant to the structural changes. The structural changes in JI have drawn mixed reactions from within and outside the party. Critics argue it could spell the beginning of JI’s political decline. “This is an unwise and apolitical decision. Who will represent JI on any provincial political forum? This decision makes it difficult, if not impossible, for any future central Emir of JI to come from KP,” said a party supporter. Others see potential in the move. “I see this as a better decision. Administratively, it is a good step,” said another senior member. He argued that regional reorganization was necessary, as each zone has unique challenges and perspectives. For instance, the Malakand organizational structure better understands the region’s context, enabling more effective decision-making. Similar benefits are expected for other zones.Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet.
This study introduces an innovative in situ lander/impact-penetrator design tailored for Discovery-class missions to Europa, specifically focused on conducting astrobiological analyses. The platform integrates a microfluidic capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector (C4D), optimized for the detection of low-concentration salts potentially indicative of biological activity. Our microfluidic system allows for automated sample routing and precise conductivity-based detection, making it suitable for the harsh environmental and logistical demands of Europa’s icy surface. This technology provides a robust toolset for exploring extraterrestrial habitability by enabling in situ chemical analyses with minimal operational intervention, paving the way for advanced astrobiological investigations on Europa. AstrobiologyNone
Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought. Starbucks workers begin strikes that could spread to hundreds of US stores by Christmas Eve Workers at U.S. Starbucks stores have begun a five-day strike to protest a lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company. The strikes began in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Workers at 535 of the 10,000 company-owned Starbucks stores in the U.S. have voted to unionize. The Starbucks Workers United union accuses the Seattle-based coffeehouse chain of failing to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. Starbucks says the union prematurely left the bargaining table this week. It said Friday there's been no significant impact to store operations. It's beginning to look like another record for holiday travel Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. The two weekends on either side of Christmas are tempting a lot of people to head out earlier. U.S. airlines expect to have their busiest days to be Friday and Sunday this week and next Thursday, Friday and Sunday. A government shutdown that could start as soon as Saturday was not expected to immediately affect flights and airport operations. Amazon workers are striking at multiple facilities. Here's what you should know Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are on strike for a second day at seven of the company’s delivery hubs just days before Christmas. At midnight on Saturday, the Teamsters say workers at a prominent unionized warehouse in New York will also join. The union has not indicated how many employees were participating in the walkout or when it will end. The Teamsters say the workers were continuing their strike on Friday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. The company says it doesn’t expect the strikes taking place in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, and Skokie, Illinois, to impact holiday shipments.Monday night’s Ravens-Chargers game in Los Angeles will of course pit Baltimore coach John Harbaugh against his younger brother Jim in the third edition of a “Harbowl” and the first meeting since the Ravens’ Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers in February 2013. But there will also be another intriguing reunion of sorts at SoFi Stadium. It will mark the first time that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and former Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman will be on the field together since the latter’s departure from Charm City a little under two years ago. When Jackson was asked Thursday how he looks back at his time with Roman, . The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player turned and looked straight ahead, paused for a handful of seconds and bobbed his head back and forth. “It was good,” Jackson finally said. “I mean, we had a lot of success. I won my first MVP with G-Ro’s system. We had a lot of great seasons.” In 2019, his first year as Baltimore’s full-time starter and just his second in the league, the Ravens went 14-2 during the regular season. Under Roman, Jackson led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes, threw for 3,127 yards and set the single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,206. That led to Jackson becoming just the second unanimous NFL MVP, joining Tom Brady. But the top-seeded Ravens stunningly lost to the Tennessee Titans, 28-12, in the divisional round, and the honeymoon didn’t last. Baltimore announced in January 2023 after a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the wild-card round of the playoffs, a game that Jackson missed because of a knee injury he suffered in Week 13 of the regular season. While Roman’s scheme unleashed Jackson as the game’s most potent player, critics believed the passing attack was lacking. In his first season under coordinator Todd Monken, Jackson won his second MVP Award after setting career highs in passing yards (3,678) and completion percentage (.672) and the Ravens reached the AFC championship game. Roman, meanwhile, spent the year out of pro football before being hired by Jim Harbaugh this past February shortly after the former quarterback led his alma mater Michigan to the national championship. Roman’s results in Los Angeles so far have been mixed. The Chargers (7-3) rank 18th in points per game (22) and yards per game (326.4), though they are 12th in rushing yards per game (121.6). They have also won four games in a row and five of their past six. The Ravens (7-4) have been more streaky, though Monken’s offense ranks first in yards per game (430.1) and second in scoring (30.4) with Jackson once again putting up MVP-worthy numbers. After an 0-2 start to the season, Baltimore won five in a row before splitting its next four, which included a sloppy, mistake-filled loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. In that 18-16 defeat, Jackson was held to just 207 passing yards and a 48.5% completion rate, easily his lowest mark of the season. Now comes a Chargers defense that ranks first in points per game (14.5). Related Articles “We’re not doing a good job of being consistent,” Jackson said. “We having our moments where, go into the game scoring first drive. Then there’s been a couple weeks we haven’t been scoring first drive and it’s been taking us a little while to get our groove. We gotta work on that.” It starts with the details, Jackson said. “Just being locked in on practice, every little detail, the smallest details, things from the game that we probably made a mistake on, cleaning that up. Small things like that and I feel like we’ll be on our way to being consistent.” And as for that time with Roman? Said Jackson: “I believe it was just short, that’s all.”
Super Eagles' 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers suffer major blowIt is truly a headline many Calgary Flames fans thought they may never see. Left winger Jonathan Huberdeau has been tremendously disappointing ever since he was acquired from the Florida Panthers back in the summer of 2022. As the centrepiece of a trade package for young All-Star Matthew Tkachuk and a former 115 point scorer himself, Huberdeau had immense pressure to perform. Playing for a Canadian market and signing a franchise record 8-year, $84 million contract drove expectations up even further. In his first season in Cowtown, Huberdeau put up just 15 goals and 40 assists in 79 games to set an NHL record for the largest season-to-season point drop off ever recorded. Many pointed the finger at then-head-coach Darryl Sutter, whom Huberdeau and other veterans clashed with frequently. Some stated that the move across the continent and overall adjustment to life in the Great White North was the culprit. However, with a new head coach and more social stability in 2023-24, he scored only 12 times and had 52 points in 81 games, along with a career-worst minus-29 rating. Many fans and media personalities were quick to point out that Huberdeau’s 2023-24 was a tale of two seasons; in the first 41 games he scored six goals and 21 points but heated up to the tune of six goals and 31 points in the following 40 contests. Now 34 games into the 2024-25 season it seems as though “Huby” has built upon this pace as he currently leads the Flames with 13 goals and 25 points. His hot start is more than worthy of a closer look. A December to Remember Much of Huberdeau’s success has come due to an impressive recent stretch of play. From Nov. 30 until the time of writing (10 games), he has rippled the twine six times and added seven helpers for 13 points. After two-and-a-half seasons of trying, he has finally found chemistry with fellow 2022 acquisition Nazem Kadri , who has six goals and nine points in the same span. Huberdeau’s six-game point streak from Nov. 30 until Dec. 12 is tied for the best mark of his Flames tenure. Over the past summer, the French-Canadian forward stated that he had been working intensely on his shot, which has seemingly paid off in full. As a career playmaker, Huberdeau characteristically elects to distribute the puck rather than put it on net. He now has more confidence shooting and during this same hot streak has accumulated 23 shots on goal. His higher volume has contributed to more success; he is shooting at a career-best 21.7% clip. With his tally on Dec. 21 against the Chicago Blackhawks, Huberdeau registered his 13th goal of the season, already surpassing the 12 he had in all of 2023-24. The team has been iffy during the past 10 games, but still captured 11 out of a possible 20 points with a 4-3-3 record. Over this period, the team has scored 29 goals for a rate of 2.9 per contest, meaning Huberdeau has factored into approximately 45% of his team’s offence during his streak. For comparison, the only Flames to register more than five points during this time are Kadri, Connor Zary , and Matt Coronato. Any time Huberdeau is on the ice this season, the Flames control the puck; he has registered a 56% Corsi For rating, which means the Flames have more shot attempts than their opponents. There are even defensive improvements as the winger is on pace for a career-high 68 blocked shots. Is Huberdeau Officially Back? Now, is this type of Huberdeau one that Flames fans should get used to? Not yet. This is a very impressive stretch of hockey even beyond the past 10 games. In total over his past 74 appearances, Huberdeau has 19 goals and 56 points. He is currently on pace to finish the 2024-25 campaign with 31 goals and 60 points, which would both shatter his previous highest Flames totals. Huberdeau hasn’t reached the 30-goal plateau since the 2021-22 season, his last with the Panthers. It is something the pass-first forward has also only done twice in his career. However, the second half of this season should once and for all determine what Huberdeau can bring to the table moving forward. Fans should prepare for regression. It is important to note a few things in helping determine the sustainability of Huberdeau’s recent play. First of all, his aforementioned 21.7% shooting success rate is likely not something he can maintain for the next 48 games. He is also playing more than ever before as a Flame, with an 18:30 average time on ice. Should the team’s performance start to decline, head coach Ryan Huska will probably play the younger forwards more often, which would eat into Huberdeau’s ice time. In addition, his line mate Kadri’s name has come up in trade talks and his movement could disrupt Huberdeau’s performance. If Huberdeau can navigate through all of these challenges and the others every season brings and keep on producing, his identity as a Flame will become more concrete. All in all, Huberdeau has been showing glimpses of the player the Flames thought they were getting back in 2022. If he can sustain his recent play, he will offer more hope to the many fans that have always believed in him as an on-ice contributor. While 60 points a season may not be worth $10.5 million, it is certainly an improvement on the production thus far and a step in the right direction for both team and player. At the end of the day, the Flames are relatively competitive and Huberdeau is currently leading the team in scoring. Things are good in Cowtown for the moment. This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.Police are set to scrutinize CCTV footage that captured the tragic moment former One Direction star Liam Payne fell to his death. The 31-year-old singer met a heartbreaking end last month after plummeting from the third floor of a hotel. An autopsy revealed that Payne died on impact , suffering "multiple traumatic injuries" which led to "internal and external hemorrhage." Liam Payne found 'unconscious in elevator' before falling to death from balcony Liam Payne 'swapped hotels' before his death as investigation continues This development follows revelations that Payne's ex-neuropsychiatrist had discontinued treatment and cautioned about the lethal risks of mixing alcohol with antidepressants. In recent proceedings, Judge Laura Bruinard, who is presiding over the inquiry, directed law enforcement to secure testimonies from key figures linked to Payne's demise, including Roger Nores, Braian Paiz, hotel worker Ezequiel Pereyra, security guard Esteban Reynaldo Grassi, and manager Gilda Martín. Additionally, she commanded the Special Technological Investigations Division of the Superintendency for the Fight against Cybercrime of the City Police to conduct extensive analyses on 22 electronic devices seized from suspects and witnesses during raids. Reports from local news outlets suggest that authorities have been tasked with examining a three-terabyte Western Digital hard drive provided by Sacro restaurant, adjacent to the CasaSur Palermo Hotel where Payne was staying. It has been alleged that the One Direction member had indulged in drugs and alcohol prior to his untimely passing. DON'T MISS... Liam Payne hotel staff's 911 call under renewed scrutiny as new charges possible [LATEST] Two new hotel suspects 'named' in connection to Liam Payne death probe [UPDATE] Liam Payne death investigation gets new update as prosecutors win major battle [NEWS] Infobae reports that the singer tragically fell over a balcony, striking his head on an umbrella base in the restaurant area. The police are set to review footage of Liam's devastating death, which has not yet been included in the comprehensive investigation led by prosecutor Andrés Madrea. Liam's friend, Roger Nores, is under investigation for suspected abandonment – a claim he refutes. Meanwhile, others face scrutiny for alleged drug facilitation. Last week, a judge sided with Madrea, summoning the existing suspects and two additional individuals for questioning. These interviews will occur between December 17 and December 19 via Zoom. Following this, Bruinard will have ten days to decide whether to prosecute or acquit the defendants. Currently, an iPhone belonging to Roger Nores and a laptop owned by Liam are slated for examination, despite being confiscated during earlier raids. During these raids, the phones of two suspects and one from a sex worker who visited Liam were seized. Additionally, a raid on the residence of a second sex worker in Tigre uncovered five more devices, which were also seized. Local reports last week suggested that prosecutors might consider manslaughter charges against hotel employees filmed carrying Liam out of the lobby shortly before his alcohol and drug-induced balcony fall.
Miss Manners: Need a new hairdresser ASAPSTEP 3 The bill goes before its house of origin again for a second reading. The purpose of this second reading is to introduce any changes that were made to adopt policy committee recommendations. Additionally, further amendments can be proposed by the house before the bill is up for vote. A bill analysis is prepared which explains the bill, the current law, background of the bill, and lists organizations supporting or opposing the bill. There's then a third and final reading where the author explains the bill and it's discussed within the house. This is when it's finally presented for passage. A majority vote is required to pass - 21 votes in Senate or 41 in the Assembly - unless the bill requires funding and has been passed by the appropriations committee, in which case the threshold is higher, requiring 27 votes in the Senate or 54 votes in the Assembly. STEP 4 At this point, once a bill passes in its house of origin, it then is sent to the other house to repeat Steps 1-3 there. So, if a bill originated and passed in the Senate, it would then go to the Assembly to start the process over. The other house can make amendments to the bill as it goes through the legislative process there, in which case it would be sent back to its house of origin for the house to reach agreement on the changes. Ultimately, both the Senate and the Assembly have to pass the bill. STEP 5 The last step is to send the approved bill to the Governor’s desk for the final verdict on whether the bill will be signed, vetoed, or passed into law without a signature. Bills will pass automatically in 12 days if not actively vetoed, known as approval without signing. Approval without signing usually indicates the governor doesn't want to be associated with the bill, for whatever political reason. It could prevent alienating constituents or interest groups who disagree with the bill. Current Governor Gavin Newsom hasn't taken this action during his time in office, but former Governor Jerry Brown allowed five bills to become law without his signature during his time in office, and before that, former Governor Gray Davis also used this option for five bills. One example of approval without signing is Senate Bill 1272, which was a bill that sought to ask voters if the United States Constitution should be amended to overturn a previous court ruling related to campaign finance laws. Jerry Brown was governor at the time, and he agreed with the precedent of the bill – he too thought the court decision should be overturned – but he stated the bill would have no legal effect. Even if the bill was passed, it wouldn’t have legal authority to amend the United States Constitution. As such, he allowed the bill to pass, but he did so without his signature, saying, “It is my intent to signal that I am not inclined to repeat this practice of seeking advisory opinions from the voters.” Based on how infrequently this has been used over the past few decades, it seems it isn’t considered a popular option by governors. If the governor vetoes the bill, a two-thirds vote in each house is needed to override the veto. A governor’s veto hasn’t been overridden in California since 1980, so this is also an unlikely option statistically. Alternatively, when bills are passed, most will go into effect as law the following January 1. At this point, the bill is final record – it's signed, dated, and sent to the Secretary of State, where it's assigned a bill or chapter number and given the official seal of the Great State of California. Bill Whie is a Retired Air Traffic Controller/Commercial Pilot who lives in Porterville.