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In today's Daily Fix:According to a Bloomberg report, Sony is getting back into the handheld business in a big way. The company is working on a handheld PlayStation to rival the Nintendo Switch, but it's still years away. Based on that loose timeline, it will likely face competition from a possible Xbox handheld, as well. Sony recently released the PlayStation Portal, but that was more of a PS5 accessory than a standalone gaming system, since it requires either a PS5 or a PS Plus subscription and very good wifi. In other news, Troy Baker will have a very big part in Naughty Dog's upcoming game, which shouldn't come as a surprise since he's the co-lead in one of the studio's biggest games (The Last of Us Part 1). And finally, we have a brand new Sonic 3 trailer.
The AI revolution is advancing in both accessibility and innovation. GIGABYTE offers a range of solutions for businesses, developers, and consumers to make AI more usable. The company also integrates AI into its hardware and software, and collaborates with top-tier chip suppliers. The transformative potential of AI in everyday life is vast. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that 40% of jobs will be affected in some way by the generative AI revolution. It's being used in government, medicine, business, and in our personal lives. But the ubiquity of AI comes with a challenge. In a world where AI is accessible to all, standing out from the rest demands powerful, accessible solutions. GIGABYTE is a leader in AI innovation, offering comprehensive AI solutions that cater to the needs of consumers, businesses, and developers alike. Other than AI servers for cloud computing, the company is keen to democratize AI, as seen in its AI PC and local AI training desktop solutions, and its collaborations with top-tier chip suppliers. This new vision for AI is different from those many other companies put forward as an idea of our technology-enabled future. The company sees the true power of AI being unlocked through better operational platforms, more AI-driven product design, and deeper collaborative ecosystems. A full range of AI solutions is on offer GIGABYTE offers comprehensive AI solutions that run the gamut from cloud to local hosting, making AI more accessible to users in whichever way they want to deploy it. That choose-your-own solution has attracted some of the world's biggest companies to use GIGABYTE as their chosen provider and has brought AI to a wider audience as a result. From generative AI tools like ChatGPT to real-time AI-driven video processing and advanced gaming technologies, GIGABYTE bridges the gap between cutting-edge performance and practical usability. GIGABYTE also puts AI at the core of its product design, launching a slew of AI gaming laptops and AI TOP , the groundbreaking local AI training desktop solution, which offers users the ability to "Train Your Own AI On Your Desk," without the need for deep programming skills. AI TOP was launched at Computex 2024 and is continually updating for a wider and more powerful function from hardware to software, allowing it to support heavy AI training workloads. AI TOP Utility, the software, opens new possibilities for thousands of AI application developers and demonstrates total integration of hardware and software," said GIGABYTE CEO, Eddie Lin. "It can finetune not only large language models (LLM) but also large multimodal models (LMM). It can support clusters to further improve computing performance." The ability to support not just AI language generation, but multimodal content generation using cutting-edge artificial intelligence, could help unlock efficiencies and innovations in several fields, from academic and scientific research to small and medium businesses. Moreover, the AI TOP solution utilizes Retrieval-Augmentation Generation (RAG) to ensure a higher quality of responses to queries and prompts, reducing hallucinations, while many other features enable it to be more intelligently used by customers, from training schedulers that allow you to run experiments and processes during off-peak periods to reduce costs and raise efficiencies, to real-time monitoring through a customizable dashboard that can track system performance across CPU, GPU, VRAM, DRAM, and SSD. Its ability to scale through clustering, which connects multiple AI TOP machines to expand computational power, makes it ideal for training complex models like the 405-billion-parameter open-source language models and beyond. To be compatible with AI TOP Utility, the AI TOP hardware focuses on user-centric design and extends to the advanced motherboard, SSD, graphics cards, chassis, and power supply. AI TOP hardware is powered efficiently with home-use electricity ensuring durability and speed, even for demanding workloads. AI TOP SSDs, for instance, offer unprecedented write and read performance, boasting up to 109,500 TBW (terabytes written), making them 20 times more resilient than enterprise SSDs. As a result, GIGABYTE launched an AI TOP setup kit that includes a motherboard, power supply, and chassis, allowing users to customize their choice of graphics cards and SSDs based on computing needs. The AI TOP 100 is ideal for small businesses or personal AI training, while the AI TOP 500 is suited for medium-sized businesses and educational research. Reaching people in their homes to bring them AI High-end AI solutions for businesses and other organizations aren't all GIGABYTE offers — home users can benefit, too. GIGABYTE offers a broad range of AI gaming laptops with optimized power management and AI features that help transform the hardware and improve technology performance through its exclusive AI Nexus technology that empowers additional gaming performance and battery efficiency using artificial intelligence, all while enhancing existing AI applications on a PC. AI Nexus helps bring about immersive gaming experiences that are next-gen thanks to its built-in Stable Diffusion and ComfyUI, eliminating the hassle of installation while allowing users to harness the power of both programs. For gamers who want more out of their systems, AI Boost, GIGABYTE's dynamic AI overclocking system, can enhance computing performance during intense gaming periods. The result is not just smoother gameplay, but an environment where gamers and creators alike can explore the boundaries of what AI-enhanced hardware can achieve. GIGABYTE's dedication to AI doesn't stop at hardware. The company is an active participant in shaping the broader AI ecosystem, collaborating with partners like AMD, Intel, Microsoft, and NVIDIA to integrate AI more seamlessly into everyday workflows. It's a demonstration of how GIGABYTE has managed to keep pace with the speed of the generative AI revolution — offering technology that capitalizes on, and further advances, the transformative technology that is changing all our lives. By making AI more accessible and versatile, GIGABYTE not only supports professionals and enthusiasts but also empowers entire industries to innovate faster, setting a benchmark for others to follow. For more GIGABYTE AI Innovations: Mark your calendar for the GIGABYTE EVENT|2025 CES at 9 p.m. PT on January 6, 2025! This article was created by Insider Studios with GIGABYTE.SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Getting blown out at Green Bay following another squandered late lead the previous week against Seattle has quickly turned the San Francisco 49ers from a Super Bowl contender into a team just fighting to get back to the playoffs. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Getting blown out at Green Bay following another squandered late lead the previous week against Seattle has quickly turned the San Francisco 49ers from a Super Bowl contender into a team just fighting to get back to the playoffs. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Getting blown out at Green Bay following another squandered late lead the previous week against Seattle has quickly turned the San Francisco 49ers from a Super Bowl contender into a team just fighting to get back to the playoffs. If San Francisco doesn’t get healthy and eliminate the errors that led to Sunday’s 38-10 loss to the Packers, the focus will turn from playoff permutations to what offseason changes are necessary. “I think everyone understands completely outside and inside what the situation is,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday. “That’s why the Seattle game was so tough of a loss and that’s why last night was even worse. We know what we got ahead of us. We know exactly what the playoff situation is. That is what it is. But really, all that matters is this week when you do need to go on a run and put a lot of wins to even think of that.” The task doesn’t get any easier as the Niners (5-6) get set to play at Buffalo on Sunday night. The 49ers are hoping to get injured stars Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa and Trent Williams back for that game, but their presence alone won’t fix everything that went wrong on Sunday. The defense got repeatedly gashed early and put San Francisco in a 17-0 hole before the offense even generated a first down. The running game never got going as Christian McCaffrey has looked nothing like the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year in his three games back from Achilles tendinitis. And whenever the Niners appeared to do something right, a penalty came back to haunt them. It added up to the most lopsided loss for San Francisco since the 2018 season, before Shanahan had turned the Niners into perennial contenders. “It’s probably one of the worst ones I’ve been a part of,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “It is embarrassing. You’ve got to take it on the chin, take it like a man and move on.” Despite the doom and gloom, the 49ers are only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West standings with six games to go. But San Francisco already has three division losses and a difficult schedule featuring games against the Bills this week and Detroit in Week 17. “My optimism is not broken by any means,” tight end George Kittle said. “We still have a lot of very talented players. We will get some guys back and I still have full trust in the coaching staff to put our guys in position to make plays. I have no worry about that. But definitely an uphill grind. We’ll see what we’re made of, which I’m looking forward to.” What’s working Red-zone passes to Kittle. Backup QB Brandon Allen connected on a 3-yard TD pass to Kittle late in the second quarter for San Francisco’s only TD. Kittle leads the NFL with eight touchdown catches in the red zone, which is tied with Vernon Davis (2013) for the most in a season for a Niners player since 2000. Kittle was the only consistent part of the San Francisco offense with six catches for 82 yards. What needs help Avoiding penalties. San Francisco had nine penalties for 77 yards and they were costly and sloppy. The Niners had 12 men on the field on defense on back-to-back plays, three false starts, a pass interference in the end zone and three penalties on special teams, including a holding on Eric Saubert that negated an 87-yard kickoff return by Deebo Samuel to open the second half. Rookie Dominick Puni had three penalties after being penalized just once in the first 10 games. Stock up DE Leonard Floyd. There were few positive performances on defense, but Floyd had both of the team’s sacks. Stock down Run defense. San Francisco allowed 169 yards rushing, including 87 in the first quarter for the team’s second-worst performance in the opening quarter since 1991. The Niners missed 19 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, as Josh Jacobs gained 83 of his 106 yards rushing after contact. Injuries Purdy took part in a light throwing session without pain on Monday and Shanahan is hopeful he can return to practice Wednesday after missing the Green Bay game with a shoulder injury. ... Bosa (hip, oblique) and Williams (ankle) also could return this week after sitting out Sunday. ... LG Aaron Banks, DT Jordan Elliott and WR Jacob Cowing all in the concussion protocol. ... RG Dominick Puni (shoulder) and CB Deommodore Lenoir (knee) underwent MRIs on Monday and the team is waiting for results. ... CB Renardo Green (neck) and LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) are day to day. Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 11 — The Niners generated only 11 first downs, tied for the fewest in any game in eight seasons under Shanahan. They also had 11 in the 2022 NFC title game loss at Philadelphia when Purdy hurt his elbow and in Week 2 against Seattle in Shanahan’s first season in 2017. What’s next The 49ers visit Buffalo on Sunday night. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Advertisement Advertisement
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Big Ten Signing Day: Late flips push Oregon ahead of Ohio State and Michigan in rankingsPratik Gandhi’s formula for success is simple: “I am not competing with anybody. I need to constantly push myself and my boundaries to create my place, and continue to be as fearless as I have been,” says the 44-year-old actor. Letting go of a thriving corporate job to try to make a career in acting was the biggest trial by fire in his life, he says. “It wasn’t easy to discard a full-time job to become a full-time actor. It took me a while to make this decision. It wasn’t that I liked one profession over the other, I loved both. But there came a point in 2016 when I had to decide on one or the other, because I was losing out on opportunities in my job, as well as in Gujarati films. Hindi was not even on my radar,” he shares, adding, “My family told me to do whatever makes me happy.” Pratik, who won acclaim for his performance in Rahul Dholakia’s action thriller Agni, which brings to life the struggles and strife of firefighters, confesses that he was ashamed of how little he knew about them. “We never pay attention to their life. As an engineer, I set up cement plants and interacted with various people, but I never had any insights into their lives. The film gave me that perspective,” he says. The actor broke new ground in his career with his raw and real portrayal of stock broker Harshad Mehta in Hansal Mehra’s Scam 1992. 2024 is a landmark year for him. Besides completing a decade in the industry, he came up with three back-to-back hits - the rom-com Do Aur Do Pyaar, Madgaon Express and Agni. His recent body of work proves his versatility as a performer. “It has been a phenomenal experience for me because I was striving to make every character different from the other. Post Scam 1992, I was perceived as a serious actor, and I am glad people have accepted me in different worlds and genres.” Asserting that surviving in the film industry is a constantly evolving process, he says, “You can’t bank on the success of one project. You have to keep reinventing yourself and look for new opportunities. There is no standard route. Your craft has to be compelling enough that people have reasons to watch and cast you. I credit the audience for being accepting of new actors and talent. It is the makers who need to let go of their fears, because the viewer is discerning enough.” Has his success made it easier to navigate the slippery slope of Bollywood? “The struggle will always be there, it never ends. But yes, success helps bring in some kind of star factor, though not power,” he says. “People come with expectations, and it is those expectations one needs to keep working on. You need a strong core.” Pratik and Hansal Mehta come together once again for the screen adaptation of historian Ramachandra Guha’s books Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years that Changed the World. Stepping into the shoes of Bapu can be a daunting task, but Pratik says he was struck by his humanness. “It is amazing how Gandhiji himself has chronicled his strengths and weaknesses. He didn’t want you to celebrate him, he just emphasised that he was as ordinary as anyone else,” he says.
In a heartwarming display of generosity and community spirit, an Igbo man Somto Monanu, popularly known as Pino Vibes, has single-handedly renovated a community school, Oluwo Ikija Community School, in Ogun State, entirely free of charge. Veteran journalist and former Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, shared the inspiring story in a Facebook post on Monday. Ojudu noted that, despite belonging to a different ethnic group, the Igbo man’s (Somto Monanu) efforts were met with warm acceptance by the community leaders, exemplifying an admirable lack of prejudice. He revealed that the renovated school now features air-conditioned facilities, creating a more conducive learning environment for students. Related News Take part in politics, Ojudu urges students Ekiti 2022: Ojudu tasks Buni on credible, violence-free APC primaries I sacrificed ambition to help resolve APC crisis, Ojudu claims Highlighting the significance of the Somto’s selfless act, Ojudu wrote: “An Igbo man single-handedly renovated a community school in Ogun State, transforming its outlook and installing air conditioners—completely free of charge! “The community leaders welcomed his efforts without hesitation, showing no prejudice despite his Igbo heritage. What more can one say? This remarkable act reminds us that embracing our shared humanity is far greater than fueling tribal rivalries. May God bless this man abundantly.” Click the link below to watch the video: https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1871287500595204551?t=yhyS6e0xQyXtvDH8cfZVPA&s=19
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jamichael Stillwell had 22 points in Milwaukee's 69-65 win over St. Thomas on Sunday. Stillwell added eight rebounds for the Panthers (5-2). Aaron Franklin had 15 points and eight rebounds. AJ McKee added nine points. Drake Dobbs led the way for the Tommies (4-4) with 16 points and five assists. Kendall Blue added 11 points and Miles Barnstable scored 10 with two steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
'It's exciting... a source of pride': Wojnarowski talks new deal between St. Bonaventure and WWENEW 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. “Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him,” Young wrote. 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. In 1983, Woolery began an 11-year run as host of TV’s “Love Connection,” for which he coined the phrase, “We’ll be back in two minutes and two seconds,” a two-fingered signature dubbed the “2 and 2.” In 1984, he hosted TV’s “Scrabble,” simultaneously hosting two game shows on TV until 1990. “Love Connection,” which aired long before the dawn of dating apps, had a premise that featured either a single man or single woman who would watch audition tapes of three potential mates and then pick one for a date. A couple of weeks after the date, the guest would sit with Woolery in front of a studio audience and tell everybody about the date. The audience would vote on the three contestants, and if the audience agreed with the guest’s choice, “Love Connection” would offer to pay for a second date. Woolery told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2003 that his favorite set of lovebirds was a man aged 91 and a woman aged 87. "She had so much eye makeup on, she looked like a stolen Corvette. He was so old he said, ‘I remember wagon trains.’ The poor guy. She took him on a balloon ride.” Other career highlights included hosting the shows “Lingo," “Greed” and “The Chuck Woolery Show,” as well as hosting the short-lived syndicated revival of “The Dating Game” from 1998 to 2000 and an ill-fated 1991 talk show. In 1992, he played himself in two episodes of TV’s “Melrose Place.” Woolery became the subject of the Game Show Network’s first attempt at a reality show, “Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned,” which premiered in 2003. It shared the title of the pop song in 1968 by Woolery and his rock group, the Avant-Garde. It lasted six episode and was panned by critics. Woolery began his TV career at a show that has become a mainstay. Although most associated with Pat Sajak and Vanna White, “Wheel of Fortune” debuted Jan. 6, 1975, on NBC with Woolery welcoming contestants and the audience. Woolery, then 33, was trying to make it in Nashville as a singer. “Wheel of Fortune” started life as “Shopper’s Bazaar,” incorporating Hangman-style puzzles and a roulette wheel. After Woolery appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show” singing “Delta Dawn,” Merv Griffin asked him to host the new show with Susan Stafford. “I had an interview that stretched to 15, 20 minutes,” Woolery told The New York Times in 2003. “After the show, when Merv asked if I wanted to do a game show, I thought, ‘Great, a guy with a bad jacket and an equally bad mustache who doesn’t care what you have to say — that’s the guy I want to be.’” NBC initially passed, but they retooled it as “Wheel of Fortune” and got the green light. After a few years, Woolery demanded a raise to $500,000 a year, or what host Peter Marshall was making on “Hollywood Squares.” Griffin balked and replaced Woolery with weather reporter Pat Sajak. “Both Chuck and Susie did a fine job, and ‘Wheel’ did well enough on NBC, although it never approached the kind of ratings success that ‘Jeopardy!’ achieved in its heyday,” Griffin said in “Merv: Making the Good Life Last,” an autobiography from the 2000s co-written by David Bender. Woolery earned an Emmy nod as host. Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery served in the U.S. Navy before attending college. He played double bass in a folk trio, then formed the psychedelic rock duo The Avant-Garde in 1967 while working as a truck driver to support himself as a musician. The Avant-Garde, which tourbed in a refitted Cadillac hearse, had the Top 40 hit “Naturally Stoned,” with Woolery singing, “When I put my mind on you alone/I can get a good sensation/Feel like I’m naturally stoned.” After The Avant-Garde broke up, Woolery released his debut solo single “I’ve Been Wrong” in 1969 and several more singles with Columbia before transitioning to country music by the 1970s. He released two solo singles, “Forgive My Heart” and “Love Me, Love Me.” Woolery wrote or co-wrote songs for himself and everyone from Pat Boone to Tammy Wynette. On Wynette’s 1971 album “We Sure Can Love Each Other,” Woolery wrote “The Joys of Being a Woman” with lyrics including “See our baby on the swing/Hear her laugh, hear her scream.” After his TV career ended, Woolery went into podcasting. In an interview with The New York Times, he called himself a gun-rights activist and described himself as a conservative libertarian and constitutionalist. He said he hadn’t revealed his politics in liberal Hollywood for fear of retribution. He teamed up with Mark Young in 2014 for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and soon became a full supporter of Donald Trump while arguing minorities don’t need civil rights and causing a firestorm by tweeting an antisemitic comment linking Soviet Communists to Judaism. “President Obama’s popularity is a fantasy only held by him and his dwindling legion of juice-box-drinking, anxiety-dog-hugging, safe-space-hiding snowflakes,” he said. Woolery also was active online, retweeting articles from Conservative Brief, insisting Democrats were trying to install a system of Marxism and spreading headlines such as “Impeach him! Devastating photo of Joe Biden leaks.” During the early stages of the pandemic, Woolery initially accused medical professionals and Democrats of lying about the virus in an effort to hurt the economy and Trump’s chances for reelection to the presidency. “The most outrageous lies are the ones about COVID-19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, media, Democrats, our doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it,” Woolery wrote in July 2020. Trump retweeted that post to his 83 million followers. By the end of the month, nearly 4.5 million Americans had been infected with COVID-19 and more than 150,000 had died. Just days later, Woolery changed his stance, announcing his son had contracted COVID-19. “To further clarify and add perspective, COVID-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones,” Woolery posted before his account was deleted. Woolery later explained on his podcast that he never called COVID-19 “a hoax” or said “it’s not real,” just that “we’ve been lied to.” Woolery also said it was “an honor to have your president retweet what your thoughts are and think it’s important enough to do that.” In addition to his wife, Woolery is survived by his sons Michael and Sean and his daughter Melissa, Young said. Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits .
Gophers’ Max Brosmer, Quinn Carroll say they’ll definitely play in the team’s bowl game
The Only Way Is Essex's own Georgia Kousoulou has joyfully announced the birth of her new daughter, taking to Instagram with a heartwarming hospital snapshot. Draped in hospital sheets and cradling her newborn, the TOWIE celeb shared all the details along with a picture perfect moment, revealing: "Introducing you .. GIGI Fordham Born on 22.11 weighing 8 pound 12". Adding to the excitement, Georgia exclaimed: "Our darling girl, We are so in love, our hearts could burst. Thank you god for answering our prayers". With husband and cast mate Tommy Mallett smiling from ear to ear beside their hospital bed, the pair, who are also doting parents to their son Brody, age three, flooded their socials with adorable images from the special day. Not missing a beat, fellow TOWIE stars took to the comments to share in the couple's joy. Saffron Lempriere was one of the first, posting: "She is so cute look at her hair congratulations lovelies.", reports the Mirror . Chloe Meadows joined in with heartfelt words, saying: "Congratulations, so sweet xx." Read more Gogglebox star flooded with support after sharing heartbreaking loss Courtney Green couldn't hide her adoration, noting: "Oh she's too cute." And Amber Dowding couldn't help but get swept up in the emotion, confessing: "crying all over again! ! Welcome to the world Gigi girl love you all so much xx." Georgia, 33, experienced a scare last month when she was rushed to hospital due to "reduced movement" in the later stages of her pregnancy. Thankfully, she later confirmed that all was well with a message shared by the Daily Mail, stating: "Baby girl wanted attention. Rushed out the house as felt movement was reduced so made sure I got checked and everything is good. Thank you God." The TV star revealed back in May that she and her husband Tommy Mallet were expecting a baby following IVF treatment. This joyous news came after Georgia bravely spoke about the heartbreak of losing their second child 12 weeks into a previous pregnancy in April. In her announcement this May, an overjoyed Georgia told her followers: "Our little rainbow baby is due December. Words can't express the emotions we have, we have prayed, and wished and with a little help it's happened. I can't thank my team enough. [...] These guys made my experience with IVF so much better than I could of even imagined." She added: "I was so scared as all the things I had heard beforehand but they were simply the best and held my hand the whole way through. thank you for giving us the best gift of all. To anyone watching who is suffering. I am with you and I know how you feel. I pray this post doesn't trigger you. I know how hard it is seeing announcements. Please know you are not alone and please don't give up hope."
Published 23:55 IST, December 13th 2024 Elon Musk says the SEC wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed or failed to disclose about his purchases of Twitter stock Detroit: Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter posted by Musk on the platform now called X, his lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission's demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won't intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk's computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. “It is the policy of the SEC to conduct investigations on a confidential basis to preserve the integrity of its investigative process,” an agency spokesperson said in an email Friday. Messages also were left Friday by The Associated Press seeking comment from Spiro. In the letter, Spiro says he is responding to demands from SEC staff members about a multi-year investigation of “certain purchases, sales and disclosures of Twitter shares.” In addition, Spiro is demanding to know who directed the actions. Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 for USD 44 billion. But a lawsuit filed by a Twitter investor in April 2022 accused Musk of violating a regulatory deadline to reveal that he had accumulated a stake of at least 5%. Instead, according to the complaint, Musk failed to disclose his position in Twitter until he had nearly doubled his stake to more than 9%. That strategy, the lawsuit alleges, hurt ordinary investors who sold shares in the San Francisco company in the nearly two weeks before Musk acknowledged that he held a major stake in Twitter. Eventually, the disclosure of Musk's stake in Twitter caused the value of its shares to soar 27% from its April 1 close to nearly $50 by the end of trading on April 4. That improper delay, according to the lawsuit, deprived investors who had sold shares before Musk's stake in the company was publicly known of the opportunity to realise significant gains. Musk has been engaged in a running battle with the SEC since 2018. That was when he and Tesla, his electric car company, each agreed to pay $20 million in fines over tweets Musk had made about having amassed the necessary funding to take Tesla private. Such a transition never happened; Tesla remains a public company. Musk sought to overturn part of the settlement that required him to have his postings about Tesla reviewed by a Tesla attorney. That provision, he had contended, violated his free speech rights. The dispute made its way to the Supreme Court, which rejected Musk's appeal without comment. Gensler, who was nominated to lead the SEC by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would step down from his post on Jan 20, when Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president. Trump has announced that intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the SEC. Trump has named Musk as co-chair of a “Department of Government Efficiency” to try to reform the federal government. Updated 23:55 IST, December 13th 2024Jason Kelce set to host a new late night show on ESPN
BROC Community Action to distribute hundreds of turkeys ahead of ThanksgivingAngel Reese celebrates TikTok milestone with 2Pac's "How Do U Want It"
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stopPandas An An and Ke Ke celebrate their 1st Christmas in Hong Kong HONG KONG (AP) — A pair of five-year-old pandas, named An An and Ke Ke, celebrated their first Christmas early in a Hong Kong park, munching on special treats and looking cute for the cameras. An An, the male panda, was presented with an ice slab that had “Merry Christmas” written on it with sweet potato and carrots while Ke Ke, his female companion, got a snowman garnished with slices of carrot and apple in a special press event Monday before visitors streamed to the park. China sent the pair to Hong Kong in late September in a bid to boost tourism in the city. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby: Spurs-Knicks Christmas game is also an animated one at Disney World NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. While Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are facing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, an alternate animated telecast will have the teams playing in the Magic Kingdom, with some Disney characters participating. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. 'Squid Game' returns looking for win with season 2 The first season of “Squid Game” was Netflix's most-watched series and went on to win a variety of accolades including the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series for Lee Jung-jae and a directing award for Hwang Dong-hyuk. The show returns for its second season on Dec. 26 and is already nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama. It's rare for TV shows made in Korea to have more than one season but Lee describes Hwang as “a genius.” A third and final season has already filmed. Netflix is also invested in expanding its “Squid Game” universe with a reality competition series and an English-language version in development. In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there's now a tiny Christmas tree DARDGHAYA, Lebanon (AP) — A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones in the ruins of a Catholic church in southern Lebanon that was hit by an Israeli airstrike during the war with Hezbollah. It's a small and modest tree. There are no lights because the war destroyed power lines. The ground is too uneven to set up the Nativity scene. The priest says his blood pressure went up and he lost his balance when he saw the church's destruction. Now he leads Mass in an underground room that serves as a temporary worship space. He tells the community it “is more like the cave where Jesus was born.” Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90 The Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, says the huge crocodile that rose to fame with a cameo in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” has died. The aquarium says Burt died over the weekend and was at least 90 years old. A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 5 meters long. The 1986 movie stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile, before being saved by Dundee. Elaborate holiday light displays are making spirits bright in a big way CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. But others are adorned with thousands of blinking lights synched to blasting music. In Mesa, Arizona, 14 homeowners have been going all-out on holiday lights for 30 years, and those buying homes in the neighborhood often find the attics full of décor left behind by previous owners. In Santa Clarita, California, residents began coordinating their holiday lights to bring some joy to their community after an earthquake. And in Edmond, Oklahoma, those looking to the western sky will easily spot the Miranda family’s elaborate display featuring images and music from the movie “Wicked.” Santa braves the sticky heat of the Amazon jungle to bring gifts to children in Brazilian village CATALAO, Brazil (AP) — Santa Claus has braved the sticky heat of the Amazon rainforest this weekend, taking two boats to bring gifts to the children of a small village near the Brazilian city of Manaus. The visit was arranged by Amigos do Papai Noel, a Brazilian charity that has been taking gifts to children in the Amazon rainforest for the past 26 years. More than 600 children from different villages gathered in Catalao to receive presents from Santa, who dressed in his traditional nightcap, white gloves and red suit, while enduring the stifling jungle heat. NASA's Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before NEW YORK (AP) — A NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. On Tuesday, Parker will pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface. That's nearly seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft. Scientists won’t hear from Parker until a few days after the flyby. It’ll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand what drives the solar wind and why the corona is so much hotter than the sun's surface. 174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after a lift cracks WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials are investigating what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders. The evacuation happened Saturday on a gondola lift at Winter Park Resort. A spokesperson says the lift stopped automatically when a crack was detected in a structural piece of the lift. Passengers were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours. No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday season. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales.
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Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. The U.S. is also making a renewed push for an ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has plunged more than 2 million Palestinians into a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s war against Hamas has killed over 44,800 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The October 2023 attack by Hamas in southern Israel that sparked the war killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Here's the latest: WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, a U.S. official said Friday. Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria on a U.S. military helicopter, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. Timmerman, 29, told The Associated Press he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” Timmerman said he was released Monday morning alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some of whom had their children with them. He had been held separately from Syrian and other Arab prisoners and said he didn’t know of any other Americans held in the facility. — By Lolita C. Baldor THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday rejected a bid from human rights groups to block weapons exports to Israel and trading with the occupied territories, after finding there were sufficient checks already in place to comply with international law. The ten organizations told The Hague District Court last month that they thought the Netherlands was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawn up following World War II, by continuing to sell weapons to Israel more than a year into the conflict in Gaza. “The government uses my own tax money, that I pay, to kill my own family. I’ve lost 18 members of my own family,” Ahmed Abofoul, a legal adviser for the pro-Palestinian organization Al-Haq, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, told the court during a hearing in November . The court ruling said that “it is not up to the interim relief judge to order the state to reconsider government policy. That is primarily a political responsibility.” Lawyers for the government argued it wasn’t up to a judge to decide foreign policy for the Netherlands. The activist groups pointed to several emergency orders from another court, the International Court of Justice, as confirming the obligation to stop weapons sales. In January, the top U.N. court said it was plausible Palestinians were being deprived of some rights protected under the Genocide Convention. The coalition said it will review the court’s ruling and is considering an appeal. CAIRO — Israeli attacks in and around a hospital in northern Gaza wounded three medical staff overnight into Friday and caused damage to the isolated medical facility, according to its director. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said Israeli quadcopter drones carrying explosives deliberately targeted the emergency and reception area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where one doctor was wounded for a third time. Abu Safiya said “relentless” drone and artillery strikes throughout the night exploded “alarmingly close” to the hospital, heavily damaging nearby buildings and destroying most of the water tanks on the hospital’s roof and blowing out doors and windows. Kamal Adwan Hospital in the town of Beit Lahiya has been hit multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation against Hamas in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. “We demand international protection for the hospital and its staff,” Abu Safiya said in a statement released via the U.K.-based aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians, “as well as the entry of delegations with surgical expertise, medical supplies, and essential medications to ensure we can adequately serve the people we are treating.” Abu Safiya said there were 72 wounded patients at the hospital, one of the few medical facilities left in northern Gaza. He said he expected Israeli forces would allow a World Health Organization aid convoy to bring supplies to the hospital on Friday or Saturday, as well as a team of doctors from Indonesia. Israel has allowed almost no humanitarian or medical aid to enter the three besieged communities in northern Gaza — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and the urban Jabaliya refugee camp — and ordered tens of thousands to flee to nearby Gaza City. Israeli officials have said the three communities are mostly deserted, but the United Nations humanitarian office said Tuesday it believes around 65,000 to 75,000 people are still there, with little access to food, water, electricity or health care. Experts have warned that the north may be experiencing famine . BAGHDAD — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Iraq on Friday on his latest visit to the Middle East aimed at stabilizing the situation in Syria to prevent further regional turmoil. Blinken met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani as part of the hastily arranged trip, his 12th to the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but his first since the weekend ouster of Syrian strongman Bashar Assad. Blinken has already been to Jordan and Turkey on his current tour and will return to Jordan for urgent meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers to try to unify support for an inclusive post-Assad transition that does not allow the Islamic State group to take advantage of the political vacuum in Syria and secures suspected chemical weapons stocks. In Baghdad, Blinken “will underscore U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership and to Iraq’s security, stability, and sovereignty,” the State Department said. “He will also discuss regional security opportunities and challenges, as well as enduring U.S. support for engagement with all communities in Syria to establish an inclusive transition,” it said in a statement. His trip comes as the Biden administration winds down with just over a month left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been highly critical of Biden’s approach to the Middle East and skeptical of the U.S. military presence in both Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and Iraq agreed in September to wrap up U.S.-led military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq next year, although Assad’s ouster and the potential for the group taking advantage of a political vacuum in Syria could complicate the timing of the withdrawal, according to American officials. DAMASCUS — The kingdom of Bahrain sent a message Friday to Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It said Bahrain is “fully prepared to consult with you continuously and to provide support in regional and international organizations to achieve what is in the interest of the brotherly Syrian people.” It added, “We look forward to Syria regaining its authentic role in the Arab League.” Bahrain is the current head of the Arab summit. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League last year after 12 years of ostracization. It is still unclear how the international community will deal officially with the new interim government in Syria. JERUSALEM - Israel’s defense minister told troops to prepare to remain through the winter months on the peak of Mount Hermon, Syria’s highest point, located in a swath of southern Syria that Israeli troops moved into after the fall of Damascus to insurgents. The comments by Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that the military will extend its occupation of the zone along the border, which Israel says it seized to create a buffer zone. In a statement Friday, Katz said that holding the peak was of major importance for Israel’s security and that it would be necessary to build facilities there to sustain troops through the winter. The summit of Mount Hermon, the highest peak on the eastern Mediterranean coast at 2,814 meters (9,232 feet), gives a commanding view over the plains of southern Syria. It also positions Israeli troops about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Damascus. The mount is divided between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. Only the United States recognizes Israel’s control of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in the zone until another force across the border in Syria could guarantee security. Israeli troops moved into the zone -– set as a demilitarized area inside Syrian territory under truce deals that ended the 1973 Mideast war -- after the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell last weekend. ANKARA, Turkey -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday there was “broad agreement” between Turkey and the United States on what they would like to see in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar Assad. “There’s broad agreement on what we would like to see going forward, starting with the interim government in Syria, one that is inclusive and non-sectarian and one that protects the rights of minorities and women” and does not “pose any kind of threat to any of Syria’s neighbors,” Blinken said in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The insurgent groups that toppled Assad in Syria have not made clear their policy or stance on Israel, whose military in recent days has bombed sites all over the country, saying it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into extremist hands. Blinken also said it was crucial to keep the Islamic State group under control. “We also discussed the imperative of continuing the efforts to keep ISIS down. Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS to ensure that that threat doesn’t rear its head again,” Blinken said. The Turkish foreign minister said the two discussed ways of establishing prosperity in Syria and ending terrorism in the country. “Our priority is establishing stability in Syria as soon as possible, preventing terrorism from gaining ground, and ensuring that IS and the PKK aren’t dominant,” Fidan said, in a reference to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party. Blinken said: “We’re very focused on Syria, very focused on the opportunity that now is before us and before the Syrian people to move from out from under the shackles of Bashar al-Assad to a different and better future for the Syrian people, one that the Syrian people decide for themselves.” Blinken and Fidan said they had also discussed a ceasefire for Gaza. “We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks more encouraging signs that (a ceasefire) is possible,” Blinken said. Blinken, who is making his 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year but first since the weekend ouster of Assad, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Thursday. The outgoing Biden administration is particularly concerned that a power vacuum in Syria could exacerbate already heightened tensions in the region, which is already wracked by multiple conflicts, and create conditions for the Islamic State group to regain territory and influence. Later Friday, Blinken is to return to Jordan for meetings on Saturday with Arab foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations. ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey has appointed a temporary charge d’affaires to reopen its embassy in Syria, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. The Turkish Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security problems during the Syrian civil war and embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. The Anadolu Agency said late Thursday that Turkey appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador in Mauritania, to the post. UNITED NATIONS- – Two U.N. aid convoys were violently attacked in Gaza, making it virtually impossible for humanitarian agencies to operate without putting staff and civilians at risk, the U.N. food agency says. On Wednesday, a 70-truck convoy from Kerem Shalom was waiting for personnel to safeguard the food and other aid destined for central Gaza when there were reported attacks by Israeli forces in the nearby humanitarian zone, the U.N. World Food Program said Thursday. More than 50 people are now estimated to have died in the attacks, including civilians and local security personnel who had been expected to ensure the convoy’s safety, WFP said. The Rome-based agency said the convoy was forced to proceed from Kerem Shalom to central Gaza without any security arrangements, using the Philadelphi corridor, an Israeli-controlled route that had been recently approved and successfully utilized twice. On the way, WFP said, conflict and insecurity led to a loss of communication with the convoy for more than 12 hours. ”Eventually, the trucks were found but all food and aid supplies were looted,” the U.N. agency said. In a second incident, Israeli soldiers approached a WFP convoy moving out of the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza, fired warning shots, conducted extensive security checks, and temporarily detained drivers and staff, the agency said. “As the trucks were delayed, four out of the five trucks were lost to violent armed looting,” WFP said. UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has a message for Israel: Stop the attacks on Syria. Secretary-General António Guterres is particularly concerned about several hundred Israeli airstrikes on several Syrian locations and stresses “the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday. The Israeli military said Tuesday it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the previous 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following last week’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The buffer zone was established after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1973 war. Dujarric said Guterres condemns all actions violating the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries that remain in force. And the U.N. chief calls on the parties to uphold the agreement and end “all unauthorized presence in the area of separation” and refrain from any action undermining the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights, the spokesman said.Local surgeons, donors, and community members are redefining what is possible on Vancouver Island by coming together in support of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s latest campaign, It’s Time for Surgical Innovation . The campaign is aiming to raise $17 million to bring brand-new minimally invasive surgical procedures to the Island. Campaign champions are making a lasting impact by supporting the introduction of robotics and a suite of 50 best-in-class instruments to Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals—the acute centres for Vancouver Island. Together, they are supporting enhanced precision and visualization for surgeons, reduced pain and risk of complications for patients, and reduced care staff requirements. The Foundation is grateful to every donor, caregiver, and champion who has supported the cause to date—may that be through a donation, donated services, or a gift of time or story, for every gift is making a difference. One of these champions is Shirley Hunter, who shares her personal health journey in support: Illness is frightening. When you receive a diagnosis, it can be both terrifying and isolating. Last fall, I was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of colon cancer. I needed to have surgery imminently to remove the tumour on my large intestine—and I am glad it was here, in my home of Victoria, that I would receive treatment. I hadn’t been feeling well in the weeks leading up to my diagnosis. I was sent for several tests, one being a colonoscopy at Victoria General Hospital. I had no idea it was going to be anything but routine. During the procedure, the gastroenterologist came over to me, took my hand and said, “I’m so sorry. You have cancer.” He had tears in his eyes, he was just so empathetic. Dr. Dustin Loomes was thoughtful and kind. He even called me at home the next night to see if I was okay. I so appreciated that. That’s the kind of care that comes from the hearts of our hospital staff. The next few weeks were a flurry of tests and appointments and learning about my condition. So many equipment pieces played a hand in this — I became extra aware of this. I met another wonderful doctor, who would become my general surgeon. The first time I met Dr. Heather Emmerton-Coughlin was in the exam room. “ Just call me Dr. Heather,” she smiled. She put her hand on my arm and said, “I’m going to take care of you.” She was caring, warm, informative, honest and direct. All the things that I really appreciate in medical care. When my scheduled surgery day arrived at Royal Jubilee Hospital, I was not stressed. My husband and my daughter were by my side and understandably worried. I, on the other hand, had a sense of calm come over me, and I think it was because Dr. Heather helped me fully understand what the surgery entailed. I believe attitude is everything in life. I know bad things are going to happen to people from time to time, but life is truly what you make of it. I have been blessed in my life—having a great husband and family, and Victoria to call home. I knew I could face the road ahead with their support, and in this very place. Post-surgery, I spent a lot of time in recovery. I ended up in a room with three other patients, all of whom had different healthcare journeys. I received amazing support from all the nurses— truly. I say that understanding they deal with so much on a daily basis. Two of the nurses got me dressed and on my feet that afternoon. When Dr. Heather came by to check on me, I was relieved to hear the surgery had gone well and that I would be able to recover at home. Dr. Heather said she was able to remove the entire tumour, which provided profound relief. I continued with chemotherapy in January to reduce the risk of recurrence. I just completed that treatment this summer. I realize I have had an amazing journey despite the circumstances of the disease. The doctors will monitor my condition going forward, and I have full faith in their expertise. The care I received was nothing short of remarkable. I owe this to the doctors and the technology we have access to in our hospitals. We have so many wonderfully trained doctors and surgeons in our community. The fact that on top of their expertise, they profoundly care for the patient is a gift. I strongly believe it is our duty as community members to support them. I share my story today with the full understanding that it’s not always easy right now in our current healthcare landscape. I have to say, however, that once you’re in the system, the hospital care provided locally is brilliant. The doctors, surgeons and all the hospital staff are excellent. I would even say: we have some of the best medical professionals in the country, right here in Victoria. I share my story, too, because I believe we need to come together to support our hospitals and healthcare workers. We need to wrap around them to ensure they are equipped with the latest tools and resources, so that they can in turn care in the best possible way for everyone we know who may need their expertise one day. I am a proud donor to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation. I believe in their mission, and in their drive to equip our caregivers with the priority tools they need to deliver the best care. To bring the latest technology to our hospitals, including robotics, is of utmost importance for the wellbeing of all. Join me in supporting surgical excellence in our Victoria hospitals. We are all in this together. — Shirley Hunter To learn more and support the Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s It’s Time for Surgical Innovation campaign, please visit VictoriaHF.ca/ItsTime or call the Foundation at 250-519-1750. During the Canada Post strike, Maximum Express is offering complimentary courier service for donation cheque pick-ups. Please contact the Victoria Hospitals Foundation to arrange this complimentary service. Consider a gift by December 31 to receive a 2024 tax receipt. On behalf of our local caregivers and the patients they serve, thank you . Sponsored by Victoria Hospitals Foundation
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