LSU outlasts UCF 109-102 in triple-OT affairAt a Wednesday, Nov. 13 session, the Macomb Township Board of Trustees considered two roofing projects as presented by DPW Director Kevin Johnson. The first, a roof replacement for the Macomb Township Hall, is estimated to cost $274,800, with work to be performed by Wm. Molnar Roofing Co. beginning in April. Johnson said seven bids were considered for the project, and after deliberation by an ad hoc proposal committee, Molnar Roofing was awarded the job. Johnson estimated a 30-40-year lifespan for the new roof, while “minor parking inconveniences” might be incurred during the work slated for the spring. Also eyeing a spring start is a shingle roof replacement for the township’s DPW building, at a cost of $154,300. That project was awarded to KJP Roofing. Both projects were approved unanimously. Macomb Township Human Resources Director Jeff Tabaka sought approval for the hire of a full-time building inspector Wednesday, Nov. 13. Tabaka told the board there’s been a 30% increase in building permits this year, which has taxed the already understaffed department. He added three department employees are also currently eligible to retire. The board unanimously approved the request. The hire comes in the form of Ray Tuttle, currently a part-time building inspector with the department. He’ll shift to full-time starting Nov. 27. Macomb Township Planning Director Josh Bocks regarding a request to rezone a two-family low-density housing plot at 51407 Romeo Plank Road into a flex use plot. Bocks said the owner is seeking to open a salon on the property, and will either use the existing house or do a full demolition and rebuild. The request was approved unanimously by the Planning and Zoning Department, and the Township Board followed suit. In seeking to continue with upgrading and phasing out old technology throughout the township, IT Manager Jason Lipari spoke before the Board to seek approval for the purchase of 15 computers and docking stations at a cost not to exceed $33,700. Lipari said the order will be “broken up into multiple purchases” in order to more efficiently conduct the upgrades. Lipari also recommended the extension of the contract between the township and South Carolina-based information tech company VC3. VC3 currently performs IT support services for Macomb Township, which includes handling user help requests, performing server maintenance and monitoring security. An extension, he said, “offers the best value for the township.” Board Trustee Frank Cusumano asked Lipari why this expense, quoted at $164,160, wasn’t put out for bid, with Viviano answering that the topic is an “ongoing discussion,” as the township’s IT department is “still evaluating what level of service we require.” Viviano added that following an “informal review” by Lipari, it was evident that neighboring communities are paying higher rates for similar services. The vote to renew the contract with VC3 was approved 6-1, with Cusumano dissenting. At the same meeting a lease agreement with communications company Crown Castle was extended. Crown Castle currently leases the ground under one of their communication towers from Macomb Township. Viviano said Crown Castle’s existing lease had four years remaining, but approached the township to pursue an early extension. Viviano said the renewal contains a 4% increase per year and would extend the lease for 30 years. The request was approved unanimously.SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who stunned the world this week by declaring martial law, has narrowly avoided being impeached, as his party's lawmakers boycotted the parliamentary vote on his ouster Saturday. The motion by opposition lawmakers accused him of insurrection, calling his decree an unconstitutional self-coup. "The president has betrayed the trust of the people and has lost the right to carry out state affairs," the impeachment motion read. Thousands of protesters had gathered outside the National Assembly to cheer on his removal. Now protests are expected to build. "We will not give up. We will prevail," liberal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said after the motion fell through. "By Christmas, we will bring people the end-of-year gift of restoring the country to normalcy." The liberal party said it would submit the motion again at the next parliamentary session on Wednesday — and every week after that until it passes. The question is whether enough members of Yoon's conservative ruling party will vote to oust him while he still has two-and-a-half years remaining in his term, potentially ceding the presidency to the liberal opposition. Impeaching Yoon requires the support of at least two-thirds of the 300-member National Assembly — or 200 votes. Because the opposition coalition holds 192 seats, impeachment requires eight or more votes from Yoon's conservative People Power Party. In the days following the martial law declaration, a handful of ruling party legislators had indicated they would at least consider impeachment. But only three of them showed up for the vote Saturday, with the remaining 105 leaving the plenary hall in protest. Outside the National Assembly, the crowd gathered to call for Yoon's removal let out a cry of frustration. Among them were citizens who had traveled from hours away and college students studying for exams in the throng while keeping one eye on the news. "Arrest Yoon Suk-yeol!" they chanted as they marched down the promenade. In declaring martial law Tuesday, Yoon railed against the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which he accused of being a "den of criminals" and North Korea-sympathizers. Gen. Park An-su, whom Yoon designated as his martial law commander, subsequently suspended all political activity and declared the media under the military's control. For many in South Korea , the move chillingly harked to the country's past military dictatorships. But three hours after Yoon's decree, legislators — many of them scaling the gates of the locked-down National Assembly — unanimously voted to overrule Yoon, requiring him to lift the decree. On Saturday morning, in a two-minute address to the nation, Yoon apologized for inconveniencing the public and said that he had been motivated by "desperation." While Yoon reportedly told his officials and party members that his decree was meant to send a message to an adversarial legislature — which has filed numerous impeachments against his appointees and moved to investigate his wife on charges of graft and stock manipulation — many, including his own party members, say they believe he had much more sinister motives. Han Dong-hun, the leader of the People Power Party, said that there were signs that the special forces soldiers who had stormed the National Assembly were acting on orders to arrest him and other legislators. Opposition leader Lee, whom Yoon narrowly defeated in the presidential election two years ago, has said the same. "We've confirmed that President Yoon ordered the arrest of major politicians on the grounds that they were anti-state forces," Han said at a party meeting Friday. "I don't think we can pretend like nothing happened." While stating that this was based on "credible" sources, Han did not elaborate, offering only that these plans would be made public in due time "through various channels." In a meeting with Han that same day, Yoon denied giving such an order, Han said. Hong Jang-won, a senior official at the National Intelligence Service, the country's spy agency , told lawmakers Friday that Yoon called him to order the arrest of several lawmakers, including party leaders Lee and Han. Spy chief Cho Tae-yong has disputed Hong's allegations. Yet even while condemning the martial law declaration as unconstitutional and acknowledging that Yoon must ultimately be removed from office, Han and most of his party allies balked at impeachment. For the South Korean conservatives, impeachment is their exposed nerve, and they have reason to tread lightly. The first and only South Korean president to be successfully impeached was conservative Park Geun-hye, who was later investigated and jailed on corruption charges. Her downfall splintered the conservative camp and opened a path for liberal successor Moon Jae-in, whose term conservatives refer to as "the lost five years." Crucial to the success of Park's impeachment was a bloc of conservative legislators who joined the opposition to vote in favor. It is why many party stalwarts are determined to avoid the same fate this time around. "We cannot have any more traitors surrendering to the enemy, like the time with Park Geun-hye," Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo wrote on social media Wednesday. Instead, Yoon's party members have floated more moderate solutions that would make way for Yoon's "orderly resignation," such as revising the constitution to shorten Yoon's term, transferring some of his presidential powers to the prime minister or forming a bipartisan Cabinet. In his recent public address, Yoon said he would leave his fate to the party, hinting that he may relinquish much of his authority to Han, should he avoid impeachment. The liberal opposition has rejected any alternatives to impeachment, calling Yoon a "ticking time bomb." "He is in a very troubling mental state right now. We don't have time to discuss something like 'an orderly resignation,' " liberal party spokesperson Yoon Jong-kun told reporters Saturday morning. "Only Yoon's immediate removal from official duties and impeachment can alleviate the anger of the people and South Korea' s plummeting international credit rating." The liberal party has said that it would propose the motion again Wednesday. "We are going to propose it repeatedly," Lee Jae-myung said, "until it goes through." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Once the celebrities had tucked into a feast, thanks to Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard Coles winning 12 portions of food in ‘Terrifying Teddy Bears’ Picnic’, the first argument of the series took place between Dean McCullough and Corrie's Alan Halsall. Dean had to be woken up by Alan from his sleep as the campmates needed wood for the fire, which Jane Moore needed help carrying - due to current roles in the camp, Dean was the only person who was allowed to do it. But a hesitant Dean accused Alan of saying he "didn't fancy it" when instead, he just "needed a minute" to sort his contact lenses. In response to this, I'm a Celebrity fans have slammed Dean for being "aggressive" towards Alan. One said on X: "nah but there was no need for Dean to go off at Alan like that #ImACeleb" Another wrote: "Dean and this aggression??? Don’t speak to Alan like that #imaceleb" Someone posted: "Omg is dean serious?! Alan couldn’t of been nicer when trying to wake him up! #imaceleb" This person agreed: "what was actually wrong with what alan said to dean?? he was being so gentle with him like huh ?? #imaceleb" Did you see this argument between Dean and Alan? (Image: ITV) This user noticed: "dean didn’t even go straight down to get the wood he went down to argue with alan?? #imaceleb" "Protect Alan at all costs," hailed an ITV viewer. Elsewhere, Wayne Rooney has encouraged I'm a Celebrity viewers to vote for his wife Coleen to do a trial as he feels she would want to “put herself to the test”. The former England footballer, 39, said he was “proud” of how Coleen was doing in the Australian jungle in a post on social media on Saturday. (function (d, s, n) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; js = d.createElement(s); js.className = n; js.src = "//player.ex.co/player/ac4343e7-234e-4d6a-927a-1a778f69ccc8"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); js.setAttribute('programmatic', 'true'); js.onload = function () { const playerApi237931 = ExCoPlayer.connect('ac4343e7-234e-4d6a-927a-1a778f69ccc8'); playerApi237931.init({ "autoPlay": false, "mute": true, "showAds": true, "playbackMode": "play-in-view", "content": { "playFirst": [ { "title": "How much is Ant and Dec's net worth?", "src": "https://large-cdn.ex.co/transformations/production/3dac3c05-257d-45d2-b760-c1524f8b72f3/720p.mp4" } ] }, "sticky": { "mode": "persistent", "closeButton": true, "pauseOnClose": true, "desktop": { "enabled": false, "position": "bottom-right" }, "mobile": { "enabled": false, "position": "upper-small" } }}); }; }(document, 'script', 'exco-player')); The couple, who first met at school and began dating aged 16, share four sons – Kai Wayne, Klay Anthony, Kit Joseph and Cass Mac. Recommended reading: “Proud of @ColeenRoo on @imacelebrity she’s doing great”, he wrote on X, alongside a collage of photos of her on the show. “Me and the boys would love to see her doing a trial and we know she’d want to put herself to the test. “If you can download the #ImACeleb and let’s get voting!” I'm a Celebrity continues on ITV1 and ITVX from 9pm on Sunday, November 24.
Hezbollah fires about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel in heaviest barrage in weeks
Descartes Announces Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Financial ResultsNone
BOSTON — Forty years ago, Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie rolled to his right and threw a pass that has become one of college football’s most iconic moments. With Boston College trailing defending champion Miami, Flutie threw the Hail Mary and found receiver Gerard Phalen, who made the grab while falling into the end zone behind a pair of defenders for a game-winning 48-yard TD. Flutie and many of his 1984 teammates were honored on the field during BC’s 41-21 victory over North Carolina before the second quarter on Saturday afternoon, the anniversary of the Eagles’ Miracle in Miami. “There’s no way its been 40 years,” Flutie told The Associated Press on the sideline a few minutes before he walked out with some of his former teammates to be recognized after a video of The Play was shown on the scoreboards. A statue commemorating Doug Flutie's famed "Hail Mary" pass during a game against Miami on Nov. 23, 1994, sits outside Alumni Stadium at Boston College. Famous football plays often attain a legendary status with religious names like the "Immaculate Reception," the "Hail Mary" pass and the Holy Roller fumble. It’s a moment and highlight that’s not only played throughout decades of BC students and fans, but around the college football world. “What is really so humbling is that the kids 40 years later are wearing 22 jerseys, still,” Flutie said of his old number. “That amazes me.” That game was played on national TV the Friday after Thanksgiving. The ironic thing is it was originally scheduled for earlier in the season before CBS paid Rutgers to move its game against Miami, thus setting up the BC-Miami post-holiday matchup. Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie rejoices in his brother Darren's arms after B.C. defeats Miami with a last second touchdown pass on Nov. 23, 1984, in Miami. “It shows you how random some things are, that the game was moved,” Flutie said. “The game got moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving, which was the most watched game of the year. We both end up being nationally ranked and up there. All those things lent to how big the game itself was, and made the pass and the catch that much more relevant and remembered because so many people were watching.” There’s a statue of Flutie winding up to make The Pass outside the north gates at Alumni Stadium. Fans and visitors can often be seen taking photos there. “In casual conversation, it comes up every day,” Flutie said, when asked how many times people bring it up. “It brings a smile to my face every time we talk about it.” A week after the game-ending Flutie pass, the Eagles beat Holy Cross and before he flew off to New York to accept the Heisman. They went on to win the 49th Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie evades Miami defensive tackle Kevin Fagan during the first quarter of a game on Nov. 23, 1984, in Miami, Fla. “Forty years seem almost like incomprehensible,” said Phalen, also standing on the sideline a few minutes after the game started. “I always say to Doug: ‘Thank God for social media. It’s kept it alive for us.”’ Earlier this week, current BC coach Bill O’Brien, 55, was asked if he remembered where he was 40 years ago. “We were eating Thanksgiving leftovers in my family room,” he said. “My mom was saying a Rosary in the kitchen because she didn’t like Miami and wanted BC to win. My dad, my brother and I were watching the game. “It was unbelievable,” he said. “Everybody remembers where they were for the Hail Mary, Flutie pass.” Mike Tyson, left, slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A fan takes a picture of the moon prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Uruguay and Colombia in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich) Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark reacts after missing a shot on the 18th hole in the final round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) fails to pull in a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson) Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, top right, scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) India's Tilak Varma jumps in the air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20 International cricket match between South Africa and India, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski warms up before facing the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A fan rapped in an Uruguay flag arrives to the stands for a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) People practice folding a giant United States flag before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Marquinhos attempts to stop the sprinklers that were turned on during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental stadium in Maturin, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Georgia's Georges Mikautadze celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League, group B1 soccer match between Georgia and Ukraine at the AdjaraBet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Tamuna Kulumbegashvili) Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, right, attempts to score while Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) keep the puck out of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario misses the third goal during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and France, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Fans argue in stands during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Thursday Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova hits a return against Danielle Collins, of the United States, during a tennis match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Malaga, southern Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) falls after driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) England's Anthony Gordon celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Katie Taylor, left, lands a right to Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DJ Turner, right, tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, left, on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) UConn's Paige Bueckers (5) battles North Carolina's Laila Hull, right, for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Get local news delivered to your inbox!Record Revenues as Global Logistics Network Expands WATERLOO, Ontario and ATLANTA, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Descartes Systems Group Inc. (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX) announced its financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter (Q3FY25). All financial results referenced are in United States (US) currency and, unless otherwise indicated, are determined in accordance with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). “Our business has grown organically while we've added complementary solutions to our Global Logistics Network by way of acquisition,” said Edward J. Ryan, Descartes’ CEO. “We listen to our customers about where best to invest to help them meet the many logistics and supply chain challenges they're facing, which contributed to us completing two acquisitions this past quarter. The global trade landscape remains highly uncertain and complex for our customers, especially with potential upcoming changes to tariffs and sanctions and the resulting impact on trade. As always, our goal is to help our customers manage this complexity so that they can continue to focus on their core businesses.” Q3FY25 Financial Results As described in more detail below, key financial highlights for Descartes’ Q3FY25 included: Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues are non-GAAP financial measures provided as a complement to financial results presented in accordance with GAAP. We define Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation (for which we include related fees and taxes) and other charges (for which we include restructuring charges, acquisition-related expenses, and contingent consideration incurred due to better-than-expected performance from acquisitions). These items are considered by management to be outside Descartes' ongoing operational results. We define Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues as the quotient, expressed as a percentage, from dividing Adjusted EBITDA for a period by revenues for the corresponding period. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to net income determined in accordance with GAAP is provided later in this release. The following table summarizes Descartes' results in the categories specified below over the past 5 fiscal quarters (unaudited; dollar amounts, other than per share amounts, in millions): Year-to-Date Financial Results As described in more detail below, key financial highlights for Descartes’ nine-month period ended October 31, 2024 (9MFY25) included: Cash provided by operating activities of $158.5 million, up 1% from $156.9 million in 9MFY24. Cash provided by operating activities was negatively impacted in 9MFY25 by the payment of $25.0 million in contingent acquisition consideration for previously completed deals, which was not accrued for at the time of acquisition; The following table summarizes Descartes’ results in the categories specified below over 9MFY25 and 9MFY24 (unaudited, dollar amounts in millions): Cash Position At October 31, 2024, Descartes had $181.3 million in cash. Cash decreased by $71.4 million in Q3FY25 and $139.7 million in 9MFY25. The table set forth below provides a summary of cash flows for Q3FY25 and 9MFY25 in millions of dollars: Acquisition of MyCarrierPortal On September 17, 2024, Descartes acquired all of the shares of Assure Assist, Inc., doing business as MyCarrierPortal (“MCP”), a leading provider of carrier onboarding and risk monitoring solutions for the trucking industry. The purchase price for the acquisition was approximately $22.5 million, net of cash acquired, which was funded from cash on hand, plus potential performance-based consideration of up to $6.0 million based on MCP achieving revenue-based targets over the first two years post-acquisition. Acquisition of Sellercloud On October 11, 2024, Descartes acquired all of the shares of Sellercloud LLC and certain assets of Sellercloud Europe Ltd. (collectively referred to as “Sellercloud”), a leading provider of omnichannel ecommerce solutions. The purchase price for the acquisition was approximately $110.2 million, net of cash acquired, which was funded from cash on hand, plus potential performance-based consideration of up to $20.0 million based on Sellercloud achieving revenue-based targets over the first two years post-acquisition. Conference Call Members of Descartes' executive management team will host a conference call to discuss the company's financial results at 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. Designated numbers are +1 289 514 5100 and +1 800 717 1738 for Toll-Free in North America, using conference ID 07584. The company will simultaneously conduct an audio webcast on the Descartes website at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations. Phone conference dial-in or webcast login is required approximately 10 minutes beforehand. Replays of the conference call will be available until December 10, 2024, by dialing +1 289 819 1325 or Toll-Free for North America using +1 888 660 6264 with Playback Passcode: 07584#. An archived replay of the webcast will be available at www.descartes.com/descartes/investor-relations. About Descartes Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com , and connect with us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter ). Descartes Investor Contact Laurie McCauley (519) 746-2969 investor@descartes.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relates to Descartes' expectations concerning future revenues and earnings, and our projections for any future reductions in expenses or growth in margins and generation of cash; our assessment of the potential impact of geopolitical events, such as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine (the “Russia-Ukraine Conflict”), and between Israel and Hamas (“Israel-Hamas Conflict”), or other potentially catastrophic events, on our business, results of operations and financial condition; continued growth and acquisitions including our assessment of any increased opportunity for our products and services as a result of trends in the logistics and supply chain industries; rate of profitable growth and Adjusted EBITDA margin operating range; demand for Descartes' solutions; growth of Descartes' Global Logistics Network (“GLN”); customer buying patterns; customer expectations of Descartes; development of the GLN and the benefits thereof to customers; and other matters. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions including the following: global shipment volumes continuing at levels generally consistent with those experienced historically; the Russia-Ukraine Conflict and Israel-Hamas Conflict not having a material negative impact on shipment volumes or on the demand for the products and services of Descartes by its customers and the ability of those customers to continue to pay for those products and services; countries continuing to implement and enforce existing and additional customs and security regulations relating to the provision of electronic information for imports and exports; countries continuing to implement and enforce existing and additional trade restrictions and sanctioned party lists with respect to doing business with certain countries, organizations, entities and individuals; Descartes' continued operation of a secure and reliable business network; the stability of general economic and market conditions, currency exchange rates, and interest rates; equity and debt markets continuing to provide Descartes with access to capital; Descartes' continued ability to identify and source attractive and executable business combination opportunities; Descartes' ability to develop solutions that keep pace with the continuing changes in technology, and our continued compliance with third party intellectual property rights. These assumptions may prove to be inaccurate. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Descartes, or developments in Descartes' business or industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, Descartes' ability to successfully identify and execute on acquisitions and to integrate acquired businesses and assets, and to predict expenses associated with and revenues from acquisitions; the impact of network failures, information security breaches or other cyber-security threats; disruptions in the movement of freight and a decline in shipment volumes including as a result of contagious illness outbreaks; a deterioration of general economic conditions or instability in the financial markets accompanied by a decrease in spending by our customers; the ability to attract and retain key personnel and the ability to manage the departure of key personnel and the transition of our executive management team; changes in trade or transportation regulations that currently require customers to use services such as those offered by Descartes; changes in customer behaviour and expectations; Descartes’ ability to successfully design and develop enhancements to our products and solutions; departures of key customers; the impact of foreign currency exchange rates; Descartes' ability to retain or obtain sufficient capital in addition to its debt facility to execute on its business strategy, including its acquisition strategy; disruptions in the movement of freight; the potential for future goodwill or intangible asset impairment as a result of other-than-temporary decreases in Descartes' market capitalization; and other factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada, including Descartes' most recently filed Management's Discussion and Analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures - Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues We prepare and release quarterly unaudited and annual audited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. We also disclose and discuss certain non-GAAP financial information, used to evaluate our performance, in this and other earnings releases and investor conference calls as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. We believe that current shareholders and potential investors in our company use non-GAAP financial measures, such as Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues, in making investment decisions about our company and measuring our operational results. The term “Adjusted EBITDA” refers to a financial measure that we define as earnings before certain charges that management considers to be non-operating expenses and which consist of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation (for which we include related fees and taxes) and other charges (for which we include restructuring charges, acquisition-related expenses, and contingent consideration incurred due to better-than-expected performance from acquisitions). Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues divides Adjusted EBITDA for a period by the revenues for the corresponding period and expresses the quotient as a percentage. Management considers these non-operating expenses to be outside the scope of Descartes’ ongoing operations and the related expenses are not used by management to measure operations. Accordingly, these expenses are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA, which we reference to both measure our operations and as a basis of comparison of our operations from period-to-period. Management believes that investors and financial analysts measure our business on the same basis, and we are providing the Adjusted EBITDA financial metric to assist in this evaluation and to provide a higher level of transparency into how we measure our own business. However, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues are non-GAAP financial measures and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues should not be construed as a substitute for net income determined in accordance with GAAP or other non-GAAP measures that may be used by other companies, such as EBITDA. The use of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues does have limitations. In particular, we have completed seven acquisitions since the beginning of fiscal 2024 and may complete additional acquisitions in the future that will result in acquisition-related expenses and restructuring charges. As these acquisition-related expenses and restructuring charges may continue as we pursue our consolidation strategy, some investors may consider these charges and expenses as a recurring part of operations rather than expenses that are not part of operations. The table below reconciles Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to net income reported in our unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations for Q3FY25, Q2FY25, Q1FY25, Q4FY24, and Q3FY24, which we believe is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. The table below reconciles Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues to net income reported in our unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations for 9MFY25 and 9MFY24, which we believe is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. The Descartes Systems Group Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (US dollars in thousands; US GAAP; Unaudited) The Descartes Systems Group Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (US dollars in thousands, except per share and weighted average share amounts; US GAAP; Unaudited) The Descartes Systems Group Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (US dollars in thousands; US GAAP; Unaudited)ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan Wolverines are bowl-eligible after blowing out the Northwestern Wildcats 50-6 on Senior Day. Northwestern opened the battle for the George Jewett Trophy by getting former Wolverines wide receiver A.J. Henning involved with a five-yard catch, but an Aamir Hall interception stalled it. Recommended Videos Quarterback Davis Warren led the men in maize down the field for a 10-play 53-yard touchdown by running back Kalel Mullings . It was his ninth touchdown of the season. #MichiganWolverines running back #KalelMullings caps of a 10-play 53-yard drive with his 9th touchdown of the season. 7-0 〽️. pic.twitter.com/yYIIfOYPU9 In what many pundits believe could be his last home game as a Michigan man, superstar tight end Colston set a record for most catches by a tight end (54) in a season on an 11-yard grab in the first quarter. The previous record was held by tight end Bennie Joppru (53) back in 2002 . Colston now sits alone atop the Michigan record books for most receptions in a season by a TE! pic.twitter.com/6u2lKlvwSd Defensive lineman Kenneth Grant got his first sack of the game on the Wildcats' second drive for minus three yards, leading to the first punt for either side. Warren led the Wolverines to a six-play, 10-yard drive as Wildcats defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard got a nine-yard sack, setting up kicker Dominic Zvada’s 56-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead. Zvada (6-6) has joined some good company as he became the third kicker to make four field goals of at least 50 yards without a miss this season in between the National Football League and FBS, joining Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald (5-5) and Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates (4-4). Josaiah Stewart got his first sack of the game for minus eight yards leading to another punt by Northwestern which placed the Wolverines down at their three-yardline. Warren reverted to his old self as he tossed his first interception after being pulled from the starting lineup in week four. The errand throw was to Loveland, but it was about 10 feet over his head, placing the ball in the Wolverine’s territory. The Wolverines' defense bowed up and gave up a field goal. Michigan’s fourth possession of the game started with running back Donovan Edwards losing two yards on a first down run and a negative two yard pass for Michigan’s first punt. Bryce Kirtz caught a massive 38-yard catch down the right sideline to keep the momentum rolling as they entered the red zone. After hitting the long pass, Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch threw an incomplete pass, which hit defensive back Zeke Berry in the nameplate in the endzone, leading to a field goal. With the Wolverines offense stalling in the second quarter, Northwestern kicked the ball out of bounds with 1:57 remaining before the half. With the clock ticking, Warren hit Edwards for an eight-yard pass. He then connected with wide receiver Fredrick Moore for six yards, and then he hit wide receiver Peyton O’Leary for another six-yard gain as the clock ticked under one minute. Edwards snagged a 10-yard catch and run before their sideline called a time-out with 47 seconds remaining. On third down and 10, Warren hit Moore once again on a scramble drill for 26 yards with 26 seconds remaining. Warren hit Loveland on an eight-yard dime, third down and two yards away from the endzone, with 12 seconds remaining on the game clock. Warren completed his first touchdown of the game to his favorite target, Loveland, to take a 17-6 lead. The drive covered 65 yards on 11 plays in 1:09. With the score, Loveland moved one step closer to breaking two more records for a tight end, as he needs 41 more yards to achieve the most yards in a season for a tight end wearing maize & blue. With one touchdown already in the books today, if he snags another touchdown, he’ll set that record as well for most by a tight end in a single season. After the touchdown grab, Loveland, who leads the team with 56 catches for 582 yards and three touchdowns did not return to the game after suffering an injury. Mullings opened the second half with three big runs, capping off a five-play 75-yard drive to take a 24-6 lead. He started the third quarter with a run-up of the gut for 13 yards. He then followed that up with a 47-yard run down the right sideline before getting pushed out of bounds. Mullings' third big run went for 10 yards and his second touchdown of the day. That touchdown was the first time all season that the Wolverines scored back-to-back times since their game against Arkansas. Stewart got his second sack of the day, this time for a minus 10 yards, forcing another punt for the Wildcats. The Wolverines' next possession all but put the game away as Mullings rushed for yet another touchdown to take a 31-6 lead. With that touchdown, it was the first time all season that the Wolverines scored 21 straight points. Reaching the 31-point mark was the first time the men in maize also achieved such success. Edge rusher TJ Guy got his first sack of the game in the third quarter for a four-yard loss. Defensive back Mason Curtis picked off Lausch on fourth down and 13 in the third quarter, which was the game’s second turnover. Edwards, who is the still the cover athlete of NCAA 25 got tackled from behind after a 24-yard run up the gut. He followed that up with another 20-yard run to the house to cap off a five-play, 58-yard drive to take a 38-6 lead. Zvada tacked on a 28-yard field goal to push the lead to 41-6. That was followed by a safety and a Tavierre Dunlap 20-yard touchdown run to hit the 50-point mark. It was the 77th meeting between the rival schools, and the men in maize improved to 60-15-2 all-time. They have now won eight consecutive and 35 of the last 39 games in the matchup. The Wolverines hold a 59-15-2 advantage in the all-time series and have won 34 of the last 38 games played between the two schools. Michigan is 37-6-2 against the Wildcats in games played in Ann Arbor and is 24-7 in games played in Evanston Northwestern. With a 6-5 record, the Wolverines will travel to Columbus in the matchup of The Game vs. the 11-1 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Nov. 30, inside the Horseshoe.
Middle East latest: Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital wound 3, Netanyahu vows 'iron fist' in LebanonA variety of trees of all sizes and themes encompassed the Canyon Country Community Center Friday night to kick off Festival of Trees , a weekend-long fundraiser where all proceeds go toward the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley. For 22 years, the Santa Clarita community has gathered for a live auction of the trees, while attendees throughout the weekend can bid, in person or online , for a tabletop tree, gingerbread house or wreath in the silent auction. Friday’s Magic of the Lights Gala entailed a cozy atmosphere with dimmed lights, and began a weekend where members of the community can support the nonprofit while beginning their holiday festivities. Residents can attend on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a $10 entrance fee for adults and $5 for seniors, children and members of the military. Matt Nelson, chief executive officer of the Boys and Girls Club, discussed the beauty of bringing back tradition to not only spread holiday joy, but also to share it with the kids throughout the year. “This is a three-day event. We have community days for the community. The silent auction closes on Sunday at 5 p.m., and it’s all about supporting our Boys and Girls Club. We have 12 locations throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, have over 700 kids a day, 2,100 kids throughout the year who are a part of the Boys and Girls Club,” Nelson said. “We provide academic support, sports and recreation, health wellness and an overall second home for the kids.” Nelson discussed the entertainers who were present for Friday’s event, including members of the Boys and Girls Club. “We have kids from the Boys and Girls Club, Innovation Show Choir, and that’s what this is all about — getting to see the kids perform in his fun, festive setting and kick off the holidays for Santa Clarita,” Nelson said. “I want to thank all of our sponsors because their investment is what makes The Boys and Girls Club happen. [It’s nice] to have their passion and care about our kids, and their impact makes a difference in these kids’ lives.” Event chair Jenny Ketchepaw, along with her husband, Tim, took the time and initiative to ensure that the weekend-long event is a success. “It feels almost like a year of planning. As soon as one’s down, you start planning the next one, but things really get into high gear the last three months of the year,” Ketchepaw said. “There’s a team of designers that design the trees, and they’re working nonstop, around the clock, designing these gorgeous trees with staff that’s helping out. So many volunteers make this such a tremendous community event.” Ketchepaw, who is also the president of the club’s board, reflected on the uniquely accessorized trees and the impact it has already made on attendees. “Before we even opened our doors, somebody bought the Jack Skellington trees, and they paid a fabulous amount. There’s not even going to be a bidding war on it. One of my favorites items is a LEGO wreath made by a 7-year-old boy,” Ketchepaw said. “This event really benefits such an incredible organization and community. The Boys and Girls Club helps all of our kids in Santa Clarita, and we’re happy to have this event to kick off the holiday season, but more importantly, make sure that the Boys and Girls Club continues to be a welcoming, safe space for all of our kids.” First-time volunteers Valery Tsoy, 14, and Makayla Aleman, 14, and Brian Lumaya, 16, reflected on their experiences welcoming attendees to the fundraiser, embodying the traditional tree costumes. While they all had to meet volunteer hours for their high schools, enjoyment was the theme expressed as they began their eight-hour day. “It’s been really fun because we get to greet people. I like working with others and helping out the community,” Tsoy said. “Some people are really sweet, and some people wave and say hi. It’s fun to have people see smiles on their faces,” Aleman said. “I really like volunteering, helping people, being a part of the community and just giving back in some way. I thought it would be a fun thing to do,” Lumaya said. As for how they felt to be trees for the day, the volunteers responded positively: “I love being a tree. You get to dance around and see people smile and laugh,” Tsoy said. “Everyone knows that we’re not random kids yelling at people. We’re able to make kids smile and they get a good laugh, so it’s pretty cool,” Aleman said. “It’s fun. I like being goofy, dancing around and greeting people. I’m usually a happy person, so it fits my personality.” For more information, visit https://scvbgc.org/festival-of-trees-santa-clarita/ . To bid online, visit https://scvbgc.org/festival-of-trees-santa-clarita/ .
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jake Evans scored for the career-high fifth consecutive game and the surging Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Sunday night. Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Newhook also scored to help the Canadiens win for the fifth time in six games. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves. Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay. Jonas Johansson stopped 31 shots. Newhook opened the scoring on a one-timer midway through the first period. Hagel tied it 37 seconds into the second period, but Dvorak and Evans scored 5:54 apart in the period for a two-goal Montreal lead they would not relinquish. Takeaways Canadiens: Montreal has scored four or more goals in six consecutive games. ... The Canadiens snapped a four-game losing streak to Tampa Bay. Lightning: LW Jake Guentzel missed the game because of an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. ... Tampa Bay fell to 0-7-1 when scoring fewer than three goals. Key moment After Hagel tied it 7 seconds into the second period, the Canadiens' Lane Hutson took a hooking call 13 seconds later to give Tampa Bay a power play. But Montreal’s penalty kill held the Lightning without a shot during the man advantage. Key stat Evans' five-game goals streak is tied for the longest active run in the NHL. Up next Montreal is at Vegas on Tuesday. Tampa Bay is at San Jose on Thursday night. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Industry 5.0 Market: Poised for $470.43B by 2031, 31.5% CAGR
QUETTA: All of the educational institutions will remain closed in Balochsitan on Monday due to the call of a province-wide strike against the kidnapping of an 11-year-old student from Quetta. The sit-in committee and traders association have jointly called for the wheel-jam strike on Monday, Nov 25, while several political parties have also supported the call, against the abduction of a minor, son of a tribal elder Haji Raz Mohammad. According to the Department of Education, all public and private educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, will remain closed today in the wake of the strike. “The government decided to close educational institutions as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and staff, during the strike” sources said. Read More: PTI protest triggers closure of Rawalpindi, Islamabad educational institutions A strike was also observed on Nov 20 against the failure of authorities in recovery of the student who was abducted when returning home from school in Quetta. During the strike large number of protesters, including family members of the student, staged a protest, demanding authorities to take immediate action to recover the abductee. The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court has also took notice of the kidnapping while several political leaders criticized the provincial government for failing to recover the child, despite passing 10 days. On the other hand, In light of the ongoing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, a decision has been made, to close all educational institutions in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Monday. According to reports, the Islamabad Private Schools Association announced the closure of schools, citing the current situation as the reason for this decision.BEIRUT — Hezbollah fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in one of the militant group's heaviest barrages in months, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. An Israeli bomb squad policeman carries the remains of a rocket that was fired from Lebanon on Sunday in Kibbutz Kfar Blum, northern Israel. Some of the rockets reached the Tel Aviv area in the heart of Israel. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on an army center killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded 18 others in the southwest between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon's military said. The Israeli military expressed regret, saying that the strike occurred in an area of combat against Hezbollah and that the military's operations are directed solely against the militants. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the latest strike as an assault on U.S.-led cease-fire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war. Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. Hezbollah has portrayed the attacks as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas. Iran supports both armed groups. The Israeli police bomb squad inspects the site after a missile fired from Lebanon hit the area Sunday in Petah Tikva, outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Hezbollah, and in September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war as Israel launched airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah's top leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven people, including a 60-year old man in severe condition from rocket fire on northern Israel, a 23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast in the central city of Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, and a 70-year-old woman who suffered smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire there. In Haifa, a rocket hit a residential building that police said was in danger of collapsing. The Palestine Red Crescent reported 13 injuries it said were caused by an interceptor missile that struck several homes in Tulkarem in the West Bank. It was unclear whether injuries and damage were caused by rockets or interceptors. Sirens wailed again in central and northern Israel hours later. Israeli airstrikes without warning on Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 29 people and wounding 67, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. A flock of birds flies above the smoke from Israeli airstrikes Sunday in Dahiyeh, Beirut. Smoke billowed above Beirut again Sunday with new strikes. Israel's military said it targeted command centers for Hezbollah and its intelligence unit in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, where the militants have a strong presence. Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,700 people in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in northern Israel and in battle following Israel's ground invasion in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country's north. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to the Lebanese c... The European Union’s top diplomat called Sunday for more pressure on Israel and Hezbollah to reach a deal, saying one was "pending with a final agreement from the Israeli government.” U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region last week. Josep Borrell spoke after meeting with Mikati and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who has been mediating with the group. Borrell said the EU is ready to allocate $208 million to assist the Lebanese military. But Borrell later said that he did not “see the Israeli government interested clearly in reaching an agreement for a cease-fire" and that it seemed Israel was seeking new conditions. He pointed to Israel’s refusal to accept France as a member of the international committee that would oversee the cease-fire's implementation. The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the monthlong 2006 war. Lebanese troops would patrol with the presence of U.N. peacekeepers. With talks for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza stalled, freed hostages and families of those held marked a year since the war's only hostage-release deal. “It’s hard to hold on to hope, certainly after so long and as another winter is about to begin," said Yifat Zailer, cousin of Shiri Bibas, who is held along with her husband and two young sons. Around 100 hostages are still in Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Most of the rest of the 250 who were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack were released in last year's cease-fire. Talks for another deal recently had several setbacks, including the firing of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who pushed for a deal, and Qatar’s decision to suspend its mediation. Hamas wants Israel to end the war and withdraw all troops from Gaza. Israel has offered only to pause its offensive. The Palestinian death toll from the war surpassed 44,000 this week, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. On Sunday, six people were killed in strikes in central Gaza, according to AP journalists at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. How often do you buy something online ? A couple of times a month? A couple of times a week? A couple of times a day? Everybody's answer will be different, but collectively, it's done a lot: Online retail accounted for over $1 trillion of purchases in the U.S. in 2022 and a record $277.6 billion in the second quarter of 2023 alone. Retailers ranging from titans like Amazon and Walmart, down to local small-town shops work very hard to land their share of that business. Sadly and inevitably—so do criminals and scammers. At any given moment, they operate millions of bogus sites. So how can you spot those fake online shopping sites? Spokeo provides a guide. In the early days of the internet , it took some genuine skills to set up a website, but those days are gone. A quick search will show that there are lots of apps and services offering websites on a prefabricated "fill in the blanks" basis, and most web hosts provide those tools as part of the service when someone signs up with them. It's even easier on social media . If you were opening a "side hustle" business tomorrow from your home, you could set up your own Facebook page tonight in under an hour, with exactly zero knowledge of websites. Once that page is set up, you just need to throw a few dollars in the direction of Facebook's advertising department, and they'll start advertising your page to users. It's no harder to promote a website, except in that case, you'd give your advertising dollars to Google. This is a simplified overview, but the main point holds: Establishing a presence online has become a very democratized process, open to anyone with minimal skills and even the smallest budget for advertising. That's been a boon for legitimate entrepreneurs, but it also makes life very easy indeed for scammers. There are multiple types of bogus websites . Some are imposters, created to look very much like a legitimate commercial or government site that you're familiar with, such as Amazon or Netflix. Others don't imitate a specific site, but instead attempt to capture the look and feel of those sites in general (whether that be a retail site, a government or bank page, or even something relatively shady like a gambling or porn site). Next, scammers find ways to drive traffic to their site. Often that's through phishing texts or emails, but deceptive ads on social media or search engines like Google and Bing work just as well. Once a browser arrives at the criminals' site (or, in some cases, downloads their app), any number of bad things can happen. One is that they'll download malware onto your devices, which can capture passwords or steal personal information. A more straightforward risk is that the browser will cheerfully enter their personal and banking/credit card information, thinking they're making a legitimate purchase. That's largely why fake online shopping sites are so dangerous, and so useful to scammers and identity thieves. Most bogus sites share some or all of those characteristics, but shopping sites are a very specific type of bogus site with some quirks of their own. One characteristic to count on—whether the website directly impersonates a major retailer like Amazon, a niche retailer like MEC, or just positions itself as an anonymously general retail site—is that it will offer unusually low pricing on high-demand products. That might be a mass-market item like the latest gaming console, a suddenly in-demand item that's unavailable through normal channels (remember trying to get masks and sanitizing wipes during COVID-19?), or something as mundane as disposable diapers or high-capacity computer drives. Whatever the product, the advertised price will be low enough to get attention. The bogus site will have any number of ways to transfer a browser's money to its coffers, depending on the scammers' intentions and skillset. A few of the most common include: These are all aside from the potential to infect devices or steal payment information . Sites focused on identity theft might consider a faux purchase to be just the added gravy. How common is online shopping fraud? Well, the news is pretty bad. The FTC's 2022 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book recorded over 327,000 online shopping complaints, the fourth-highest category for overall complaints and second among fraud categories. You would expect these sites to be more prevalent during the final quarter of the year, corresponding to the holiday gift-giving season—Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas itself—and they are, but that doesn't mean you can relax during the other nine months of the year. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, or APWG, identified nearly a million fake or phishing websites during the first quarter of 2022 alone (not a busy time of year for shopping), for example. To be clear, only 14.6% of those were eCommerce sites, but that still translates to well over 140,000 bogus shopping sites. The true number is almost certainly higher because the APWG only tracks the ones that use a phishing approach. Many opt to simply buy advertising instead (or as well), and those won't be captured in the APWG's statistics. However you slice it, there's a definite risk of encountering these sites when you shop. The good news is that bogus shopping sites aren't hard to spot, once you're aware of the risk. They aren't built for permanence; scammers pull them together quickly and cheaply and then abandon them once they stop producing.That "just good enough" approach leaves plenty of visible signs you can detect. Below, here's what to look for when recognizing fake online shopping sites. Bad images Bogus sites don't have direct access to the real products' manufacturing images, so they resort to copying and pasting from legitimate sites. \That means bogus sites' product images (and often their fake logos, if they impersonate a legitimate site) are fuzzy and low-res. A URL that's slightly "off" Imposter sites obviously can't have the same URL as the legitimate site, so they'll usually have a URL that looks right, but isn't quite. They might have a typo in the name, or incorporate the real company's name into their URL in a non-standard way ("myfakesite.amazon.com.123xyz.com"), or—sneakiest of all—use a letter from a different language's character set , which looks the same to the eye, but not to the computer. Broken links The scammers may have simply copied and pasted user interface elements from a legitimate site, in which case many links on the site may be broken (or simply not clickable). Lots of missing elements A legitimate retail website will have several pages of legalese, often starting with a pop-up about its cookie policy or privacy policy. You should certainly expect to see a detailed document spelling out shipping policies, return and refund policies, and similar details. If those are missing or brief and vapid, it's probably a fake site. Limited options for payment Sites that plan to take your money and run will often show oddly specific payment options, from wire transfers to gift cards to cryptocurrency. The thing those payment methods have in common is that it's very difficult to get money back once it's spent. Sites geared around capturing your personal or payment information, on the other hand, may insist on getting your credit card. Typos, grammar, and linguistic errors Simple, silly language errors are often a red flag. Scammers may not be native English speakers, and it shows up in awkward or sometimes inappropriate phrasing. Errors in actual product listings aren't necessarily a smoking gun—you'll see them frequently on real Amazon pages—because they come from the manufacturers, who are often not English speakers. Language errors on the rest of the site are more of a concern. HTTP vs. HTTPS In the address bar of your browser, a legitimate retail site's URL will start with HTTPS, rather than HTTP, and will show a closed lock symbol. The majority of fake sites now also have an HTTPS URL and will show the lock (so this isn't as helpful as it used to be), but less-sophisticated scammers may miss that detail. You can automatically rule those ones out. And, of course, the biggest red flag of all is an unrealistically low price on the product you're looking for. We all want to get a really good deal, but that impulse will often lead you astray. If a shopping site fails those basic "eyeball" tests, the smart thing to do is just close that browser tab and walk away. If you want to dig deeper, or if you aren't sure, there are a few quick and easy ways to verify a site's legitimacy. Use a URL/website checker Remember those really sneaky fake URLs that use a letter from another alphabet? The best way to check those (and other problematic elements in a URL) is through a URL verifier/website reputation service, like the ones from URLVoid and Google . Just copy (don't click!) the link, and paste it into the checker. If the site is sketchy, they'll tell you. Look up the site on a registry Domain names all need to be registered and there are several lookup tools to check this, like ICANN's registration lookup (think of it as Spokeo for websites). If a site claims to be Amazon but was registered just a few weeks ago, that's a really big red flag. Similarly, if the site isn't located where it should be, or if the ownership data is obscured, that's grounds for concern. Turn to Google If you have a bad feeling about a particular site, do a quick Google or Bing (or whatever) search that pairs the site's name with keywords like "scam," "fraud," "bogus" or "ripoff" and see what comes up. If you get a lot of hits, that's definitely grounds for concern. Go Forth and Shop (Safely) If a given site fails any or all of those tests, then keeping your wallet in your pocket is definitely the smart choice. Instead of making the purchase, report the site instead to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and the FTC's Report Fraud website. That will get the investigative wheels turning and may help protect someone less wary from falling victim to the scammers. As always, wariness and skepticism are your friends when it comes to avoiding scams. Don't click on links in emails, texts , or social media messages; instead, go to the company's site by typing the URL directly. If you search a company's page on Google, scroll down through the actual search results until you find it instead of clicking on the sponsored results or advertisements at the top. Most of all, remember the golden rule of scam avoidance: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Keeping those principles in mind, and using the tips given here to screen out dubious sites means you'll be able to shop 'til you drop (safely), despite the vast number of scammers out there. And that—as the credit card ads like to say—is priceless. This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
A look at Jimmy Carter's life, legacy
AB-PMJAY has reduced cancer patients' financial burden significantly: Prime Minister ModiFormer New York Rangers goalie Steve Valiquette is making more of a name for himself as an analyst than he did during his playing days – and not in a good way. Valiquette is getting roasted on social media after calling out New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes for attempting a one-handed deke on a breakaway against Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin on Monday night. The MSG analyst said during the first intermission of the game that Hughes was trying to “embarrass” his opponent and that the ‘Forsberg’ deke is an act of “blatant disrespect.” “That should send a shockwave to everybody on the bench. I know in my day, Colton Orr would have been hanging over the bench banging his stick saying, ’I’m coming after you because you tried to embarrass us,’” Valiquette said. “And that’s blatant disrespect and I’m sort of surprised I didn’t see a response from the team that way.” The former goalie, who played 46 games over seven NHL seasons, went on to say that it was more “Instagram hockey than intense hockey.” “He’s had success against Igor playing him straight up and I thought he slowed down. He wanted to put a fancy move on. It was more Instagram hockey than intense hockey,” Valiquette said. “There wasn’t much of a back check, so that allowed him to do it. “But I’m looking at him going like this and doing what in practice a goalie would get mad at a teammate for doing, saying that would never happen in the game. When was the last time you saw somebody one-hand score ... in a game? And I think that the Rangers should be upset about that.” When asked about Valiquette’s comments after the game, which the Devils won 5-1, Hughes gave a classic response. After being told the broadcaster thought Hughes was trying to embarrass Shesterkin, he looked befuddled before responding. “I don’t even know what that means,” Hughes said, looking back at the reporter to ask him “What does that even mean?” Users on social media had a field day with Valiquette’s ice-cold take. “I still cannot believe that Jack Hughes didn’t just dump and change on that breakaway last night. Instead he totally broke the NHL players code and tried to embarrass a top goalie in the league in Igor Shesterkin,” one user joked. “Someone should go and beat up Jack Hughes for ... missing a breakaway attempt? What are we even doing here?” another X user responded. “One of league’s most skilled players attempts to skillfully score a goal. Film at 11,” a third user wrote. While Hughes didn’t bury the breakaway attempt, he did end up scoring twice in the game and adding an assist. The two teams meet again on Dec. 23 and you can bet that the Broadway Blue Shirts will be keeping a closer eye on the Devils star.
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South Florida defeats Portland 74-68BOONE, N.C. (AP) — South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has been hired as head coach at Appalachian State and will receive a five-year contract, athletic director Doug Gillin announced Saturday. The 44-year-old Loggains replaces Shawn Clark, who was fired Monday after the Mountaineers finished 5-6 for their first losing season since 2013. Loggains was South Carolina's offensive coordinator for two seasons and an assistant at Arkansas, his alma mater, for two seasons before that. He spent 16 years in the NFL as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Tennessee, Cleveland, Chicago, Miami and the New York Jets. “He brings experience as a leader and play-caller at the highest levels of professional and college football," Gillin said. "He is a great recruiter and believes strongly in building relationships. He is aligned with our core values of academic integrity, competitive excellence, social responsibility and world-class experience. This is a great day for App State.” Loggains' offense at South Carolina featured LaNorris Sellers, one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks, and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Sellers and Sanders led the Southeastern Conference's third-ranked rushing offense. Loggains spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as Arkansas' tight ends coach, and he worked with Sam Darnold, Jay Cutler, Mitchell Trubisky, Brian Hoyer and Vince Young during his time in the NFL. The Mountaineers, the preseason favorites in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division, tied for fifth with a 3-5 record in league play. App State was 40-24 under Clark, but the Mountaineers have failed to reach a bowl game two of the past three seasons. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballReal vs. fake: Can you spot AI-generated images?
Traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in New York City. NEW YORK - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at fresh records with narrow gains on Dec 3, as markets reacted to mixed labour market data that kept alive the possibility of another Federal Reserve interest rate cut. Major indices have been notching regular records following the US presidential election, spawning talk that markets are now overvalued. “There’s not a whole lot of natural drivers of new money coming into the market at this point,” said Ms Kim Forrest, of Bokeh Capital Partners, adding that markets appear “biased to the upside” in light of a benign 2025 financial outlook. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.2 per cent at 44,705.53. But the broad-based S&P 500 added 0.1 per cent at 6,049.88, a third straight record, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 0.4 per cent to 19,480.91, scoring its second straight record. A closely-watched labour market report showed an increase in job openings in October, but also a decline in new job postings during the month, a less upbeat sign. Mr Samuel Tombs, chief US economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the data overall provides “good grounds” for the Fed to lower interest rates again this month. Futures markets lifted the odds of another rate cut by the US central bank on Dec 17. Among individual companies, AT&T jumped 4.6 per cent as it announced US$40 billion (S$53 billion) in shareholder give-backs at an investor day where it projected revenue and operating earnings growth over the next three years. United States Steel sank 8 per cent after President-elect Donald Trump reiterated a pledge to block a takeover of the company by Japan’s Nippon Steel. Tesla dropped 1.6 per cent after a US judge upheld her decision to reject Elon Musk’s massive US$55.8 billion compensation package, concluding the electric car company’s shareholder vote to reinstate the plan did not override her initial ruling. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowNone