Julián Álvarez picking up the scoring pace with Atletico MadridWith nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Mr Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on January 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Mr Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned that “this was just a first run”. “Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.” Mr Milanovic, the most popular politician in Croatia, has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, the 58-year-old has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and continuous sparring between the two has been a recent hallmark of Croatia’s political scene. Mr Plenkovic has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and Nato. He has labelled Mr Milanovic “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him (Mr Primorac) and Milanovic is quite simple: Milanovic is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military. Mr Milanovic has criticised the Nato and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, thought it is a member of both Nato and the EU. Mr Milanovic has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a Nato-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war”. His main rival in the election, Mr Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East”. However, his bid for the presidency has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and which featured prominently in pre-election debates. Trailing a distant third in the pre-election polls is Marija Selak Raspudic, a conservative independent candidate. She has focused her election campaign on the economic troubles of ordinary citizens, corruption and issues such as population decline in the country of some 3.8 million. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a snap parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.
CM meets PM with 1 lakh cr infra vision
After a trying 2024 season, Maryland football will take any victories when available, and Wednesday offered one. On National Signing Day, the Terps earned signed commitments from 20 high school seniors who can suit up next fall. The group has attracted high marks from recruiting services such as ESPN, which rates the class 21st in its national rankings, and 247Sports, which rated the group No. 27. The crown jewel of the high school seniors is Spalding quarterback Malik Washington, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound four-star prospect who has risen in 247Sports’ individual rankings to No. 50 and is the No. 5 quarterback in the nation. The Baltimore Sun’s 2023-24 high school boys Athlete of the Year , Washington became the first quarterback in Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association history to guide his school to three consecutive A Conference titles, completed 65.3% of his passes for 1,970 yards and 22 touchdowns, and added eight rushing scores. Whether Washington — who will not play basketball for the Cavaliers this winter so that he can concentrate on football — will see much playing time remains to be seen. Billy Edwards Jr., who started the first 11 games for the Terps (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) before sitting out Saturday’s 44-7 loss at No. 3 Penn State because of an injured thumb on his right (throwing) hand, is slated to return after finishing his redshirt junior year ranked second in the Big Ten in total passing yards (2,881), third in passing yards per game (261.9) and eighth in completion percentage (.65). Although redshirt sophomore Cameron Edge announced his intention in October to enter the transfer portal, Washington would still have to compete with redshirt sophomore MJ Morris, who was Edwards Jr.’s primary backup. Redshirt freshman Champ Long, redshirt sophomore Jayden Sauray, and freshmen Roman Jensen and Khristian Martin could also be in the mix. Maryland coach Mike Locksley noted that Juice Williams at Illinois in 2006 and Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama in 2016 and 2017, respectively, started as freshmen in his offensive system. So he was not about to set any boundaries for Washington. “To me, the sky is the limit for his talent level,” Locksley said. “He expects to come in the mail room and work his way up. He doesn’t want it any other way. He wants to come in and learn and be a sponge.” While the clock on Washington’s development begins soon, here are three recruits (in alphabetical order) who could make an impact sooner rather than later: The 6-1, 196-pound resident of Newport News, Virginia, pulled a mild surprise when he chose the Terps over Ohio State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. And although he sat out the fall for Warwick High while recovering from a broken leg suffered in the spring, Delhomme offers a versatile blend of talent after demonstrating his skills at safety, wide receiver and running back. Rated a four-star recruit, Delhomme is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 22 safety in the country and the No. 115 player overall. If he remains at safety, Delhomme could replace Dante Trader Jr., a McDonogh graduate headed to the Senior Bowl, and pair with junior Jalen Huskey, who moved from cornerback to safety, in the defensive backfield. Maryland’s secondary was young and inexperienced this past season. The defense ranked 17th in the 18-team Big Ten in touchdown passes surrendered (22) and yards allowed per completion (12.1) and 16th in passing yards allowed per game (241.3). The unit also accounted for 11 pass interference and one defensive holding penalties. “Losing players like Dante Trader and Glen Miller that have been three-year starters back there on the back end, his range, his length, he has what I call the quarterback moxie that you look for out of a field general on the defensive side,” Locksley said. “He has tremendous ball skills, which — when you play that position — we see a guy that has the ability to play the deep part of the field for us and has the range, length and ball skills that you want as well as the physicality.” The 6-4, 305-pound resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia, visited South Carolina and Georgia but stayed closer to home when he selected Maryland. Gilchrist contributed to Salem High advancing to the Virginia Class 5 state Region A final and a 10-3 record this past fall. A four-star prospect, Gilchrist is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 6 interior offensive lineman in the nation and the No. 92 player overall. Gilchrist will arrive at an opportune time. There is an immediate opening at left guard with senior Isaac Bunyun exhausting his eligibility. And right guard could be a possibility if redshirt sophomore Aliou Bah, who started all 12 games there, moves to the left side. The offensive line could use some help. The unit ranked 14th in the 18-team Big Ten in sacks allowed (26) and had a hand in a rushing offense that finished 16th in rushing yards per game (110.4) and 13th in touchdown runs (15). Members of the offensive line were also responsible for 12 presnap penalties (false starts and illegal snaps) and nine holding infractions. “I see him being that talented [with] his size, his athletic ability, his skill set as well as our need to improve that position,” said Locksley, who added that Gilchrist could follow the paths of former Alabama offensive tackles Jonah Williams, Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood who started early in their careers. “Jaylen’s skill set is as a big, athletic guy that has a body and strength that translates to being able to come in and compete early.” The 6-4, 335-pound resident of Washington visited Rutgers, South Carolina and Tennessee before traveling to College Park and opting for Maryland. Jenkins has played on the defensive and offensive lines for Friendship Collegiate Academy (8-3), which has limited opponents to 10.1 points per game this fall and will meet Dunbar for the District of Columbia State Athletic Association title on Saturday in a repeat of last year’s matchup won by Friendship. Graded as a four-star recruit, Jenkins is considered by 247Sports as the No. 35 defensive lineman in the country. While redshirt sophomore Jordan Phillips figures to be a mainstay at nose tackle, there is a vacancy at defensive tackle in the defense’s 3-4 alignment. Senior Tommy Akingbesote started all 12 games there before exhausting his eligibility. Jenkins could fortify a defensive line in need of an influx of talent. As a whole, the defense ranked last in the Big Ten in total sacks (14), and the defensive line chipped in on 4 1/2 of those sacks. And in the last five games, the Terps surrendered an average of 184.4 rushing yards and 10 touchdown runs. “He’s a big guy with a little-guy skill set, meaning he’s one of those guys that is a lot like Warren Sapp,” Locksley said. “He’s a guy that has that twitch inside that most interior defenders don’t have. So for me with that part and that big body, he could very easily be an All-American left tackle as he can be an All-American interior three-technique nose guard guy.” Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com , 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun .BEIRUT, Lebanon — The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants began early Wednesday as a region on edge wondered whether it will hold. The ceasefire announced Tuesday is a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting sparked by the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. An international panel led by the United States will monitor compliance. The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict that in recent weeks turned into all-out war. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. The ceasefire does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Israel says it will ‘attack with might’ if Hezbollah breaks truce Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Warplanes bombard Beirut and its southern suburbs Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. Residents fled. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. Israeli forces reach Litani River in southern Lebanon The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. ___ Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.
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Avante Corp. ( CVE:XX – Get Free Report )’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as C$1.24 and last traded at C$1.24, with a volume of 12500 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at C$1.20. Avante Stock Up 3.3 % The company has a 50 day moving average of C$0.96 and a 200-day moving average of C$0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.80, a current ratio of 1.72 and a quick ratio of 2.77. The company has a market cap of C$33.03 million, a P/E ratio of -10.33 and a beta of 1.71. About Avante ( Get Free Report ) Avante Corp. develops security technologies, products, and solutions in Canada, the United States, Israel, Egypt, Italy, Kuwait, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company provides system design, sales, installations, and monitoring services, including alarm response and patrols, personal protection, house staff training, and secure transportation. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Avante Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Avante and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .