Ducks forward Trevor Zegras has surgery on torn knee meniscus, will be out for 6 weeks
EastEnders fans are speculating that Cindy Beale, played by Michelle Collins, is on the brink of offing a well-loved character on the soap. Known for her scheming and cunning antics, Cindy hasn't changed a bit in the 36 years since she first appeared on the show. As viewers will remember, she's currently embroiled in an affair with her ex-husband George Knight's (Colin Salmon) son, Junior (Micah Balfour). However, last week saw a shocking twist when George's brother Kojo (Dayo Koleosho) stumbled upon Cindy and Junior in a passionate embrace, agreeing to carry on their clandestine relationship. In the ensuing chaos, Kojo fled, but after a tussle with Cindy, he fell from a high balcony. After dialling for an ambulance, Cindy fabricated a story, claiming she found Kojo in his injured state. He was swiftly taken to hospital where it was revealed he was in a coma. Since then, Cindy has been fraught with worry, fearing Kojo might recall the incident once he regains consciousness, reports the Manchester Evening News . But in Monday's episode (December 2), Kojo woke up from his coma, leaving Cindy petrified about what he might disclose. Upon learning he had regained consciousness, she made her way to the hospital. Once alone with a vulnerable Kojo, a desperate Cindy confronted him, pleading for him to keep their "little secret" and warning him of the consequences if anyone were to find out. "It will destroy George's family, and George will do anything to protect his family. And you wouldn't want to be the one to ruin that, would you? " she cautioned. Cindy ominously warned: "Because he might send you back to live with your brother. And you've adjusted so well, slotted in. And the girls would really miss you. But don't worry, because you're going to do what you're told aren't you?" The latest twists have now sparked concerns among viewers that Cindy is at the heart of a potential shock murder plot - and everything points towards Kojo being at risk. On social media platform X, tension amongst the audience is palpable, with comments like: "Cindy is gonna do something bad to this guy. Ugh, I cannot deal." Echoing this sentiment, another viewer added: "I'm SCARED!" While a third admits: "I'm actually so worried, but I also believe that Kojo is smarter than he seems." EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer If you love your soaps pick up Love TV's Best of British Soaps, packed with all your favourite characters and storylines. As well as interviews and quizzes. Click here to buy or it's on sale at participating retailers.
Labour members have gathered in Christchurch for their annual conference. Leader Chris Hipkins is set to speak at 2pm. The speech will be live-streamed at the top of this story. The party is debating a “captain’s call” ban and Aukus. Labour Party deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni told Labour members the coalition Government needs a “nana, tinā or kuia” to keep its three leaders together . At the Labour Party conference in Christchurch today, Sepuloni adhered to the time-honoured tradition in speeches made by deputy leaders of winding up the coalition Government, saying the fact she’d recently become a grandparent had given her the idea the coalition itself needed a grandparent in the room. A kuia, Sepuloni said, would have stopped Prime Minister Christopher Luxon from giving David Seymour a chance to introduce the Treaty Principles Bill to Parliament or allowing NZ First to take the reins of the Government’s Smokefree strategy. “David wants all the toys,” Seuponi said.
When you open up Instagram, only some of what you see is from people you follow on the platform. You’re also at the mercy of the app’s various algorithms, pulling in adverts and suggested content that thinks you’ll like based on your previous scrolling habits. While personalization in apps can be useful, these can take away some of the control you have over your feeds, and will potentially stick you in a content rut that’s difficult to find your way out of. There are ways to make changes to the Instagram algorithm though, that covers the Explore page, Reels, and the main Instagram feed. These are the options you’ve got available to you. Resetting your recommendations is the newest way of managing the Instagram algorithm. If you don’t see it available yet, then you should soon. It essentially gives you a fresh start for content recommendations: Instagram won’t make any assumptions about what you like in the feed, in Reels, and on the Explore page. You have likely seen the suggested content panels in various parts Instagram, and they’re picked using a variety of factors—including the posts you like and comment on, the accounts you’re connected to, and how popular particular pieces of content are with other users. To find your Instagram settings, open your profile page in the app by tapping your avatar (bottom right). Tap the menu button (top right), then : Tap , and you get the opportunity to review the accounts you’re following and the ad topics Instagram prioritizes for you. These won’t be changed by a reset, but you might want to tweak them too. Tap and then confirm your choice on the dialog that pops up. This doesn’t turn off suggested content, but it does reset the algorithm used to choose and serve it up. At this point Instagram will start again in trying to figure out what kinds of posts you’re going to be most interested in. On the same screen as the option, you’re also able to set your tolerance levels for the amount of “sensitive content” and “political content” in what’s recommended to you, and you can tap to specify types of content you definitely don’t want to see. You can also hide suggested posts from your feed for 30 days using the toggle switch. Beyond completely resetting your Instagram recommendations, there are ways to fine tune them. For example, you can tap the three dots next to an Instagram post or reel to find the and options—spend some time telling the app what you do and don’t like, and your algorithm should improve accordingly. You don’t have to go overboard with this: Just a few pointers on what interests and doesn’t interest you should make a noticeable difference. If you change your mind on anything or want to start again, go to the Instagram Settings menu from your profile page, then choose and or . When it comes to adverts, again you can tap the three dots just next to them, and there’s a option. You won’t see the same ad again across Instagram, and the app will tweak its algorithm to show you less of this type of promotion in the future (whether it’s for vacations, or beauty products, or whatever it happens to be). To get more information on why you’re seeing the ads you’re seeing, tap the three dots next to any advert, then choose and . Choose on the next screen to see a list of advert types Instagram thinks are going to appeal to you—tap on any topic if you want to tell Instagram you’d rather see less of it. Bear in mind you can also tap the three dots next to feed and story posts to hide or mute content produced by the people you’re connected to (without them knowing about it). These actions also play a part in refining the Instagram algorithm that determines which posts you see and when.
The National Hot Rod Association has unveiled the full lineup for its 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series , offering an exciting slate of racing events across its five specialty classes. This announcement marks the 74th consecutive year of NHRA racing, beginning with the renowned NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway from March 6-9, 2025. The season promises a celebration of significant milestones at various venues and features numerous iconic races to look forward to. This announcement is particularly important as it includes celebrations of several landmark anniversaries. Key among these is the 25th anniversary of racing at both The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Route 66 Raceway in Chicago. In another milestone, the season will commemorate the 15th anniversary of four-wide racing at Charlotte's zMAX Dragway, a unique fixture in the NHRA calendar. Beyond these, the 2025 calendar also sees important anniversaries for events at classic locations like Pomona, Phoenix, Dallas, and Reading. Fans can look forward to a ten-race schedule. Following its kickoff at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, this class is slated to visit key locations like Phoenix, Charlotte, Chicago, Bristol, and Richmond. The competitive season leads up to the playoffs, beginning with the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. With reigning champion Jordan Lazic defending his title, the series will culminate at the fall race in Las Vegas, a fitting backdrop for the championship end. Parallel to this, the NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown will feature an eight-event lineup, also launching in Gainesville. This series will travel through cities including Charlotte, Chicago, Bristol, and Norwalk, with its finale set at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. 2024 Champion Mark Pawuk will be among the field contending for top honors next season. The NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, a class which debuted in 2024, will also see an eight-race season. Its inaugural race is scheduled for the NHRA spring event at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, before stopping at other prominent venues like Chicago, Richmond, and Indianapolis. This series will conclude at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas. Adding to the calendar, the Johnson's Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock series expands to eight races. Initiating its run at Charlotte's NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the series will feature events in locations such as Epping, Bristol, Norwalk, and Brainerd, with the championship-deciding race in St. Louis. Johnny Pluchino, championing the previous season, will defend his title. A true highlight of the NHRA schedule is the Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle series, an intense four-race schedule launching at the Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago. Competing in cities like Richmond, Brainerd, and Charlotte, this series includes the inclusion of iconic racer Larry "Spiderman" McBride. The 2025 NHRA season is further improved with the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, packed with 45 divisional and 21 regional events across the United States. This series, known for catering to a broad spectrum of competitors, starts on February 20-23 at Phoenix's Firebird Motorsports Park. The season will broadcast exclusively on FOX Sports, with some events featured on the main FOX network. Full 2025 NHRA SeasonBEIJING , Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 22, 2024 , the " Global Gen Z Views on Beijing " event organized by China Daily New Media Center and 21st Century Media and Education officially launched. The event will spotlight three key themes: Beijing's cultural legacy, technological innovation, and environmental conservation. During the event, over 20 international influencers will visit notable sites including the Capital Museum and the Zhoukoudian Site Museum to explore the Beijing's rich history. They will also visit Beijing's leading tech enterprises and innovation hubs to experience the city's technological advancements. Additionally, the influencers will visit iconic locations such as the Yanqing Ecological Civilization Exhibition and the Beijing Wild Duck Lake National Wetland Park, gaining a firsthand perspective on the integration of environmental conservation and industrial development in the city. Through dynamic and youthful storytelling, the event aims to showcase Beijing's rich cultural heritage and its achievements in sustainable, high-quality development to audiences worldwide. During the first day of the event, Veronica, an Italian exchange student at Tsinghua University, expressed her excitement, saying, "I am delighted to be part of this event. My deep interest in Chinese culture brought me to China for my studies, and I have gained a lot from this experience." This event serves not only as a cultural exploration but also as a key platform for sharing Beijing's historical and modern development with audiences worldwide. Through the influencers' firsthand experiences, Beijing's rich cultural heritage and contemporary achievements will be vividly showcased to worldwide audiences. This event offers an international stage for Beijing to highlight its unique appeal, while promoting cultural exchange and fostering global understanding. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-gen-z-views-on-beijing-a-journey-through-the-citys-culture-innovation-and-ecology-302314744.html SOURCE China Daily © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
OUSTING SARA House of Representatives Secretary General Reginald Velasco (left) on Monday receives from former Sen. Leila de Lima the impeachment complaint that civil society groups filed against Vice President Sara Duterte. At right is Akbayan Rep. Percival Cendaña, who endorsed the complaint. —Lyn Rillon MANILA, Philippines — Citing five of the six grounds for impeachment in the 1987 Constitution, 16 individuals from various civil society and advocacy groups as well as relatives of the victims of the bloody drug war filed on Monday a complaint in the House of Representatives for the ouster of Vice President Sara Duterte. All but treason was listed as a ground for Duterte’s impeachment in the 33-page complaint, former Sen. Leila de Lima, the group’s designated spokesperson, pointed out. The chamber’s secretary general, Reginald Velasco, formally received the impeachment complaint at 4:30 p.m. and assured the petitioners that it would be acted on, although he initially said that Congress would not have enough time to undertake the process. READ: Marcos: VP Duterte unimportant; impeach rap waste of time Among those who filed the complaint in their personal capacity were former presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles; Catholic priests Flaviano Villanueva and Robert Reyes; nuns Susan Santos Esmile and Mary Grace de Guzman; political science lecturer Francis Joseph Aquino Dee; Gary Alejano, Maria Yvonne Cristina Jereza and Eugene Louie Gonzalez, all of the Magdalo group; Alice Murphy of the Urban Poor Associates; Sylvia Estrada Claudio, former dean of the University of the Philippines’ College of Social Work and Community Development; singer Lea Navarro; and Randy Francisco delos Santos, uncle of drug war casualty Kian delos Santos. Duterte’s office said requests for comment on the impeachment complaint had been relayed to the Vice President. De Lima cited the following as grounds for Duterte’s impeachment: culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes. It cited nine articles under culpable violation of the Charter and graft and corruption; four articles under bribery and illegal wealth accumulation; two for betrayal of public trust, particularly abandoning duties during Super Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and leaving for Germany amid a crisis as well as her failure to condemn Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea; and nine articles for other high crimes. De Lima pointed out that also included in the 24 articles was Duterte’s failure to account for P612.5 million in confidential funds from the last quarter of 2022 to the first three quarters of 2023, both in the Office of the Vice President and of the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as secretary. “There’s also the ground of [her] threats, rants during the press conference on Oct. 18 and the second in November 2024 because these are actually betrayal of public trust because these are also high crimes, the threats in her latest rants or her meltdown,” De Lima said, adding that another article of impeachment was Duterte’s alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City when she was mayor. She pointed out that another article involved P7 billion in unliquidated cash advances as well as alleged rigged bidding for laptops and electronic devices at DepEd during Duterte’s tenure. Also included in the complaint were Duterte and her family’s alleged receipt of hundreds of millions of pesos from drug personalities and her reported coddling, defense and enabling of televangelist Apollo Quiboloy’s crimes. The former lawmaker stressed in Filipino that “this (impeachment complaint) is really the decision of these private individuals, coming from various groups, who filed because we did not want to join any move of people in the government, including the President.” LOYALTY TO PEOPLE Leaders of civil society groups who filed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte (right) say their decision to proceed with the ouster move is meant to show their loyalty to the people. —Lyn Rillon/Niño Jesus Orbeta She was referring to President Marcos’ advice last week to put off impeachment proceedings against Duterte. The National Security Council (NSC), for its part, on Monday backed the President’s call. In an interview over government television, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said the agency shared the position that any impeachment bid against Duterte would distract the nation from the more important issues it needed to confront. But Malaya said the NSC was “alarmed [by] and condemns” the insistence of members of the Makabayan bloc. “What the NSC sees here is how the Makabayan bloc pushes the very firm Maoist Joma Sison ideology of stirring conflict among the powers-that-be” to create an “impression of instability,” he said. But Akbayan party list Rep. Percival Cendaña, who endorsed the impeachment complaint, said in Filipino: “The loyalty of our civil society leaders is to the people. Progressive forces who want to hold Duterte accountable cannot be dictated upon.” “As to the timeline, we leave it to the leadership of Congress but this comes with a reminder that we are duty-bound in the House to give this complaint a fair day in court,” the lawmaker pointed out. Earlier on Monday, Velasco said that once an impeachment complaint is filed, it is forwarded to the Speaker, who then submits it to the House committee on rules. The panel then refers it to the plenary session for formal submission to the justice committee. He said that the entire process would take 130 days but the House must initially act on the complaint within 10 session days after receipt. “So after filing, we won’t have enough time because we only have nine session days remaining until Dec. 18” when Congress goes on break, Velasco told reporters. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . The House acts as the sole prosecutor at an impeachment trial in the Senate, which has the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment. —with a report from Melvin GasconA, and Inquirer ResearchAnd single people are more likely to use mobility tools compared to those who are married, according to researchers from University College London (UCL) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Researchers looked at information from a group of more than 12,000 adults in England aged 50 to 89 who were tracked over a 13-year period. At the start of the study, 8,225 adults had no mobility difficulty and did not use mobility assistive products (MAPs). Some 2,480 were deemed to have “unmet need” and 1,375 were using mobility aids. During the follow-up period, there were 2,313 “transitions” where people went from having no mobility issues to needing some help with getting around. And 1,274 people started to use mobility aids. Compared with men, women were 49% more likely to transition from not needing mobility aids to needing to use them, according to the study which has been published in The Lancet Public Health. But were 21% less likely to go on to use mobility aids when they needed them. The authors said their study showed “barriers to access” for women. For both men and women, with every year that passed during the study period the need for mobility aids increased. People who were older, less educated, less wealthy or reported being disabled were more likely to “transition from no need to unmet need, and from unmet need to use”, the authors said, with this indicating a “higher prevalence of mobility limitations and MAP need overall among these groups”. They added: “Finally, marital or partnership status was not associated with transitioning to unmet need; however, single people were more likely to transition from unmet need to use compared with married or partnered people.” Jamie Danemayer, first author of the study from UCL Computer Science and UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub, said: “Our analysis suggests that there is a clear gender gap in access to mobility aids. “Though our data didn’t ascertain the reason why participants weren’t using mobility aids, other research tells us that women are often more likely than men to face obstacles such as cost barriers as a result of well-documented income disparities between genders. “Many mobility aids are designed for men rather than women, which we think may be a factor. “Using mobility aids can also make a disability visible, which can impact the safety and stigma experienced by women, in particular. “There’s a critical need for further research to identify and break down the barriers preventing women from accessing mobility aids that would improve their quality of life.” Professor Cathy Holloway, also from UCL, added: “Not having access to mobility aids when a person needs one can have a big impact on their independence, well-being and quality of life. “Our analysis suggests that women, in particular, regardless of other factors such as education and employment status, are not getting the support that they need.” Professor Shereen Hussein, senior author of the study and lead of the social care group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The research provides compelling evidence of gender disparities in accessing assistive technology, suggesting that cost, design bias, and social stigma are likely to disproportionally affect women. “This underscores the need for inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches in the design, production and inclusivity of assistive technologies.”
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher after flipping between gains and losses several times during the day. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 461 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Nvidia rose just 0.5% after beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue yet again, but it was still the strongest force pulling the S&P 500 upward. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations due to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia’s revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” The stock meandered through Thursday as well, dragging the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. How Nvidia’s stock performs has more impact than any other because it’s grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.7% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 8.3% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 ended up rising Thursday, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.7%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 4.7% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. All told, the S&P 500 rose 31.60 points to 5,948.71. The Dow jumped 461.88 to 43,870.35, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.28 to 18,972.42. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before pulling back toward $98,000, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin got a further boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said Thursday he would step down in January . Gensler has pushed for more protections for crypto investors. Bitcoin and related investment have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early Thursday gain of 14.6% for its stock quickly disappear. It finished the day with a loss of 16.2%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Stock indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will open their season in a blockbuster. The pair will renew their rivalry to start the WNBA season and it is no surprise their matchup is drawing huge interest with ticket prices reaching eye-watering levels. The WNBA 2024 offseason is in full-swing with the season not scheduled to start until May 2025 and all eyes on the 3x3 'Unrivaled league set to take center stage in Miami. However the league continues to make headlines, thanks in the main to Reese and Clark, with huge anticipation for the recent schedule release day. On day 2 of the WNBA season, the Clark's Fever will face Reese's Sky in Indianapolis, the scene for record-setting levels on attendance in 2024 as Clark's rookie season took over the competition. Despite the game not being until May 17, prices have sky-rocketed to levels that surpass the season openers of most NBA teams in 2024. At the time of writing, the get-in price starts at $238 with prices reaching up $2,500 according to TickPick . Only the Boston Celtics had a higher season-opener get-in price in the NBA with Clark and Reese's showdown more expensive than the other 29 teams. Social media was quick to react to the prices and were in awe. " $1000 for a family of 4 to go to a WNBA game ...," one fan wrote. " Wow, that's a steep price for Opening Night !" another said. "The Fever vs. Sky will definitely be a big game, but $271 is surprising compared to most NBA home openers." One fan compared the level of anticipation for their rivalry to an historic NBA battle, "Their version of Bird vs Magic And Jordan is on the way soon lol," the fan wrote . It is not the first time that Clark and Reese have made headlines with the cost of their games as back in August the median prices of their for their game was $845 according to Stubhub . Last season Clark and Reese faced off four times as rookies with the Fever and Clark coming out on top three times. Clark also beat Reese in the race for Rookie of the Year in a contest that was decided once Reese's season was ended with a wrist injury. One of the matchups between the pair was a 17,000 sell-out last year at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the arena that will host the Fever's season opener in 2025. The new season will also see two new head coaches lead out the teams with Stephanie White taking charge of Clark's side and Tyler Marsh leading Reese's team . Marsh is relishing the prospect of leading Reese. "We can't take for granted just what Angel was able to do in her rookie year," he said in an interview on the 'No Cap Space WBB' podcast. "And, she's a winner. She's doubted almost every year of her life and her career, and she continued to overcome, and that's something you can build on." Reese had the upper hand with a college national championship, Clark took Rookie of the Year honors and a spot in the playoffs in their first season in the pro ranks. All eyes will be on the next instalment, but it will cost.
PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Increases Stake in CoStar Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSGP)Newly elected TDs from the two big parties most likely to form the bulk of a coalition are due to meet for the first time this week to offer their views on how their parties should proceed. With Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael expected to have as many as 86 TDs between them the parties would only need the support of potentially one smaller party or a handful of TDs to ensure a Dáil majority of 88 or more. Sources in both parties suggested it would be some time before there would be consideration of whether the support of Independents could be sought to ensure a government could be formed. Mr Lowry has often backed previous governments in Dáil votes outside of a formal arrangement. He indicated he would be open to supporting a new coalition as well. But he said the two big parties needed to decide if they wanted the support of Labour or independents first. Mr Lowry said: “I have always been open to acting decisively and having a role. I’ve done it with successive governments. I’m not interested in self-preferment. I’m interested in being in a position where I can have access to deliver on constituency issues. I think there’s several Independents in the same position. So it just remains to be seen. It’s early days.” Independent Ireland, a new party, won four seats in the election. One of its prominent TDs, Roscommon-Galway’s Michael Fitzmaurice, said he would have to consult fellow party members when asked if it would seek ministerial positions in return for Independent Ireland’s support. However, he said: “For any of our lads it’s not about Mercs and perks, it’s about making sure the policy is right.” Given Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s expected Dáil numbers, he said he would not see them seeking a deal with a smaller political party such as Labour “because they’d have to give them positions”. He said Independent Ireland was “not parish pump” and suggested the big parties would want “to pick off a few of the single Independents that will sell their soul” to get things for their local area. Party leader Cork South-West TD Michael Collins said Independent Ireland’s door was “open regardless of whoever comes knocking as long as there’s a genuine attempt to form a government”. Protecting the national cattle herd and lowering the VAT rate for the hospitality sector are among key issues for the party. He did not rule out the possibility that his party would seek ministerial positions as part of a deal but said: “We’re talking about policies first. We can’t get to the ministerial positions until the polices are dealt with.” Paul Gogarty, a former Green Party TD before he lost his seat in 2011, is back in the Dáil as an Independent for Dublin Mid-West. He said it is “incumbent on any elected representative to discuss forming a government on achievable policy objectives” and ideally this would be with “like-minded Independent colleagues or parties with small representation”. He said it was likely Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael “will go for rural Independents that are largely parish-pump oriented”. Mr Gogarty said it was too soon to tell how many negotiating groupings there would be but doubted he would be involved with Independent Ireland or “climate-change denier Independents”. Cormac McQuinn is a Political Correspondent at The Irish Times
Washington, Dec 13 (AP) The White House has announced what it called the first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia, detailing more than 100 steps federal officials can take to curb hate, violence, bias and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans. The proposal follows a similar national plan to battle antisemitism that President Joe Biden unveiled in May 2023, as fears about increasing hatred and discrimination were rising among US Jews. Also Read | 'Maverick Diplomacy': Donald Trump Invites China's President Xi Jinping to Inauguration for 'Open Dialogue' Despite Tariff Threats. Officials worked on the anti-Islamophobia plan for months, and its release came on Thursday, five weeks before Biden leaves office — meaning implementation will mostly fall to President-elect Donald Trump, if his administration chooses to do so. In a statement announcing the strategy, the Biden administration wrote that “Over the past year, this initiative has become even more important as threats against American Muslim and Arab communities have spiked.” It said that included the October 2023 slaying of six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, an American Muslim boy of Palestinian descent, who was stabbed to death in Illinois. Also Read | Donald Trump Named Time Magazine’s Person of Year, Rings New York Stock Exchange’s Opening Bell. The plan details actions the Executive Branch can take, along with more than 100 other calls to action across all sectors of society. The strategy has four basic priorities: increasing awareness of hatred against Muslims and Arabs while more widely recognizing these communities' heritages; broadly improving their safety and security; appropriately accommodating Muslim and Arab religious practices by working to curb discrimination against them; and encouraging cross-community solidarity to further counter hate. Many of those state goals are similar to the ones the Biden administration laid out in its plan to reduce antisemitism — especially the emphasis on improving safety and security and building cross-community solidarity. “While individuals have sometimes been targeted because they are thought to be Muslim, it is also crucial to recognize that Arabs are routinely targeted simply for being who they are,” the announcement of the strategy states, noting that Muslims and Arab Americans have helped build out the nation since its founding. It says that new data collection and education efforts are “increasing awareness of these forms of hate as well of the proud heritages of Muslim and Arab Americans.” The plan calls for more widely disseminating successful practices of engaging Muslim and Arab Americans in the reporting of hate crimes, and that federal agencies are now more clearly spelling out that “discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans in federally funded activities is illegal.” The White House's plan also urges “state, local, and international counterparts, as well as the nongovernmental sector, to pursue similar initiatives that seek to build greater unity by recognizing our common humanity, affirming our shared values and history, and embracing equal justice, liberty, and security for all." Pro-Palestinian groups decrying his administration's full-throated support of Israel in its war with Gaza, frequently disrupted Biden campaign events, as well as those of Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden abandoned his reelection bid in July. Trump, who implemented a travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries during his first term, won the largest majority-Muslim US city in last months elections. Yet some Arab Americans who backed Trump have begun expressing concerns about his some of his choices to fill out his Cabinet and other picks for his incoming administration. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)