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In the world of football, debates and controversies surrounding individual awards and recognitions are inevitable. The FIFA best eleven lineup serves as a reflection of the diverse opinions and perspectives within the global football community. While Manchester City's representation in the lineup has sparked debates, and Real Madrid's omission has raised eyebrows, the beauty of football lies in its subjectivity and the endless dialogues it inspires.The film's release on Chinese New Year's Day is a strategic move that is sure to attract large crowds to the theaters, as the Spring Festival holiday is one of the busiest times for moviegoers in China. By capturing the festive spirit and excitement of the season, "Ne Zha 2" is poised to dominate the box office and delight audiences with its thrilling action sequences, memorable characters, and heartwarming message.
The heightened military activity near Taiwan serves as a stark reminder of the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the region. The longstanding rivalry between China and Taiwan, coupled with the involvement of other regional players, underscores the need for a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
The recent surge in demand for alternative investments, including real estate, has driven up the valuations of REITs, leading to a potential disconnect between the underlying asset values and market prices. This disconnect can create inefficiencies and mispricing in the REITs market, impacting investor returns and market stability.As the debate continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Elon Musk will respond to his son's call for him to "save America." Whether he chooses to address the issue publicly or take a more private approach to his parenting decisions, Musk's handling of the situation is sure to shape the narrative surrounding his family dynamics in the future. In the meantime, the public will no doubt continue to follow the intriguing saga of the Musk family with keen interest.
Title: Has it Gone Soft? "Phantasm Paru" Update Removes Summoning Mechanism for Throwing Poké Balls
2. Best PC Game: "Cyberpunk 2077"Wisconsin public worker and teachers unions scored a major legal victory Monday with a ruling that restores collective bargaining rights they lost under a 2011 state law that sparked weeks of protests and made the state the center of the national battle over union rights. That law, known as Act 10, effectively ended the ability of most public employees to bargain for wage increases and other issues, and forced them to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits. Under the ruling by Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost, all public sector workers who lost their collective bargaining power would have it restored to what was in place prior to 2011. They would be treated the same as the police, firefighter and other public safety unions that were exempted under the law. Republicans vowed to immediately appeal the ruling, which ultimately is likely to go before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. That only amplifies the importance of the April election that will determine whether the court remains controlled 4-3 by liberal justices . Former Gov. Scott Walker, who proposed the law that catapulted him onto the national political stage, decried the ruling in a post on the social media platform X as "brazen political activism." He said it makes the state Supreme Court election "that much more important." Supporters of the law have said it provided local governments more control over workers and the powers they needed to cut costs. Repealing the law, which allowed schools and local governments to raise money through higher employee contributions for benefits, would bankrupt those entities, backers of Act 10 have argued. Democratic opponents argue that the law has hurt schools and other government agencies by taking away the ability of employees to collectively bargain for their pay and working conditions. The law was proposed by Walker and enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature in spite of massive protests that went on for weeks and drew as many as 100,000 people to the Capitol. The law has withstood numerous legal challenges over the years, but this was the first brought since the Wisconsin Supreme Court flipped to liberal control in 2023. The seven unions and three union leaders that brought the lawsuit argued that the law should be struck down because it creates unconstitutional exemptions for firefighters and other public safety workers. Attorneys for the Legislature and state agencies countered that the exemptions are legal, have already been upheld by other courts, and that the case should be dismissed. But Frost sided with the unions in July, saying the law violates equal protection guarantees in the Wisconsin Constitution by dividing public employees into "general" and "public safety" employees. He ruled that general employee unions, like those representing teachers, can not be treated differently from public safety unions that were exempt from the law. His ruling Monday delineated the dozens of specific provisions in the law that must be struck. Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he looked forward to appealing the ruling. "This lawsuit came more than a decade after Act 10 became law and after many courts rejected the same meritless legal challenges," Vos said in a statement. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's largest business lobbying organization, also decried the ruling. WMC President Kurt Bauer called Act 10 "a critical tool for policymakers and elected officials to balance budgets and find taxpayer savings." The Legislature said in court filings that arguments made in the current case were rejected in 2014 by the state Supreme Court. The only change since that ruling is the makeup of Wisconsin Supreme Court, attorneys for the Legislature argued. The Act 10 law effectively ended collective bargaining for most public unions by allowing them to bargain solely over base wage increases no greater than inflation. It also disallowed the automatic withdrawal of union dues, required annual recertification votes for unions, and forced public workers to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits. The law was the signature legislative achievement of Walker, who was targeted for a recall election he won. Walker used his fights with unions to mount an unsuccessful presidential run in 2016. Frost, the judge who issued Monday's ruling, appeared to have signed the petition to recall Walker from office. None of the attorneys sought his removal from the case and he did not step down. Frost was appointed to the bench by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who signed the Walker recall petition. The law has also led to a dramatic decrease in union membership across the state. The nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum said in a 2022 analysis that since 2000, Wisconsin had the largest decline in the proportion of its workforce that is unionized. In 2015, the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature approved a right-to-work law that limited the power of private-sector unions. Public sector unions that brought the lawsuit are the Abbotsford Education Association; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Locals 47 and 1215; the Beaver Dam Education Association; SEIU Wisconsin; the Teaching Assistants' Association Local 3220 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 695.
The Jacksonville Jaguars placed quarterback Trevor Lawrence (concussion) on injured reserve Wednesday, likely ending his season after a vicious illegal hit in last week's loss to the Houston Texans. Lawrence, slammed in the head and neck by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after giving himself up, would be eligible to return Week 18. However, the 2-10 Jags are already eliminated from playoff contention. Mac Jones will start for the Jags this week against the Tennessee Titans. Al-Shaair, meanwhile, was suspended three games by the NFL on Tuesday. Lawrence, 25, has thrown for 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 starts this season. He also missed time with a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury. Lawrence was carrying the ball and went into a feet-first slide at Houston's 45-yard line during the second quarter of Sunday's game. Al-Shaair launched into him and delivered a forearm shot near the quarterback's head and shoulder. Multiple skirmishes erupted as Lawrence lay prone on the field. Al-Shaair was ejected, along with Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Lawrence immediately displayed the hand motion known as the fencing posture that is associated with traumatic brain injury. However, he was able to stand after being attended to briefly, and he sat up while being taken to the locker room on a cart. Al-Shaair took to social media Monday to apologize but the NFL was unmoved, announcing the three-game suspension on Tuesday. He is appealing. Al-Shaair, 27, is a repeat offender this season, having just been fined $11,255 for a late hit on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was also fined $11,817 for punching Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson in a Week 2 game. That came after a sideline skirmish that began after Al-Shaair hit Bears quarterback Caleb Williams late out of bounds but wasn't flagged. Lawrence has thrown for 13,815 yards, 69 TDs and 46 INTs since being selected No. 1 overall by the Jags in the 2021 draft out of Clemson. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.
The threats publicly aired by Vice President Sara Duterte have created a novel phase in the public appreciation of political assassinations. Whereas, people exploded in extreme emotion upon the news of high-profile assassinations like that of Benigno Aquino Jr., and the localized anguish of political assassinations of lesser officials, Sara Duterte has thrust the country into a novel season of “assassination watch.” Seldom have would-be assassins, both perpetrators and instigators, so openly advertised their move, with no quibble room for doubt, as VP Sara did when she emphasized the threat was “no joke, no joke.” This is new political telenovela territory. And Duterte has made sure this is a telenovela that will be followed throughout the world. The specific wording of her threat, delivered in a video that showed her partially in a darkened room, gave her threat an eerie, goosepimple-raising spectacle that quickly rippled around the world. Only in the Philippines! Political assassinations used to happen without much inkling or anticipation, like earthquakes. But the Sara Duterte threat converted the earthquake into an impending typhoon that would now be tracked day-by-day, kilometer-by-kilometer, with blow-by-blow annotations by political weathercasters. Will it worsen into a supertyphoon? Or will it weaken and dissipate altogether? Political assassinations have become a before-and-after national topic, where before it was always after the fact. Sara Duterte has also created a macabre package deal—kill one, take four. If she dies, the President, the First Lady, and the Speaker of the House will also die. The instructions to the assassin, according to her, is that s/he should not stop until all three are killed. This is, in nuclear war parlance, called a “failsafe” condition, because there is no way Sara Duterte can countermand the order, in her own words, “from the grave.” The contract that Sara Duterte has drawn is unique. It is inclusive and participatory because it encourages a myriad of perpetrators and instigators to now rush to initiate the process of eliminating her which will be blamed on the Marcos family. Unfortunately, there is no more whiff even of imagined honor or patriotism behind political assassinations. It has become just a matter of political ambition and money. How different the motivation was when Julio Guillen, on the eve of the plebiscite on the Parity Rights Amendment to the 1935 Constitution, threw a grenade to kill President Manuel Roxas at Plaza Miranda on March 10, 1947, because he championed the amendment which Guillen opposed. Guillen did it “for the sake of a Free Philippines.” The grenade killed one person and injured others. Roxas survived. Guillen died on the electric chair in 1950. Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. was less salutary in his motive but at least he didn’t hire an assassin to take down his father’s political rival, Julio Nalundasan. Marcos Sr. did it DIY, using a rifle from the UP ROTC armory that was traceable to him. To better appreciate this Filipino political assassination teleserye, I recommend you read the article “Killing Politicians in the Philippines: Who, Where, When, and Why” by Peter Kreuzer (Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (https://bit.ly/3D68AcA). The article provides an in-depth analysis of the targeted killings of politicians in the Philippines, focusing on the patterns, perpetrators, and underlying causes of such violence. Here are some points he makes: The Philippines experiences a high incidence of fatal violence against politicians, comparable to countries like South Africa, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. Over the past 15 years, approximately 70 politicians have been killed annually, with numbers exceeding 100 deaths per year in recent times. Local politicians are predominantly targeted, especially at the barangay (village) level. Vice mayors and mayors face the highest risk of assassination. While significant variations exist between neighboring local government units in levels of violence, the initial phase of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign led to a nationwide surge in killings. The perpetrators are typically contract killers hired to execute these assassinations. The individuals who commission these killings often remain unidentified and enjoy near-total impunity. The primary motive for assassinations is political rivalry, with adversaries eliminating opponents to secure or maintain political positions and the associated benefits. Political assassinations have adversely impacted governance, yet on occasion, they have opened the pathway to transformative change, as in the assassination of Benigno S. Aquino Jr. This teleserye is open-ended and may take time, so have your Piattos on hand for this exciting assassination watch. —————- 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 . [email protected]
Title: Audio's Continued Commercial Value Shines Through, Providing Favorable Conditions for Himalaya's IPOBoston is another city where rent prices have seen a downward trend in 2024. The city's student population, which is a significant driver of rental demand, has decreased due to the shift to online learning during the pandemic. This, coupled with an increase in housing supply as new developments come onto the market, has led to a decrease in rent prices in the city.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley wanted to be a student in team history before he had a chance to make some with the Eagles. The running back who had just signed with Philadelphia for $26 million guaranteed took a deep dive on some of the franchise’s greats out of the backfield. He learned about Wilbert Montgomery. Brushed up on LeSean McCoy. Barkley then put them in his sights — and this week against Carolina, he could become the top single-season rusher in Eagles history. Get past those two Eagles Hall of Famers and the target narrows: McCoy has a chance to break Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season rushing mark of 2,105 yards, set in 1984. “That's your goal,” Barkley said. “You want to come in here, you want to leave a legacy on a place, on a franchise.” Here's where things stand with Barkley in his pursuit of records: — Barkley has an NFL-best 1,499 yards rushing through 12 games, an average of 124.9 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson, he would surpass the NFL mark that's stood for 40 years. — Barkley needs to run for 108 yards against the Panthers to break McCoy's Eagles record of 1,607 yards set in 2013. Montgomery ran for 1,512 yards in 1978. “I'm aware of the things I can accomplish,” Barkley said. “The way I accomplish that is sticking to the script.” The Eagles (10-2) have won eight straight to take control of the NFC East and remain in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the conference. Barkley — with a little help from Jalen Hurts — has largely led the way and moved into MVP consideration. The former New York Giant also ranks third in the league with 11 rushing touchdowns. It's reasonable to expect Barkley to pile on the yards against Carolina (3-9). The Panthers are 32nd in the league against the run and just allowed Tampa Bay's Bucky Irving to run for a career-high 152 yards last week (he had never broken 100). “It’s incredible what he is doing. The record has stood up for a while. I mean 17 games or 14 games, it’s ridiculous,” Panthers defensive lineman Shy Tuttle said. “It’s a record that has been held for a long time and whoever breaks it, Saquon or someone else, it’s an incredible achievement.” Barkley leads the NFL with four rushing touchdowns of 25-plus yards this season and tied Montgomery for the most 100-yards games in an Eagles season with eight. “You get to see the player on Sundays. We get to see the person every other day during the week,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. “He’s special. At the end of the day, he’s a special teammate, special person. The way he connects with everyone, rallies everyone together. He’s one of the best.” Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is eager to get back on the field and put last week behind him. Carolina’s leading rusher had a costly fumble in overtime last Sunday against Tampa Bay as the Panthers were driving for a potential game-winning field goal, resulting in a 26-23 loss to division rival Tampa Bay. A dejected Hubbard remained on the bench for several minutes after the loss. “You definitely use it as motivation,” Hubbard said. “I have come a long way and I know what it’s like to play great football. That was a big mistake on my end, but I don’t just lose all of the work I have put in because of that one mistake.” Bryce Young is beginning to show he can be a factor with his legs, scoring on a 10-yard run last week against the Buccaneers. However, Young still receives plenty of good-natured ribbing from his teammates when it comes to his sliding ability, which the QB has previously admitted is limited because he wasn’t much of a baseball player. “He definitely has to work on his slide,” Hubbard said. “He has been making people miss so he hasn’t had to slide like that a lot. I mean I’m not trying to hate on my dog’s slide but it’s just a work in progress. He will be all right.” Panthers guard Robert Hunt said it’s always interesting playing in Philadelphia because of the team’s passionate fan base. Last year, while Hunt was playing for the Dolphins, he said an Eagles fan attempted to board the Miami team bus. “They have some characters there — some people who don’t really give a damn,” Hunt said. “He was trying to trash-talk us. But he was confident and that is what makes them them.” Hunt said the fan never made it on the bus. “Aw hell no, we would have stomped that boy,” Hunt said with a laugh. “He tried. He was talking his noise. Good for him. I don’t want to say you want a fan base like that, but you want a fan base that cares about the team.” AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
( MENAFN - AFP) Apps infused with AI are being marketed to schools across the world and governments are rushing to embrace the technology, despite experts raising serious doubts. The sector known as Ed Tech exploded during the COVID pandemic as schools closed to stop the spread of infection and millions of children were forced to learn in front of screens at home. As demand dried up after schools reopened, Ed Tech startups tried to win back investment by adding AI to their products and marketing. Tech titans like Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI have also spied an opportunity, promoting their AI products to schools or partnering with startups. While many education ministries have announced plans to deploy AI apps, there are plenty of dissenting voices. The UN's education body UNESCO last year eviscerated the record of online learning during Covid, saying the rapid rollout of tech solutions was a "tragedy" that had increased inequality and worsened learning outcomes. UNESCO's Manos Antoninis told AFP that AI might have some utility in education but right now it "seems to be creating more problems than it is solving". He cited concerns that companies were using data for commercial purposes, deployed biased algorithms and overall were less concerned with educational outcomes than with their bottom line. "I think the unfortunate thing is that education has been used as a bit of a Trojan horse to access future consumers," he said. - 'Ease the pressure' - During the pandemic boom in 2021, venture capitalists pumped more than $17 billion into Ed Tech. But that has slumped to $3 billion this year, about the same as last year, according to analysts PitchBook. But from North Carolina to South Korea it is a different story, where education officials have been encouraging teachers to use generative AI. Britain has already rolled out a homework app called Sparx Maths that uses algorithms to tailor children's learning. It recently announced a further multimillion-dollar outlay on AI programmes to "ease the pressure" on hard-working teachers by helping with lesson plans, marking and assessment. The European Union supports several learning apps, and several EU countries have experimented with them. China is a huge booster of AI in the classroom and has a national strategy for digitising education -- its centrepiece being a national education platform of tools and online courses. Yet the on-the-ground reality is often messy. India boasted one of the liveliest startup scenes in the sector during the pandemic, including a firm called BYJU's which was once the world's most valuable Ed Tech startup. Yet when schools in New Delhi were forced to close because of smog last month, there were no flashy apps to help. "It is not feasible for them to take online classes," 29-year-old teacher Vandana Pandey told AFP, saying many of her pupils had no smartphones or connectivity at home. BYJU's has faced allegations of financial misconduct and only narrowly avoided bankruptcy in a recent court hearing. In richer countries, the arrival of AI has received a tepid reception. Only six percent of US secondary school teachers polled by Pew Research Center in May thought using AI in education would do more good than harm. France announced it would roll out an AI-powered homework app called MIA in secondary schools earlier this year, but quietly dropped the project as a political crisis rumbled on. Many British parents are also not keen on Sparx Maths. "Don't know a single child that likes it," said one user on the popular Mumsnet forum. Another said the app "ruins any enjoyment of the subject" while a flood of other parents said their children "hated" the app. - 'More like isolation' - Aside from grievances over individual apps, educators doubt whether many of these firms are aiming at the right target. Almost all Ed Tech products promise to "personalise" education, often deploying AI to monitor a child's work and tailor workplans to suit their needs. Officials from Britain to Beijing have lauded this goal. But Antoninis said the rhetoric around personalisation "risks making us forget that a lot of learning is actually social, and children learn from interaction with each other". Leon Furze, a former teacher who now works as a consultant focusing on generative AI in education, was also wary about personalisation. "AI is touted as a solution to personalised learning, but it's a very specific kind of 'personal' which I think seems more like isolation," he told AFP. Both Antoninis and Furze warned that technology was no panacea, rather it was a tool that could help in some limited situations. The hard work, as ever, would be done by humans. "Tech solutions aren't going to solve the bigger socio-economic, cultural, and political challenges being faced by teachers and students," said Furze. MENAFN13122024000143011026ID1108991983 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.1. Poorly maintained heating systems: Furnaces, boilers, and other heating appliances that are not properly maintained or serviced can develop leaks or blockages that can lead to the release of carbon monoxide into the indoor air. Regular inspection and maintenance of heating systems are essential to prevent such incidents.The buy-out clause has been a common feature in player contracts, allowing clubs to secure the services of promising talents at a pre-determined price. In this case, Napoli was able to take advantage of the clause to sign Esposito permanently and add him to their squad for the long term.
The United Nations and other international organizations have called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. The escalating violence in Syria has raised fears of a broader regional conflict, with the potential to draw in other countries and destabilize the entire region.A Michelin-starred chef has appealed to thieves who stole his van with 2,500 pies inside to “do the right thing” and drop them somewhere so people in need can have them. Tommy Banks, who owns two restaurants and a pub in North Yorkshire, posted on Instagram on Monday morning to say his van with £25,000 of stock in the back had been taken from just outside Ripon. Mr Banks said in the video that the stock – including steak and ale, turkey and butternut squash pies, as well as gravy and custard – was for York Christmas Market. He urged the thieves to drop the pies somewhere such as a community centre, adding “I know you’re a criminal, but maybe just do something nice because it’s Christmas and maybe we can feed a few thousand people with these pies that you’ve stolen, do the right thing”. Mr Banks also asked anyone who is offered pies from someone who is not him to report them to the police. North Yorkshire Police said it had been informed of the theft and asked anyone with information to get in touch, the BBC reported. Mr Banks’s video contained the caption: “So @matthewalockwood went into @madeinoldstead this morning to pick up the van and it has been stolen. “These guys had loaded up the van with stock for @tommyspieshop today and left plugged in overnight. “I’m guessing the thieves didn’t realise they were stealing 2,500 pies along with the van! The pies are all in boxes with my name on so not very easy to sell. “If you are the thieves and read this I urge you to drop the pies off somewhere. So we can at least give them to people who need food and they are not wasted.” Mr Banks told the PA news agency: “What was really making me sad this morning, I thought suddenly they’re going to realise what’s in the back and ditch the food. “We talk about zero waste and when you’ve got just short of a tonne of food that’s probably been ditched, it would be good if it could find its way to people who need it.” He added that his team were “much less bothered about the van as they’re bothered about the pies” as it was a week’s worth of stock. The chef said they are planning to create a chicken pie this week and one of his team came up with the name “bandit butter chicken pie”, as he said the situation was “all a bit Home Alone – at Christmas with the pie bandit stealing our pies”.
In addition to the arrests, law enforcement agencies were able to seize a substantial amount of funds linked to the illegal activities conducted on Manson Market. The 250,000 euros confiscated during the operation represent a significant financial hit to the cybercriminal enterprise, disrupting their operations and sending a clear message that crime in the digital world will not go unpunished.TGA Player's Voice Final List Revealed! Check out the Latest TGA NewsIn conclusion, the investigation into Nvidia for suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws underscores the growing regulatory challenges faced by tech companies in an increasingly complex and competitive global marketplace. As governments around the world seek to assert greater control over the activities of technology giants, companies like Nvidia will need to navigate a shifting regulatory landscape while maintaining their competitive edge and reputation in key markets. The outcome of the investigation will be closely watched as a bellwether for the future of tech regulation and competition in China and beyond.Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter
Dividend ETFs have long been a favorite among investors seeking steady returns and capital preservation. With interest rates at historic lows and market volatility on the rise, many are turning to these products for their attractive yield and potential for long-term growth. The fact that the total assets under management (AUM) for dividend ETFs have now crossed the $71.1 billion mark is a clear indication of the enduring popularity of these investment vehicles.Moreover, the current market dynamics in Guiyang reflect a strong demand from both first-time homebuyers and existing homeowners looking to upgrade their living spaces. The concept of "just need and improvement" has become increasingly popular among buyers, who are seeking affordable and well-designed properties that meet their practical needs and lifestyle preferences. This trend has led to a rise in demand for middle to high-end residential properties with modern amenities and sustainable features, as buyers prioritize quality and comfort in their housing choices.