Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new chapter for Syria can begin that's free of terrorism and suffering for its people. In a social media post on X on Sunday, Trudeau said the fall of the Assad dictatorship "ends decades of brutal oppression." Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country on Sunday and is now reported to be in Moscow, bringing to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war. The toppling of Assad comes after opposition forces entered the Syrian capital of Damascus, ending half a century of rule by his family. Trudeau said Canada is monitoring the transition closely, and he urged "order, stability, and respect for human rights." Ottawa is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria and to consider leaving the country if it's safe to do so. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told a news conference on Sunday that Assad "was a puppet for the tyrants of Tehran." "He has carried out genocides against the Sunni people in his own country, and now he appears to have been toppled," Poilievre said in Ottawa. Poilievre said it's unknown who will replace Assad, adding it isn't Canada's fight and that he doesn't believe Canada should get involved. "We should stand with our allies, including Israel, against the terrorists. We should focus on protecting our own country." Ottawa describes the security situation as volatile, and said the Damascus and Aleppo airports as well as some border crossings are closed. An updated travel advisory from the Canadian government warns people to avoid the Middle Eastern country due to what it calls "ongoing armed conflict, terrorism, criminality, arbitrary detention, torture and forced disappearance." Canada has urged its citizens to leave Syria since November 2011, and its embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in 2012. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press. The Canadian PressBlack Friday could not have come soon enough for some CE and appliance retailers as they look to reignite tepid demand from value and discount minded shoppers. Several appliance retailers who are surviving on replacement appliance business, are looking to Black Friday revenue to bolster sales ahead of what could be a “poor” holiday sales period” said a Deloitte analyst. getting a good deal appears to be the order of the day with big brands such as Samsung, Sony, LG Electronics moving to strip share away from mass retailers with major deals offered if consumers buy direct from their own e commerce portals. Last week LG Electronics who have grown their direct sell sales this year, was out spruiking Black Friday deals on their web site for TV’s and appliances. A 65-inch LG OLED evo C4 4K Smart TV which was selling for $4,299 is now being offered at 50% discount, while a Samsung Frame TV was reduced from $4,999 to $3,460. “These are deals that won’t go through a high street retailer, and if you couple the direct sell by major brands with what Amazon are selling and you have a clear picture of how much business retailers are losing in store traffic” said a Harvey Norman franchisee. Brands such as Lenovo who are offering 58% off PC’s and HP who are offering 50% off notebooks are offering direct sell Black Friday deals in an effort to avoid having to give retailers a 40+ margin. LG Electronics splash banners spruiking Black Friday Deals Samsung, splash banners spruiking Black Friday Deals Retailers claim that are consumers are continuing to pull back on discretionary purchases of consumer electronics such as smartphones and appliance, instead they are sticking with older model devices. Another issue facing retailers and brands selling direct is that Google has been accused of “de-indexing” publishers web pages in the lead-up to Black Friday, amid concerns the search visibility of some e-commerce publishers who have revenue generating deals with big retailers will be greatly diminished. “It hasn’t happened in Australia yet but is tipped to hit before Black Friday one source told The Australian. “It’s a big power move by Google.” said one impacted organisation. By de-indexing news sites, the media outlets lose the passive income as fewer readers are engaging in e-commerce on their sites. An Australian spokesman for Google said they were unaware of the allegations levelled against the company according to News Corp who sells sponsorship deals to e commerce sites and brands such as LG Electronics. Black Friday, which falls on November 29 this year, has become the busiest shopping day in Australia in recent years, making it more lucrative for some retailers than the week before Christmas. US media has already reported titles such as Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fortune, and Time affiliate businesses had seen their search visibility fall dramatically, thus compromising their capacity to capitalise on their e-commerce deals with retailers and brands selling direct who have sponsorship deals with media Companies as opposed from buying direct from Google. Some observers claim that the coming Black Friday weekend is facing the real possibility of being less important after severing retailers started spruiking Black Friday in the second week of November. In the US this has already had an effect on some big retailers with Target stock being taken down 21% because of the effect of early Black Friday deals. “Consumers tell us their budgets remain stretched and they’re shopping carefully as they work to overcome the cumulative impact of multiple years of price inflation,” Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell told analysts last week. Several retailers including Big W, Walmart and Target have extended their one-day seasonal Black Friday discount offers into a sales event lasting weeks in a bid to tempt consumers to keep spending, as data suggests that their spree which has driven economic growth is beginning to falter. This is not unique to Australia, in the USA where Black Friday originated and inflation is lower than in Australia the practise is starting to have an impact on Black Friday sales. “We’re seeing this drag-out of incentives to try to widen the window within which retailers can draw in more consumers,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at adviser EY Parthenon. “The likely reality in this holiday season is that we see fairly subdued sales because volumes are growing, but at a moderate pace — and [retailers have] much less pricing power.” Retailers were “incentivising via discounts and different forms of promotions” for those at the lower end of the income spectrum while also “trying to grab higher-income individuals to make purchases during this wider window”, he said.Matt Gaetz says he won’t return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general
Winston's performance in snowy win over Steelers adds new layer to Browns' quarterback conundrumShrimpers see off Dartford to make it four league wins in a row
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index moved lower Monday, led by losses in technology and utilities stocks, while U.S. stock markets were also down. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 66.38 points at 25,625.42. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 240.59 points at 44,401.93. The S&P 500 index was down 37.42 points at 6,052.85, while the Nasdaq composite was down 123.08 points at 19,736.69. “It started pretty positive in the morning. It's just been slowly, slowly grinding down ever since,” said Michael Currie, senior investment adviser at TD Wealth. Some of the market direction Monday was driven by two separate news stories out of China, he said. “The (Chinese) central bank says they're starting to buy gold again, and they're looking to loosen their monetary policy a bit. So that helped oil a lot, helped gold a lot,” said Currie. China also said it’s investigating semiconductor giant Nvidia over suspected violations of anti-monopoly laws, which sent the company’s stock lower. Nvidia’s share price was down 2.6 per cent Monday at US$138.81. Otherwise, “it’s all about interest rates today,” said Currie. In the U.S., investors are awaiting the latest update on inflation later in the week. However, given that the slowing job market is more of a concern for the U.S. Federal Reserve at this point, the data is unlikely to change what investors currently expect from the Fed next week, said Currie: a quarter-percentage-point cut. “Unless there's something really crazy out of the inflation numbers, there’s no reason to expect anything different is going to happen next week,” he said. In Canada, where the central bank is gearing up for a rate decision Wednesday, a larger half-point cut is more likely, he said. Expectations for a bigger cut rose after last week’s jobs report, which saw the unemployment rate jump to 6.8 per cent in November. “The more we're cutting rates, especially the accelerated rate compared to the States, the more that just keeps beating up our dollar,” said Currie. He expects more buzz in the coming months about the divergence between interest rates in Canada and the U.S. as the loonie continues to weaken. “We're seeing it already, and as the gap gets bigger, it'll become more of a story.” However, Currie noted the TSX briefly touched an all-time high earlier in the day. “Basically since the US election, it's just been a non-stop rally,” he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 70.77 cents US compared with 70.74 cents US on Friday. The January crude oil contract was up US$1.17 at US$68.37 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up 11 cents at US$3.18 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was up US$26.20 at US$2,685.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was up eight cents at US$4.28 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press
DURANGO, Colo., Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (Nasdaq: RMCF) (the "Company”, "we”, or "RMCF”), an international franchisor and producer of premium chocolates and other confectionery products, including gourmet caramel apples, is pleased to announce the appointments of Melvin Keating and Al Harper to the Company's Board of Directors, replacing Starlette B. Johnson and Charlson Arnold, effective November 26, 2024. "We'd like to thank both Starlette and Charles for serving on the Board,” stated Jeff Geygan, Interim CEO of RMCF. "At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Mel and Al as the newest members of our Board. Their knowledge and experience will bring great value as we look to return Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory to sustained growth and profitability.” Mr. Keating brings extensive experience in corporate leadership, investment advisory, and board service, having served on nearly 20 public company boards throughout his career including directorship for SPS Commerce, Vitamin Shoppe, Tower Jazz Semiconductor, and Crown Crafts, among others. He has held various leadership positions including President and CEO of Alliance Semiconductor Corp., where he successfully executed a complex corporate restructuring, and also served as a Strategy Consultant for Warburg Pincus Equity Partners. He currently serves as a director of Agilysys, Inc. Mr. Harper is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader with expertise spanning industries such as transportation, real estate, and entertainment. As the Owner and President of American Heritage Railways, Inc., he oversees operations for its subsidiaries including the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. Mr. Harper is also one of the largest shareholders of RMCF, having recently purchased approximately one million shares of the Company (13% of common shares outstanding). About Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. is an international franchiser of premium chocolate and confection stores, and a producer of an extensive line of premium chocolates and other confectionery products, including gourmet caramel apples. Headquartered in Durango, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is ranked among Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 ® and Franchise Times' Franchise 400 ® for 2024. The Company and its franchisees and licensees operate nearly 260 Rocky Mountain Chocolate stores across the United States, with several international locations. The Company's common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "RMCF." Investor Contact Sean Mansouri, CFA Elevate IR 720-330-2829 [email protected]
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The reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week, but got back to winning ways thanks to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After a late Chuba Hubbard touchdown and two-point conversion had made it 27-27, the Chiefs got the ball back with less than two minutes on the clock and a 33-yard run from Mahomes helped set up Spencer Shrader for a game-winning field goal. THE CHIEFS SURVIVE AGAIN. 🔥 Patrick Mahomes comes up CLUTCH with a 33-yard run late, before Spencer Shrader wins it as time expires! Get your #NFL action on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/POt57HQYig — ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) November 24, 2024 Mahomes finished the game with 269 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Noah Gray in the first half. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns as the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 to improve their record to 10-1, matching that of the Chiefs. David Montgomery also ran for a score before having to leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended a four-game losing streak with a 30-7 win over the New York Giants, who “mutually agreed” to terminate the contract of quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this week. Jones’ replacement Tommy DeVito was sacked four times while opposite number Baker Mayfield ran for a touchdown and completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 294 yards. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker also ran for touchdowns in a one-sided contest. The Dallas Cowboys ended their five-game losing streak with a remarkable 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders, with 30 points scored in the final three minutes. KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown looked to have sealed victory for the Cowboys, only for the Commanders to respond with a field goal before getting the ball back with 33 seconds remaining. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin sprinted 86 yards through the Dallas defence for a touchdown, only for Austin Seibert to miss the extra point. 99 YARDS TO THE 🏡 @KaVontaeTurpin was gone!! 📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LvklCbYJ1e pic.twitter.com/4ckMWDEDPL — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 24, 2024 The Commanders tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes as the Miami Dolphins cruised to a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots, while the Tennessee Titans pulled off a surprise 32-27 victory at the Houston Texans. The Minnesota Vikings improved to 9-2 thanks to a 30-27 overtime win against the Chicago Bears, Parker Romo kicking the decisive field goal from 29 yards.
Actress Laura Benanti Shrieks 'F**k You Forever' at Former Co-Star Zachary LeviIEA Executive Director emphasises ‘there is no AI without energy – specifically electricity’ at event involving 500 participants, including tech & energy leaders and government ministers Leading figures from governments, the energy sector, the tech industry and civil society gathered this week for the first major international meeting of its kind addressing the deepening links between energy and artificial intelligence (AI) as the technology rapidly develops and uptake soars. The IEA’s Global Conference on Energy & AI on 4 and 5 December featured a high-level roundtable focused on building strategic understanding on energy and AI topics and a technical forum for experts. The two-day event brought about 500 participants to the Agency’s headquarters in Paris to discuss how to securely and sustainably meet AI’s energy needs, as well as how the technology could be used to optimise energy systems and speed up the pace of energy innovation. “There is no AI without energy – specifically electricity. Given the pace of AI adoption, now is the time for policy makers and industry to collaborate on a vision for meeting this fast-growing source of electricity demand in a secure and sustainable manner,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “At the same time, AI is poised to be a transformative technology for the energy sector, with the potential to accelerate innovation, improve efficiency and security, and speed up energy transitions. This first-of-its-kind IEA conference provided an important venue to advance dialogue on these topics at a critical moment.” The rise of AI is quickly emerging as one of the most important energy trends today. AI is already helping to accelerate the discovery of new energy materials and technologies, and it can be utilised to improve how energy is produced, consumed and distributed. At the same time, expanding AI and the digital economy requires huge data centres, which can each consume as much electricity as 100,000 households. Although data centres currently account for just 1% of electricity usage globally, there are already significant challenges to the grid in areas where they are concentrated, and demand is expected to keep growing. For example, in Ireland, data centres already account for 20% of electricity demand, while in the US state of Virginia, the share is over 25%. The IEA conference was attended by ministers and high-level government officials from about 25 countries, such as Brazil, Canada, France, India, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. CEOs and senior executives from companies with a combined market value of $15 trillion were also in attendance, with representatives from Amazon Web Services, Google, Hitachi Energy, Iberdrola, Infosys, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Schneider Electric and more sharing insights during the sessions. “Understanding the AI revolution is critical to understanding the future of energy,” Dr Birol said. “The IEA, which has long been at the forefront of analysing the links between digitalisation and energy, is uniquely placed to ensure that the significant opportunities that AI offers are fully grasped while associated risks and challenges are addressed.” “We will do this starting with a special report on energy and AI that we will publish in the spring of 2025,” he added. As noted in the Chair’s Summary of the conference, Canada communicated that it would work with the IEA to develop an approach to AI and energy issues, which would be formalized in 2025 under its G7 Presidency. France, as host of the upcoming AI Action Summit in February, underlined its intention to work with the IEA to shape a robust outcome on the energy-AI nexus. Korea, which will host the 2025 APEC Energy Ministerial, as well as the Clean Energy and Mission Innovation Ministerials, expressed its intention to work with the IEA to advance key discussions on the topic. Next week, the IEA will launch a new AI-based chatbot for users to explore the 2024 edition of the Agency’s flagship World Energy Outlook report. Developed in cooperation with Microsoft, the online tool is designed to answer questions about energy trends in natural, conversational language, allowing anyone curious about the findings of the report to easily dig into its analysis and projections. During the conference, the IEA hosted a fair for students, which explored potential solutions to the challenges of integrating AI into the energy sector. Vijay Vaitheeswaran, the Economist’s Global Energy and Climate Innovation Editor, also conducted a series of fireside chats with high-profile participants. Source: IEA
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