Aflac Incorporated Announces 16.0% Increase in the First Quarter 2025 DividendNoneCanadian Kurtis Rourke leads upstart Hoosiers into U.S. college football playoffsonurdongel In the wake of sky-high stock markets, one of the best things that investors can do at the moment is rotate more of our portfolios toward "growth at a reasonable price," or GARP stocks. As the rally in virtually every sector has Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of LTH either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Baker Mayfield mocks Tommy DeVito with his trademark celebration as New York Giants embarrassed at home by Tampa Bay BuccaneersMAP Meeting Evolves into MedSpa Pro, Builds Momentum for Record-Breaking 2025
The European Union also called on "all sides to de-escalate", while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "alarmed" by the violence and called for an immediate halt to the fighting. Syria has been at war since Assad cracked down on democracy protests in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and jihadists, and left 500,000 people dead. The conflict had been mostly dormant with Assad back in control of much of the country, until last week when the Islamist-led rebel alliance began its offensive. The attack has seen swathes of Syria fall to rebel control, including second city Aleppo for the first time since the start of the civil war. "We want to see all countries use their influence -- use their leverage -- to push for de-escalation, protection of civilians and ultimately, a political process forward," US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. In a statement issued by EU foreign affairs spokesperson Anouar El Anouni, the European Union also called for de-escalation and the protection of civilians, while also condemning Assad backer Russia for conducting air strikes in his support. Russia first intervened directly in Syria's war in 2015 with strikes on rebel-held areas. Its help, along with that of Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, were instrumental in propping up Assad's rule. On Monday President Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian both pledged "unconditional support" for their ally, according to the Kremlin. Aleppo is home to two million people and saw fierce fighting earlier in the war. The Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies took the city at the weekend, except for neighbourhoods controlled by Kurdish forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. They also seized Aleppo International Airport. HTS, led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria branch, has faced accusations of human rights abuses including torturing detainees. Abu Sufyan, a rebel commander, told AFP: "God willing, we will continue, go into Damascus and liberate the rest of Syria." One Aleppo resident spoke of panic. "There were terrible traffic jams -- it took people 13 to 15 hours to reach Homs" in central Syria, which is under government control. Normally, he said, it would take a couple of hours. AFPTV footage showed rebels patrolling the streets, some burning a Syrian flag and others holding the flag of the revolution. On Monday, Assad branded the rebel offensive led by HTS an attempt to redraw the regional map in line with US interests. His comments came in a call with Iran's Pezeshkian, who in turn pledged continued support and said Iran hoped "Syria will pass through this stage with success and victory". On Monday, Syrian and Russian air raids on several areas of Idlib province in the northwest killed 11 civilians including five children, the Observatory said. "The strikes targeted... families living on the edge of a displacement camp," said Hussein Ahmed Khudur, a 45-year-old teacher who sought refuge at the camp from fighting in Aleppo province. Other strikes in Aleppo killed four civilians, two of them children, the Observatory said, adding that air raids also targeted a Christian-majority neighbourhood. AFPTV footage showed rebels pushing into Hama province in central Syria. Syria's defence ministry said troops were clashing with "terrorist organisations" in the northern Hama countryside. Islamist-led rebels killed six civilians on Monday in a rocket attack on the government-held city of Hama, the Observatory said. Aron Lund of the Century International think tank said a major question hangs over possible Turkish involvement. "I have a hard time imagining that Turkey-backed groups could launch a major rebel offensive out of Turkey-held areas without Turkey being very significantly involved," he said. "But I also don't think Turkey necessarily wanted the rebels to get this far." Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an end to the "instability" in Syria and an agreement to stop the civil war. On a visit to Ankara, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it was crucial "to protect the achievements" of the so-called Astana process to end Syria's civil war, which involves Turkey, Russia and Iran. Several hours later, he said the respective foreign ministers would meet on the matter next weekend in Qatar. "We will try to activate this process again," he said. While the current fighting is rooted in a war that began more than a decade ago, much has changed since then. Millions of Syrians have been displaced, with about 5.5 million now in neighbouring countries. Most of those involved in the initial anti-Assad protests are either dead, in jail or in exile. Russia is at war in Ukraine, and Iran's militant allies Hezbollah and Hamas have been massively weakened by more than a year of conflict with Israel. Lebanon's Hezbollah played a key role in backing government forces particularly around Aleppo, but it withdrew from several positions to focus on fighting Israel. HTS and its allies launched their offensive on Wednesday, the day a Lebanon ceasefire began. The violence in Syria has killed 514 people, mostly combatants but also including 92 civilians, according to the Observatory. burs-srm-ser/smw
Florida State made official on Monday the hiring of Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator, confirming weekend reports that he would resign as UCF head coach to reunite with Seminoles coach Mike Norvell. UCF had confirmed on Sunday reports of Malzahn's exit but not his destination, and FSU had not made an announcement until Monday afternoon. "I am excited to be here at Florida State and to help us win championships," Malzahn said in a statement. "It's exciting to work with Coach Norvell, who is someone I believe in as a coach and leader." Norvell, who served as a graduate assistant under Malzahn at Tulsa in 2007-08, said on Saturday night after the Seminoles' 31-11 loss to Florida that he could not identify the new offensive coordinator until the hiring process was finalized. Florida State, which is 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, is ranked No. 132 of 133 FBS programs in total offense (270.2 yards per game). The Seminoles are 130th in the nation in scoring offense (15.4 points per game). Norvell shook up his staff, including firing offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins on Nov. 10 after a 52-3 defeat at Notre Dame. "I'm extremely excited to have Gus Malzahn join our staff at Florida State," Norvell said in the school's statement on Monday. "He has one of the most innovative minds in college football and a proven track record of developing elite offenses everywhere he's been. "His offenses have consistently showcased a tremendous running game combined with explosive plays through the air. I'm thrilled to work side-by-side with Gus again as we elevate the Florida State offense back to one of the elite groups in college football." UCF also endured a tough 2024 season, going 4-8 after losing eight of its last nine games. During Malzahn's four-year tenure, the Knights went 28-24, including 5-13 in the Big 12 Conference the last two seasons. Malzahn, 59, is 105-62 in 13 seasons as a college head coach, highlighted by a 68-35 mark in eight seasons at Auburn -- which included a BCS title game appearance in 2013. He served as offensive coordinator and play caller when the Tigers won the national title in 2010. Malzahn will be tasked with revitalizing a Florida State offense that helped produce a 13-1 campaign in 2023, when the Seminoles were denied a spot in the College Football Playoff. Over the last three seasons at UCF, his rushing attack has been in the Top 10 in the nation. In his 19 seasons as a college head coach or offensive coordinator, Malzahn's teams have averaged 447.7 yards per game, and three of his teams eclipsed 7,000 yards in a season. --Field Level MediaMining major Vedanta Ltd on Friday said the Mumbai bench of the NCLT has asked the company to call for a meeting of its secured and unsecured creditors and shareholders in the next 90 days to discuss the proposed demerger. The proposed demerger will create independent companies housing aluminium, oil and gas, power, steel and ferrous materials, and base metals businesses. The existing zinc and new incubated businesses will remain under Vedanta Ltd. "A meeting of the equity shareholders... be convened and held within 90 days from the date of receipt of the order," said a two-member bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) comprising Technical Member Madhu Sinha and Judicial Member Reeta Kohli in its order dated November 21. Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal had earlier said the proposed demerger of the company's diverse verticals that represent more than 15 commodities will see it progress from being asset managers to asset owners. As the company passes through the transition phase, Vedanta is focusing on consolidating and strengthening its asset base to emerge as a world leader in each of its verticals, the chairman had said. The diversified natural resources company had moved the NCLT seeking a demerger after receiving a nod from lenders and had expressed hopes of completing the process by the end of this fiscal year. Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Marketing Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups: From Concept to Conversion By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) ChatGPT Mastery from Zero to Hero: The Complete AI Course By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced Java Mastery: Object-Oriented Programming Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Validating Your Startup Idea: Steps to Ensure Market Fit By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By - Neil Patel, Co-Founder and Author at Neil Patel Digital Digital Marketing Guru View Program Vedanta had received approval from 75 per cent of secured creditors for the proposed demerger of its businesses. The demerger will help simplify the company's corporate structure by creating independent businesses. Moreover, it will offer global investors direct investment opportunities in pure-play companies linked to the country's impressive growth. The demerger will allow the individual units to pursue strategic agendas more freely and better align with customers, investment cycles, and end markets. From FY24 onwards, the company is investing USD 1.9 billion as growth capex across its businesses. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 4,352 crore in the September quarter. It had posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 1,783 crore in the year-ago period. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is November 30, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
StoreBond.com: Redefining Luxury with High-Quality Bathroom Vanities and LED Medicine CabinetsThe year 2025 will be another year of multiple challenges for Greece and Europe in a world where inequalities are spreading, uncertainty is multiplied, and the quality of democracy is downgraded, PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) leader Nikos Androulakis said in an article published Sunday in the newspaper "Sto Karfi". Androulakis said what is needed is a strong progressive voice that will represent effectively the world of labor, the most vulnerable, and the middle class. "A strong progressive voice before a government mired in arrogance and corruption, that disregards the problems of citizens," he wrote, adding that "the Greek people can rely on PASOK again for the great political change the country needs." As main opposition party, he said, PASOK "has shown another way of exercising policy. In its core lies the quest for processed solutions, progressive ones, for the problems of the Greek people." In order for ruling New Democracy to be defeated, another type of opposition must exist that can be effective and substantial, the main opposition leader said. "Behind every strong criticism of ours of government policies, there is always another progressive alternative we propose; a solution that the government initially tries to discredit, but it then realizes its value and appropriates it with public relation terms. In reality however, nothing changes fast in citizens' lives because its choices lack depth and a comprehensive plan," Androulakis wrote.
Tryptamine Therapeutics doses first patient in IV-infused psilocin Phase 1b studyDr Charlotte Proudman, who specialises in family law, had faced a Bar Standards Board (BSB) disciplinary tribunal over a 14-part Twitter thread criticising a judge’s ruling over a domestic abuse case, saying it echoed a “boys’ club”. However, the five charges against the 36-year-old were dropped on Thursday. In an interview with The Times, Dr Proudman described the position of Mark Neale, the board’s director-general, as “untenable” and said its chairwoman, Kathryn Stone, should also stand down. “They need a change, not just in those two individuals, though, because, of course, it seeps down to the rest of the organisation,” she said. She told the paper she “genuinely” wanted to work with the Bar Standards Board in helping them to understand how misogyny and sexism have impacted women at the bar. However, she said that “under the current leadership, it’s just not going to be possible”. The charges alleged Dr Proudman had “failed to act with integrity” in posting the tweets, that they amounted to professional misconduct, were “misleading” and “inaccurately reflected the findings of the judge” in the case. The women’s rights campaigner was also accused of behaving in a way “which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public placed in her and in the profession”, and that she “knowingly or recklessly misled or attempted to mislead the public” by making the posts. But panel chairman Nicholas Ainley found her tweets are protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right of freedom of expression. He said her tweets did not “gravely damage” the judiciary, which would “put them outside” of Article 10 protection, even if they “might not have been pleasant for any judge to read” or even “hurtful”. “We take the view that the judiciary of England and Wales is far more robust than that,” he said. The panel also concluded that some of the tweets were only inaccurate “to a minor degree” and not to the extent necessary for a charge of a lack of integrity. Speaking after the hearing, Dr Proudman told the PA news agency: “This ruling is a victory for women’s rights and a right to freedom of speech. “The prosecution against me brought by my regulatory body, the Bar Standards Board, should never have happened and I said that from day one. “I criticised a domestic abuse judgment. Everyone should have the right to do that, whether you’re a barrister or not. Our justice system, which I strongly believe in, is robust enough to withstand criticism from me.” She believes her tweets help “foster confidence” in the justice system, adding: “Only that way can we go about building change and a better treatment for all victims, women and children and men who are affected by domestic abuse.” Explaining that the BSB appears to have spent almost £40,000 “of barristers’ money” on instructing counsel in her case, she added: “I think it’s shameful that they’re using our money to pay for, in my view, malicious, vexatious prosecutions which I have no doubt was a personal attack against me as a woman and as a feminist, as an outspoken critic and advocate for women’s rights.” Dr Proudman called for “systemic change” within the board. “They don’t understand gender, they don’t understand diversity, I don’t think they’ve ever heard of the concept misogyny and certainly not institutional misogyny,” she said. “Until they recognise the deeply rooted, entrenched issue of bullying, harassment, sexism at the bar, for which I have suffered relentlessly... and own up to it I don’t think we’re going to see any change and I have no confidence in them.” She told of how male barristers have called her insulting names on social media and made derogatory comments about her. In the posts on April 6 2022, Dr Proudman referenced a case in which her client alleged she had been subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour by her husband, a part-time judge, meaning she had been “unable to freely enter” the couple’s “post-nuptial” financial agreement. Commenting on the ruling by Family Court judge Sir Jonathan Cohen, Dr Proudman wrote: “I represented Amanda Traharne. “She said she was coerced into signing a post-nuptial agreement by her husband (who is a part-time judge). I lost the case. “I do not accept the Judge’s reasoning. I will never accept the minimisation of domestic abuse.” She continued: “Demeaning the significance of domestic abuse has the affect of silencing victims and rendering perpetrators invisible. “This judgement has echoes of (t)he ‘boys club’ which still exists among men in powerful positions.” In the thread, Dr Proudman wrote that the judge had described the relationship of the couple as “tempestuous”, which she argued was a “trivialisation” of domestic abuse. “Tempestuous? Lose his temper? Isn’t this the trivialisation of domestic abuse & gendered language. This is not normal married life,” she wrote.Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reportedly said that President-elect Donald Trump’s victory puts Americans in “a very, very dangerous world,” stressing that he plans to spend his final two years in the Senate pushing back against the growing Trump-fueled isolationism within the GOP. The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican, who last month stepped down from his role as the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, has a complicated record with the incoming president . While McConnell has worked to significantly move the country to the right — much of it under the first Trump administration — he is no fan of Trump and his isolationist worldview that’s spreading throughout the Republican Party. “We’re in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II,” McConnell told the Financial Times on Wednesday . “Even the slogan is the same, ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.” He made similar comments before the election, telling Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in April that the world is “more dangerous” than before World War II due to the increase in and evolution of terrorism. The interventionist senator highlighted how Trump and the current GOP are regressing to pre-World War II isolationism — a foreign policy position that opposes American military intervention in other countries’ political affairs, including war. Trump and his allies have called for the U.S. to stop sending money to Ukraine , a country that’s been battling Russia now for more than two years. The former and incoming president has also argued that enemies within the U.S. are more dangerous than Russia and China, a claim McConnell said he vehemently disagrees with. “The cost of deterrence is considerably less than the cost of war,” the senator said to the Times. “To most American voters, I think the simple answer is, ‘Let’s stay out of it.’ That was the argument made in the ’30s and that just won’t work. Thanks to [former President Ronald] Reagan, we know what does work — not just saying peace through strength, but demonstrating it.” In one of many examples of putting the GOP first, McConnell told Welker in April that even though he does not personally like Trump, he would support him as the Republican presidential nominee. The senator told the Times that he voted for him in November but characterized the decision as supporting “the ticket” rather than the candidate. “The election’s over and we’re moving on,” he told the publication when asked if he regrets not doing more to stop Trump from taking office again. “He has an enormous audience, and he just won a national election, so there’s no question he’s the most influential Republican out there.” Trump is no fan of McConnell either, recently calling him a “disgrace” for endorsing him. McConnell, who has had multiple health scares in recent years, was replaced as the GOP’s Senate leader by South Dakota’s John Thune and said that he will not seek reelection after finishing the two remaining years in his current term. Jimmy Fallon Proposes A New Challenge For Mitch McConnell After Health Scare Outgoing Senate GOP Leader McConnell Has A Fall In Latest Health Episode John Thune Will Be Senate’s New Republican Leader, Replacing Mitch McConnell