LONDON (AP) — Brighton had most of the chances but could not find the net in a 0-0 draw with Brentford that extended the south coast club’s winless run in the Premier League to six games on Friday. It was a frustrating night for the home side and especially Julio Enciso. The Paraguay striker had a host of opportunities to score but couldn’t make them count. Along with Southampton, Brentford has the worst away record in the league with seven losses and two draws and it was easy to see why in this toothless performance. Brentford had an early goal from Yoane Wissa ruled out for offside and, although it came a bit more into the game in the second half, it failed to pressure Icelandic goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, who made his Premier League debut eight minutes before halftime when Mark Flekken went off with a thigh injury. One bright spot for the home side was the return of winger Solly March. He came on as a late substitute to make his first appearance for Brighton since injuring a knee against Manchester City 14 months ago. The result leaves Brighton in 10th place with 26 points, one spot and two points ahead of the Bees. Arsenal was hosting Ipswich in Friday's other game in the Premier League, AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerGeorgetown 100, Albany (NY) 68Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes
PÉKIN , 30 novembre 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Un communiqué de China.org.cn. La fondue chinoise, élément très apprécié de la gastronomie chinoise, est sur le point d'avoir un impact mondial, alors que les experts du secteur et les fournisseurs d'ingrédients se sont réunis cette semaine à l'occasion du deuxième salon international de la chaîne d'approvisionnement de Chine (CISCE) à Pékin pour explorer l'avenir de l'industrie de la fondue chinoise. Selon Huang Li , présidente du Conseil chinois pour la promotion du commerce international du Sichuan , le salon de la chaîne d'approvisionnement de l'industrie de la fondue de Sichuan - Chongqing , organisé dans le cadre de la section « Agriculture verte » du CISCE, a rassemblé 11 entreprises de fondue de Chongqing et 63 de la province du Sichuan . « Nous voulons mettre en lumière les accomplissements de l'industrie de la fondue de Sichuan - Chongqing et de sa chaîne d'approvisionnement. Notre objectif est de promouvoir cette marque culinaire, qui représente non seulement le Sichuan et Chongqing , mais aussi la Chine sur la scène mondiale. Cette initiative favorisera l'expansion à l'étranger de l'industrie de la fondue chinoise et introduira des ingrédients et des épices internationaux dans le Sichuan et à Chongqing , encourageant ainsi le développement collaboratif au sein de l'industrie », a-t-elle déclaré. Le salon de la fondue chinoise, le seul salon thématique du CISCE, s'étend sur 4 000 mètres carrés et présente l'ensemble de la chaîne industrielle de la fondue de Sichuan - Chongqing , y compris les marques de produits, les entreprises de la chaîne d'approvisionnement et les fournisseurs internationaux. Il présente une variété de produits, notamment des condiments et des ingrédients au début de la chaîne d'approvisionnement, des produits de base et des marques au milieu, et des technologies de transformation des huiles de cuisine usagées en biodiesel et en biocarburant pour l'aviation à la fin de la chaîne. La fondue de Sichuan - Chongqing se développe dans le monde entier en tant que marque de fabrique de la culture culinaire chinoise. Selon Frost & Sullivan, la fondue est un élément de la gastronomie chinoise très populaire, dont la taille du marché international est estimée à 41,4 milliards de dollars cette année et devrait atteindre 46,5 milliards de dollars d'ici 2026. « Les caractéristiques de la fondue - ouverture, inclusion et participation - en font une candidate idéale pour l'expansion mondiale et les valeurs universelles qu'elle représente », a déclaré Tang Qingshun, vice-président du présidium de l'Association de la gastronomie chinoise. Zuo Yongxiang , vice-gouverneur de la province du Sichuan , a reconnu les implications plus larges de l'industrie de la fondue. « La fondue chinoise, célébrée dans le monde entier pour son attrait culturel et social, nécessite un approvisionnement en matières premières multicanal du fait de la diversité de ses saveurs et de ses ingrédients. Ses méthodes de cuisson rapide et ses options de consommation variées facilitent un déploiement industriel rapide », a-t-il déclaré. « C'est pourquoi la collaboration au sein de la chaîne industrielle de la fondue est cruciale, influençant à la fois la croissance économique et le bien-être de la population, et servant de microcosme frappant de la coopération industrielle et de la chaîne d'approvisionnement à l'échelle mondiale. » La fondue chinoise épicée vise le marché mondial http://www.china.org.cn/business/2024-11/29/content_117577082.htm
The former Love Island star and the podcaster were photographed on Monday as they loaded suitcases into car. Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins at the BAFTA Television Awards 2024 (Photo by Ricky Vigil/GC Images) Maura stayed in Glasson Lakehouse over Christmas Maura shared photos from inside a cosy pub this week Maura Higgins and Pete Wicks have sparked rumours that they spent Christmas together in Ireland. The former Love Island star, who is fresh from her stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle, and the podcaster were photographed on Monday as they loaded suitcases into car. The couple could be seen grinning at each other as they prepared to set off on what appeared to be a romantic festive getaway. On Christmas Day, Maura shared a photo from her seat on a plane headed for Ireland before she checked into the luxurious Glasson Lakehouse in Co Westmeath. The Longford lady also posted some photos inside one of the hotel’s lavish Lakeview Suites, which can be rented out over Christmas for around €600 per night. Maura stayed in Glasson Lakehouse over Christmas The extravagant room overlooking Lough Ree boasts a copper bath, a private balcony, a flat screen TV, and its own fireplace. The pair also raised eyebrows when they posted photos of their drinks inside a cosy pub. Maura opted for a glass of red wine while Pete wisely chose a pint of Guinness, with the Irishwoman sharing a photo that showed the boozer decked out with Christmas stockings, fairy lights, and garlands. Maura also shared some photos with her family as she declared it was her “last day” with them. It comes after she revealed that she was “seeing someone” before making her way Down Under for I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Maura shared photos from inside a cosy pub this week During her time on the show, Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse asked the reality star if she was single, to which she replied: “I am, but I was seeing someone before I came in but I’m not in a relationship. Reverend Richard Coles then asked: “Was it exclusive? Or if I’ve put you on the spot, sorry!” And Maura paused before admitting: “I don’t know.” Radio 1 presenter Dean McCullough questioned: “Is it someone we would know?” which caused Maura to smile and say: “Yeah...” A delighted Richard then added: “Well that’s great, go Maura!” Maura also revealed that she missed her mystery man during her stint in the jungle but told her fellow campmates that she’s never been in love despite her extensive dating history. The 34-year-old, who celebrated her birthday on the show last month, has previously been in relationships with her Love Island co-stars Curtis Pritchard and Chris Taylor, Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice, and recently called things off with Hollywood stunt double Bobby Holland Hanton.On October 21, a new ticker opened to Nasdaq traders: NBIS , a truncation of Nebius , a fledgling player in the AI cloud infrastructure space. Casual observers could be forgiven for wondering where this company had come from, as there had been little in the way of the usual fanfare that surrounds most startups’ journey to IPO — no roadshows; no horn tootin’; no confetti-laden ceremonies; nothing, not a peep. That’s because Nebius is an unusual beast: a public company, but a startup in just about every sense of the word. Nebius has actually been public for 13 years, floating in May 2011 as Yandex N.V. — the Dutch holding company of Russian internet giant Yandex (often dubbed the “Google of Russia”). At the tail end of 2021, Yandex N.V. hit a peak valuation of $31 billion, but in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, everything changed. Nasdaq halted trading in Yandex N.V. shares that February due to sanctions imposed on Russian-affiliated companies, and a year later Nasdaq said it would delist Yandex altogether . But Yandex successfully appealed on the basis that it was restructuring — a process that would take an additional 16 months to fully complete. Part of this included offloading all its Russian assets , which was where most of the real business value lay. What remained under Yandex N.V.’s ownership was a random assortment of infrastructure and business units that just happened to be located outside of Russia. This divestment concluded in July , with Yandex N.V. changing its name to Nebius AI , an AI cloud platform replete with its own Finnish data center. The new business was to be spearheaded by Arkady Volozh (pictured above), the Russian Yandex co-founder and former CEO who was removed from a European sanctions list in March after he publicly condemned Russia’s assault on Ukraine. The core Nebius business sells GPUs (graphical processing units) “as-a-service” to companies needing “compute” — that is, processing power and resources to carry out computational tasks such as running algorithms and executing machine learning models. Last month, the company debuted a holistic cloud computing platform designed for the “full machine learning lifecycle,” spanning data processing, training, fine-tuning, and inference. With the restructuring complete, and Volozh free to run the show from the company’s new HQ in the Netherlands, Nasdaq green-lighted Nebius to recommence trading last month. The situation was pretty much unprecedented, though: a public company whose trading was put on pause, only to resume nearly three years later under a new name and entirely different business proposition? In many ways, it would’ve made sense to have delisted and grown with private capital, the good old-fashioned startup way. But as Volozh explained to TechCrunch earlier this year, building infrastructure is capital intensive, and the easiest and cheapest way to access capital in what is currently one of the hottest spaces in tech is via the public markets. But there was never any certainty on how the public markets would respond to this strange new entity. Nobody really knew what to expect. A month in, and Nebius has enjoyed a somewhat tepid re-entry to public life; it’s significantly down on its $18 billion market cap before trading halted in February 2022, which was to be expected, and it has since yo-yoed between $3.5 billion and $4.75 billion, with some signs that it is starting to settle. “We couldn’t predict what would happen, it could be $5 per share, or it could be $50 per share — this has never happened before, nobody really knows how to treat it,” Volozh told TechCrunch in an interview in London this month. “It’s still volatile, but it’s stabilizing, and the good thing is that it has stabilized above the cost of the assets, which means that the market believes we will be able to build a business here. How big a business, we’ll see.” Nebius competes with all the usual hyperscaler cloud behemoths, though arguably its more direct rivals are other alternative cloud startups such as CoreWeave, which has raised a ton of cash this year . With CoreWeave in the midst of expanding from the U.S. into Europe , Nebius is moving in the other direction, announcing plans this week to extend its presence to the U.S. with a new GPU cluster in Kansas City (on the Missouri side) scheduled to go live in early 2025. The company has also opened “customer hubs” in San Francisco and Dallas, with plans for a third in New York by the end of the year. But while the cloud infrastructure business is its bread and butter (accounting for two-thirds of its revenue, as per its first earnings report last month), there’s a triumvirate of additional businesses under the Nebius Group umbrella. This includes an autonomous vehicle company called Avride , based in Texas; a Swiss-based generative AI and LLM company called Toloka ; and edtech platform TripleTen , located in Wyoming. Drive time Avride descends from the international division of Yandex’s self-driving unit, which spun out of a joint venture with Uber in 2020. While Alphabet’s Waymo is now leading the way in the burgeoning robotaxi realm, recently securing a $45 billion valuation , Yandex was an early trailblazer in Russia , with Volozh noting that the company had been on the cusp of beating Waymo to launch the first fully autonomous cars on public roads, before the war put the kibosh on plans. “They [Yandex] were set to launch the first taxis on public roads with nobody at the wheel, in a real city (Moscow), several months before Waymo launched in San Francisco,” Volozh said. “Journalists were invited to a big event in March, ’22, but that launch never happened. People had to pack all their things and go in a matter of weeks.” The team that had been working on Yandex’s autonomous vehicle project transitioned over to Avride, a new brand it launched last year, eventually moving to Austin via Tel Aviv. “This is the same 250 people,” Volozh added. Last month, Avride announced a significant multiyear partnership with Uber, which saw Avride’s sidewalk food delivery robots land on Uber Eats starting in Austin , though the partnership will also bring Avride’s self-driving cars to the Uber platform later (Uber has signed other similar deals, including with Google’s sibling company Waymo ). While Yandex had sufficiently deep pockets to fund autonomous vehicle projects, Nebius doesn’t — it has a couple billion dollars in the bank from its Russian divestment, and it’s laser-focused on building its cloud infrastructure business. And this is why Volozh says that Avride will need to find additional partners in the longer term. “They have enough budget for this year and next year,” Volozh said. “We’re financing them, but they need to use this time to find new partners, because it’s very capital intensive to build fleets. It needs real investment.” Obvious partners might include car manufacturers, but it could be any entity that’s ready to invest billions, with Volozh adding that it would be willing to give up control in Avride if needed. Toloka, meanwhile, is a platform that specializes in data labeling and quality control for large language models (LLMs) and related AI systems — it’s much like Scale AI , which was most recently valued at more than $13 billion . Toloka has clear synergies with Nebius’s core infrastructure business, but the customers aren’t the same. Nebius works largely with generative AI startups seeking compute, whereas Toloka works with bigger companies such as Amazon and Hugging Face that want to improve their LLMs. Both Toloka and Avride could eventually follow a similar path to that of ClickHouse , creators of the eponymous open source database management system that spun out of Yandex in 2021 . While the commercial ClickHouse entity secured big-name backers such as Index Ventures, Benchmark Capital, and Coatue, Nebius has retained a minority stake. “ClickHouse became very popular, and we were approached by investment funds to create a business around the open source project. Now they have revenues, and they’re growing,” Volozh said. TripleTen, on the other hand, is something of an outlier in the Nebius group of businesses, in that it’s pretty much a direct-to-consumer product that offers online coding bootcamps for those wishing to transition into the technology sector. One idea Nebius is dabbling with is to position itself as a provider of a “full stack of services” to AI companies, from data centers and GPU infrastructure, to education. And this highlights the situation that Nebius has found itself in: It’s drawing lines between the different entities it has been left with, and trying to make it all make sense. For now, TripleTen is breaking even, and Volozh acknowledges that it’s not going to be the big revenue driver that its infrastructure business is — but it has the potential to provide meaningful income and will remain part of the Nebius Group. “Nebius is a billion-dollar scale business,” Volozh said. “TripleTen — it’s a nice model, but it’s maybe a tens or hundreds-of-millions of dollars business. It’s not a billion-dollar business.” Parallel compute As for the core Nebius AI cloud business, the company already has its fully owned data center facility in Finland, with plans to triple its capacity to 75 megawatts. In tandem, the company is building out additional sites at co-location facilities, a move designed to not only increase its capacity, but also to reduce latency by bringing the processing closer to its customers. In addition to the Kansas location announced this week, Nebius had already unveiled a new GPU cluster in Paris that goes online this month. Further down the line, Nebius plans to build more of its own data centers, both in Europe and the U.S., but given the time it takes, it’s quicker to plug the gap with co-location facilities, which is why it’s forging ahead with a hybrid approach. “It’s more efficient if we build it ourselves, but to build means a year and a half or two years — it’s a long process, and we can’t wait,” Volozh said. “That’s why we have these co-locations in Paris and Kansas City.”
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BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazilian authorities have suspended the issuance of temporary work visas for BYD in the wake of accusations that some workers at a site owned by the Chinese electric vehicle producer had been victims of human trafficking, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. The announcement came days after labor authorities said they found 163 Chinese workers in "slavery-like" conditions at the BYD factory construction site in the northeastern state of Bahia. The workers were employed by contractor Jinjiang Group, which has denied any wrongdoing. Later, the authorities also said the workers were victims of human trafficking. According to the foreign ministry, the workers entered Brazil on temporary work visas. Labor authorities had said earlier in the week that the workers had been brought to Brazil irregularly. BYD did not immediately respond to request for comment on the ministry's decision. In a social media post on Thursday, which was reposted by a BYD spokesperson, Jinjiang Group rejected the Brazilian authorities' accusations about the work conditions at the Bahia site. The contractor said the portrayal of the workers as "enslaved" was inaccurate and that there had been translation misunderstandings. BYD has said it plans to start production in Brazil early next year with an initial annual output 150,000 cars. Nearly one in five cars BYD sold outside China in the first 11 months of 2024 was in Brazil. BYD and Jinjiang Group have agreed to assist and house the 163 workers in hotels until a deal to end their contracts is reached, Brazil's Labor Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on Thursday, after meeting representatives from both firms. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; additional reporting by Fabio Teixeira in Rio de Janeior; Editing by Christian Plumb)
Outnumbered creator breaks silence on 'depressing' storyline after Christmas backlash“Truth be told, we have gotten to a point when governments and institutions should charge our scientists and technologists – both at home and abroad – to find solutions to many of our persisting economic challenges, with mouth-watering prizes to the bargain.” – Oyoze Baje (April, 2023) His name is Dr. Osatohanmwen Osemwengie, the Nigerian-born genius, better known as the ‘American Drone Builder’. He is also described as “an academic juggernaut” boasting of four Ph.Ds and seven Masters Degrees in the areas of robotics and engineering. Since he relocated to the United States in the ‘80s, he has become an indispensable asset to the American Armed Forces, shaping the country’s future in military technology. That is according to the ‘Africa Giant’ online portal. In addition, he played a pivotal role in the innovation and production of the Mars Curiosity Rover, which has been exploring the rugged terrains of Planet Mars and unraveling the Martian mysteries long after it was set in motion. Not done, he is currently immersed in developing a military game collision avoidance software for drones. As aptly stated in the portal, “the next time you see a drone zipping across the sky, remember Osemwengie”. Now you understand why he is ranked as one of the most educated minds on Planet Earth and why his people refer to him as the ‘Edo Pride’. But has Nigeria, as a country benefitted from the hi-tech products of his creative ingenuity? That is the billion-dollar question. Yet, there is more to worry about. For instance, only recently, a 12 year-old Nigerian-born girl, Eniola Shokunbi, currently in Connecticut, USA designed an air filter to reduce the spread of air-borne diseases in US schools. The unit is constructed using a simple combination of components: a box fan, four furnace filters, duct tape, and cardboard. In her fifth grade at Commodore MacDonoughSTEM Academy in Middletown, they were tasked with creating a solution to enhance safety in schools during potential future pandemics. Therefore, to combat airborne viruses like COVID-19, she developed a simple but effective air filter system. “Shokunbi’s air filter design showcases both innovation and cost-effectiveness”. The piece of good news is that the Connecticut State Bond Commission approved $11.5 million in funding for the design. But a similar question remains: Will Nigeria benefit from the air filter? The answer is hanging in the wind. It would be recalled that back in June 2023 one was thrilled with the piece of news that three Nigerian lecturers, Dr. AliyuIsa Aliyu, Tukur Abdulkadir Sulaiman and Abdullahi Yusuf were listed among the top 2% most-cited scientists in the world. That was a few years after another Nigerian-born Silas Adekunle became the youngest and richest robotics engineer in the world, then at the age of 26. As reflected in my related opinion essay urging the government to take note of such sterling achievements, not left out of the praise-worthy exploits of Nigerian-born scientists, inventors, engineers, innovators, lawyers and entrepreneurs is the interesting fact that Nigerian doctors, nurses, hi-tech entrepreneurs rank amongst the best and highest in number in the United States(US). The million-naira question this soul-lifting scenario raises is that why, for instance, are we still grappling with lack of stable electric power supply, as the national grid keeps collapsing one month after another? What is responsible for the absence of good access roads, functional and well-equipped hospitals and an educational delivery system to cater for our myriad of challenges? That is where the leadership question comes in. It is worthy of note that yours truly made a passionate appeal to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as Acting President in February 2017 to consider constituting a Presidential Committee on Impact Creativity. It was through my opinion essay titled: ‘Making the Best Use of Our Best Brains.’ The aim is to bring together the creative works of our inventors, innovators, top scientists/ technologists, thinkers, artists and geniuses-both at home and in the Diaspora- to maximally benefit the technological and economic landscape of the country. Such exists in the United Kingdom, the United States, India, China, Cuba and even Brazil where there are deliberate polices for massive funding of researches and their implementation. The governments – both federal and states – should have credible data on these great achievers and their products. Truth be told, governments and institutions should charge our scientists and technologists to find solutions to many of our persisting economic challenges with mouth-watering prizes to the bargain. For instance, in 1795 the French military offered a cash prize of 12,000 francs for a new method, to preserve food which Appert won in January 1810. The private sector should not be left out. How would it feel should Dangote have a prize for solutions to pot-hole riddled roads? His colleagues in more developed countries are already thinking ahead, on who and what would take over from Sean Parker, Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel. One billionaire called Peter Thiel has a Foundation that gives out $100,000 (dollars) each to young inventors. Out of the over 122 beneficiaries, the most notable is James Proud. His ingenious product called ‘Sense’ is a small hardware gadget worth $149 that monitors how well the buyer sleeps. It has been discovered that the quality of our sleep affects our health and longevity. As patriots who believe in the greatness of ‘One Nigeria’, we are proud to be associated with names of Professors Philip Emeagwali, Gabriel Oyibo, Samuel Achilefu, Babajide Alo and Ayodele Olaiya. They ring a loud and crisp-clear bell in the hallowed halls of creativity, globally. Others include Col. Oviemo Ovadje (Retd), Jelani Aliyu, Brino Gilbert, Shehu Saleh Balami, Saheed Adepoju, to name a few. But Nigeria has not benefited much from their immense intellectual resources. Yet, the fault is not theirs but that of our policy makers. For instance, Emeagwali is regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of the Internet. For his feats, he was awarded the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize normally reserved for 18 scientists. He has been able to use super computers to see the inside of oil fields with greater accuracy. With such, he states that if only one per cent more oil is extracted, it pays for itself as it amounts to billions of dollars! But has Nigeria, an oil-producing country leveraged on his great discovery? The answer is obvious. For his part, Gabriel Oyibo, the Kogi State-born engineer, mathematician, researcher and physicist has done what Albert Einstein could not achieve for thirty years! In 2002 he successfully solved the Grand Unification Field Theory. For that he was allegedly nominated for the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2002 and 2003. But has Nigeria recognized or utilized his technological breakthroughs? I am afraid, not. In a similar vein, Nigeria has not benefited from Prof. Samuel Achilefu’s invention. His is the ground-breaking development of a set of high-tech, cancer-visualizing goggles which assist surgeons to see cancer cells in real-time while operating on patients. It won him the prestigious St. Louis Award in 2014. With all these outstanding global achievements in various fields of human endeavor and given our God-given, rich and vast natural resources Nigeria has no reason to be at the bottom rung of the Human Development Index (HDI), as well as among the world capital of persisting poverty. A more creative approach to governance and pragmatic synergy with the best of our brains will place Nigeria amongst the best in the world of science and hi-technology.AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1 Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots. Miami, SMU and Indiana round out the top 10. Jannik Sinner leads Italy past the Netherlands for its second consecutive Davis Cup title MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Jannik Sinner clinched Italy's second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season at the top of tennis by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final of the team competition in Malaga, Spain. Matteo Berrettini won Sunday's opening singles match 6-4, 6-2 against Botic van de Zandschulp. The Italians are the first country to win the Davis Cup twice in a row since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013. The No. 1-ranked Sinner stretched his unbeaten streak in singles to 14 matches and 26 sets. Netherlands reached the Davis Cup final for the first time. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump. St. Louis Blues fire Drew Bannister and hire Jim Montgomery as coach The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery as his replacement. The 2022 Jack Adams Award winner, Montgomery joins the Blues five days after he was fired by the Boston Bruins. Bannister had been on the job in St. Louis for less than a year since succeeding Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube and getting the interim tag removed after last season. The Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games. Montgomery spent two seasons as an assistant on Berube's staff in St. Louis between coaching Dallas and Boston. The team signed Montgomery to a five-year contract. Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85 Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball, the players’ association and the Braves have paid tribute to Carty on social media. A family friend told Listín Diario — a newspaper in Carty’s native Dominican Republic — that he died Saturday night in an Atlanta hospital. Carty made his big league debut with the Braves in September 1963. He batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and Carty got the franchise’s first hit in its new home on April 12, 1966, against Pittsburgh. Dartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Verstappen captures 4th F1 championship after Mercedes sweep of Las Vegas Grand Prix LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip. Norris, who had to score at least three points more than Verstappen to extend the championship fight, finished sixth. The race was won by George Russell who was followed by Lewis Hamilton in the first 1-2 sweep for the Mercedes drivers since 2022. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!”
Arteta backs Martinelli to shine after Saka injuryMarcus Johnson and Bowling Green take down New Mexico State 61-60
Daily Post Nigeria NCC moves towards digital justice Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Sponsored NCC moves towards digital justice Published on November 24, 2024 By Daily Post Staff In a bid to regulate the country’s digital transformation, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for a strategic collaboration with the judiciary. The workshop, with the theme, “The role of the judiciary in accelerating digital transformation in Nigeria,” was organised by NCC in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI). Speaking, the EVC noted that a functional digital economy is built on investor and consumer confidence, which are impossible in the absence of the rule of law- a critical element that is supplied by the judiciary. “Ensuring and regulating Nigeria’s digital transformation is not a task that the NCC can fulfil alone. It involves strategic collaboration with key partners, and the judiciary remains one of our most important stakeholders in this regard. “As the digital landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the judiciary stands as a vital pillar in shaping a present and a future where technology serves humanity. The judiciary is not simply a bystander observing the digital revolution; instead, it is an active participant, playing a continuous role in shaping the legal frameworks that govern this new technological era. “The judiciary’s ability to adapt and evolve alongside technological advancements is paramount to ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation are accessible to all, while mitigating potential risks. “As the digital age advances, judicial officers must constantly adapt to ensure that the rule of law is as effective and enforceable in the online realm as it is in the world of brick and mortar. One key challenge lies in adapting existing legal principles to the complexities of emerging and evolving technologies. “Nigerians are eager to see a new chapter of digital justice, where the roles played by the judiciary are effectively translated and adapted into online contexts, as follows: protecting fundamental rights, enforcing digital contracts and resolving disputes, developing digital jurisprudence and promotion of innovation,” he said. Maida, who expressed gratitude to NJI, said the workshop will enrich the development of communications law in Nigeria, and produce outcome that will be of immense benefit to all stakeholders. Related Topics: NCc Promoted Don't Miss ARO DAY 2024: Foremost Nigeria-born South African preacher to storm Arochukwu for Light of the World Crusade You may like ARO DAY 2024: Foremost Nigeria-born South African preacher to storm Arochukwu for Light of the World Crusade CustomWritings’ Professional Help with Quality PPT for Academic and Career Success Get Ready to #BeatTheDrop as Coke Studio 2024 Unleashes Next-Level Music, Culture, Rewards Zenith Bank rewards Hackathon Winners with N77.5m cash prize at Zenith Tech Fair 4.0 You must continue your father’s legacy in Lagos – Middle Belt group tells Seyi Tinubu Arla Foods, Consulate General of Denmark, FC4S deliver workshop on nutrition in the Dairy Sector Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdWall Street slips as technology stocks drag on the market‘Gladiator II’ review: Are you not moderately entertained?
CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Birchcliff Energy Ltd. (“ ” or the “ ”) (TSX: BIR) is pleased to announce that the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “ ”) has accepted the Corporation’s notice of intention to make a normal course issuer bid (the “ ”). The NCIB allows Birchcliff to purchase up to 13,489,975 common shares, which represents 5% of its 269,799,514 common shares outstanding as at November 14, 2024. The NCIB will commence on November 27, 2024 and will terminate no later than November 26, 2025. Under the NCIB, common shares may be purchased in open market transactions on the TSX and/or alternative Canadian trading systems at the prevailing market price at the time of such transaction. Subject to exceptions for block purchases, the total number of common shares that Birchcliff is permitted to purchase on the TSX during a trading day is subject to a daily purchase limit of 276,992 common shares, which represents 25% of the average daily trading volume on the TSX of 1,107,970 common shares for the six-month period ended October 31, 2024. All common shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled. Birchcliff believes that at times, the market price of its common shares may not reflect the underlying value of the Corporation’s business and that purchasing its common shares for cancellation may represent an attractive opportunity to allocate capital resources to reduce the number of common shares outstanding, thereby increasing the value of the remaining common shares and shareholders’ ownership in the underlying business. In addition, Birchcliff may use the NCIB to offset the number of common shares it issues throughout the year pursuant to the exercise of options granted under its stock option plan to minimize or eliminate associated dilution to shareholders. The actual number of common shares purchased pursuant to the NCIB and the timing of such purchases will be determined by Birchcliff. Decisions to purchase common shares under the NCIB will be based on market conditions, the trading price of the common shares and alternative uses of capital resources available to the Corporation. There cannot be any assurance as to how many common shares, if any, will ultimately be acquired by Birchcliff. Under Birchcliff’s existing normal course issuer bid, it obtained the approval of the TSX to purchase up to 13,328,267 common shares over the period from November 27, 2023 to November 26, 2024. The Corporation has not purchased any common shares under this normal course issuer bid. Birchcliff is a dividend-paying, intermediate oil and natural gas company based in Calgary, Alberta with operations focused on the Montney/Doig Resource Play in Alberta. Birchcliff’s common shares are listed for trading on the TSX under the symbol “BIR”.
Hopes for a Santa Claus rally on Wall Street fell Friday as tech stocks slid lower, while a weaker yen lifted Japanese equities. US indices slid lower at the opening bell, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite losing two percent during morning trading. Shares in Tesla were down over three percent in late morning trading while those in AI chipmaker NVIDIA shed around two percent. Wall Street stocks have historically performed well around the year-end holidays in what is popularly known as a Santa Claus rally. A Christmas Eve jump in equities got the Santa rally off to a flying start and indices barely budged in Thursday trading. Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare also pointed to an increase in 10-year US Treasury bond yields to around 4.6 percent, which he noted is an increase of nearly 0.9 percentage points since the US Federal Reserve made its first interest rate cut in September. "The Fed doesn't hold sway over longer-dated maturities like it does over shorter-dated securities, so the bump in rates at the back end of the curve is being watched with an anxious eye as a possible harbinger of a pickup in inflation and/or the budget deficit," O'Hare said. Wall Street stocks took a knock earlier this month when the Fed indicated it would likely cut interest rates less than it had previously expected to. That was in part because of uncertainty tied to the stated intention of incoming president Donald Trump to raise tariffs, which could boost inflation that is already proving sticky. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei index closed up nearly two percent, with the yen's recent weakness proving a boon for major exporters. The yen hit 158.08 per US dollar on Thursday evening -- its lowest in almost six months -- following comments made by Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda that failed to give a clear signal on a possible interest rate increase next month. Recent data has showed Japan's inflation rose for a second month in December, while industrial production declined less than expected in November and retail sales came in higher than estimated last month. Japan's government also on Friday approved a record budget for the next fiscal year, ramping up spending on social welfare for its ageing population and on defence to tackle regional threats. In Seoul, the stock market closed down one percent after the won plunged to a nearly 16-year low of 1,487.03 against the dollar on Friday morning. South Korea is struggling to emerge from political turbulence in the wake of President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration this month, which prompted his impeachment. Acting President Han Duck-soo was also impeached Friday in a vote that prompted governing party lawmakers to protest with angry chants and raised fists. South Korea's business outlook for January fell in the Bank of Korea's composite sentiment index, the biggest month-on-month slide since April 2020, according to data based on almost 3,300 firms released Friday. In Europe, Frankfurt's DAX index rose after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament on Friday and confirmed the expected date for the early general election, emphasising the need for "political stability" in Europe's largest economy. More from this section New York - Dow: DOWN 0.8 percent at 42,987.31 New York - S&P 500: DOWN 1.2 percent at 5,967.31 New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.7 percent at 19,676.01 London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 8,149.78 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.0 percent at 7,355.37 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.7 percent at 19,984.32 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 percent at 40,281.16 points (close) Seoul - Kospi: DOWN 1.0 percent at 2,404.77 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.1 percent at 20,116.93 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,400.14 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0431 from $1.0424 on Thursday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2589 from $1.2526 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 157.53 yen from 158.00 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.85 pence from 83.19 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.2 percent at $70.42 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.1 percent at $73.62 per barrel burs-rl/rlp
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ABILENE, Texas (AP) — Sam Hicks scored on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 171 yards on the ground to lead Abilene Christian to a 24-0 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday in the first round of the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats (9-4), ranked No. 15 in the FCS coaches poll and seeded 15th, qualified for the playoffs for the first time and will travel to play No. 2 seed and nine-time champion North Dakota State (10-2) on Saturday at the Fargo Dome. The Bison had a first-round bye. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Experience The New Punjabi Music Video Soulbond By Praanshu VasudevaJPMorgan Chase drops lawsuit against Tesla over stock warrants, 2018 tweet by Musk: reports