South Africa’s most popular football club, Kaizer Chiefs, have offered supporters a Black Friday sale on the club’s merchandise. KAIZER CHIEFS CONFIRM BLACK FRIDAY SALE OFFERS Soon before the club’s next Betway Premiership match against Richards Bay FC on Wednesday, Amakhosi communicated a 20% sale on selected merchandise between Monday, November 25, and Monday, December 2, 2024. Unfortunately, the club also made a keynote to say the markdown prices do not apply on the 2024/25 Kaizer Chiefs jersey. Additionally, the 20% offer is only available on the club’s online shop . “Enjoy 20% OFF all regular-priced items from Monday, 25 November, to Monday, 2 December! ” the club said via Instagram . “Don’t miss this chance to grab your favourites and save big. Stock up on your Kaizer Chiefs essentials and show your Amakhosi pride in style! “*Excludes 2024/25 Replica Jersey,” Kaizer Chiefs concluded. BETWAY PREMIERSHIP MATCH IN POLOKWANE In the meantime, coach Nasreddine Nabi’s team are travelling to Polokwane, where they will host Richards Bay in a league game on Wednesday at 19:30. Kaizer Chiefs are currently positioned in eighth spot with seven points and 14 points behind log leaders Orlando Pirates, but with two games in hand for Amakhosi. CAN KAIZER CHIEFS WIN THE NEDBANK CUP OR EVEN THE LEAGUE THIS SEASON? Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com . You can also send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.NFL on Netflix: Christmas Day games are a 1st for streaming giant
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Indiana should be able to breathe easy this week. It has very little chance of making it into the Big Ten championship game. On the other hand, Georgia's spot in the Southeastern Conference title game is so risky that if the Bulldogs lose they might have been better off sitting it out. Over the next two weeks, the warm familiarity of conference championship games, which began in 1992 thanks to the SEC, could run into the cold reality that comes with the first 12-team College Football Playoff. League title games give the nation's top contenders a chance to hang a banner and impress the CFP committee, but more than ever, the bragging rights come with the risk of a season-wrecking loss — even with an expanded field. “I just don’t think it’s a quality conversation,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said last week, sticking with the time-honored cliche of looking no further than the next weekend's opponent. Those who want to have that talk, though, already know where Georgia stands. The Bulldogs (9-2) are ranked sixth in this week's AP Top 25 and projected somewhere near that in the next set of CFP rankings that come out Tuesday. They already have two losses and will have to beat No. 3 Texas or No. 20 Texas A&M in the SEC title game on Dec. 7 to avoid a third. How bad would a third loss hurt? The chairman of the selection committee insists that a team making a conference title game shouldn't count against it. What that really means won't be known until the games are played and the pairings come out on Dec. 8. "We're going to let the season play out," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said. “But I think teams who make that championship game, the committee looks at them and puts them in high esteem." All of which could be good news for Indiana in the unlikely event the Hoosiers find themselves playing for the Big Ten title. IU is coming off a flop in its first major test of the season, a 38-15 loss to Ohio State last weekend. After his team's first loss of the season, coach Curt Cignetti took offense to being asked whether the Hoosiers were still a playoff-caliber team. “Is that a serious question?” he asked. “I’m not even gonna answer that. The answer is so obvious.” What might hurt Indiana, which dropped five spots to No. 10 in the AP poll, would be another drubbing. The Hoosiers would be at least a two-touchdown underdog in a title-game matchup against top-ranked Oregon. The odds of that happening, however, are slim. It would take a Michigan upset over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, combined with a Maryland upset over No. 4 Penn State and, of course, an Indiana win over Purdue (1-10). Because this is the first year of the 12-team playoff, there's no perfect comparison to make. For instance, this is the first time Power Four conference champions are guaranteed a spot in the playoff. But 2017 provides a textbook example of how a team losing its conference title game suffered. That year, Alabama had one loss (to Auburn) and didn't play in the SEC title game, but made the four-team field ahead of Wisconsin, which was 12-1 after a loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State didn't make it either — two losses didn't get teams into a four-team field. Neither did undefeated UCF. Saturday's results made things a little more clear for the rest of the conferences: — In the Big 12, winning the title game will probably be the only way for Arizona State (9-2), BYU (9-2), Iowa State (9-2), Colorado (8-3) or anyone else to earn a spot in the 12-team playoff. None are ranked higher than 14th in the AP poll. — The Atlantic Coast Conference could get multiple bids. Miami (10-1), SMU (10-1) and Clemson (9-2) all finished in the top 12 of this week's AP poll. They were cheering the loudest when both Alabama and Ole Miss suffered their third losses of the season. — The Mountain West would be a one-bid conference, but that's only a sure thing if Boise State wins. A loss by the Broncos could open the CFP for Tulane or Army of the American Athletic. Both the MWC and AAC title games take place at 8 p.m. on Dec. 6. — Where the committee places Alabama and Ole Miss on Tuesday will be an indicator of what it thinks of teams with three losses that played very strong schedules. — It could also set the stakes for Georgia, which faces the prospect of loss No. 3 in the Dec. 7 title game, assuming the Bulldogs beat rival Georgia Tech this week. — Clemson has been steadily climbing. Its 34-3 loss to Georgia came on Aug. 31. Is it ancient history to the committee, though? — Indiana's status as a playoff team — in, out, nervous? — will become apparent. The Ohio State game was Indiana's first against a top-flight opponent. Then again, it is the Hoosiers' only loss and their weak Big Ten schedule is not their fault. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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House approves $895B defense bill with military pay raise, ban on transgender care for minorsJ Studios Introduction Coherent Corp. ( NYSE: COHR ), a vertically integrated electronic component manufacturer, whose products are primarily used in the communications and industrial markets, has been in tremendous form through 2024. On a YTD basis, we’ve seen the stock more than double, and generate total returns that Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. 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.
Things are really starting to cook for , a Surrey family business that makes South Asian-influenced, ready-to-eat meals sold in stores and served at a growing number of hospitals, schools and other institutions. Cooked and packaged at a Newton plant since 2019, the Khan family's butter chicken, channa masala, beef haleem and other products come frozen in bags and boxes, ready for the microwave. The company recently scored the Emerging Business trophy during hosted by BC Food & Beverage, a not-for-profit association representing the province's food and beverage processing industry. Rushd Khan operates Barakah Eats with the help of father Zafar, mother Lubna, wife Arshiya and a dozen employees. "We're very proud of the award, which reinforces our mission since we've launched this business as an extension of our family business including the restaurant ( , located near the KPU Surrey campus in Newton)," Rushd said. "It (the award) will help with the growth of our businesses, for sure." In a competitive frozen-food market, key for Barakah Eats products is halal certification — food that adheres to Islamic dietary laws and regulations. "Some hospitals, like Surrey Memorial, Langley and BC Children's Hospital just this month, they started using some of our products for patient care because they're halal-certified," Rushd explained. "That has been a gap among hospital patients, who can now ask for halal-certified meals. The hospitals noticed that there was a lot of food waste, because some people couldn't eat the food." Barakah Eats products have been tasted at in recent summers and will be featured at the new Halal Expo Vancouver, planned Feb. 7-8 at Cloverdale Agriplex (details on ). In Arabic, the company name means "blessings," a word embraced by the Khan family. "I never thought it would get to this, with people all over the place eating our food. It's unbelievable," patriarch Zafar Khan said. "Food is my passion, you know, so we have a tandoor in my backyard when we built our house, where we make naan," he added. "I went to back to Pakistan to learn how to make it, and at that time we didn't have a restaurant or anything yet." Looking ahead, the Khans aim to grow the Barakah Eats name in the food manufacturing market. "We see ourselves becoming more of a national company, hopefully by next year," Rushd said. "Right now our business is predominantly in B.C. We do some business outside of B.C. with our vegetarian products, but the meat license with CFIA certification (Canadian Food Inspection Agency), that's our target right now. Once we get over that hump, that opens up a lot of doors for us to start exporting across Canada and then outside of Canada as well. We already have a HACCP-certified facility." BC Food & Beverage's 2024 Rise Awards attracted 400 people to Anvil Centre in New Westminster on Nov. 29, a night when "exceptional leaders, innovators and brands" were recognized in 16 categories. “These awards showcase the talent, dedication and innovation that define B.C.’s food and beverage industry,” James Donaldson, CEO of BC Food & Beverage, raved in a . Other Rise Awards winners are Terra Breads (Hall of Fame inductee), Chocxo Chocolatier (Best in Brand), Vancouver Island Sea Salt (Circularity), Fine Choice Foods (Export), Authentic Indigenous Seafood (Indigenous Led Business of the Year), Blume (Innovation), Jeff Lee of Honey Bee Zen Apiaries (Leadership), Fine Choice Foods (Outstanding Workplace, Health & Safety), Salt Spring Kitchen Co. (People's Choice), Salt Spring Coffee (Social Impact), Chiwis (Sustainability) and Binny Boparai-Gill of Farming Karma Fruit Company (Woman Entrepreneur of the Year). Products of the year are Plant-based Crumbles-Chorizo, made by The Better Butchers (Gold award), Honey Salt Popcorn, Popstastic (Silver) and Dark Chocolate Lemon Crème Cups, Chocxo Chocolatier (Bronze).Schneider National, Inc. SNDR disclosed that it has agreed to acquire Cowan Systems, LLC and its affiliates for approximately $390 million in cash, subject to adjustments . The deal also includes a separate purchase of related real estate assets for $31 million. Cowan Systems is primarily a dedicated contract carrier with a portfolio of complementary services including brokerage, drayage and warehousing. The company operates approximately 1,800 trucks and 7,500 trailers across more than forty locations throughout the Eastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. Including Cowan Systems, Schneider will operate over 8,400 Dedicated tractors, approximately 70% of Schneider’s Truckload fleet. The acquisition is expected to be earnings accretive for Schneider within the first year, excluding anticipated synergies. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth-quarter 2024, pending customary conditions, and will be financed through existing cash and a new $400 million delayed draw term credit facility. Post-acquisition, Cowan Systems’ financials will be integrated into Schneider’s Truckload and Logistics segments. This deal follows previous acquisitions of Midwest Logistics Systems and M&M Transport Services, reinforcing Schneider’s growth in Dedicated contract carriage. “This acquisition aligns with Schneider’s long-term vision to have customer-centric Dedicated solutions as the cornerstone of its Truckload segment. By complementing our organic Dedicated growth success with transactions like this, we are broadening our presence to provide greater value to our customers and stakeholders,” said Schneider President and CEO Mark Rourke . As of September 30, 2024, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $179.0 million . Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Tidal ETF Trust Aztlan North America Nearshoring Stock Selection ETF NRSH . Price Action : SNDR shares are up 2.10% at $32.28 at the last check Monday. Read Next: These Analysts Revise Their Forecasts On Schneider National Following Q3 Earnings Photo via Shutterstock. This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
50 best music videos of all timeSINGAPORE: The goal sounds simple – hit 20 shuttlecocks in a row, five times. But the catch is he has to start from zero if he misses one or it hits the net. That may seem like an easy feat to most badminton players, but for 23-year-old Xavier Lim, it is a major challenge that he dreads during his thrice-a-week practice sessions. When CNA sat in to watch one recent session, Mr Lim hit five consecutive shuttlecocks successfully on his first attempt before the sixth one hit the 1.55m-high net. “Restart!” his coach shouted with laughter from the other side as he picked up the fallen birdies. The shuttlecocks flew again, sending the 135cm-tall athlete to all parts of his side of the court. He had to start from zero once more before finally making it to 20 on his third attempt. He then had to repeat the feat another four times. Mr Lim is Singapore’s only professional badminton player with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. But his condition doesn't mean that he is given special concessions in his beloved sport. “Everything in the game is the same – the height of the net, size of the court, the shoes I wear and the rackets we use. I wish it (the court) was smaller, but it’s all the same,” Mr Lim told CNA. Despite competing professionally for six years, he still feels amazed how the kid who constantly missed the shuttlecock when playing with his father at the car park now finds himself playing on courts across the region. “My dad always tells me to remember who taught me (badminton) and to let everyone know,” he said. “I have a video of me hitting (the shuttlecock) three times in a row and I dropped the racket and ran around celebrating.” Mr Lim’s free-spirited attitude and zest for life can be seen both on the court and during breaks, when he playfully tried to kick his own head – a party trick that he used to effortlessly flaunt but gets harder as he grows older. The athlete, who works full-time as a pre-registration pharmacist, was determined very early on to prove that his height would not limit him from being the best version of himself. Even when he was growing up, he never allowed himself to feel like an outcast, and counted himself lucky to always be included. He owed this sense of belonging to the sport that has helped him “overcome the mental and physical boundaries” over the years. “I’ll admit that I was initially limited by my own presumptions of my condition. So I assumed I couldn’t run, jump very high, and do many other things.” But his misconceptions changed when he started pushing himself to meet targets and surprised himself with how much he could do, the distances he could run, and even how high he could jump. “At the end of the day, it’s nice to get medals but the biggest lesson I gained was understanding the boundaries were mostly in my mind. Yes, it was hard at some points, but it showed me that I can push the boundaries by pushing myself.” FROM PAINS TO PROGRESS Being an athlete with a disability also meant that Mr Lim was more prone to injuries, and a severe one in 2023 meant he had to prioritise his recovery and refrain from participating in competitions this year. After competing in the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in May, he landed a spot in the Western Australia Para Badminton International in October last year. Although he found the latter competition “much less nerve-racking” and had been injury-free for some time, no amount of practice could have prepared him for what happened next. “I didn’t play well during the games, and even had to undergo surgery after tearing my MCL (medial collateral ligament) and meniscus,” Mr Lim said. Both are types of knee injury. The two months of recovery was no easy feat for the athlete, who spent two months out of training and the last on crutches. "I had to do a lot of reconditioning of my legs, like having to relearn how to walk, regain strength in my leg muscles to do day-to-day activities and also recondition my legs and stamina to play badminton again." The injury was made more difficult as Mr Lim had been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis in 2020, which meant he suffered from burning pains from his back through to his legs, sometimes accompanied by numbness. It was a condition that is often seen in the elderly after years of wear and tear, but sport players with dwarfism tend to develop it at an earlier stage in their lives, he explained. Mr Lim ended up going for spinal surgery in May 2021, and it took him an entire year to fully recover. "It definitely affected the intensity at which I trained and I had to miss some training sessions or take on a lighter load because my back was too sore. I even questioned if I wanted to carry on playing badminton.” But his coach of almost two years was hell-bent on making sure he pulled through. “He’s a driven boy and as much as I love to push him to go beyond his limits, he pushes himself very hard too. Sometimes so hard till he turns pale,” said Mr Andy Wu, a Singapore para badminton coach. Mr Wu, who sees the athlete as “more of a brother”, claimed to be harder on him than his able-bodied students. “I know that he faces a lot of adversity as a para-athlete, but I’ve been touched by his passion and resilience, especially how he would come and train thrice a week after work,” he said, praising the way Mr Lim's game has matured. “He used to say he would give up badminton whenever he felt defeated. But through the years, he has recognised what he can and can’t control on the court. He has improved on what he can control, and let go of what he can’t.” Mr Wu called for more support to be given to para-athletes looking to achieve more, a sentiment that Mr Lim echoed strongly as he has his heart set on taking part in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. “It’s a goal for any athlete to be at the Olympics or the Paralympics. It’s the pinnacle of sporting events, and I would definitely want to be there.” A BIG CIRCLE OF SUPPORT As Mr Lim makes his mark as Singapore’s first professional badminton player with dwarfism, others born with short stature have echoed his positive outlook and determination to live a regular life. It never bothered Mr Benovan Sim that his twin brother stands at 194cm, while he was often left waiting around when his friends took rollercoaster rides at Universal Studios Singapore. “There’s a height limit of 120cm for rollercoaster rides, so I’m usually sitting at one corner waiting for them or helping them queue for the next ride.” Mr Sim – who stands at around 110cm – has absent tibia fibula. To put it simply, he was born without shin bones and knee caps, which means his thighs are directly connected to his feet. “I have difficulties walking for long periods, and would often get back and leg aches after just 20 minutes of walking,” Mr Sim told CNA, pointing to his feet which are bent at an angle. Although one might assume that such a condition could result in bullying, especially during the schooling years, the 22-year-old spoke highly of his peers and said he never once felt excluded. “Having friends in secondary school was really a blessing for me and I still keep contact with many of them. They helped and supported me throughout the years, in more ways than one.” Mr Sim found that his love for sports acted as the perfect bridge between him and his peers, especially for those who were wary of how to approach him initially. “I would usually be at the fitness corner or basketball court after school, and other students would invite me to join them. They would always be willing to teach me, so I never felt discriminated (against) because of my short stature.” While Mr Sim counted himself lucky, his parents felt the exact opposite when he was born. “When I was born, the doctors told my mother that I wouldn’t be able to walk. But she was determined to prove them wrong and pushed me to learn,” he said, adding that he used to wear special shoes to keep his feet from bending when he walked. “My parents helped me defy the odds,” he said as he counted with his fingers the different sports that he has been able to take part in, such as swimming and taekwondo. LIVING AN ORDINARY LIFE Mr Sim has grown used to the stares and whispers that he often faces in public, and said that parents sometimes don’t teach their children the polite way to ask about his disability, but would hurriedly pull them away instead. But such occurrences no longer bother him, as he chooses to remember the pleasant interactions he has had in public. “There was a lady who pulled me aside at the MRT station and asked if I was comfortable if she prayed over me. I’m not a Christian but I knew she did it out of goodwill, and it was nice that she did so.” Even though he will be in pain after just 20 minutes of standing, commuters on the train or bus do not always offer him a seat. “Being short means your current centre of gravity is really low, so it's very easy to balance. So even if I fall, my hand reaches the ground quickly,” he said with a laugh. Speaking to CNA at Central Provident Fund Board’s (CPFB) office in Novena, where he has worked for two years, Mr Sim said he greatly appreciated the efforts of his colleagues and managers for the good experience he has had right from the beginning. “CPF will announce to everyone that a person with disabilities will be joining the team, so there was a lot of support from my first day.” CPF has been awarded the Enabling Mark (Gold) award, which recognises organisations for their best practice and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment. “Most of my friends are people without disabilities till I got to CPF and met others with different disabilities,” the associate consultant of the organisation's data protection operations department said. Mr Sim never felt discriminated against for his height, and would often get help from his colleagues without even having to ask. “We have a modem in the data centre that is slightly out of reach and I would have to tip-toe when I use it. But my team members always offer to take on the extra task or accompany me in case I need help.” Mr Lim makes it a conscious point to show those around him that he can do whatever others can, and he encourages others of short stature to ensure they don't allow their height to stand in the way of what they can achieve. “We’re the same as normal people. We can do the same things, we just need some help sometimes.” This is the first of two articles on people in Singapore with short stature. In the next part, which will be published on Jan 1, 2025, CNA speaks to parents whose children have been diagnosed with dwarfism.Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced a bill last week that would lift limits on federal funding available for mental health care institutions , the Daily News has learned. The bill’s introduction comes soon after a series of fatal stabbings that left three people dead in Manhattan. If passed, the so-called “Repealing the IMD Exclusion Act” would scrap a decades-old law that places strict limits on federal Medicaid funds paying for care at mental health care inpatient facilities for adults. “It is far more compassionate and far more cost effective to treat those with severe mental illness ... in a healthcare setting rather than allow them to languish on the streets and subways, where they are not only a danger to themselves, but to the people around them,” Torres told the Daily News. The restriction was originally intended to prevent the warehousing of people with severe mental illness in large institutions . It prevents the federal government from footing the bill for mental health institutions serving adults, instead punting the bill to the state. Under the current laws, states are allowed to apply for waivers to the rule. New York has one such waiver . The city’s mental health crisis has come into sharp focus and reignited a debate over how best to care for those with severe mental illness after suspect Ramon Rivera allegedly fatally stabbed a construction worker in Chelsea, a fisherman near the East River and a woman sitting on a park bench near the United Nations last month. After the incidents, Torres slammed both Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams for failures on the state and city level. More inpatient care options are necessary to prevent incidents like the stabbing incident, Torres said. “Policy at the federal level swung the pendulum too far in the direction of deinstitutionalization. It has been a failure,” Torres said, adding he also wants to see fewer restrictions on involuntary removals and hospitalizations , a policy championed by Mayor Adams, and end early release from detention for those who commit violent crimes. Repealing the IMD exclusion would free up federal funding for mental health institutions, could alleviate a front-end need for more psych beds. The push to repeal it has typically been a conservative cause, with many advocates pushing instead for more resources allocated to programs aimed at longer-term help. Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, said that while inpatient care can be necessary, discharge policies, community-oriented mental health care and outpatient care options do a better, more lasting job of helping people with severe mental illness. “If we had a robust community system, if we had a workforce that was well paid, then a lot of these terrible incidents would not have happened,” Liebman said. “There are always going to be people fall through the cracks, and that’s why we have to have some remedies around some sort of hospitalization for them... But the vast majority of people with mental health issues can be served very well in the community, and frankly, we have a vastly underfunded community based mental health system.”
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