owin22

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Story continues below video Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.Concerns raised over hospitality staff after smoking curbs ditchedCHICAGO — With a wave of her bangled brown fingertips to the melody of flutes and chimes, artist, theologian and academic Tricia Hersey enchanted a crowd into a dreamlike state of rest at Semicolon Books on North Michigan Avenue. “The systems can’t have you,” Hersey said into the microphone, reading mantras while leading the crowd in a group daydreaming exercise on a recent Tuesday night. The South Side native tackles many of society’s ills — racism, patriarchy, aggressive capitalism and ableism — through an undervalued yet impactful action: rest. Hersey, the founder of a movement called the Nap Ministry, dubs herself the Nap Bishop and spreads her message to over half a million followers on her Instagram account, @thenapministry . Her first book, “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto,” became a New York Times bestseller in 2022, but Hersey has been talking about rest online and through her art for nearly a decade. Hersey, who has degrees in public health and divinity, originated the “rest as resistance” and “rest as reparations” frameworks after experimenting with rest as an exhausted graduate student in seminary. Once she started napping, she felt happier and her grades improved. But she also felt more connected to her ancestors; her work was informed by the cultural trauma of slavery that she was studying as an archivist. Hersey described the transformation as “life-changing.” The Nap Ministry began as performance art in 2017, with a small installation where 40 people joined Hersey in a collective nap. Since then, her message has morphed into multiple mediums and forms. Hersey, who now lives in Atlanta, has hosted over 100 collective naps, given lectures and facilitated meditations across the country. She’s even led a rest ritual in the bedroom of Jane Addams , and encourages her followers to dial in at her “Rest Hotline.” At Semicolon, some of those followers and newcomers came out to see Hersey in discussion with journalist Natalie Moore on Hersey’s latest book, “We Will Rest! The Art of Escape,” released this month, and to learn what it means to take a moment to rest in community. Moore recalled a time when she was trying to get ahead of chores on a weeknight. “I was like, ‘If I do this, then I’ll have less to do tomorrow.’ But then I was really tired,” Moore said. “I thought, ‘What would my Nap Bishop say? She would say go lay down.’ Tricia is in my head a lot.” At the event, Al Kelly, 33, of Rogers Park, said some of those seated in the crowd of mostly Black women woke up in tears — possibly because, for the first time, someone permitted them to rest. “It was so emotional and allowed me to think creatively about things that I want to work on and achieve,” Kelly said. Shortly after the program, Juliette Viassy, 33, a program manager who lives in the South Loop and is new to Hersey’s work, said this was her first time meditating after never being able to do it on her own. Therapist Lyndsei Howze, 33, of Printers Row, who was also seated at the book talk, said she recommends Hersey’s work “to everybody who will listen” — from her clients to her own friends. “A lot of mental health conditions come from lack of rest,” she said. “They come from exhaustion.” Before discovering Hersey’s work this spring, Howze said she and her friends sporadically napped together in one friend’s apartment after an exhausting workweek. “It felt so good just to rest in community,” she said. On Hersey’s book tour, she is leading exercises like this across the country. “I think we need to collectively do this,” Hersey explained. “We need to learn again how to daydream because we’ve been told not to do it. I don’t think most people even have a daydreaming practice.” Daydreaming, Hersey said, allows people to imagine a new world. Hersey tells her followers that yes, you can rest, even when your agenda is packed, even between caregiving, commuting, jobs, bills, emails and other daily demands. And you don’t have to do it alone. There is a community of escape artists, she said of the people who opt out of grind and hustle culture, waiting to embrace you. The book is part pocket prayer book, part instruction manual, with art and handmade typography by San Francisco-based artist George McCalman inspired by 19th-century abolitionist pamphlets, urging readers to reclaim their divine right to rest. Hersey directs her readers like an operative with instructions for a classified mission. “Let grind culture know you are not playing around,” she wrote in her book. “This is not a game or time to shrink. Your thriving depends on the art of escape.” The reluctance to rest can be rooted in capitalist culture presenting rest as a reward for productivity instead of a physical and mental necessity. Hersey deconstructs this idea of grind culture, which she says is rooted in the combined effects of white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism that “look at the body as not human.” American culture encourages grind culture, Hersey said, but slowing down and building a ritual of rest can offset its toxicity. The author eschews the ballooning billion-dollar self-care industry that encourages people to “save enough money and time off from work to fly away to an expensive retreat,” she wrote. Instead, she says rest can happen anywhere you have a place to be comfortable: in nature, on a yoga mat, in the car between shifts, on a cozy couch after work. Resting isn’t just napping either. She praises long showers, sipping warm tea, playing music, praying or numerous other relaxing activities that slow down the body. “We’re in a crisis mode of deep sleep deprivation, deep lack of self-worth, (and) mental health,” said Hersey. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2022 , in Illinois about 37% of adults aren’t getting the rest they need at night. If ignored, the effects of sleep deprivation can have bigger implications later, Hersey said. In October, she lectured at a sleep conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where her humanities work was featured alongside research from the world’s top neuroscientists. Jennifer Mundt, a Northwestern clinician and professor of sleep medicine, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, praises Hersey for bringing the issue of sleep and rest to the public. In a Tribune op-ed last year, Mundt argued that our culture focuses too heavily on sleep as something that must be earned rather than a vital aspect of health and that linking sleep to productivity is harmful and stigmatizing. “Linking sleep and productivity is harmful because it overshadows the bevy of other reasons to prioritize sleep as an essential component of health,” Mundt wrote. “It also stigmatizes groups that are affected by sleep disparities and certain chronic sleep disorders.” In a 30-year longitudinal study released in the spring by the New York University School of Social Work, people who worked long hours and late shifts reported the lowest sleep quality and lowest physical and mental functions, and the highest likelihood of reporting poor health and depression at age 50. The study also showed that Black men and women with limited education “were more likely than others to shoulder the harmful links between nonstandard work schedules and sleep and health, worsening their probability of maintaining and nurturing their health as they approach middle adulthood.” The CDC links sleeping fewer than seven hours a day to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and more. Although the Nap Ministry movement is new for her followers, Hersey’s written about her family’s practice of prioritizing rest, which informs her work. Her dad was a community organizer, a yardmaster for the Union Pacific Railroad Co. and an assistant pastor. Before long hours of work, he would dedicate hours each day to self-care. Hersey also grew up observing her grandma meditate for 30 minutes daily. Through rest, Hersey said she honors her ancestors who were enslaved and confronts generational trauma. When “Rest Is Resistance” was released in 2022, Americans were navigating a pandemic and conversations on glaring racial disparities. “We Will Rest!” comes on the heels of a historic presidential election where Black women fundraised for Vice President Kamala Harris and registered voters in a dizzying three-month campaign. Following Harris’ defeat, many of those women are finding self-care and preservation even more important. “There are a lot of Black women announcing how exhausted they are,” Moore said. “This could be their entry point to get to know (Hersey’s) work, which is bigger than whatever political wind is blowing right now.” Hersey said Chicagoans can meet kindred spirits in her environment of rest. Haji Healing Salon, a wellness center, and the social justice-focused Free Street Theater are sites where Hersey honed her craft and found community. In the fall, the theater put on “Rest/Reposo,” a performance featuring a community naptime outdoors in McKinley Park and in its Back of the Yards space. Haji is also an apothecary and hosts community healing activities, sound meditations and yoga classes. “It is in Bronzeville; it’s a beautiful space owned by my friend Aya,” Hersey said, explaining how her community has helped her build the Nap Ministry. “When I first started the Nap Ministry, before I was even understanding what it was, she was like, come do your work here.” “We Will Rest!” is a collection of poems, drawings and short passages. In contrast to her first book, Hersey said she leaned more into her artistic background; the art process alone took 18 months to complete. After a tough year for many, she considers it medicine for a “sick and exhausted” world. “It’s its own sacred document,” Hersey said. “It’s something that, if you have it in your library and you have it with you, you may feel more human.” lazu@chicagotribune.comowin22 。

ATHEX: Banks send main index soaring

NEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google released its annual “Year in Search” on Tuesday, rounding up the top trending queries entered into its namesake search engine in 2024. The results show terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year — ranging from key news events, notably global elections , to the most popular songs, athletes and unforgettable pop-culture moments that people looked up worldwide. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated Google’s overall trending searches in 2024. Copa América topped those search trends globally, followed by the UEFA European Championship and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup . Meanwhile, the U.S. election led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about excessive heat and this year’s Olympic Games followed. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump topped searches in Google’s people category this year — followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales , U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif , who also led athlete-specific searches. Meanwhile, the late Liam Payne , Toby Keith and O.J. Simpson led search trends among notable individuals who died in 2024. In the world of entertainment, Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” was the top trending movie of the year, while Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” led TV show trends. And Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” dominated song trends. RELATED COVERAGE Storm Darragh batters UK and Ireland, leaving 1 dead and hundreds of thousands without power Princess of Wales takes another step in return to public life after chemotherapy with carol service Princess of Wales joins royals as Qatari state visit to the UK starts That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Queries for the Olympic village’s chocolate muffin , made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen over the summer games, led Google’s global recipe trends this year. The New York Times’ “Connections” puzzle topped game searches. And in the U.S., country-specific data shows, many people asked Google about online trends like the word “demure” and “ mob wife aesthetic .” You can find more country-specific lists, and trends from years past , through Google’s “Year in Search” data published online . The California company said it collected 2024 search results from Jan. 1 through Nov. 23 of this year. Google isn’t the only one to publish an annual recap or top trends as 2024 draws to a close. Spotify Wrapped , for example, as well as Collins Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s words of the year, have offered additional reflections for 2024.The Chinese version of the Nintendo eShop, currently run by Tencent, is set to shut down in 2026, with all network-related operating services being discontinued. From 31 March 2026, the eShop will stop selling games, and all free trial games will be removed. On 15 May 2026, the eShop will “stop download services and redemption code redemption services.” Those impacted by the shut down will be able to head to WeChat to claim up to four free Nintendo games as compensation, with the list including and . Notably, Nintendo and Tencent did not provide a firm reason for the shut down, leading to much speculation about the decision. has pointed out that many Chinese gamers use international versions of the Nintendo Switch, likely to get around country restrictions for the console. has speculated the changes could relate to the Chinese government crackdown on gaming, which seeks to limit gameplay time for children. Many others have pointed out this could pave the way for the launch of the Switch’s successor, which is set to be announced within the next six months. Whatever the case, it shouldn’t be seen as a sign of wider change for international Switch users. China is a unique market for Nintendo, with an array of restrictions to comply with government regulation. Recent edicts that discourage folks from playing games have also reduced the viability of the games market in the country. With the Switch continuing to enjoy success in regions outside of China, we anticipate the Nintendo eShop will remain live globally, for many years to come – and that even with a potential shut down years from now, redownloads will remain firmly in place. Those in China set to be impacted by the impending shut down of the Nintendo eShop can learn more on the .

In her new book, “We Will Rest! The Art of Escape,” the author and academic says you too can flee the toxic grind culture. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.Why GitLab (GTLB) Stock Is Up TodayDucks hope to snap 3-game skid in Ottawa or Toronto

Fox attorneys seek to dismiss shareholder lawsuit over reporting of vote rigging allegations in 2020

Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another recordNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. stock outperforms competitors despite losses on the day

The grant — if received — could help address the coal dust pollution that plagues the Southeast Community. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular 1 dead, 2 seriously injured in Newport News triple shooting, police say 1 dead, 2 seriously injured in Newport News triple shooting, police say Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to Al Roker speaks out after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade chair mishap Al Roker speaks out after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade chair mishap Former Hampton High football coach Mike Smith highlights latest Virginia Hall of Fame inductees Former Hampton High football coach Mike Smith highlights latest Virginia Hall of Fame inductees German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News Underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets extinguished Underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets extinguished Dad kills wife, shoots 21-year-old daughter on the phone with 911, police say Dad kills wife, shoots 21-year-old daughter on the phone with 911, police say Teel: Chaos abounds in college football, but not when it comes to Virginia Tech vs. UVA Teel: Chaos abounds in college football, but not when it comes to Virginia Tech vs. UVA Editorial: New executive director set to lead Fort Monroe into the future Editorial: New executive director set to lead Fort Monroe into the future Oscar Smith, Phoebus, Maury, Poquoson will host VHSL state semifinals in football Oscar Smith, Phoebus, Maury, Poquoson will host VHSL state semifinals in football Trending Nationally Woman who snuck onto NYC-to-Paris flight foils forced U.S. return by ‘causing such a scene’: source US Senate inquiry into Chicago’s housing of migrants at airports likely to heat up after Republican election wins Homes vs. beaches: Court makes key decision in battle over California seawall construction amid ocean rise Fruit trees and ‘generational learning’ turn this California city into a parrot paradise as temperatures drop Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine’s legal troubles expand with two South Florida lawsuitsThe establishment of foreign campuses across the Asean region has become a significant trend, with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam leading the way. These countries have embraced the presence of renowned global institutions and reaped numerous socioeconomic and political benefits. However, the Philippines remains notably absent from this movement, maintaining a more cautious stance. Malaysia has long been a pioneer in this arena, attracting prestigious institutions such as Monash University, the University of Nottingham, and Newcastle University. These foreign campuses offer world-class education and cater to both local and international students while elevating Malaysia’s reputation as a regional education hub. Indonesia and Vietnam have followed suit in recent years, welcoming foreign universities like Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Fulbright University. These countries view the influx of international educational institutions as a means to boost their higher education systems, create jobs, and attract global talent. The Asean region’s focus on foreign university partnerships stems from the belief that these institutions not only bring academic excellence but also foster innovation and global competitiveness. Governments have supported this by offering incentives such as tax breaks, regulatory flexibility, and partnerships with local institutions. The socioeconomic-political benefits are clear: enhanced education quality, increased foreign direct investment, strengthened international relations, and the creation of a skilled, globally competitive workforce. The Philippines’ reluctance to open its doors to foreign universities could place it at a disadvantage in the Asean region. With its strong English-speaking population and a burgeoning demand for quality higher education, the Philippines has the potential to attract global institutions that could significantly enhance its educational offerings. However, by not engaging in this trend, the country risks missing out on key benefits that its neighbors are already leveraging. Allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in the Philippines could address existing gaps in higher education quality, particularly in specialized fields like technology, health care, and engineering. This influx of expertise could elevate the country’s global competitiveness. Additionally, foreign universities often collaborate with local industries, spurring innovation and creating job opportunities. The presence of global institutions would also attract international students, boosting the local economy, and promoting cultural exchange. Jerome Babate, Sydney, Australia Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .

Spare Trump prison in hush money case, prosecutors urgeNo. 25 UConn working on climbing back up poll, faces No. 15 Baylor

The awards ceremony for the U-21 athletics competitions under the Fifth National Sports Festival took place yesterday morning at Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw. Initially, Daw Than Than, a former national athlete and executive of the Myanmar Athletics Federation, presented individual medals and commemorative trophies to winners of the women’s long jump event. The first-prize went to Mon State, the second to Taninthayi Region, and the third to Ayeyawady Region. Similarly, Daw Jennifer Tin Lay, another former national athlete and executive, honoured winners of the women’s 5,000-metre race, with Taninthayi Region securing first prize , followed by Shan State in second and third prizes. Next, Kayin State’s Minister for Social Affairs U Saw Tun Aung presented awards to the men’s 5,000-metre race winners, with Shan State claiming first prize, Yangon Region second, and Kachin State third. Additionally, Sagaing Region’s Minister for Social Affairs U Nyunt Win Aung, awarded the winners of the women’s discus throw event. Shan State achieved first prize, while Sagaing Region took second and third prizes. Deputy Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs U Htein Lin then presented awards for the men’s discus throw competition, where Magway Region earned first and third prizes, with Yangon Region coming in second. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister U Zin Min Htet presented awards for the women’s 20-kilometre racewalking event, in which Sagaing Region won first prize, Shan State second, and Ayeyawady Region third. Union Minister U Min Thein Zan later honoured the winners of the men’s 20-kilometre racewalking event, with Shan State taking both first and second prizes, while Taninthayi Region secured third prize. The competitions continued with prizes awarded across various events. Daw Nu Nu Yi, a former national athlete, presented awards to winners of the women’s 400-metre race, with Taninthayi Region winning first, Shan State second, and Rakhine State third. U Khin Maung Kyi, Ayeyawady Region’s Minister for Social Affairs, awarded winners of the women’s 400-metre relay, where Taninthayi Region took first prize, followed by Ayeyawady Region and Rakhine State in second and third prizes. Further honours were presented by U Thant Zin, a former national athlete, to winners of the men’s 400-metre relay, with Taninthayi Region taking first prize, Ayeyawady Region second, and Mandalay Region third. Additionally, Daw Mar Mar Min, a former national athlete, awarded winners of the men’s long jump event, with Ayeyawady Region claiming first prize, Magway Region second, and Bago Region third. Daw Than Than also awarded winners of the men’s 400-metre race, with Sagaing Region taking both first and second prizes and Yangon Region coming in third. The final matches and awards ceremonies for the Fifth National Sports Festival, which includes competitions at the ministerial, inter-state and regional levels, are scheduled to continue on 11 December at designated sports venues and stadiums. — MNA/KZLAnalog Devices Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors despite daily gains

By MICHAEL R. SISAK NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs tried for a third time Friday to persuade a judge to let him leave jail while he awaits his sex trafficking trial, but a decision won’t come until next week. Judge Arun Subramanian said at a hearing that he will release his decision on Combs’ latest request for bail after Combs’ lawyers and federal prosecutors file letters addressing outstanding issues. Those letters are due at noon on Monday, Subramanian said. Combs’ lawyers pitched having him await trial under around-the-clock surveillance either his mansion on an island near Miami Beach or — after the judge scoffed at that location — an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Their plan essentially amounts to putting Combs on house arrest, with strict limits on who he has contact with. But prosecutors argue that Combs has routinely flouted jail rules and can’t be trusted not to interfere with witnesses or the judicial process. “The argument that he’s a lawless person who doesn’t follow instructions isn’t factually accurate,” Combs lawyer Anthony Ricco argued. “The idea that he’s an out-of-control individual who has to be detained isn’t factually accurate.” Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. His trial is slated to begin May 5. The Bad Boy Records founder remains locked up at a Brooklyn federal jail, where he spent his Nov. 4 birthday. Two other judges previously concluded that Combs would be a danger to the community if he is released and an appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request. Friday’s hearing was the second time Combs was in court this week. On Tuesday, a judge blocked prosecutors from using as evidence papers that were seized from his cell during jail-wide sweep for contraband and weapons at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. As he entered through a side door, Combs waved to relatives including his mother and several of his children in the courtroom gallery, tapping his hand to his heart and blowing kisses at them. He then hugged his lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, before taking a seat at the defense table. He was not handcuffed or shackled and wore a beige jail uniform, occasionally pulling a pair of reading glasses from his pocket as he peered at papers in front of him. Prosecutors maintain that no bail conditions will mitigate the “risk of obstruction and dangerousness to others” of releasing Combs from jail. Prosecutors contend that while locked up the “I’ll Be Missing You” artist has orchestrated social media campaigns aimed at tainting the jury pool. They allege that he has also attempted to publicly leak materials he thinks would be helpful to his case and is contacting potential witnesses via third parties. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik argued. Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos countered that, given the strict release conditions proposed, “it would be impossible for him not to follow rules.”Vietnam has positioned itself in recent years as an attractive destination for Big Tech companies looking to move away from China. But Hanoi’s policies regarding social media have increasingly been following Beijing’s lead. The Southeast Asian nation is now ramping up already tight controls over online platforms with new rules that will require companies to verify the identities of users and share this information with authorities when asked. If these sorts of digital regulations sound familiar, it may be because they echo a Big Brother-esque cyber identification scheme unveiled by Beijing earlier this year. The Chinese Communist Party’s rollout was met with international backlash over fears of government overreach, further surveillance and the erosion of free speech. It’s not the first time Hanoi has imitated Beijing when it comes to cyber regulation. Still, Vietnam’s tech industry has spent years cashing in on the idea of not being its giant northern neighbor. Foreign investment has surged as firms capitalized on “China Plus One” strategies to diversify supply chains away from Chinese manufacturing. Vietnam has welcomed production from tech titans including Apple Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. But the latest crackdown on digital anonymity is a timely reminder that its single-party government still has a lot in common with the CCP. Over the years, internet freedoms in Vietnam have been severely beaten back. The blow has been especially painful because there was a time when platforms like Facebook and YouTube gave a mouthpiece for people to disseminate information when traditional media outlets were forced to toe the party line. And while many were banned in China, they quickly gained a large user base in Vietnam. In the years that followed, however, a massive team of cyber-regulators was deployed to censor anti-party views online. Now, journalists face jail time for anti-government posts. Vietnam was ranked 174 out of 180 on this year’s Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index, behind China at 172. Hanoi is the world’s third-largest jailer of journalists, according to the nonprofit group, which cited Facebook as a major tool for circulating news. Moreover, Vietnam’s new digital regulations also risk threatening business at an especially precarious time. The country was seen as a major winner from Donald Trump’s trade war with China in his first term. But success during Trump 2.0 is far from certain: The president-elect has threatened much wider tariffs of up to 60 percent on goods from China and 20 percent from everywhere else. That could deal a devastating blow to Vietnam’s growth, and it could find itself caught in the crosshairs of greater scrutiny on goods originating from China that pass through its borders. The tariffs could cut Vietnam’s economic growth by up to 4 percentage points, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. economists have warned, back to levels at the height of the pandemic. It also seems a particularly unwise moment for policymakers to implement complicated new regulations on foreign tech companies. Vietnam has recently sought to use these relationships to move up the tech value chain by attracting investments in more research and development labs, and data centers. The new decree is set to take effect on Dec. 25. It spans more than 200 pages and is incredibly wide-ranging. The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam said earlier this year that the most important factor to improve investments is a fair, transparent, predictable and streamlined regulatory environment. Adding to the uncertainty is local political turbulence and a yearslong anti-graft campaign that has yielded mixed results. While the recent battles over internet freedoms carry numerous similarities to China, a key distinction is that many of the most widely used social networks in Vietnam originate from Silicon Valley. It would be refreshing to see a US tech company like Meta -- its Facebook platform has more than 70 million users in the country -- take a firmer stand against censorship. Perhaps understandably, Meta over the years appears to have chosen to bow to Vietnam’s requests rather than give up the market. Vietnam’s government has spent decades calculating how much it can tighten the screws before scaring off business; the outcome this time remains to be seen. Battles over social media regulation are currently raging across the globe. After years deploying bamboo diplomacy and straddling the tech influences of China and the West, Vietnam is worth watching closely. For now, it seems Hanoi is swaying toward Beijing. Catherine Thorbecke Catherine Thorbecke is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia tech. The views expressed here are the writer‘s own.-- Ed. (Tribune Content Agency)Enbridge Appoints New Director to its Board

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