Island Focus: Grand Bahama Island Lucayan National Park Lucayan National Park Junkanoo in The Bahamas The Greatest Show on Earth Here's what's new and upcoming for those considering The Bahamas for their December getaway: New Routes For a complete list of deals and discounted packages in The Bahamas, visit www.bahamas.com/deals-packages . A Cultural and Natural Haven Grand Bahama Island, the northernmost island in The Bahamas, is renowned for its pristine beaches, such as Lucayan Beach, and its proximity to the United States, making it a quick escape (via plane or boat) to paradise. Known for its natural beauty, including the underwater caves of Lucayan National Park and the botanical Garden of The Groves , it's also a hub for eco-tourism with initiatives like coral farming at Coral Vita . Travel to Grand Bahama is facilitated by direct flights from major U.S. cities, with American Airlines adding more routes beginning on December 5, 2024, or by ferry from Florida. The island offers a mixture of adventure and relaxation with activities like diving, snorkeling, and deep-sea fishing, alongside cultural experiences in Freeport and Port Lucaya, where you can enjoy shopping, dining and nightlife. Looking forward, the island is set to expand its tourism with: ### About The Bahamas: The Bahamas has over 700 islands and cays, as well as 16 unique island destinations. Located only 50 miles off the coast of Florida, it offers a quick and easy way for travelers to escape their everyday. The island nation also boasts world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the Earth's most spectacular beaches for families, couples and adventurers to explore. See why It's Better in The Bahamas at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram. Attachments Lucayan National Park Junkanoo in The Bahamas CONTACT: Anita Johnson Patty The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation [email protected] Bahamas USA FINN Bahamas [email protected]Simon Harris apologises to carer for ‘not giving her the time she deserved’Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful government panel has failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on Monday sent its long-awaited report to President Joe Biden, a longtime opponent of the deal. Some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks. That's according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump opposed the merger and vowed to block it. Nippon Steel says it is confident the deal will go ahead. Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Survey: Small businesses are feeling more optimistic about the economy after the election A survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.7, its highest reading since June 2021. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in November to 98, following October’s pre-election record high of 110. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said small business owners became more certain about future business conditions following the presidential election, breaking a nearly three-year streak of record high uncertainty. The survey also showed that more owners are also hoping 2025 will be a good time to grow. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Christmas holiday, led by gains in Big Tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.1% Tuesday. Trading closed early ahead of the holiday. Tech companies including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped pull the market higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended mostly higher after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59% An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.
Novak Djokovic says his rivalry with Andy Murray has “one final chapter” after his long-time adversary joined him as his coach for the upcoming Australian Open. Murray – Britain’s greatest ever player – retired after this summer’s Olympics at the age of 37 after finally admitting defeat in his battle against his body. Many in the game expected the Scot would one day return to tennis and become a coach, particularly due to his love of the sport, hard work and his tactical acumen. He never liked retirement anyway. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ga4UlV2kQW — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 23, 2024 But it came with some degree of shock on Saturday afternoon when a social media post from Djokovic, playing on Murray’s light-hearted tweet upon his departure, read: “He never liked retirement anyway”. The attached video announced Murray, who he lost to in two Slam finals but beat in four Australian showpieces, would coach him over the winter and through January’s Open in Melbourne. “We played each other since we were boys, 25 years of pushing each other to our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in in our sport. They called us gamechangers, risk-takers, history-makers,” Djokovic said. “I thought our story may be over. Turns out it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome aboard, coach Andy Murray.” Murray, who beat Djokovic to win the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013, says he wants to help the 24-time grand slam champion achieve his goals. “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the off-season, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open, he said. “I’m really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.” Djokovic, a week younger than his new coach, added: “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net, as my coach. “Looking forward to the start of the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy with whom I have shared many exceptional moments on the Australian soil.” Djokovic beat Murray in the 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Australian Open finals as well as the French Open final in 2016. It was after he unseated Djokovic at the top of the rankings in 2016 that Murray suffered the hip injury which ultimately derailed his career. Since his retirement, Murray has been playing golf with the same dedication he pursued his tennis but will now return to his natural habitat. Djokovic, who split with coach Goran Ivanisevic earlier this year, hopes that adding Murray to his team will help him get back to the top of the game after he went through a calendar year without winning a grand slam for the first time since 2017. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have developed a stranglehold at the top of the men’s game and Djokovic, who has seen Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal all retire in recent years, is still hoping to move clear of the record 24 grand slams he shares with Margaret Court.
The Game Awards’ fan-voted game of the year nominees find room for snubs
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:49 p.m. EST
FARGO — Qualifying for the North Dakota Class B volleyball state tournament for the very first time was a dream for Medina-Pingree/Buchanan. But to come out and dominate three sets was beyond anything it imagined. ADVERTISEMENT That's exactly what the Thunder did, upending Central McLean 3-0 in the state quarterfinals Thursday at the Fargodome. Set scores were 25-15, 25-9 and 25-17. The match was highlighted by M-P/B roaring out to a 17-1 lead in the middle frame, including what was an 11-0 start to the set. "It was so much fun to be at the state tournament and be able to have a score like that," said Thunder head coach Jacie Connell. "We just never let down. I just said we need to eliminate our errors in the second set, and they did a great job of that." With the win, No. 3 seed M-P/B (31-6) advanced to Friday's state semis where they'll take on No. 2 South Prairie-Max (33-6) with first serve set for 5 p.m. Connell said as state tourney newcomers, nerves came naturally. At least whatever nerves were left after downing Class B No. 1-ranked Linton/HMB in the Region 3 championship last week. "Lots of emotions," Connell said. "But beating the No. 1 team in the state in the (region) championship, I think a lot of our nerves were out right there. They were just excited to be here and play." ADVERTISEMENT Maddie Gefroh finished with a match-leading 14 kills for M-P/B, including the final one to secure match point in Set 3. "It felt great knowing we're closer to the finals now," said Gefroh, senior captain and middle hitter for the Thunder. "You could tell there were some nerves, but as soon as we got onto the court, we were ready to go right away." Gefroh said the dominant second set gave M-P/B all the momentum it needed to finish things off in Set 3. "That was crazy," Gefroh said. "That gave us so much energy to go into the third set. We knew we could do it right away." Central McLean (31-4-1) drops into the consolation semifinals, where it'll face Kenmare/Bowbells (35-7) at 1 p.m. Friday. Reagan Kjelstrup paced the Cougars offensively with eight kills while Morgan Snyder had six. Daphne Lauer finished with 25 assists. Behind Gefroh in the Thunder kills department was Brynn Sorenson with nine and Jorgen Tripp with eight, including set point in the opening frame. ADVERTISEMENT Gefroh added three aces and three blocks while Violet Bohl recorded 34 assists. Cierra Mack finished with a match-leading 15 digs. "If we play our game, that's been huge for us just eliminating our errors," Connell said. "We're going to talk about what we need to adjust a little bit on defense and we'll be ready to go. "It's been a great journey so far and we're happy to be here."
Low rates of flu vaccine take-up: Concerns for the season aheadDemocrats stick with Schumer as leader. Their strategy for countering Trump is far less certainLAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Chris Kutz, a Boise State athletics spokesman, said in an email the university would not “comment on potential matchups at this time.” Doug Hoffman, an Aggies athletics spokesman, said in an email Utah State is reviewing the court’s order. “Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on,” Hoffman wrote. San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports'Hot' Purple Wiggle John Pearce and wife Jessie Adamo called out by fans for 'terrifying' act in unborn child's nursery