ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan’s economy is witnessing a turnaround due to the difficult decisions taken by the government. Addressing the National Productivity, Quality, and Innovation (PQI) Summit 2024 in Islamabad on Thursday, the minister said that inflation has decreased to a single digit and exports have increased by 14 percent. He also highlighted the rapid growth of IT exports. Iqbal said, “Productivity, quality, and innovation are the bedrock of economic success. By adopting these principles, we can increase our exports from $30 billion to $100 billion.” He said that friendly countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Azerbaijan, have identified a $29 billion portfolio investment opportunity in Pakistan. The summit began with an opening address by Federal Minister Iqbal, who emphasised the crucial role of productivity, quality, and innovation in driving sustainable economic growth and enhancing Pakistan’s global competitiveness. The Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives inaugurated the National Productivity, Quality, and Innovation (PQI) Summit 2024 in Islamabad on Thursday. This two-day event revolves around the theme “Driving Growth Through Excellence in Productivity, Quality, and Innovation.” The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including esteemed academics, CEOs of leading brands, leaders from chambers of commerce and industry, and corporate executives. Senior officials from the Ministry of Planning, including members, chiefs, and project directors, also actively participated in the discussions. In his address, Iqbal highlighted Pakistan’s achievements despite early challenges post-independence. “From limited resources, Pakistan has risen to become the seventh nuclear power and is now manufacturing advanced aircraft. However, we must acknowledge that we have lagged behind in key sectors compared to other nations,” he remarked. He pointed out that in 1980, Pakistan’s per capita income was higher than China’s, but the gap has since widened, with Bangladesh and India surpassing Pakistan in economic growth. “We must decide now whether we will become a successful nation in the next 30 years,” he stated. Iqbal stressed collective responsibility to restore Pakistan’s progress. He added that since 2022, efforts have been made to revive the economy. “Today, the stock market is rising, exports are growing, inflation is down to seven per cent, and the stock market has crossed the 96,000-point threshold. To further strengthen the economy, we need political stability, policy continuity, and an export-led growth model, with focus areas in human resource development, IT, agriculture, and mining. If we align our products with global standards, Pakistan can become a competitive economy.” Speaking on the occasion, Planning Secretary Owais Manzoor Samra said that economic progress depends on adopting productivity, quality, and innovation. “Productivity is not just about working hard but working smart. We need to eliminate inefficiencies and integrate modern technologies. This seminar reflects the government’s commitment to these goals,” he added. In his concluding remarks, Iqbal announced that the prime minister will soon launch the “5Es Framework” to promote sustainable development across all sectors. “As a Muslim nation, Pakistan has unique strengths. By turning aspirations into reality, we can secure our place on the global stage. I am confident that the expert panel here will develop actionable strategies for productivity, quality, and innovation,” he concluded. The summit provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop strategies for accelerating Pakistan’s economic growth through productivity, quality enhancement, and innovation. During the summit, breakout sessions were held on Productivity, Quality, and Innovation, attended by research scholars, think tanks, academia, and industry representatives. These sessions focused on improving productivity for sustainable growth, raising quality standards to meet international benchmarks, and promoting innovation to build a competitive economy. The summit is set to serve as a milestone in achieving the goal of increasing exports, ensuring economic stability, and ultimately maintaining Pakistan as a trillion-dollar economy by 2035 and a three-trillion-dollar economy by 2047, under the ministry’s development framework based on the 5Es: Exports, Energy, E-Pakistan, Environment and Climate Change, Food Security, and Equity. The framework emphasizes providing equal opportunities for all, with a special focus on empowering youth, women, and minorities, as well as developing the less developed areas of the country. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024Ciena Corp CIEN stock surged after BofA Securities upgraded it from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target from $70 to $95 . Needham analyst Ryan Koontz maintained Ciena with a Buy and raised the price target from $80 to $95. Additionally, Northland Capital Markets , and Stifel raised their respective price targets on the stock. On Thursday, Ciena reported a fiscal fourth-quarter 2024 revenue decline of 0.5% to $1.12 billion, beating the analyst estimate of $1.10 billion. The adjusted EPS of $0.54, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66. Also Read: Affirm Secures $4 Billion Loan Deal With Sixth Street to Boost BNPL Growth BofA Securities: Last quarter, Liani downgraded its rating to Neutral, noting that long-term growth opportunities were overshadowed by risks related to high implied second-half growth and valuation considerations. However, trends are turning out better than expected, with stabilizing demand at North American Service Providers (SPs) and Hyperscalers’ AI bandwidth needs driving accelerated order momentum. The 3-year outlook seems brighter than anticipated and modeled 9.5% fiscal 2025 revenue growth versus his prior 8% estimate. SP inventory digestion is primarily complete, orders are improving, and B2B of North American SPs was higher than 1 in the fourth quarter. With Cloud providers, AI deployments are driving demand for core networking applications, Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solutions, pluggable devices, and potential coherent optics penetration inside the data center by fiscal 2027. Management expects Hyperscalers to account for more than 30% of fiscal 2025 revenues, with another 10%- 15% of indirect exposure through Managed Optical Fiber Network (MOFN) and submarine applications. MOFN, currently 5% of revenue, is expected to grow significantly next year, driven by SPs building capacity to support Cloud providers. Lastly, Ciena is also growing its share of the optical networking market outside China, up from 22% in 2022 to 27% and 28% in 2023 and the first half of 2024, respectively. The company holds roughly a 60% share of the 800G coherent optical equipment ports, a market that will likely grow materially. Liani projected first-quarter revenue of $1.05 billion and EPS of $0.35. Needham: Ciena reported mixed fourth-quarter results, with revenue +2% above consensus and EPS -$0.11 below, but strong fiscal 2025 and long-term revenue guidance (+8%-11%) was above consensus. Fourth-quarter strength in Webscale benefited from share growth in 400ZR. However, a one-time E&O charge negatively impacted quarter margins, which Koontz found reasonable. Strong fiscal 2025 guidance also benefited from improving demand from North American SP. Strong execution paired with best-in-class technology and customer relationships should allow Ciena to continue to gain meaningful market share in its core TAM. However, Koontz needs to be bullish on its two new product segments. Koontz projected first-quarter revenue of $1.05 billion and EPS of $0.39. Price Action: CIEN stock is up 6.43% at $89.96 at the last check Friday. Also Read: Apple’s 2025 Chip Transition Targets New Wireless Edge, Broadcom To Retain Key Role Image via Ciena. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
COLUMBUS, Ga. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) announced today that it will webcast its annual Financial Analysts Briefing on December 3, 2024 at starting 8:00 a.m. (ET) . Aflac's executive management will discuss the Company's operations and strategy for the U.S. and Japan , as well as its medium-term outlook. The presentations will be available via webcast, and you must register here prior to the event. Presentation slides will be posted on investors.aflac.com after the market closes on December 2, 2024 , and an archive of the presentations will also be available on investors.aflac.com for two weeks following the conclusion of the webcast. ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL ), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan . In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products. 1 In Japan , Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment ( PRI ) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol . Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under " Sustainability ." 1 LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those informational statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. The company desires to take advantage of these provisions. This document contains cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in any other statements made by company officials in communications with the financial community and contained in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Furthermore, forward-looking information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "goal," "objective," "may," "should," "estimate," "intends," "projects," "will," "assumes," "potential," "target," "outlook" or similar words as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. Aflac undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. The company cautions readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements: Analyst and investor contact - David A. Young , 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667 or dyoung@aflac.com Media contact - Ines Gutzmer , 762.207.7601 or igutzmer@aflac.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aflac-incorporated-to-webcast-2024-financial-analysts-briefing-302313462.html SOURCE Aflac IncorporatedNoneFor “Hysteria!” actresses Anna Camp and Julie Bowen, horror is harder than comedy. “Horror is really hard actually because there is a fine line you have to walk; you have to make it feel grounded and you’re put in these extreme circumstances: You’re being possessed or pulled through the air, there’s nothing you can do to relate to that,” explained Camp of “Pitch Perfect” fame. “With comedy, you can have a relatable situation and go, ‘I’ve been in situations like that.’ There’s nothing you can compare (horror) to, so you have to use your imagination. I find it harder. Your imagination goes home with you at the end of the day. You’re still thinking crazy thoughts.” Bowen, best known for playing Claire Dunphy on “Modern Family,” agreed. “Comedy’s pretty binary because it’s like either you can make people laugh or you don’t. I can’t watch horror. I’m terrified, terrified! I am the easiest scare in the world, so as far as doing (horror), I want to make it as real as possible. It was hard because I had to be really, really crazy. There were times when I’d get back to my hotel room at 3 a.m., I didn’t want to be alone in my head,” said Bowen, laughing. Camp, Bowen, Royal Oak native Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead”), showrunner David A. Goodman (“Futurama”), and Ypsilanti native/creator Matthew Scott Kane (“American Horror Story”) were promoting “Hysteria!” at the New York Comic Con in October. The horror series is streaming on Peacock. Set in the fictional Michigan town of Happy Hollow, the first episode of “Hysteria” begins with a popular quarterback’s disappearance and a pentagram is discovered on a garage door. As a result, rumors of the occult and satanic influence run rampant through the town. A trio of outcasts in a heavy metal band called Dethkrunch exploit this by rebranding themselves as a satanic metal band, which leads to them becoming the targets of the town’s witch hunt. “Something on my mind a lot in 2019 was we’re living in this post-factual age with social media. It seemed like decades and decades ago, you could trust the news. Now everything is in question. When lies end up getting disseminated as truth, that starts to warp people’s version of reality. Suddenly, they’re living in a world other people are not. That was going on in the world I was living in and I very quickly connected it to the 1980s satanic panic. It’s not really that different because people were saying Ozzy Osbourne, Jason Voorhees (of ‘Friday the 13th’), and the Smurfs were going to turn your kids into satanists and kill you in your sleep. That didn’t happen. It wasn’t true, but so many people got worked up into such a fervor over it, bad things happened. ... It was smoke without fire,” Kane said. “Disinformation is not new,” Campbell said. “Disinformation will tear a town apart.” Campbell portrays Happy Hollow Police Chief Ben Dandridge. “This guy’s a reasonable cop; he’s a rational person who doesn’t treat the teenagers like they’re idiots. It’s all very refreshing,” he said. “I want to play that guy again. I want cops to be that guy. I’m playing the cop (that) cops need to be. That’s my whole motivation for playing this guy: How would you like cops to be, especially the guy in charge, the chief of police? They’re lucky to have Chief Dandridge.” “It was truly an exciting moment when Bruce signed on,” Goodman said. By the end of the first episode, a supernatural phenomenon happens to Linda Campbell, played by Bowen. “Linda seems like one thing, then you realize she’s bananas. She’s either bananas or she’s possessed. Either way, it’s a complicated thing to play,” Bowen said. “With Julie, you can have your cake and eat it too,” Kane said. “She’s this fun, quirky mom. ... As the episode goes on, she’s pulled deeper into this thing and crazy stuff starts happening. That final act of the first episode was my favorite moment with her because this announced that this is not Claire Dunphy. We’re not doing that again; we’re pushing her as a performer. “Julie was so excited about doing stunts. She told us on many occasions she’s very sturdy and can take it. The same goes for Bruce and for Anna. We didn’t ask anyone to give us a flavor of the thing they did before. We cast people we loved so much (in their famous projects) that we wanted to give them the opportunity to do the exact opposite.” Added Bowen: “I got this script and was like, ‘Oh great. She’s a mom. How fun.’ I love moms. I’m a mom, but I felt this was not worth flying out of town to Georgia and being away from my kids. Then I got to the end of the pilot and was like, ‘She’s crazy!’ Is she possessed? There’s a lot more questions. It’s fun to just stretch again and do things I haven’t done in a while, which I found really exciting.” Kane said he felt lucky Bowen signed on at the beginning. “She was the first adult actor to sign on. That gave us such credibility to have a two-time Emmy-winning actor leading this show. Suddenly, it goes from this script from a relatively unknown writer into the new Julie Bowen show,” he said. It was the quality of the writing that attracted Camp, Bowen and Campbell to “Hysteria!” “I loved the script; it was incredibly well-written. It was immersed in the time period. It was such a good coming-of-age story, too — the feeling of being in high school again, being in the 1980s,” Camp said. “I talked to Matt who said my character (Tracy) was incredibly pivotal to the series and we’ll learn about why she is the way she is. So I was like, ‘I’d love to do this!’” For Campbell, the writing is everything. “A lot of times, I’ll get a script that could make the words interchangeable with every other character because the writing is very bland and just doesn’t have the detail you need. This was different. Every character was pretty distinct and pretty well-drawn,” he said. “It’s quality. It’s not a (expletive) show. It’s a real show that’s playing around with interesting themes. A lot of it is still relevant to this day.” “Hysteria!” has other Michigan connections, including University of Michigan alumnus Jonathan Goldstein (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) and Dondero High School alumnus Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“Kong: Skull Island”), who both serve as executive producers. Kane explained why he set “Hysteria!” in Michigan. “You write what you know. I grew up in Ypsilanti, so that had a lot to do with it. More importantly, when you’re in a small town in the Midwest — somewhere like Michigan — these things don’t ever happen and word spreads fast and paranoia spreads quickly and (everything’s) blown out of proportion and takes up a lot of people’s minds,” he said. “Whether or not something is real doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if there are people willing to believe it does and willing it into the world. What does it matter if it’s objectively real or living rent-free in someone’s head?”
Drone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictions
goalkeeper has revealed that he played for an hour against with a broken bone in his ankle. have been rocked by a major new injury blow after to confirm that their No1 had undergone surgery to repair a fracture sustained during Saturday evening’s over the reigning Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium. Vicario is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines as he recovers from the operation to his right ankle, with veteran deputy Fraser Forster set to take on starting duties in the weeks ahead supported by the likes of Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman. Spurs did not speculate on how long it might be until the Italian international is able to return to action, saying only that he would be assessed by club medical staff in future to determine when he can resume training. It remains to be seen if Tottenham are now tempted to pursue the signing of a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window to compensate for the loss of one of Ange Postecoglou’s most influential players. Vicario has now publicly addressed his injury, revealing on social media that he played through it for 60 minutes of the rousing win over crisis-stricken City in which he with a succession of fine saves. Vicario had initially gone down in the first half but received treatment and came back out for the second period before being seen limping after the game. “Sometimes football gives you its highs, and sometimes it challenges you in ways you don't expect," the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram on Monday night alongside a picture of him flexing his arms in his hospital bed. "I played 60 minutes at the Etihad with a broken bone in my ankle, giving absolutely everything I had for the team. "Unfortunately there was no way around this one.. I needed surgery. I'm disappointed I won't be able to help the team for a while. "A massive thank you to the doctors and the staff. The operation went well, and from tomorrow I'll be working hard to come back stronger, fitter, and ready to give my all for you again. "Thank you to the Spurs fans for all the love. See you soon on the pitch." Tottenham plus Vicario’s Spurs and Italy team-mates past and present flooded his latest post with well wishes. James Maddison wrote: “Back soon brother”, while Tottenham’s official account said: “You’ve got this.” Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, currently on loan from Spurs at Marseille, wrote: “Stay strong grande. Forza.” Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr and Manor Solomon were among the other Tottenham players to send Vicario their support.
The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, passed in the Lok Sabha on December 12 as an amendment to the existing 2005 law has, among multiple modifications, envisaged the formation of urban disaster management authorities in a first. Be it Bengaluru, which suffered flooding recently during October earlier this year, or Chennai, which was paralysed as a result of cyclone Michaung in November, climate-induced disasters are becoming a recurring phenomenon in Indian cities at a point wherein India is continuing to log an urban-focussed growth. In this context, experts and practitioners have lauded the introduction of an urban-specific disaster authority. While the amendments are yet to be discussed in detail and passed in the Upper House before being sent to the President for her assent, the provisions of the urban authority and aspects, such as necessary recognition of disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change and some autonomy to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), have been welcomed. Also read | Centre approves ₹ 944 crore as Cyclone Fengal relief to Tamil Nadu, promises more after assessment reports Krishna S Vatsa, a member of NDMA, said this is a landmark step, given the country’s rapid urbanisation and recurrence of disasters in cities. “The existing district-level structures are not effective in these cases.” An official working with a UN agency, echoing the sentiments, said the emphasis on the creation of a disaster database will also lead to more data-based decision-making. Notably, the current draft mentions that national capital Delhi and Chandigarh will be the only exceptions. In other places, these new city-level authorities will align with central, state and district-level disaster management authorities for state capitals and large cities. While these additions have been lauded as broadly progressive, many experts have pointed out other obvious reformative steps that the proposed amendment has overlooked, particularly from the urban perspective. Also read | ‘Justice for Wayanad’: Priyanka leads protest, demands relief package for landslide-hit constituency A senior official with experience in working with a state disaster management authority for more than three years said the amendment could have mandated frameworks for resource allocations into clear categories, such as mitigation, preparedness, rescue, and rehabilitation, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. “This structured approach would ensure efficient and targeted use of resources for disaster management.” Other than this, he said, the emphasis on communication protocols and technology integration for real-time monitoring, predictive analysis, and data-driven decision-making is missing. He also mentioned that the law fails to incorporate participatory governance, involving local communities, to ensure solutions are inclusive and grounded in local realities. An official currently with the NDMA, on condition of anonymity, said, another level of decentralisation was required, with regard to ward-level structures, for emergency management. “We need to pay more attention to creating urban search and rescue teams, which can operate at a sub-city level.” Kathyayini Chamaraj, a member of the social security association of India, said ward disaster management teams and booth-level committees need to be formed with volunteers. “Ward committee members and ward-level officials need to be equipped with emergency funds to carry out activities during an emergency: rescue, recovery and mitigation of disasters,” Chamaraj said. Anil Kumar Gupta, a professor at IIT Roorkee who previously worked with the Centre for Disasters and Health and the National Institute of Disaster Management, questioned why mayors have been left out of the framework, when the state and central authorities are led by the Prime Minister and chief ministers, respectively. Gupta questioned the proposal to make the municipal corporation commissioner the chief of the urban disaster authority, expressing scepticism if the officer can exercise control multiple other parastatal agencies that are involved in the day-to-day functioning of large cities. “This is important as, unlike disaster response that is done on war footing, mitigation will involve broader issues, such as improving land use practice, housing, setting development regulation norms and even preparing risk-informed master plans.” He questioned how a multiplicity of agencies, incongruous with one another, will achieve its goals and wondered if these urban bodies will be set up in industrial cities, such as Noida, which do not have traditional municipal bodies. Gupta said the aspect of losses specific to cities has also been missed, as disasters not only negatively impact infrastructure but also disrupt supply chains and city economics. He said that instead of an authority, an operational agency to implement the mechanisms that already exist on paper in a time-bound manner would have been more helpful.
The billionaire whose fortune is tied up in a ‘golden cage’
NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia’s attack with new hypersonic missileJets running back Hall 'looks promising' to play vs. Jags, but cornerback Reed is doubtful
For travelers, Puerto Rico is a floating island of desirabilityGetting smart about car insurance can provide cost savings and peace of mind
A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference said it was “satisfied” with the judge's decision and would continue upholding policies established by its board of directors, which “directly align with NCAA and USA Volleyball.” “We are excited to proceed with the Mountain West Conference Women's Volleyball Championship,” its statement added. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 -– making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz declined to comment on whether the Broncos would play SJSU if they won their first-round tournament game. Utah State officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that the overall situation in Punjab is better than other provinces. “No recommendation in any sort of appointment has been made in Punjab. I do not pay heed to anyone on the issue of merit. Every sector is in a state of decline due to lack of accountability,” the CM during a meeting with the participants of the 26th National Security Workshop of the National Defence University. The participants of the National Security Workshop gave the title of “Super CM” to CM Punjab. The CM gave a two-hour briefing on the government’s performance and the participants applauded enthusiastically. The head of the National Security Workshop delegation said “it is a blessing to come to Punjab, where sincerity and effort for the people is clearly visible. By coming to Punjab, we have come from darkness to light.” The Chief Minister while speaking on the occasion said, “The journey of development and prosperity gets affected due to political instability. Unfortunately, the governments are not allowed to function properly. Every work that has a positive impact on the lives of 150 million people is my priority. We want to control smog as soon as possible. Positive effects of government’s measures are coming to light. People lose their lives due to lack of health and treatment facilities. We are all Pakistanis irrespective of our political affiliations. Our aim is to promote patriotism. Inflation is low and foreign exchange reserves are increasing in Pakistan. The stock market has broken all records; IT exports are increasing. With increasing exports, dependence on foreign aid decreases, we will be able to live our lives with pride and dignity.” She said, “Controlling inflation is an uphill task, bringing it down from 38-percent to 7-percent is a mega achievement. We want to serve the people by increasing financial resources. People from all over Pakistan come to Punjab for a better future, employment, jobs and treatment. Mismanagement of resources after 77 years is regrettable. Infrastructure is very important for development. The example of Dubai is in front of us. Low literacy rate in South Asia is shameful. Those embracing martyrdom in other provinces are also Pakistanis. Threats of terrorism prevail, maintaining law and order is our foremost priority.” The CM added, “Rs 45 billion were saved in the road rehabilitation programme through e-tendering and transparency. Rs 800 billion have been saved by not purchasing wheat. The Punjab government will not provide support price but farmers will be given subsidies on agricultural inputs and equipment on Kisan cards. Patients get affected due to the behaviour of doctors and staff in hospitals. After the Sahiwal incident, fire extinguishers were made functional in all hospitals. It is not children of the rich who die by falling into sewers, but children of the poor.” She said, “Change cannot come overnight. Capacity building has not been done as a nation. We need to find a solution to extremism problem. There is a special focus on the protection of minorities. Regardless of religion and sect, protection of every individual is our responsibility. It is highly regrettable to appreciate a child abuser on his release. We apprehend thieves and robbers, but they escape from the courts. No matter how much we spend on health and agriculture, it seems less. Punjab is the only province which gives a surplus budget.” The CM Punjab said, “Air ambulance service was launched to transport patients to big hospitals during golden hour. I decide to initiate a project by talking directly to the common people. Everything looks good while sitting in the office, but the ground realities are different. No patient will be denied admission in the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital worth Rs 16 billion. A special ward will be built for incurable cancer patients. Pakistan’s first Artificial Intelligence University will be built in the Nawaz Sharif IT City. A safe city will be built across Punjab and pink buttons will be installed everywhere.” She added, “Five thousand people have applied for the ‘Punjab Dhee Rani programme’ for mass marriages. Punjab is the first province to implement the ‘Sikh Marriage Act’. I feel pleased to see girls travelling on e-bikes comfortably. Corruption is my red line. The government has sent insulin sellers to jail on selling insulin from public sector worth Rs 250 million. Every child who comes on merit will get a Honhaar scholarship. The Punjab government has started pink bus service to facilitate transportation of female students to schools and colleges. Pakistan’s first government autism school will be built in Lahore.” She said, “Roads are being repaired under Punjab Khushal scheme. 907,172 kilometres of roads are being constructed and expanded. We will make wasteland useful through shrimp farming so as to earn foreign exchange. 27 electric buses will arrive in December. Police and deputy commissioners get commendations for showing meritorious performance. A negative marking is done on receiving complaints. As a woman, at times one has to face character assassination. Women in Punjab are moving forward rapidly in the field of politics, employments and business. Women Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners are more proactive.” She added, “A zero plastic policy has been strictly implemented in all government offices of Punjab. The people of Punjab are my first and foremost priority. The farmers in Punjab have purchased equipment and medicines worth billions of rupees through Kisan Card.” CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif gave answers to the questions of the participants of the NDU workshop. The participants of the delegation comprised members of the National and Provincial Assemblies, Senators and others. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
For travelers, Puerto Rico is a floating island of desirabilityTrump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn’t install more automated systems
New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers “absolutely” will remain the team's starting quarterback and start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, has been hampered at times by various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. Ulbrich said Monday the quarterback came back from the team's bye-week break ready to go. “All I can say, and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy, but he's better off today than he's been as of late,” Ulbrich said. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has probably for the past month. A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love. “So, I'm excited about what that looks like.” NFL Network reported on Sunday that Rodgers, who missed all but four snaps last season with a , has declined having medical scans on his injured leg so he can continue to play. “I have not been informed of that, either way,” Ulbrich said. Rodgers suffered what NFL Network reported was a “significant” hamstring injury against Denver in Week 4. He then sprained his left ankle against Minnesota in London a week later. The four-time MVP has not been able to consistently move around during games as he has in the past, when extending plays and making things happen on the run became such a big part of his game. Rodgers said leading into New York's 28-27 loss to Indianapolis last Sunday that it was the healthiest he felt in a while. But he struggled against the Colts, finishing 22 of 29 for 184 yards after a brutally slow start during which he went 9 of 13 for just 76 yards. The Athletic reported last week that owner Woody Johnson broached the idea during a meeting with the coaching staff of having the banged-up Rodgers sit after the Jets' loss to Denver in Week 4. With Rodgers' struggles and perhaps compromised health the past few games, a hot debate on social media and sports talk shows during the past week has been whether the quarterback should take a seat in favor of Tyrod Taylor. But when asked if there has been any talk of shutting down Rodgers, Ulbrich replied flatly: “There has not.” In a follow-up question, the interim coach was asked if Rodgers will, in fact, be the Jets' starting quarterback at home Sunday against the Seahawks. “Absolutely,” Ulbrich said. He added that he didn't feel the need to sit down with Rodgers and address all the reports and chatter outside the facility. “No, I feel like we are on the same page,” the coach said. Last week, Ulbrich said he and his staff after losing seven of its past eight and being on the verge of missing the postseason for the 14th consecutive year. Ulbrich opted not to make any changes to the coaching responsibilities of his staff and he will continue to run the defense as the coordinator. He also said there would not be any personnel changes coming out of the bye, barring injuries. “But definitely, we created a really clear vision of where we need to improve and found some things,” Ulbrich said. “Obviously, you find the things that you’re not doing well, you need to improve upon them, but then also found some some things that I think we can really build upon. So I was excited in both ways.” Johnson last Tuesday, six weeks after he also dismissed coach Robert Saleh. On Monday, the , a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, in its searches for a general manager and coach. Ulbrich insisted that isn't creating an awkward situation for him, in particular, as he and his staff focus on the present while the organization begins planning for the future. “In all honesty, it’s not at all,” Ulbrich said. “My singular focus is just finishing the season off the right way, playing a brand of football we’re all proud of, myself included. And that starts with Seattle.” LB C.J. Mosley said he's “progressing” in his return in his neck, but is still uncertain about his availability for Sunday. Mosley said Monday was the first time he put on a helmet since the injury occurred during pregame warmups against New England on Oct. 27. ... Ulbrich said the team is still evaluating LT Tyron Smith, who missed the game against Indianapolis with a neck ailment. AP NFL: