Microsoft's AI CEO On How the Technology Will Impact CultureWho do you think you are kidding, Mr Littler, if you think your year is done? After Luke Littler’s march into the last 16 at the Paddy Power PDC World Championship, he has one more appointment to fulfil in 2024. A date with burly Geordie dark horse Ryan Joyce on Monday, for a place in the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day, is the boy wonder’s reward for a flattering 4-1 defeat of Ian White on another track from his Saturday night fever album. And that will be a wrap. Thank you, 2024, you’ve been a wonderful audience - but just watch Luke the Nuke go in 2025. In the ultimate generation game, Littler exacted token revenge on White for distant fixtures in the Runcorn pub league, when White regularly beat his grandfather. It wasn’t always convincing. In the worst-case scenario, we feared that after Christmas Day and Boxing Day would come doomsday. Lights out, tinsel down, cancel that New Year party. But a reminder: Luke Littler is 17 years old. Give the kid a break. They said he would burn out on the relentless carousel of the Premier League . Pull the other one - he won the darned thing. They said teenage naivety would run aground when it encountered adult cynicism in the big, bad world . Another cracking joke - Littler has won 10 titles in his debut season as a professional, yielding more than £1 million in prize money. They said he couldn’t possibly sustain his fairytale to last year’s final as a 16-year-old. But if the Grand Slam, Premier League and World Series finals don’t ring any bells, there’s nobody home in the belfry. And they said darts wasn’t a ‘proper’ sport. Tell that to the masses who voted Littler runner-up in the BBC ’s Sports Personality of the Year poll. Don’t listen to the pub bores. Darts is the new night out on the red carpet, even if the carpet sticks to your feet, and Littler is our Prince of the Palace. On his return to world championship orbit seven days earlier, he was almost overwhelmed by a nation’s expectations until he found a summary cure for the dreaded first-night rectal twitch and unfurled a record-breaking set to break Ryan Meikle’s resistance. This time, as the largely teutonic soundtrack from a boisterous audience finally turned to seasonal refrains about walking in a Littler wonderland, he was riddled with nerves again. At 54, White’s best days are not necessarily behind him, but most of them are visible only in a rear-view mirror. And the Potteries veteran, whose only quarter-final appearance here was back in 2014, soon made a mockery of the bookies. The Nuke made hard work of taking the opening set with a lukewarm average of 84.53, some 56 points down on his charge for the chequered flag against Meikle. If Littler’s fast starts were a feature of his run to the final 51 weeks ago, this year he has been stalling on the starting grid. Spraying his arrows across the board like a subway graffiti artist on the rampage with his aerosol, he missed four of his first 17 darts at a double and White took advantage to level the contest. Finally, gradually, the tide began to turn in Littler’s favour, and when he took out 88 on the bullseye to go back in front, there was a sense of factory settings being restored. He rammed another 12 maximum 180s into the treble 20 lipstick - that makes 788 for the year - enough to sustain his progress into the last 16. But Littler will have to play with more conviction, and consistency, if he is going to ring in 2025 with £500,000 of pocket money.Percentages: FG .438, FT .857. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
AstroDevam is a premium organisation providing ancient and authentic knowledge of Astrology, Vastu, Numerology, and Innovative Corporate Solutions with a contemporary perspective. AstroDevam, having patrons in more than 100 countries, has been promoted by Achary Anita Baranwal and Achary Kalki Krishnan, who not only have Master's Degrees in Astrology, but are engaged in teaching Scientific Astrology, Vastu, and Numerology for more than three decades. Read More Zodiac Signs That Can Become Good Detective Zodiac Signs that Have the Cutest Smile 5 Most Generous Zodiac Signs Zodiac Signs Who Should Believe Their Intuition 5 Zodiac Signs That Are Masters of Manipulation 5 Most Stylish Zodiac Signs Zodiac Signs That Are Extremely Loving 5 Zodiac Signs Who Always Act Like Smart Zodiac Signs That Love to be Single Top 6 Religious Zodiac Signs As Per Astrology
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Unretired two-time Pro Bowl LB Shaquil Barrett signs to resume career with Tampa Bay BuccaneersSeveral union ministers, CMs to join world leaders in Davos for WEF meet
OTTAWA - The Métis National Council says it has elected a new president after months of turmoil that saw the once-united organization splinter and have its legitimacy questioned. In a news release, the council announced Victoria Pruden will be its new president, replacing Cassidy Caron, whose term expired in September. The Métis National Council has been in a state of flux after the Manitoba Métis Federation pulled out of the organization in 2021, followed by the recent departures of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan and the Métis Nation of British Columbia. It’s unclear who was heading the council before the election, and the only two remaining members are the Métis Nation of Alberta and the Métis Nation of Ontario. The Métis National Council says Pruden will work toward advancing the rights and aspirations of Métis across the homeland. It adds the council will continue to fulfil the vision of its ancestors while paving the way for future generations. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2024.NoneTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett is rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs signed the two-time Super Bowl champion on Saturday, while also announcing safety Jordan Whitehead was activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers. Barrett spent five seasons with Tampa Bay from 2019 to 2023. He led the NFL with a franchise-record 19 1-2 sacks in his first year with the Bucs, then helped the team win its second Super Bowl title the following season. In all, Barrett started 70 games with Tampa Bay, amassing 45 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He was released last winter in a salary cap move, signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, then abruptly announced his retirement on social media before the start of training camp in July. Barrett, who also won a Super Bowl during a four-season stint with the Denver Broncos, decided to unretire last month. He signed with the Bucs after clearing waivers earlier in the week. Whitehead has missed the past four games with a pectoral injury. His return comes of the heels of the Bucs placing safety Christian Izien on IR with a pectoral injury. On Saturday, the Bucs also activated rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson from IR and elevated punter Jack Browning to the active roster from the practice squad. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated Press
Dodgers met with Japanese pitcher Roki SasakiNoneJudge: No prison in Uhuru-Russian conspiracy case; ‘This was political speech’
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Southwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous yearsNone
Five years since its inception, a US development agency competes with China on global projectsRugby Australia has set itself the bold challenge of beating the British and Irish Lions, finishing in the top four of the 2027 and 2029 Rugby World Cups and with a 70 per cent success rate by 2029, winning the Bledisloe Cup every second year. The lofty ambitions were among a suite of targets revealed in a new Rugby Australia five-year strategy paper called “Green to gold”, which was released on Tuesday morning. The strategy, which has come after a series of high-performance summits among Australian rugby stakeholders, sets out the goals and standards Rugby Australia wants to achieve during the next five years, and the structure of how the game plans to do it. RA’s strategy is covered under three key pillars identified - Performance Excellence, Participation Growth and Promotion Effectiveness. After years of little silverware, and a rankings slide that sees the Wallabies living between the fifth and 10th teams in the world, the Performance Excellence section sets out the goal for the Wallabies and Wallaroos within the next five years to “play on the last weekend of the 2027 and 2029 Rugby World Cup”, increase the win percentages to 70 per cent, win medals at the LA Olympics in sevens and win two Super Rugby Pacific titles. Cup aim ... Matt Faessler scores against the All Blacks. Credit: Getty Images RA will also set the standard of success as winning the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship every second year, the strategy says. RA also want to increase participation by 30 per cent in men’s rugby, and by 70 per cent in women’s rugby, and build a supporter base where 50 per cent of all Australians are active Wallabies and Wallaroos fans. “All three pillars are interdependent and critical to a thriving rugby ecosystem,” RA chief executive Phil Waugh said in a statement. “And all have been developed in collaboration with member unions, Super Rugby clubs and RUPA. “Australian Rugby is united, aligned, and poised for success on and off the field. The benefits of this all-of-game strategy will be realised for many years to come.” RA chair Dan Herbert said “[the] ultimate goal is to become the world’s No. 1 rugby-playing nation by nurturing talent, promoting inclusivity and driving success on and off the field.” “With a once-in-a-generation runway of major events, coupled with an aligned and energised Australian Rugby ecosystem, there has never been a better time to be involved in this great game,” he said in a statement. More to come
Trump says H-1B visa program is ‘great' amid MAGA feud over tech workersBig Australian names David Warner and Steve Smith may have gone unsold on the second day of the Indian Premier League auction, but there were no such concerns for 13-year-old left-handed batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The youngster, who made his debut in India’s domestic Ranji Trophy at 12, was sold for $200,000 to Rajasthan Royals after a bidding war with the Delhi Capitals at the auction in Saudi Arabia. Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Suryavanshi hit a 58-ball hundred in the youth Test against Australia under-19s in October, but made one and three in his other innings in the two-match series. He is the youngest player to be selected at the auction. The previous youngest was Prayas Ray Barman, signed five years ago by Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was groundhog day for Warner as he again went unsold at the auction, likely ending a lucrative, run-laden connection with the blockbuster Twenty20 competition. The explosive opener has scored 6565 runs at a strike rate of 140 and has an average above 40 in the IPL, but as on the first day, none of the 10 franchises were prepared to invest in the 38-year-old left-hander. Smith also went unsold having set his stall out at the same base price of two crore ($365,000). Despite pairing with Ricky Ponting as Washington Freedom’s captain and coach to win Major League Cricket in the US, Ponting wasn’t keen on taking another punt on Smith. Instead he packed his new Punjab Kings team with other Aussies, signing Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie and Xavier Bartlett to join Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, who were acquired on day one. Nor was there any interest in English bowling veteran James Anderson. Seeking to make an IPL debut at the age of 42, he did not even come up in the bidding. The biggest-earning Australian on day two was Tim David, the big-hitting all-rounder joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $550,000. Close behind was Spencer Johnson. He was a Ponting target but Kings were outbid by Kolkata Knight Riders who offered $510,000. However, Ponting did then land Hardie for $225,000 and, after missing out on Nathan Ellis (who went to Super Kings for $365,000), signed Bartlett, the top wicket-taker in BBL last summer, for $145,000. Ponting had begun by signing the only one of the three Aussie keepers on the market to be sold. Alex Carey may be Australia’s Test wicketkeeper but Inglis has the gloves in the white-ball game and it showed as he went for $475,000. Carey and another gloveman, Josh Philippe, would later go unsold. There were also no bids for Jason Behrendorff, Matt Short and Lance Morris while other Australians who had put themselves forward did not even make the bidding stage. There is hope, though, for them and for the likes of Warner and Smith as between now and March players will inevitably be injured or, for personal reasons, pull out, creating late vacancies. The biggest signing of the day was Bhuvneshwar Kumar who joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $2 million. AAP News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .
US stocks rally despite Trump tariff threat but European stocks fallAbortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give . Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy , though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand . Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. How hospitals handle pregnancy complications , especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election , they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.
DGRS: Good Fundamentals, But Subpar Dividend GrowthNow that we’re done with peculiar festive events, it’s time to dive into BitLife once again and take on the Under the Influence challenge. This time, our character is chasing social media fame while tackling a few addictions. BitLife Under the Influence challenge guide BitLife’s Under the Influence challenge has five tasks to complete: Be born in Germany Get Verified on 3+ different social media platforms Develop an alcohol addiction Develop a gambling addiction Troll 5+ people on social media Although you’re not required to purchase any special career packs or expansions for this challenge, having ones like musician, athlete, or modeling will make it much easier to become famous and gain social media popularity. The Hollywood Star can also achieve a similar result. If you don’t have either and want to avoid spending money, though, you can finish this challenge without pursuing these routes. Your first task of the Under the Influence challenge is to create a character born in Germany. Your gender and city don’t matter for this challenge as long as you select Germany as your country in the character creation menu. Once you make your German character, age up and create some social media accounts. You can access this by going to Assets, Social Media , and any platform you wish. Right away, you can make a Twitch account and join the Affiliate program, giving you an avenue to become famous early on through streaming. Otherwise, there are other methods you can use. After joining Twitch as your first verified social media platform, you have two main paths to getting other verified accounts: actively post on various platforms until you cultivate a following, or become famous through other means before making your accounts. Becoming famous makes this much easier, but you can use whichever strategy you prefer. BitLife offers multiple ways to become famous, with the jobs below being just a few examples: Writer Chef DJ Magician Socialite Musician (Special Career Pack) Actor (Special Career Pack) Model (Special Career Pack) Astronaut (Special Career Pack) Athlete (Special Career Pack) Being royalty achieves the same result, but this is much harder to accomplish, even with the celebrity dating service added in 2024. Generally speaking, becoming famous requires you to land one of these jobs and work hard for a few years until you get lucky and catch the public’s eye. From there, you can create a few in-game social media accounts, age up once or twice, and request verification to knock out this task. The next two tasks of the Under the Influence challenge are to develop alcohol and gambling addictions. You can gain addictions in BitLife by repeatedly engaging in the activity. With alcohol, visiting a nightclub through Activities > Nightlife will quickly get you there, while gambling requires visiting the casino multiple times a year. The final objective is the easiest, as it just requires you to troll five people on social media. To do this, head to any of your social media platforms and select Troll. From here, you can troll friends, family, celebrities, or BitLife App themselves, but the last option will give you various illnesses that can be difficult to cure. Once you troll at least five people, you’ll officially complete BitLife’s Under the Influence challenge and receive a mystery gift box.