The Bill Belichick era at the University of North Carolina is officially underway. On Thursday, the football icon, known for his renowned straight-to-the-point candor, was unveiled as the Tar Heels’ head coach. Belichick, the second-most winningest head coach in NFL history, said it was a “dream” to be the new coach at UNC. “I always wanted to coach in college football and it just never really worked out. I had some good years in the NFL so that was okay but this is really kind of a dream come true,” Belichick said during the press conference at Chapel Hill. Belichick has ties to the university through his father, Steve, who was an assistant football coach for the Tar Heels from 1953 to 1955. He touched on some of these memories. The famed coach recounted a story about his childhood in the Belichick household, where his first words were, “Beat Duke!” - the university’s bitter in-state rival. The coach described his return to Chapel Hill as a homecoming. Belichick also unveiled his dad’s old UNC sweatshirt, which he has kept from when his father coached at the college. This is the first coaching job for Belichick, who has won eight Super Bowls as a coach (six as the New England Patriots head coach and two as a New York Giants assistant), since he and the Patriots parted ways in January. In addition to 24 seasons as the Patriots head coach, Belichick was head coach of the Cleveland Browns for the 1991-1995 seasons. When asked why he wants to carry on coaching, the veteran’s response was simple. “Beats working,” Belichick quipped. “My dad told me this ... when you love what you do, it’s not work. I love what I do, I love coaching, I love the interaction with the players, I love building a team, working with assistants, game planning, the game itself.” Belichick, whose five-year deal runs through December 2029, also made it clear that he is here to stay in North Carolina and said he “didn’t come here to leave,” when asked about potential future NFL vacancies. While Belichick admitted there were parallels between the NFL and college football, the long-time coach also noted the many differences. But Belichick maintained that the game is still football. The coach made it clear that he is no stranger to developing young players, referencing Patriots stars Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman as players he helped become successful NFL stars. Coach Belichick’s excitement at joining the University of North Carolina program was shared by the school’s athletic director. “We are embarking on an entirely new football operation, and we can’t wait to have coach Belichick leading the charge for us,” Bubba Cunningham said. “We are known as the University of National Champions and we have a Super Bowl champion coach who is here to lead the program.” In honor of his new coach, Cunningham even wore a custom jacket with the sleeves ripped off — a famed look of Belichick’s while roaming the NFL sidelines. For now, Belichick will focus on improving a middling college program. The Tar Heels finished the regular season with a 6-6 record and will face Connecticut in the Fenway Bowl on December 28. The Tar Heels’ new head coach said he wants to return the program to its heyday of 1980 – the last time the football team won a conference title. “There’s a lot of pride in this program and I want to do everything I can here to help take it to the highest level.” CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to reporting.KUWAIT: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) announced that it has proposed solutions to address environmental crises facing urban cities in Kuwait through a study titled “Crisis Management and Decision Support for Sustainable Smart Cities.” Engineer Dana Al-Enezi from the Environment and Life Sciences Research Center at the KISR told KUNA that the study presented by the institute was presented at the International Conference on Smart Management and Innovation for Sustainable Cities recently. Al-Enezi added that the study, in which Dr Ali Al-Dosari, Dr Abdullah Al-Enezi, and Dr Ahmed Hassan from Matrouh University in Egypt participated, in addition to specialist Ahood Al-Enezi from the Ministry of Health, provided an integrated system to support decisions and early warning with the aim of enhancing environmental risk management strategies. She explained that the study provided a number of technical and scientific solutions to address these crises, most notably the installation of sensors in rainwater drainage networks to help monitor flood-prone areas early, allowing for preventive measures to be taken to reduce potential damage to infrastructure. The solutions also include applying earthquake resistance standards in buildings, especially in the northern and southern regions of Kuwait, which have witnessed repeated seismic events, in addition to using remote sensing and satellite technologies to continuously monitor environmental changes and accurately analyze geological and environmental data, in addition to developing a comprehensive database that combines spatial, geotechnical, geological, topographical, environmental, and other information. She explained that the main objective of this study is to direct development efforts towards building smart and sustainable cities capable of adapting to the desert environment and achieving a balance between urban expansion and environmental conservation, pointing to the need for comprehensive strategies to confront climate change, enhance infrastructure, and achieve sustainable development that serves future generations. “We studied the impact of environmental crises such as dust storms, floods, and earthquakes on real estate prices in various governorates. It became clear from the statistical data we collected that Ahmadi Governorate is the most affected by environmental crises, which was reflected in the decrease in real estate prices compared to other governorates, despite recording the highest sales rates during the period,” Engineer Al-Anzi said. She added, “The study included 3,415 real estate records that were filtered to obtain accurate data on 2,814 properties sold at 100 percent. The results showed that weak infrastructure and poor management of facilities in some southern regions, in addition to recurring environmental crises such as floods and earthquakes, were major factors influencing the real estate market”. Regarding the impact of environmental crises on the quality of life and urban development, she stated that dust storms and heavy rains represent a major challenge to the environment and infrastructure in the country, which requires strengthening urban development plans to address these challenges. — KUNAElectricity Ministry, World Bank review reforms, programs
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REALITY TV star Calum Best has failed to repay debts of £250,000. The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant earned huge sums on shows including SAS: Who Dares Wins, Celebrity Love Island and Celebs Go Dating. Advertisement But he appointed liquidators to close his failing media firm Trouble to Triumph Limited in 2022. Liquidators have discovered the company had run up substantial debts, including a £48,971 director’s loan and a £85,625 tax bill. Best, the 43-year-old son of football legend George , has now agreed to pay back £60,000 in monthly instalments. Company liquidators said: “Following substantive correspondence with the director, and in consideration of his current financial means, a full and final settlement of £60,000 has been agreed.” Advertisement READ MORE ON CALUM BEST CALUM’S JOY Calum Best breaks silence after being CLEARED of sexual assault BEST CLEAR Calum Best NOT GUILTY of sexually assaulting Brit woman at Wayne Lineker's club In 2013, Calum was forced to surrender a £75,000 18-carat gold Jean Lassale watch after declaring bankruptcy due to unpaid tax bills. The firm was set up in 2015 when he made his first Celebrity Big Brother appearance, which he was paid £50,000 for. He returned to the show for another stint in 2017. The former model is also chairman of Dorking Wanderers FC women’s team. Advertisement Most read in News TV BALLSED UP Lorraine apologises on air for using phrase she 'didn't know' was a swear word BEACH BABE Jean Johansson flaunts incredible toned figure & endless legs on Barbados beach HOST'S PAIN BBC's Glenn Campbell makes shock admission as he gives tumour battle update COMIC'S CASTLE Still Game star takes £150,000 hit to offload luxury £4m Scots castle 1 Reality TV star Calum Best has failed to repay debts of £250,000 after he appointed liquidators to close his failing media firm Trouble to Triumph Limited in 2022 Credit: Getty 'Truth prevails' says Calum Best as he breaks silence after being CLEARED of sexually assaulting Brit at Lineker’s clubThe current Sri Lanka tax policies have an anti-business nature and these should be changed to create a better business environment, said Deputy Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe at the Western Province Entrepreneur Awards 2024 held at BMICH on Wednesday. “The new government is determined to change this irregularity. A country also needs a shared vision to develop sustainably. We must focus on benchmarking and grooming entrepreneurs to become ones who cater to global markets. Grooming business people should be done within an ecosystem.Economic policy, environmental policy, land allocation policy and education policy have to be aligned and integrated for the formation of a business-friendly eco-system.” “Hence the State sector, private sector, schools, universities should have one vision and this ecosystem has to be fully collaborative. For the first time in history the country is working towards achieving over 6.5% of economic growth and to gain annual export revenue of USD 45 billion by 2030. All who are being recognised today will be contributors of this process. He also identified start ups as a key area to develop and said his ministry will act as a one-stop-shop to facilitate startups.” The annual event was organized for the seventh consecutive year by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the National Enterprise Development Authority. The award scheme aims to recognize micro, small, medium and large business sectors promoting business excellence and innovative practices in the Western province. Union Chemicals Lanka PLC clinched gold while the two silver awards were won by Everbolt Engineering (Private) Limited and Infinity Green International (Pvt) Ltd. The bronze award was secured by British Institute of Management and Technology (Pvt) Ltd.Wickramarachchi Brothers (Pvt) Ltd was recognized as the best woman entrepreneur of the year. Entrepreneur with special abilities was L N C Creations. The Deputy Minister further said, infrastructure should also be in place for businesses to grow. We are yet to collect data systematically to determine the growth of businesses and to find business sectors that have the potential to cater to global markets. We need data on local and global markets to find gaps in the marketplace to act swiftly.” When a country is unable to harness capital formation, businesses tend to collapse. We now work on developing an incubate system to nurture businesses from startup to maturity level and support the towards capital formation. This total exercise has to be done with collaborations. “We are still revolving around a GDP of USD 84 billion and USD 17 billion worth of exports and our trade deficit is eight billion.”3 reasons to involve your kids in Small Business Saturday
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How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbersFrom being unsafe in the family home to having parents or caregivers who’ve forbidden their return, youth are not immune to becoming part of the country’s growing population of people without housing. That’s why Cobourg’s Rebound Child and Youth Services (Rebound) offers programs and continues to develop new resources to prevent youth homelessness in Northumberland. The not-for-profit agency that supports children, youth, and families has announced it’s a local beneficiary of the Home Depot Canada Foundation’s “Holiday Orange Door Project Campaign” combatting homelessness, which runs until December 22 at the Cobourg Home Depot and online. “We know that youth experiencing unstable housing is growing in our community,” Rebound’s executive director Sam Rockbrune told kawarthaNOW. “Funds raised through this campaign will help us provide supports, such as mental health services and our family wellness hub, to take preventative steps for youth homelessness. Rebound is already working on prevention for youth homelessness with our current programs and rolling out exciting new programs in the new year.” Rebound services offer a private and confidential process that can assist children, youth, and their families with options and resources for programming. The organization believes that the most effective services are those that are provided in a responsive and respectful manner and in a partnership with families. The agency serves more than 1,800 young people each year. In 2018, Rebound partnered with Northumberland County Community & Social Services to deliver the trusteeship program for youth aged 16 to 17 receiving Ontario Works (OW). “At the time, I was the trusteeship caseworker, and the case load was 13 individuals,” recalled Krystyne Gillespie, Rebound’s outreach and fund development manager, adding the case load has since quadrupled. “We see approximately 50 to 60 individuals per year, with around 40 to 45 of those (youth) continuing to need support through the program,” she said. “The trusteeship is not just about receiving financial support through OW. Our goal is for the youth to stay in school, graduate and go on to post-secondary education or into the workforce.” Rebound provides clients with emotional health supports, access to food and clothing items, and strives to serve as a bridge to other resources, as necessary. The agency saw, on average, two unsheltered youth per year in the first few years of the program. “So far in 2024, we currently have seven youth who are experiencing homelessness,” Gillespie noted. She said Rebound is aware of a large number of youths who are living with grandparents or other family members to provide space between them and their parents, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. “Youth homelessness is often unseen, as youth are resilient and will find places to stay or couch-surf,” she said. “I would encourage parents to ask questions if their child is having a friend sleep over more often or throughout the week.” “Ultimately, Rebound hopes to prevent youth homelessness by helping families creating stronger bonds, building their skills around communication and conflict management, for example. Families that learn together, grow together, (and) hopefully stay together.” As for the Holiday Orange Door Project Campaign, customers can donate during checkout at the Cobourg Home Depot or by visiting orangedoorproject.ca and selecting Cobourg as the location for their donation. All local donations will help Rebound provide counselling and therapy, youth justice diversion, youth homelessness prevention programs, along with family and parenting support services. Since 2022, the Cobourg Home Depot has raised over $25,000 for Rebound through the Orange Door Project fundraising campaign, an initiative of the Home Depot Canada Foundation. The foundation is a Canadian registered charity supporting 127 organizations across the country that are committed to preventing and ending youth homelessness. To create new paths for youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of doing so, the foundation will invest $125 million by 2030.Newly elected Jaffna district independent MP Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna has issued a public apology after occupying the seat traditionally reserved for the Leader of the Opposition during the ceremonial opening of the first session of the 10th Parliament. The incident unfolded when the MP refused to vacate the Leader of the Opposition’s seat despite repeated requests from parliamentary staff. As a result, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa was compelled to sit at the corner of the front row. Addressing the controversy on his personal social media account yesterday, Ramanathan revealed that he had publicly apologised during an introductory workshop for newly elected MPs in Parliament. “I recognise the importance of maintaining decorum and respect in all discussions,” he wrote, expressing gratitude to his colleagues and the public for their understanding. Speaking to the media yesterday, Ramanathan explained that he had been unaware the seat was reserved for the Opposition Leader. “We were informed that MPs could sit anywhere, so I took the seat. Had it been marked or noted, I would not have done so,” he said. However, during the incident, Ramanathan reportedly told parliamentary staff, “Tradition is being changed,” when they asked him to move. The matter had also been raised with the Secretary-General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, but no action was taken as MPs had been informed they were allowed to sit wherever they chose on the day. Earlier, Speaker Ashoka Ranwala had indicated his intention to hold discussions with Dr Archchuna regarding the incident, stressing the importance of respecting parliamentary traditions.