
A rush to heal exposed banking wounds
Bluesky has a growing problem: fake accountsNetflix 'totally ready' for XMas NFL games, WWECollege Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama outAmid the earth-shattering geopolitical changes of today, what should be South Korea’s new foreign policy objective in the coming new year? I would like to propose a membership of the G9 (Group of Nine). Together with Australia, Korea could try to become a new member of the rich countries’ club, currently limited to the G7 (the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan). By joining the club, Korea can transform itself from a rule-follower to a rule-setter of global governance. That possibility is not high, but not impossible either. Many pundits in international relations have recently proposed that idea as Korea’s position in the world ascends continuously. In a column early this year, Ronald Klain, President Biden’s former chief of staff, argued that the G7 has to be expanded into the G9, including Korea and Australia, as a counter-weight to the ever-growing BRICS. The five-member alliance of the emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) recently accepted five new members (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia) to become a powerful political bloc largely composed of authoritarian countries. Klain believes the G9 of democratic countries can successfully curb the authoritarian slanting of the world. Korea’s former Foreign Minister Park Jin elaborated that logic in a press meeting last month. Korea’s membership “will significantly expand the vision and philosophy of the G7,” Park said. “It not only helps Korea, but also promotes the democracy, free market, human rights and rule of law upheld by the G7.” He added "G7 Plus" has been a key project of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration as part of its efforts to make Korea the Global Pivotal State that plays a more active role in international affairs. Park said the next G7 Summit in Canada in June 2025 will be a turning point for its possible expansion As the most powerful member of the G7, the US no doubt has the biggest say in admitting any new members. In that regard, incoming President Trump is not totally against the G7’s expansion. While in office, he in fact proposed to turn the G7 to the G10, including Korea, Australia and India. He even floated the idea of the G11, including Russia. Now that Russia and India are out of question due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and India’s increasingly authoritarian Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Modi, analysts say, Korea and Australia remain the only viable candidates. In many aspects, Korea fully qualifies as a new G9 member. Korea is one of only seven countries in the world that have a population of more than 50 million people and a per capita income of more than $30,000. Its per capita income is now larger than that of Japan. Korea’s trade volume is bigger that those of Italy and Canada. In terms of population size, Korea is also greater than Canada. Korea’s mature democracy, coupled with a vibrant market economy, is in par with those of the current seven members. Additionally, Korea boasts a highly attractive pop culture that captivates many young fans around the world. Analysts believe the fast-changing geopolitical landscape of the world urgently requires the G7’s expansion. The world is increasingly divided into the democratic and authoritarian blocs, exemplified by the US-China confrontation. As noted, BRICS is gaining more support from the non-West world of Global South. In addition to five new members, dozens of other authoritarian countries, such as Turkey and Belarus, wish to join BRICS, challenging the US-led global world order. Currently, the G7 accounts for only 10 percent of world population, compared with 45 percent for BRICS. In terms of gross domestic product, the G7 makes up 30 percent of the world’s total, smaller than 35 percent for BRICS. While the G7’s economies grow by an average of 1.7 percent per year, that number is 4.4 percent for the BRICS. Amid a waning G7 influence in the world, there have been some efforts to rectify that. The G20 was born out of that need. But the G20 has also faltered recently due to a divide within the organization between democratic and autocratic members. The G20 is not the only international organization deadlocked due to the surging ideological chasm in the world. The United Nations is also suffering from inertia as its Security Council is sharply divided between the three Western permanent members (the US, the UK and France) and the two non-Western members (Russia and China). Given the necessity for the G7’s expansion that can fill the void left by the sluggish UN and the G20, Korea needs to lobby actively for a G9 membership. The biggest hurdle in that attempt could be Japan. As the only Asian member of the G7, Japan naturally opposes any new Asian members that can dilute its influence. Yet recent rapprochement between Seoul and Tokyo could alter Japan’s position. The trilateral partnership among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, forged firmly under the nudging of President Biden, can be another drive for Korea’s membership. Amid an ever-strengthening security alliance among North Korea, Russia and China and ensuing military threats in the region, Washington and Tokyo have all the more reasons to embrace Seoul. It would be wonderful if that embracement comes in the form of a G9 membership. Lee Byung-jong Lee Byung-jong is a former Seoul correspondent for Newsweek, The Associated Press and Bloomberg News. He is a professor at the School of Global Service at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed.
Contacts between the parties suggest that the early post-election preference of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for Labour to join them in government will not be reciprocated, at least not in the immediate future. Labour leader Ivana Bacik has instead been pursuing the broad red-green alliance with the Greens and the Social Democrats that she repeatedly flagged during the election campaign. The results of her efforts have not been encouraging, however; the Greens have been left without a meaningful parliamentary presence, while the Social Democrats – never visibly enthused by Bacik’s proposal – gave it the thumbs down on Friday. The Social Democrats said they would meet separately from Labour with other parties, including Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. So that’s that. Labour must now decide whether to seek a coalition deal with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael – and there is a difference between actually seeking a deal and just meeting for the optics, remember – or whether it wishes to continue in Opposition for another five years. The political dangers of going into government are well understood in Labour, and their fears are unlikely to have been assuaged by the fate of the Greens. At the same time, nobody knows better than Labour that government is where parties can achieve their aims, implement their policies and force the changes they have promised voters. There is, reportedly, division between Labour TDs on the issue, but the prospects of the party playing a role in the next government seem to be diminishing. And so, the focus will inevitably move to the Independents . A group convened by the Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry has made the early running, signalling its availability, and there have been some preliminary discussions. It is not yet clear whether they will seek positions in government, as Independents did in the 2016-20 administration, or be content to support the coalition from the outside, as Independents did previously. In any case, a series of deals with the Independents will not be straightforward. Each Independent TD speaks for himself or herself, and has only their own vote to trade; that is the nature of their status. They will be focused on their constituencies, but any new government will need them to stay on board for broader matters such as budgets, motions of confidence and controversial issues. A good deal of foresight will be required to future-proof any agreement. It seems unlikely that matters will have moved on conclusively when the new Dáil meets for the first time on December 18th. That means a new government is unlikely before mid-January. It should not take longer than that. The options are clear and the participants need to get on with it.
‘Nebraska did a good job': Boston College's Bill O'Brien lauds NU’s red zone defenseNoneHerbert tosses 3 TD passes and Chargers secure a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press Dec 28, 2024 2:50 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey celebrates after his touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — As spontaneous celebrations rippled throughout the Los Angeles Chargers' locker room after their resounding 40-7 win over the New England Patriots, coach Jim Harbaugh grabbed general manager Joe Hortiz and wrapped him up in a bear hug. “Love you!” Harbaugh said. “Love you!” Hortiz responded. “Great job! Let's keep it going,” Harbaugh replied, finally loosening his grasp. The Chargers (10-6) are back in the playoffs. But the message is clear: They have their eyes on achieving much more. Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and Los Angeles locked up its second playoff appearance in three seasons with Saturday's victory. “We had a good opportunity tonight and we went out and took it," Herbert said. “We had a good plan. All week we knew how big of a game this was for us. Guys were dialed in, focused and we executed today.” It also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers. “You talk to them and there's more to do,” Harbaugh said. “There's no coach who could have it better than to be coaching these players. Nobody. Maybe the only person would be future us, could have it better than us.” Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. He joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson. Ladd McConkey had eight catches for 94 yards and pulled in TD throws of 6 and 40 yards. With a 10-yard reception in the second quarter, he passed 1,000 yards receiving for the season, making him the third Chargers rookie receiver to reach that milestone. JK Dobbins rushed 19 times for 76 yards and a TD. The Patriots (3-13) have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home. “We just didn’t play well enough in any phase of the game,” coach Jerod Mayo said. “No complementary football, and that’s what you get.” Asked if he thinks he is coaching for his job, Mayo said it comes with the territory. “I’m always under pressure and it’s been that way for a very long time, not just when I became the head coach of the Patriots," he said. New England quarterback Drake Maye finished 12 of 22 for 117 yards and a touchdown. He became the first rookie quarterback in franchise history with a TD pass in eight straight games. But he was sacked four times, and a second-quarter fumble marked his eighth straight game with at least one turnover. Los Angeles outgained New England 428-181 for the game. Maye briefly left the game to be evaluated for a head injury following a blow to his helmet in the first quarter. He was scrambling near the sideline on third down of the Patriots’ first possession when he was hit by Chargers cornerback Cam Hart, jarring the ball loose as Maye spun out of bounds. No flag was thrown on the play and Maye stayed down on the turf for several seconds before eventually getting up and jogging off the field. He initially sat on the bench before going to the medical tent for evaluation. He was replaced by backup Jacoby Brissett in the next series, which ended in a punt. But after further evaluation in the locker room and a Cameron Dicker 27-yard field goal put the Chargers in front 10-0, Maye returned to the game for the Patriots’ third series, at the 10:15 mark of the second quarter. Maye scrambled for 9 yards on his first play back, ending with him being hit by linebacker Junior Colson as he slid to the ground. Colson was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Five plays later, Maye mistimed a toss to Demario Douglas, causing a fumble that was recovered by Derwin James. The Chargers took over on the New England 24 and nine plays later, Herbert connected with McConkey for a 6-yard touchdown pass to put Los Angeles in front 17-0. Injuries Chargers: WR Joshua Palmer left the game in the third quarter with a heel injury. DB Elijah Molden limped off the field after a collision in the third quarter. He returned but was later driven off the field on a golf cart because of a shin injury. Patriots: In addition to Maye, CB Christian Gonzalez left the game in the second quarter to be evaluated for a head injury and was later ruled out with a concussion. Rookie record McConkey, a second-round draft selection, also set a Chargers rookie record for catches, surpassing Keenan Allen, who had 71 in 2013. Up next Chargers: Visit Las Vegas in their regular-season finale. Patriots: Host Buffalo next Sunday in their season finale. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Dolphins are on the outside of AFC playoffs and need help and a win over Browns to have any chance Dec 28, 2024 1:15 PM Dolphins clinging to thin playoff hopes. Hit the road to face Browns, who have lost four straight Dec 28, 2024 1:12 PM Dolphins downgrade QB Tua Tagovailoa to doubtful with hip injury ahead of Sunday's game vs Browns Dec 28, 2024 1:04 PM
My twin brother was diagnosed with autism at age 2. He will need assistance with things throughout his life. I know I'll have to take care of him in the future, so I worry about having kids. When my wife and I discuss , we have to be realistic that our future looks different than most people our age. We consider factors like what kind of parents we'd be, , and whether we could even support a growing family in this economy. But there's more than that for us. My twin brother, Jon, is a lot like me in many ways. He's endlessly funny, perseverant, and hardworking. If he has a goal, he will achieve it. He's passionate about his interests. I don't know anyone with such an in-depth knowledge of the Marvel universe. Jon is also autistic — he received at 2, and he's worked hard to become the person he is today. From a young age, I've known that Jon would need support throughout our lives and that someday, when our mom is gone, it'll be up to me to ensure he has the successful, happy life he deserves. Jon attends an adult day program. He can work with assistance for a limited time span and attends activities in his community with friends. In many ways, his life is much like that of any adult: He goes to work, socializes, comes home, and watches TV or reads. But he'll also always need assistance to ensure his day goes smoothly. He cannot drive or fill out important paperwork, and he might not be able to convey that something is wrong when he isn't feeling well. He needs reminders and help with day-to-day tasks, including laundry, , and cleaning. These aren't downsides to being Jon's brother. It's his reality, as it is mine. Jon will always need assistance to live his life, and I'm at peace with that, but it can be hard to explain it to other people. My wife's mom has made it clear she's hopeful for grandkids. It's not a surprise — my wife and her mom are both educators, so they're hoping for more kids to dote on. She's made subtle comments and even asked us if we'd have any use in the future for the childhood items she'd saved from my wife's younger years. We've mainly tried to deflect or avoid the conversation. The reality is that we don't have a solid answer. We've talked a lot about having kids but haven't made any decisions. — as a struggling 23-year-old, it's hard to imagine a financially stable future where I could be a good parent. But my future is also intertwined with my brother's. I don't know when I'll become Jon's caretaker — it's painful to picture a future where my mom isn't around. But I know that there will come a time when she won't be able to provide the care Jon needs. When that time comes, I'll be financially responsible for ensuring Jon can attend the program he needs and have a safe living situation. I've never held a position where I was paid more than $20 an hour. My wife is a preschool teacher. She loves her career, but neither of us is exactly rolling in dough. Planning a future for a child is out of the question unless we get into vastly better financial circumstances. We can keep our fingers crossed, but family comes first — and my brother is no exception. Read the original article onBy Nicholas Tan Many are hoping that the looming TikTok ban could be stopped by Donald Trump or Joe Biden. On Friday, December 6, a U.S. federal appeals court upheld the TikTok ban law introduced by The Department of Justice and signed by Biden in April. This means that ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the popular social media app, will need to divest its stake in the platform by the deadline of January 19, 2025 or be banned. Here’s whether Trump or Biden can do anything about the TikTok ban before (or after) that happens. While it will be tough for Donald Trump to overturn the TikTok ban through legal action, he could affect how the law is enforced. Biden can also extend the deadline by up to 90 days, though this doesn’t seem likely given that he is responsible for the legislation in the first place. As pointed out by Reuters , ByteDance would have a “heavy burden” to show the Biden administration that it had made “significant progress toward a divestiture needed to trigger the extension.” Barring that, it would fall upon Trump to reverse the decision in some way. One of the main difficulties of Trump halting the ban comes from the January 19 deadline coming a day before his official inauguration, as noted by Al Jazeera . While Trump attempted to ban the platform outright by executive order in 2020, it faced numerous legal challenges and by the time it reached the Biden administration it was transformed into the law in question. Since then, though, Trump stated during his 2024 presidential campaign that he has vowed to save it and even joined the platform , where he has over 14 million followers and more than 100 million likes. In addition, his nominees of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence are both on TikTok and don’t agree with the ban. If Trump wants to follow through with his promise, he has several options in preventing TikTok from being banned outright over time. Anupam Chander, an expert on global tech regulations at Georgetown Law, says that in the long term the president-elect could help ByteDance change its policies on TikTok to consider security concerns. Trump could also assist in having the company find a US buyer to comply with the law. Another expert, staff attorney George Wang at Columbia University, similarly told Vox that the language in the ban law is broad enough that it grants “the president some leeway to decline to enforce the ban if TikTok or ByteDance comes to some sufficient solution.” Chinese officials would be more open to a sale if Trump lowers his threat to impose additional tariffs on China , according to James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studios via NPR . Trump could also greatly influence how the TikTok ban law is enforced, effectively neutering its effect. Civil liberties director David Greene from the Electronic Frontier Foundation says the incoming president could “instruct the US Justice Department to drop or modify its defense in the lawsuit with ByteDance or instruct the US Department of Commerce not to enforce the law.” TikTok is expected to appeal this decision by the federal appeals court to the Supreme Court. Free speech organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union says that the ruling “blatantly violates the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans.” It’s unclear, however, whether the Supreme Court would be able to hear the appeal and decide on the case before the January 19 deadline comes to pass. Still, if the appeal is granted, Trump could influence and modify how the DOJ argues its case before the Supreme Court in its defense. Nick Tan is a SEO Lead Writer for GameRevolution. Once upon a time, his parents took away his Super Nintendo as a punishment. He has sworn revenge ever since. Share article
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Cameron Huefner scored 20 points as Sam Houston beat Dallas 111-65 on Saturday. Huefner added eight rebounds for the Bearkats (7-6). Lamar Wilkerson went 7 of 13 from the field (3 for 8 from 3-point range) to add 17 points. Dorian Finister shot 5 for 11 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points. Thomas Fleming led the Crusaders in scoring, finishing with 16 points. Dallas also got 15 points from Johny Olmsted. Chandler Holmes finished with 13 points. Sam Houston took the lead with 16:32 remaining in the first half and did not give it up. The score was 50-34 at halftime, with Huefner racking up 11 points. Sam Houston extended its lead to 91-53 during the second half, fueled by a 17-2 scoring run. Erik Taylor scored a team-high 10 points in the second half for the Bearkats. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .
Falana, Media Trial Is Old School; Please Try Something New From 2025 – Leo Stan EkehNetflix continues to express confidence that its streaming platform is prepared to handle the massive audiences expected for a pair of Christmas Day NFL games along with the start of its live coverage of the World Wrestling Entertainment's "Raw" next month. Concerns were raised after users experienced issues with buffering and low quality feeds during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match last month. Netflix has exclusive rights to stream NFL games on Christmas Day between the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. Beyonce is scheduled to perform during halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, which could create more server traffic Netflix must take into account. It's a major test after the company reported an average global live audience of 108 million viewers for Paul's victory over Tyson in Arlington, Texas. Downdetector.com , which tracks service outages, announced that there were 90,000 issues reported at one point. "It was a big number, but you don't know, and you can't learn these things until you do them, so you take a big swing," Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria told Front Office Sports. "Our teams and our engineers are amazing, moved super quickly, and stabilized it, and many of the members had it back up and running pretty quickly. But we learn from these things. "We've all obviously done a lot of stuff to learn and get ready for the NFL and Beyonce, and so we're totally ready and excited for WWE." WWE president Nick Khan told FOS that Raw's tone and content will not change as it moves to the streaming service, with its first event of 2025 scheduled for Jan. 6. "There's some online chatter about, ‘oh, it's going to be R-rated, or for us old folks, X-rated.' That's definitely not happening," Khan said. "It's family-friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It's going to stay that way. I would look for more global flair, especially as the relationship continues to develop." --Field Level MediaBMS, MLB officials pleased with early ticket sales
President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday vowed to name a new prime minister in the coming days to prevent France from sliding deeper into political turmoil, rejecting growing pressure from the opposition to resign. Macron adopted a defiant tone in an address to the nation, seeking to limit an escalating political crisis after Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government was ousted in a historic no-confidence vote. Contemporary France's shortest-serving premier, Barnier resigned after Wednesday's parliamentary defeat in a standoff over the budget forced his government to step down, the first such toppling of a French administration in over 60 years. Macron now faces the task for the third time this year of selecting a new prime minister and did not come up with a name in his address. "I will appoint a prime minister in the coming days," he said, adding this person would be charged with forming a "government of general interest" with a priority of passing a budget. He also lashed out at the French far right and hard left for uniting in an "anti-republican front" to bring down the government. He said lawmakers had "knowingly" chosen "to topple the budget and the government just days before the Christmas holidays." The French presidency said earlier that Barnier and his ministers would remain "in charge of daily business until the appointment of a new government". Limiting any impression of political chaos is all the more important for Macron given that on Saturday he will host world leaders -- including US President-elect Donald Trump -- for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris after a devastating 2019 fire. Pointing to how the edifice was rebuilt within the five-year timeline he had set, Macron said: "It's the proof we're able to do great things, that we can do the impossible." In an unusual move, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, France's top diplomat for just two-and-a-half months, urged unity in a message on social media, saying "instability is vulnerability" at a time of international uncertainty. A majority of lawmakers on Wednesday supported the no-confidence vote proposed by the hard left and backed by the far right headed by Marine Le Pen. Barnier's ejection in record time came after snap parliamentary elections in June resulted in a hung parliament. No political force was able to form an overall majority and the far right held the key to the government's survival. The trigger for Barnier's ouster was his 2025 budget plan, including austerity measures unacceptable to a majority in parliament, but which he argued were necessary to stabilise France's finances. On Monday he forced through a social security financing bill without a vote, but the ousting of the government means France is still without a budget. New legislative elections cannot be called until a year after the previous ones in summer 2024. But while Macron has more than two years of his presidential term left, some opponents are calling on him to resign to break the deadlock. According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for Le Figaro daily, 59 percent of French want the president to step down, while a survey by Harris for RTL put the figure even higher, at 64 percent. Bur Macron said: "The mandate that you gave to me democratically (in 2022 elections) is a five-year mandate and I will exercise it fully, right up to the end." "The 30 months we have ahead of us must be 30 months of useful action for the country." But he admitted his decision to call snap parliamentary elections this summer that resulted in a hung parliament "was not understood". "Many have blamed me for it and I know, many continue to blame me. It's a fact and it's my responsibility," he said. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said that Macron was the "cause of the problem" in France "and would go due to the force of events" before his term ends. Barnier is Macron's fifth prime minister since coming to power in 2017. Each successive premier has served for a shorter period and, given the composition of the National Assembly, there is no guarantee that Barnier's successor would last any longer. Loyalist Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Macron's centrist ally Francois Bayrou have been touted as possible contenders, as has former Socialist premier and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Bayrou, who leads the MoDem party, had lunch with the president at the Elysee, a source close to him told AFP. sjw/ah/gv
‘I did the best I could’: Tim Walz reflects on presidential loss in first Minnesota interview
Elon Musk’s net worth soars again. What is it now?Nvidia’s stock dips after China opens probe of the AI chip company for violating anti-monopoly laws