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NEW YORK , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company ("ANSC"), announced today that the Treasurer of Australia (the "Treasurer") on December 12, 2024 (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) confirmed that the Commonwealth Government of Australia has no objection to ANSC's previously announced proposed business combination with Australian Food & Agriculture Company Limited ("AFA") and the other parties to the Business Combination Agreement dated August 28, 2024 (the "Business Combination") (known colloquially as "FIRB Approval" as the Treasurer is advised on such matters by the Foreign Investment Review Board). FIRB Approval is one of the conditions to closing of the Business Combination. ABOUT AFA AFA is a large-scale, diversified agricultural business established by the late Colin Bell in 1993 with the acquisition of the historic 'Burrabogie' station. AFA now operates one of the largest agricultural portfolios in New South Wales, Australia consisting of three major freehold title land aggregations within the Deniliquin, Hay and Coonamble districts, which total approximately 550,000 acres, and a water portfolio of approximately 45,000 acre-feet. AFA's portfolio includes some of Australia's most iconic properties, including 'Boonoke', 'Burrabogie', 'Wanganella' and 'Wingadee'. The company has total livestock carrying capacity of approximately 247,000 dry sheep equivalent across its sheep wool and meat and cattle operations (excluding the Conargo feedlot). AFA also operates the historic Wanganella and Poll Boonoke merino sheep studs, amongst the most highly regarded studs in Australia . AFA's cropping operations are characterized by flexibility amongst crop types, geographies and seasons. Key crops include irrigated cotton, irrigated rice, wheat, barley, canola, corn, chick peas and faba beans. More recently, the company has developed the state-of-the-art Conargo feedlot with a licensed capacity of 12,000 standard cattle units. ABOUT ANSC ANSC was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination. ANSC represents a further expansion of its sponsors' 18-year franchise in low-carbon investments, having established industry leading, scaled companies with more than $6 billion of equity invested in renewables. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This document includes certain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions, or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other important factors, many of which are outside of ANSC, Agriculture & Natural Solutions Company Limited ACN 680 144 085 ("NewCo") or AFA's management's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing ANSC's, AFA's or NewCo's views as of any subsequent date, and none of ANSC, AFA or NewCo undertakes any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. None of NewCo, ANSC or AFA gives any assurance that any of NewCo, ANSC or AFA will achieve its expectations. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, NewCo's actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: (i) the ability of the parties to complete the Business Combination by ANSC's business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought by ANSC; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the definitive agreements relating to the Business Combination; (iii) the outcome of any legal, regulatory or governmental proceedings that may be instituted against NewCo, ANSC or AFA or any investigation or inquiry following announcement of the Business Combination, including in connection with the Business Combination; (iv) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of ANSC's shareholders; (v) AFA's and NewCo's success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, their officers, key employees or directors following the Business Combination; (vi) the ability of the parties to obtain the listing of the ordinary shares in the capital of NewCo ("NewCo Ordinary Shares") and warrants to purchase NewCo Ordinary Shares on the New York Stock Exchange or another national securities exchange upon the closing of the Business Combination; (vii) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of AFA as a result of the announcement and consummation of the transactions described herein; (viii) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination; (ix) unexpected costs related to the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of AFA to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its key employees; (x) the ability of the parties to consummate one or more private placements of securities of NewCo to be consummated in connection with the Business Combination (the "Private Placements") on the stated timeline; (xi) the use of proceeds from the Private Placements by the combined company; (xii) the risk that there will be insufficient cash raised through the Private Placements, or that the amount of redemptions by ANSC's public shareholders is greater than expected; (xiii) the management and board composition of NewCo following completion of the Business Combination; (xiv) limited liquidity and trading of NewCo's securities; (xv) geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations, including legal or regulatory developments (including, without limitation, accounting considerations) which could result in the need for AFA to restate its historical financial statements and cause unforeseen delays in the timing of the Business Combination and negatively impact the trading price of NewCo's securities and the attractiveness of the Business Combination to investors; (xvi) the possibility that AFA may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (xvii) operational risks; (xviii) the possibility that a pandemic or major disease disrupts AFA's business; (xix) litigation and regulatory enforcement risks, including the diversion of management time and attention and the additional costs and demands on AFA's resources; (xx) the risks that the consummation of the Business Combination is substantially delayed or does not occur including the risk that the transaction may not be completed by ANSC's business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain extensions of the business combination deadline if sought by ANSC; and (xxi) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination, including those under "Risk Factors" therein, and in ANSC's, AFA's and NewCo's other filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. No Offer or Solicitation This communication relates to a proposed business combination between AFA and ANSC. This document shall not constitute a "solicitation" of a proxy, consent, or authorization, as defined in Section 14 of the Exchange Act, with respect to any securities or in respect of the Business Combination. This document also does not constitute an offer, or a solicitation of an offer, to buy, sell, or exchange any securities, investment or other specific product, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any offer, sale or exchange of securities, investment or other specific product in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities will be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom. Additional Information About the Business Combination and Where To Find It In connection with the Business Combination, ANSC, NewCo and AFA intend to file a registration statement on Form F-4 relating to the Business Combination (the "Registration Statement") with the SEC, which will include a proxy statement of ANSC in connection with ANSC's extraordinary general meeting of its shareholders (the "ANSC Shareholders' Meeting") and certain other related matters described in the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, including the proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, will contain important information about the Business Combination and the other matters to be voted upon at the ANSC Shareholders' Meeting. This communication does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Business Combination and other matters and is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of such matters. ANSC, AFA and NewCo may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the Business Combination. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF ANSC AND OTHER INTERESTED PERSONS ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, INCLUDING THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS INCLUDED THEREIN, ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO AND DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE BUSINESS COMBINATION CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ANSC, NEWCO, AFA, AND THE BUSINESS COMBINATION. After the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, ANSC will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination to its shareholders as of the record date established for voting on the Business Combination. Shareholders will also be able to obtain copies of the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials in connection with the Business Combination without charge, once available, at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation, 712 Fifth Avenue, 36 th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Participants in the Solicitation ANSC, NewCo, AFA and their respective directors and executive officers and related persons may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from ANSC's shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. ANSC's shareholders and other interested persons may obtain, without charge, more detailed information regarding the directors and officers of ANSC and their direct or indirect interests therein in ANSC's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024 (File No. 001-41861), including, without limitation, "Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance", "Item 11. Executive Compensation", "Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters" and "Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence". Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies to ANSC's shareholders in connection with the Business Combination and other matters to be voted upon at the ANSC Shareholders' Meeting will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus for the Business Combination when available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described above. Media Contact Daniel Yunger / Emma Cloyd Kekst CNC daniel.yunger@kekstcnc.com / emma.cloyd@kekstcnc.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agriculture--natural-solutions-acquisition-corporation-receives-firb-approval-in-connection-with-previously-announced-business-combination-302331743.html SOURCE Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition CorporationOffice Heroes Introduces Affordable Automation and Cybersecurity Tools for Small Businesses
Coming off what was likely a week's worth of intense practices, No. 10 Kansas returns home for a matchup with North Carolina State on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks (7-2) lost back-to-back games versus unranked opponents, the first time in school history that they have done that while ranked No. 1. Now they have to regroup to face the Wolfpack (7-3). Kansas lost its first two games of the season emphatically: 76-63 at Creighton on Dec. 4 and 76-67 at Missouri last Sunday. Coach Bill Self, who has only lost three straight games four times in his 21-year career at Kansas, was pretty succinct about his team's play following the loss to Missouri. "I think it was probably a combination of them being good and us not being good," he said. "I don't know that I could give them 100 percent credit, but that's what happens in sports. When the other team is doing things to hurt you, and you don't attack it well, they guard you the same way. "A lot of times you just roll it straight because of just not being as prepared or ready. I think it was a combination of both. I would err on the side of giving them more credit, because if I just say we sucked, that would take credit from them. We did suck, but it was in large part them." The Jayhawks still have a balanced and experienced attack, led by seniors Hunter Dickinson (15.0 points per game), Zeke Mayo (10.9), Dajuan Harris Jr. (10.7) and KJ Adams Jr. (9.8). Their biggest problem against Missouri was the 22 turnovers. "It's been a crap week for all of us," Self said on his weekly radio show Tuesday. "But hopefully we get an opportunity to bounce back. "I'm not going to make any excuses. If you don't perform the way we didn't perform, there certainly can be some valuable things to learn from that hopefully will give us a chance to win the war and not just the battle." NC State has won back-to-back games, including the ACC opener against Florida State on Dec. 7. In their last game, the Wolfpack handled Coppin State 66-56 on Tuesday. That's not to say NC State coach Kevin Keatts was impressed. "I thought we did a terrible job at the end of shot clocks when they were going to take a bunch of bad shots but we fouled them," Keatts said. "That being said, you can learn a lot from a win instead of a loss. "We compete hard every day, and our energy is always high. With this group, I'm trying to get everyone to be consistent." The Wolfpack has a trio of double-digit scorers, led by Marcus Hill (13.0 ppg). Jayden Taylor adds 12.5 and Dontrez Styles chips in 10.6. Ben Middlebrooks (9.2) and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (8.7) round out the top five. Huntley-Hatfield (5.6 rebounds per game) and Styles (4.6) also lead a balanced rebounding attack. The Jayhawks have won 12 straight games in the series with North Carolina State. --Field Level Media193 offenders arrested for drunk driving in Hyderabad
Business groups push to narrow rural-urban digital divideis the latest high-profile sports star to have his home burglarized in what's become a disturbingly prevalent trend among wealthy professional athletes. The break-in at the guard's home occurred Friday night, according to Dončić's business manager. "No one was home at the time, and thankfully Luka and his family are safe," Lara Beth Seager told ESPN. "Luka has filed a police report, and an investigation is ongoing." However, approximately $30,000 in jewelry was stolen, according to a police report seen . The police report also indicated that someone broke the master bathroom window of Dončić's home and the burglary occurred between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Private security was watching the residence. The Mavericks began a four-game road trip with over the that included . The team will play three more road games from Dec. 28 to Jan. 1. Luka Doncic went back to the locker room after an apparent injury on this play. — NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) However, Dončić was not with the team for Friday's game because he is recovering from suffered in to the . The five-time All-Star is expected to be sidelined for at least a month. In November, the NBA issued a warning to players recommending an increase in home security after the homes of the ' and of the were burglarized. informed teams and players that the FBI connected recent high-profile burglaries — which also involved NFL stars and — to "transnational South American theft groups." The FBI warned that the groups are "reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones and signal-jamming devices," according to . NBA teams and players were told that theft rings were "primarily focused on cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches and luxury bags." The NBA's warning followed a security alert from the NFL to teams and players after Kelce reportedly had $20,000 stolen from his home.
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Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF ( NASDAQ:IUSB – Free Report ) by 32.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,208 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,492 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF were worth $481,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IUSB. Vertex Planning Partners LLC lifted its holdings in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF by 28.5% during the third quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC now owns 58,378 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,751,000 after purchasing an additional 12,942 shares in the last quarter. Semus Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF by 81.1% during the third quarter. Semus Wealth Partners LLC now owns 21,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,005,000 after purchasing an additional 9,549 shares in the last quarter. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $246,000. CAP Partners LLC lifted its holdings in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF by 15.3% in the 3rd quarter. CAP Partners LLC now owns 39,409 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,857,000 after purchasing an additional 5,218 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Theory Financial LLC boosted its stake in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF by 34.8% during the 3rd quarter. Theory Financial LLC now owns 142,168 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,518,000 after purchasing an additional 36,677 shares during the last quarter. iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF Stock Performance IUSB opened at $45.61 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $46.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.97. iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF has a twelve month low of $44.21 and a twelve month high of $47.44. iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF Increases Dividend iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF Profile ( Free Report ) The iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF (IUSB) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Bloomberg U.S. Universal index. The fund tracks a broad Barclays index of USD-denominated taxable bonds. The index is market value weighted. IUSB was launched on Jun 10, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IUSB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF ( NASDAQ:IUSB – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .As part of a national “moonshot” to cure blindness, researchers at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus will receive as much as $46 million in federal funding over the next five years to pursue a first-of-its-kind full eye transplantation. “This is no easy undertaking, but I believe we can achieve this together,” said Dr. Kia Washington, the lead researcher for the University of Colorado-led team, during a press conference Monday. “And in fact I’ve never been more hopeful that a cure for blindness is within reach.” The CU team was one of four in the United States that received funding awards from the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health , or ARPA-H. The CU-based group will focus on achieving the first-ever vision-restoring eye transplant by using “novel stem cell and bioelectronic technologies,” according to a news release announcing the funding. The work will be interdisciplinary, Washington and others said, and will link together researchers at institutions across the country. The four teams that received the funding will work alongside each other on distinct approaches, though officials said the teams would likely collaborate and eventually may merge depending on which research avenues show the most promise toward achieving the ultimate goal of transplanting an eye and curing blindness. Dr. Calvin Roberts, who will oversee the broader project for ARPA-H, said the agency wanted to take multiple “shots on goal” to ensure progress. “In the broader picture, achieving this would be probably the most monumental task in medicine within the last several decades,” said Dr. Daniel Pelaez of the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which also received ARPA-H funding. Pelaez is the lead investigator for that team, which has pursued new procedures to successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors, amid other research. He told The Denver Post that only four organ systems have not been successfully transplanted: the inner ear, the brain, the spinal cord and the eye. All four are part of the central nervous system, which does not repair itself when damaged. If researchers can successfully transplant the human eye and restore vision to the patient, it might help unlock deeper discoveries about repairing damage to the brain and spine, Pelaez said, as well as addressing hearing loss. To succeed, researchers must successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors and then successfully connect and repair the optical nerve, which takes information from the eye and tells the brain what the eye sees. A team at New York University performed a full eye transplant on a human patient in November 2023, though the procedure — while a “remarkable achievement,” Pelaez said — did not restore the patient’s vision. It was also part of a partial face transplant; other approaches pursued via the ARPA-H funding will involve eye-specific transplants. Washington, the lead CU researcher, said she and her colleagues have already completed the eye transplant procedure — albeit without vision restoration — in rats. The CU team will next work on large animals to advance “optic nerve regenerative strategies,” the school said, as well as to study immunosuppression, which is critical to ensuring that patients’ immune systems don’t reject a donated organ. The goal is to eventually advance to human trials. Pelaez and his colleagues have completed their eye-removal procedure in cadavers, he said, and they’ve also studied regeneration in several animals that are capable of regenerating parts of their eyes, like salamanders or zebra fish. His team’s funding will focus in part on a life-support machine for the eye to keep it healthy and viable during the removal process. InGel Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based Harvard spinoff and the lead of a third team, will pursue research on 3-D printed technology and “micro-tunneled scaffolds” that carry certain types of stem cells as part of a focus on optical nerve regeneration and repair, ARPA-H said. ARPH-A, created two years ago, will oversee the teams’ work. Researchers at 52 institutions nationwide will also contribute to the teams. The CU-led group will include researchers from the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University, as well as from the National Eye Institute . The teams will simultaneously compete and collaborate: Pelaez said his team has communicated with researchers at CU and at Stanford, another award recipient, about their eye-removal research. The total funding available for the teams is $125 million, ARPA-H officials said Monday, and it will be distributed in phases, in part dependent on teams’ success. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat who represents Denver in Congress, acknowledged the recent election results at the press conference Monday and pledged to continue fighting to preserve ARPA-H’s funding under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. The effort to cure blindness, Washington joked, was “biblical” in its enormity — a reference to the Bible story in which Jesus cures a blind man. She and others also likened it to a moonshot, meaning the effort to successfully put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon nearly 50 years ago. If curing blindness is similar to landing on the moon, then the space shuttle has already left the launchpad, Washington said. “We have launched,” she said, “and we are on our trajectory.”Brian Arteaga Launches Legal Match Experts to Transform Access to Legal Representation
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(ANI photo) MUMBAI: Dalal Street witnessed huge volatility on Friday, with the sensex swinging over 2,100 points in intraday trades and finally closing 843 points up at 82,133 points - a two-month closing high. The day's gains came on the back of strong foreign fund buying at Rs 2,335 crore, BSE data showed. The sensex opened Friday's session marginally lower at 81,212 points but soon, strong selling pulled it down to 80,083. Soon after, a strong recovery started that, during the closing minutes, took it to an intraday high of 82,214 points and it closed just a tad off that mark, up 1% on the day. According to Siddhartha Khemka, head of research (wealth management) at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, buying in FMCG, IT and banking stocks supported the recovery, even as broader market sentiment remained cautious. "The intraday selloff in Indian equities followed weakness across Asian markets, which posted steep losses amid a stronger dollar, rising US Treasury yields and continued skepticism over China's economic revival. The lack of clarity in China's stimulus plans weighed on metal stocks in India," he said. Although foreign funds were net buyers during the session, market players are still not convinced the buying will sustain the short term. "US Treasury yields have surged to their highest levels this year, dampening hopes for significant Federal Reserve rate cuts going ahead. The rupee hit a new low of Rs 84.88 per dollar on Thursday, pressured by a strong dollar, FII outflows, and higher crude oil prices. Investors will watch out for manufacturing and services PMI of US and India and domestic WPI inflation to be released on Monday," that could decide the market's trend going ahead, Khemka said. At close, of the 30 sensex stocks, 26 closed with gains. In the broader market, however, declines outnumbered advances with 2,173 laggards to 1,818 winners, BSE data showed. The day's session added about Rs 6.4 lakh crore to investors' wealth, with BSE's market capitalisation now at Rs 467.3 lakh crore. In the short run, a host of domestic and global factors would decide the market's trajectory. "Despite an adverse base effect, IIP growth in Oct 2024 improved marginally to 3.5% (from 3.1% in Sept). Impact of the US economic policy, recovery in domestic consumption & investment and CPI inflation are some factors to focus on over the next few months," Shrikant Chouhan, head of equity research at Kotak Securities, said. Market players also said that once Donald Trump takes office as the US President in Jan, the new administration's policies would be in focus too. Ready to Master Stock Valuation? ET’s Workshop is just around the corner!49ers WR Deebo Samuel speaks on his deleted tweet: ‘A little frustrated, for sure’TORONTO — Darko Rajakovic cut straight to the chase in his pre-game news conference: yes, Scottie Barnes is back. Barnes was inserted into the Toronto Raptors starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena. He had been out since Nov. 4 with a fractured right orbital bone. "I don't want Scottie Barnes to be anything outside of Scottie Barnes," said Rajakovic in his pre-game news conference. "I just need him to be best version of himself and when he's that, he's really raising the people around him to another level. "He's making everybody around him better." Barnes was injured in the fourth quarter of Toronto's 121-119 overtime loss to the Nuggets on Nov. 4 when he caught an errant elbow from Denver centre Nikola Jokic. Barnes was expected to be out at least three weeks with the injury but came back slightly ahead of schedule. The 23-year-old all-star forward was averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and six assists per game before he was hurt. Rajakovic said Barnes would play limited minutes and that he'd have to wear protective goggles. Rajakovic was coy when asked who would be moved to Toronto's bench to make space for Barnes. "Scottie will start. Who knows who won’t," laughed Rajakovic. Rookie combo guard Ja'kobe Walter was also made available for the Raptors. He had missed Toronto's last six games with a sprained right shoulder. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
A high-profile barrister who was cleared of misconduct over social media posts has called on the head of the Bar Standards Board to resign. Dr Charlotte Proudman, who specialises in family law, had faced a Bar Standards Board (BSB) disciplinary tribunal over a 14-part Twitter thread criticising a judge’s ruling over a domestic abuse case, saying it echoed a “boys’ club”. However, the five charges against the 36-year-old were dropped on Thursday. In an interview with The Times, Dr Proudman described the position of Mark Neale, the board’s director-general, as “untenable” and said its chairwoman, Kathryn Stone, should also stand down. “They need a change, not just in those two individuals, though, because, of course, it seeps down to the rest of the organisation,” she said. She told the paper she “genuinely” wanted to work with the Bar Standards Board in helping them to understand how misogyny and sexism have impacted women at the bar. However, she said that “under the current leadership, it’s just not going to be possible”. The charges alleged Dr Proudman had “failed to act with integrity” in posting the tweets, that they amounted to professional misconduct, were “misleading” and “inaccurately reflected the findings of the judge” in the case. The women’s rights campaigner was also accused of behaving in a way “which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public placed in her and in the profession”, and that she “knowingly or recklessly misled or attempted to mislead the public” by making the posts. But panel chairman Nicholas Ainley found her tweets are protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right of freedom of expression. He said her tweets did not “gravely damage” the judiciary, which would “put them outside” of Article 10 protection, even if they “might not have been pleasant for any judge to read” or even “hurtful”. “We take the view that the judiciary of England and Wales is far more robust than that,” he said. The panel also concluded that some of the tweets were only inaccurate “to a minor degree” and not to the extent necessary for a charge of a lack of integrity. Speaking after the hearing, Dr Proudman told the PA news agency: “This ruling is a victory for women’s rights and a right to freedom of speech. “The prosecution against me brought by my regulatory body, the Bar Standards Board, should never have happened and I said that from day one. “I criticised a domestic abuse judgment. Everyone should have the right to do that, whether you’re a barrister or not. Our justice system, which I strongly believe in, is robust enough to withstand criticism from me.” She believes her tweets help “foster confidence” in the justice system, adding: “Only that way can we go about building change and a better treatment for all victims, women and children and men who are affected by domestic abuse.” Explaining that the BSB appears to have spent almost £40,000 “of barristers’ money” on instructing counsel in her case, she added: “I think it’s shameful that they’re using our money to pay for, in my view, malicious, vexatious prosecutions which I have no doubt was a personal attack against me as a woman and as a feminist, as an outspoken critic and advocate for women’s rights.” Dr Proudman called for “systemic change” within the board. “They don’t understand gender, they don’t understand diversity, I don’t think they’ve ever heard of the concept misogyny and certainly not institutional misogyny,” she said. “Until they recognise the deeply rooted, entrenched issue of bullying, harassment, sexism at the bar, for which I have suffered relentlessly... and own up to it I don’t think we’re going to see any change and I have no confidence in them.” She told of how male barristers have called her insulting names on social media and made derogatory comments about her. In the posts on April 6 2022, Dr Proudman referenced a case in which her client alleged she had been subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour by her husband, a part-time judge, meaning she had been “unable to freely enter” the couple’s “post-nuptial” financial agreement. Commenting on the ruling by Family Court judge Sir Jonathan Cohen, Dr Proudman wrote: “I represented Amanda Traharne. “She said she was coerced into signing a post-nuptial agreement by her husband (who is a part-time judge). I lost the case. “I do not accept the Judge’s reasoning. I will never accept the minimisation of domestic abuse.” She continued: “Demeaning the significance of domestic abuse has the affect of silencing victims and rendering perpetrators invisible. “This judgement has echoes of (t)he ‘boys club’ which still exists among men in powerful positions.” In the thread, Dr Proudman wrote that the judge had described the relationship of the couple as “tempestuous”, which she argued was a “trivialisation” of domestic abuse. “Tempestuous? Lose his temper? Isn’t this the trivialisation of domestic abuse & gendered language. This is not normal married life,” she wrote.Meta Quest 3 and 3S Headsets Now Also in Danger: A Workaround Revealed
TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- White Gold Corp. (TSX.V: WGO, OTCQX: WHGOF, FRA: 29W) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $4,500,000 consisting of the sale of a combination of : (i) common shares in the capital of the Company (“Common Shares”) that qualify as “flow-through shares” within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the “Tax Act”) at a price of C$0.26 per share (each an “FT Share”); (ii) FT Shares that will also qualify for the federal 30% Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit at a price of $0.27 per share (each a “CFT Share”); and (iii) Common Shares a price of C$0.22 per share (each an “HD Share”) (the “Offering”). “We are very appreciative for the continued support for our exciting and impactful exploration activities to advance our significant gold deposit which is now one of the highest-grade open pit gold resources in Canada of such significant size owned by an exploration company, and other recent high-grade gold discoveries and additional prospective critical mineral projects on our district scale land package in the prolific and under explored White Gold District,” stated David D’Onofrio, Chief Executive Officer. The gross proceeds received from the sale of the FT Shares will be used to incur (or deemed to incur) “Canadian exploration expenses” as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Tax Act, and the gross proceeds from the sale of the CFT Shares will be used to incur (or deemed to incur) eligible “Canadian exploration expenses” that qualify as “flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures” (as both terms are defined in the Tax Act) (collectively, the “Qualifying Expenditures”), related to the Company’s properties in the White Gold District of the Yukon Territory, on or before December 31, 2025, and to renounce all the Qualifying Expenditures in favour of the subscribers of the FT Shares, and CFT Shares effective December 31, 2024. If the Qualifying Expenditures are reduced by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Company will indemnify each subscriber of an FT Share, and CFT Share for any additional taxes payable by such subscriber as a result of the Company’s failure to renounce the Qualifying Expenditures as agreed. The net proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares will be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes. Closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about December 20, 2024 and is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV”). The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day from the closing date of the Offering in accordance with applicable securities legislation. About White Gold Corp. The Company owns a portfolio of 15,876 quartz claims across 26 properties covering approximately 315,000 hectares (3,150 km2) representing approximately 40% of the Yukon’s emerging White Gold District. The Company’s flagship White Gold project hosts four near-surface gold deposits which collectively contain an estimated 1,203,000 ounces of gold in Indicated Resources and 1,116,600 ounces of gold in Inferred Resources(1). Regional exploration work has also produced several other new discoveries and prospective targets on the Company’s claim packages which border sizable gold discoveries including the Coffee project owned by Newmont Corporation with Measured and Indicated Resources of 2.1 Moz at 1.28 g/t gold and Inferred Resources of 0.2 Moz at 1.04 g/t gold(2), and Western Copper and Gold Corporation’s Casino project which has Measured and Indicated Resources of 7.6 Blb copper and 14.5 Moz gold and Inferred Resources of 3.3 Blb copper and 6.6 Moz gold(3). For more information visit www.whitegoldcorp.ca . (1) See White Gold Corp. press release dated November 19, 2024, available on SEDAR+. (2) See Newmont Corporation Form 10-K: Annual report for the year ending December 31, 2023, in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Resources section, dated February 29, 2024, available on EDGAR. Reserves and resources disclosed in this Form 10-K have been prepared in accordance with the Regulation S-K 1300, and do not indicate NI43-101 compliance. (3) See Western Copper and Gold Corporation technical report titled “Casino project, Form 43-101F1 Technical Report Feasibility Study, Yukon Canada”, Effective Date June 13, 2022, Issue Date August 8, 2022, NI 43-101 Compliant Technical Report prepared by Daniel Roth, PE, P.Eng., Mike Hester, F Aus IMM, John M. Marek, P.E., Laurie M. Tahija, MMSA-QP, Carl Schulze, P.Geo., Daniel Friedman, P.Eng., Scott Weston, P.Geo., available on SEDAR+. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", “proposed”, "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, the Offering, including all regulatory approvals; the use of proceeds from the Offering; the Company’s objectives, goals and exploration activities conducted and proposed to be conducted at the Company’s properties; future growth potential of the Company, including whether any proposed exploration programs at any of the Company’s properties will be successful; exploration results; and future exploration plans and costs and financing availability. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the expected benefits to the Company relating to the exploration conducted and proposed to be conducted at the White Gold properties; the receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals for the Offering; the completion of the Offering on the terms described herein, or at all; failure to identify any additional mineral resources or significant mineralization; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, including to fund any exploration programs on the Company’s properties; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and mineral exploration; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); the unlikelihood that properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; soil sampling results being preliminary in nature and are not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit; title to properties; and those factors described in the most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis of the Company. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Contact Information: David D’Onofrio Chief Executive Officer White Gold Corp. (647) 930-1880 ir@whitegoldcorp.ca
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