Flooding and potholes in Bengaluru: This year was no different
Immigration In A Second Trump Term, AI That Interviews Job Candidates And More
US President-elect Donald Trump wants a "just, sustainable, and secure peace in Ukraine." Ending the killings on the territory of our country will be one of the priorities of the new administration in the White House. At the same time, Trump understands that previous attempts to reach peace agreements between Russia and Ukraine, including the Minsk agreements, have "failed miserably," so he is not going to follow this path. This was stated by Keith Kellogg, Trump's nominee for the post of US Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, on Fox Business . "The president is very consistent in what he wants, which is to stop the killing and bring peace to the region. It's not his only international priority, but he wants a peace that is just, that is sustainable, that is secure," the Trump team representative assured. Kellogg also emphasized that there have been previous attempts at peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. All of them, including the Minsk process, "failed miserably." Therefore, the candidate for the post of special representative emphasized, that Trump is not going to follow the same path. "He understands the importance of the relationship he has with his allies, including Vladimir Putin. And he's the person who can bring that to fruition – I really believe he will in the relatively near future," Kellogg emphasized. Earlier, Trump's special representative Kellogg said that Ukraine and Russia are ready for peace talks. In his opinion, all that is missing is a "referee" who could "break up" the two warring parties. Kellogg will visit Ukraine in early January 2025 to "gather facts," at least that's what Reuters sources said . Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Do you have space in your income portfolio for some more ASX dividend shares after the Christmas break? If you do, then it could be worth looking at the three listed below. That's because analysts rate them as buys and believe they will offer attractive . Here's what you need to know about these dividend shares: ( ) The first ASX dividend share that could be a buy for income investors is retail giant Harvey Norman. Bell Potter believes it is a buy due to its exposure to the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. The broker expects Harvey Norman to benefit greatly from an AI driven major upgrade/replacement cycle of devices purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expecting this to underpin fully franked dividends of 25.9 cents per share in FY 2025 and then 28.5 cents per share in FY 2026. Based on the current Harvey Norman share price of $4.71, this equates to attractive 5.5% and 6% dividend yields, respectively. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $5.80 price target on its shares. ( ) Another ASX dividend share that could be a buy after Christmas is HomeCo Daily Needs. It is a property company with a focus on neighbourhood retail, large format retail, and health and services. The team at Morgans remains positive on the company. Particularly given its shift in focus from large format retail to daily needs. It appears to believe this leaves it well-postioned for growth in the coming years. In respect to income, Morgans is forecasting dividends per share of 8.5 cents in FY 2025 and then 8.7 cents in FY 2026. Based on the current HomeCo Daily Needs share price of $1.16, this will mean dividend yields of 7.3% and 7.5%, respectively. The broker currently has an add rating and $1.36 price target on its shares. ( ) A third ASX dividend share for income investors to look at is specialist alternative investment manager Regal Partners. At the last count, it had approximately $17.2 billion in funds under management. But Bell Potter believes that this number will grow in the future. Particularly given its strong performance, which it doesn't believe is reflected in its share price at present. It expects this strong performance to underpin fully franked dividends per share of 16.3 cents in FY 2024 and then 18.1 cents in FY 2025. Based on its current share price of $3.57, this represents dividend yields of 4.55% and 5.1%, respectively. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $4.85 price target on its shares.Dow ends at fresh record as oil prices pull back on ceasefire hopes
NoneChandigarh: An unidentified person fraudulently withdrew Rs 2.10 lakhs after exchanging an ATM card of a Mohali resident between Nov 26, 2024, and Nov 29, 2024. The complainant stated that he went to an ATM to withdraw money at Sector-43, and an unknown person allegedly exchanged his ATM card on the pretext of helping him with withdrawing money. On the statement of the victim, the Sector-36 police registered a case against unknown persons and are checking CCTV cameras of the ATM to identify the accused person. In his complaint, Mahavir Prasad, a resident of Singhdevi, Mohali, stated that he went to an ATM to withdraw money at ISBT-sector 43 on Nov 26, 2024. While withdrawing money, the complainant faced some problems, and an unknown person standing outside offered him help in withdrawing money. In the meantime, the unknown person exchanged his ATM card, and the complainant returned home without withdrawing money. On Dec 29, 2024, the complainant found that some unknown persons allegedly withdrew a total of Rs 2.10 lakhs in multiple transactions over three days. Later, the complainant found that his ATM card was changed. The complainant also claimed that he did not receive any messages about withdrawing money from his account. We also published the following articles recently Cyclone Fengal: Migrant worker electrocuted while withdrawing cash at flooded ATM Tragedy struck Chennai as a migrant worker was electrocuted at an ATM amidst Cyclone Fengal's onslaught. Heavy rains and winds caused widespread flooding, inundating hospitals and homes. Residents scrambled to protect belongings, while downed trees and traffic signals disrupted transport. Authorities deployed teams for drainage and debris removal, bracing for continued impact as the cyclone neared landfall. Some ATMs to retract cash: RBI The Reserve Bank of India has partially reinstated the cash retraction feature in ATMs to combat a new type of fraud. Criminals were using fake shutters to trap dispensed cash. This move reverses a 2012 decision to disable retractions due to a different fraud scheme. Avoiding ATM fake shutter fraud: Why some ATMs will now retract cash as per RBI mandate The Reserve Bank of India has partially reinstated ATM cash retraction to combat a new fraud involving fake covers on dispensing slots. This feature, disabled in 2012 to prevent a different type of fraud, allows ATMs to retrieve uncollected cash. Banks will selectively implement retraction in vulnerable ATMs. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Police believe the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO left NYC on a bus after the shooting NEW YORK (AP) — Police officials say the gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer three days ago may have quickly left New York City on a bus after escaping on a bicycle and hopping in a cab. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN on Friday that video of the gunman fleeing Wednesday’s shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson showed him riding through Central Park and later taking a taxi to a bus terminal, directly across from New Jersey. Kenny said police have video of the man entering the bus station but no video of him exiting, leading them to believe he left the city. Investigators also believe the shooter left his backpack in Central Park and are trying to find it. Trump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the Pentagon WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth's ability to win confirmation by the Senate is wavering as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat. Trump posted on social media that Hegseth is a winner “and there is nothing that can be done to change that.” Hegseth spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead the Pentagon. IAEA chief: Iran is poised to 'quite dramatically' increase stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Iran is poised to “quite dramatically” increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium. That's according to comments by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday. Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke in Bahrain, on the sidelines of the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue. He says Iran had begun preparing advanced centrifuge cascades to spin at nuclear facilities to increase its supply of 60% enriched uranium. That kind of material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Grossi says this is “very concerning." Iran did not immediately acknowledge the preparations, which Grossi said had begun on Friday. Inspectors hope to examine what’s going on. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Trump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump's immigration and border team is filling out. Trump has announced a former Border Patrol chief, Rodney Scott, to head the Customs and Border Protection agency. Scott is a career Border Patrol agent who rose to head the agency during Trump's first term. He's been a vocal supporter of tougher enforcement measures. At CBP he'll head a department of roughly 60,000 employees responsible for protecting the country’s borders while also facilitating trade and travel. Trump also said he’d nominate Caleb Vitello as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that, among other things, arrests migrants in the U.S. illegally. Vitello is a career ICE official with more than 23 years in the agency. Romania's top court annuls first round of presidential vote won by far-right candidate BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court has annulled the first round of the country’s presidential election, days after declassified intelligence alleged Russia ran a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round. Friday's unprecedented and final decision by the Constitutional Court came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence on Wednesday that alleged Russia ran a sprawling campaign comprising thousands of social media accounts to promote Calin Georgescu across platforms like TikTok and Telegram. Despite being a huge outsider who declared zero campaign spending, Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner on Nov. 24. He was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a runoff on Sunday. Crews recover the body of a woman from a Pennsylvania sinkhole after a 4-day search Police say the remains of a woman who fell into a sinkhole have been recovered four days after she went missing while searching for her cat. Trooper Steve Limani said Friday that the body of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard was sent to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy. Pollard disappeared while looking for her cat on Monday evening, and authorities found her car close to what is thought to be a newly opened sinkhole above a long abandoned coal mine a few hours later. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. Jury will consider lesser charge in NYC subway chokehold case, judge dismisses manslaughter charge NEW YORK (AP) — The judge overseeing the trial of a man accused of using a deadly chokehold on an unruly subway passenger has dismissed the top charge in the case at the request of prosecutors, allowing the jury to consider a lesser count after the panel indicated it was deadlocked on whether Daniel Penny was guilty of manslaughter. The judge’s decision on Friday came hours after Manhattan jurors sent him a note saying they were unable to agree on a manslaughter verdict. Penny is facing charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, who Penny held in a chokehold for about six minutes on a New York City subway in 2023. Vance tells residents in hurricane-stricken North Carolina that they haven't been forgotten FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance is surveying hurricane damage in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election. Vance and his wife, Usha, visited the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, which was flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water in the storm. They heard that roughly a dozen people contracted walking pneumonia while responding to the hurricane's destruction and that power outages prevented some first responders from talking with their families. Vance said, “My simple message to the people of Appalachia is that we haven’t forgotten you — we love you.” Vance has largely stayed out of the public eye since the election aside from shepherding Trump’s Cabinet nominees around Capitol Hill.
GRAND FORKS — The latest defense authorization bill expands mental health care access for North Dakota’s military service members and adds new provisions for countering threats posed by unmanned drones. Those are among the provisions touted by North Dakota’s two U.S. senators in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law Monday after it passed by divided votes in the House and Senate. Language in the latest NDAA includes an order to establish a counter-UAS task force combatting drone incursions onto U.S. military bases and several provisions for current service members’ mental health care, including measures singling out pilots of U.S. combat drones. Drone incursions have been reported in recent weeks over U.S. military bases in England and Germany, while residents of several eastern states have reported seeing numerous unidentified lighted drones flying overhead, though U.S. officials say most of the latter incidents have been manned aircraft. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said the NDAA “helps formalize what (the Defense Department) is already doing” to combat unwanted drone use, citing the counter-UAS goals of Project ULTRA and ongoing efforts to integrate drones into U.S. airspace at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. Project ULTRA — which stands for UAS logistics, traffic, research and autonomy — seeks to boost national security and operational efficiency of unmanned aerial system operations. “The interesting thing about Grand Forks is we’ve built an ecosystem where, I’ve talked about us being the tip of the spear against China; we’re the tip of the spear in developing drone and counter-drone,” Hoeven said. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., has championed a provision that expands the number of mental health providers certified under military health insurance provider TRICARE. Cramer said he pushed for the expanded access in response to a pair of suicides among Grand Forks Air Force Base personnel in the past several years. “The standards to join TRICARE are so stringent now, they don’t take into account that some states like North Dakota only have certain accreditations and certifications that are available to them,” Cramer said. “If you don’t get the right credential — it’s not that it’s a better credential, just the right one — your providers don’t meet the standard for TRICARE.” He’s also pushed for a provision creating a combat status identifier for pilots of remotely piloted aircraft involved in combat operations. Cramer cited as inspiration the 119th Wing of the North Dakota National Guard, which flies MQ-9 Reaper unmanned planes. “Our remote pilots are treated differently when it comes to things like PTSD potential or depression or mental health challenges as the result of, say, a kill shot,” he said. “I wanted to make sure the remote pilots are given the same type of consideration as somebody that’s in the cockpit of an airplane.” This year’s NDAA also authorizes $1.9 million in planning and design funding for maintenance on Grand Forks Air Force Base’s runway — one of Cramer’s pet projects — and reauthorization for the Space Development Agency’s mission, including its recently-established Operations Center North at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Hoeven said his office is working to appropriate another $450 million toward an advanced fire control system built off the SDA’s network of low-Earth orbit satellites. Other North Dakota-specific provisions in this year’s NDAA include authorization for funding to update the UH-72 Lakota helicopters used by the North Dakota National Guard and funding authorization to modernize Minot Air Force Base’s nuclear capabilities. Policy measures, like more provider options for mental health care or the counter-UAS task force, became law with the passage of the NDAA. However, NDAA provisions that require funding — like nuclear modernization or the runway study — will need to pass in a separate defense appropriations bill. “An authorization just says that it’s approved,” Hoeven explained. “In defense appropriations, we allocate the dollars to do it, and if we don’t provide those dollars for the NDAA, for those authorizations or programs, then obviously they don’t advance.” The federal government is currently operating at last year’s funding levels via a continuing resolution set to expire in March. Congress will have to attempt to pass a defense appropriations bill before then or pass another continuing resolution. The NDAA usually passes with significant bipartisan support. This year, however, the bill passed with significant dissent from both House and Senate Democrats after a last-minute amendment by House Speaker Mike Johnson added language barring TRICARE from covering some gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. Both Hoeven and Cramer expressed support for Johnson’s amendment, which blocks gender-affirming care “that could result in sterilization” — though medical professionals say hormone therapy (like puberty blockers) generally does not cause infertility. Cramer said providing gender-affirming care did not support military readiness and dismissed concerns about the mental health impact of denying that care to minors. “(The amendment) has a much lower priority than caring for people who are stressed out by the fact that they’re a warfighter,” he said. “We need them to be healthy, we need them to be ready for war, and puberty blockers, gender-affirming care, just simply don’t do either of those things.” Hoeven said gender-affirming care was hurting military readiness and recruiting and decried providing gender-affirming care as a “social experiment,” a phrase also used by Cramer. President-elect Donald Trump is widely expected to reinstate a ban on transgender service members in the U.S. Armed Forces, as he did in his first administration. North Dakota’s U.S. senators also dismissed concerns that the Johnson provision could affect bipartisanship or productivity in the next Congress. The Senate ultimately passed the NDAA 85-15, while less than half of the House’s Democrats supported the act. More Democrats attacked Johnson’s last-minute addition while saying they felt compelled to vote for the broader bill. “I’m hopeful Democrats will come around and join us with what we’ve always done with our military, which is support our professional, great men and women in uniform who do such an outstanding job, not a bunch of social policies that shouldn’t be in there,” Hoeven said. He also said he expects the embattled House speaker, who holds one of the smallest House majorities in history, to be reelected next year. Cramer called this year’s NDAA a loss for the political left but said he “wouldn’t read a whole lot” into the dissent, pointing out the bill had continued its decades-long streak of passing into law despite partisan gridlock. The 118th Congress, which ends Jan. 3, has been called one of the least productive Congresses in decades, and is by some counts the least productive in U.S. history.Chelsea’s surprise defeat by Fulham meant victory over the Foxes stretched their lead to seven points, with a match in hand, with the halfway point of the campaign fast approaching. But Slot is maintaining his level-headed approach despite the clamour growing around their chances of adding another title to the one won in 2020. Tonight's goalscorers 💪 pic.twitter.com/xn9sfZbVow — Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 26, 2024 “If you are in this game for a long time like the players and I am then 20 games before the end you don’t look at it as there are so many challenges ahead of you,” he said after Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah scored to turn around an early deficit following Jordan Ayew’s strike. “Injuries and and a bit of bad luck can happen to any team, it is far too early to be already celebrating – but it is nice for us to be where we are. “I don’t think there was any easy win for us in any of these games; it could have been an easy win against Tottenham but we conceded two and it was then 5-2 – that tells you how difficult it is to win even when you have all your players available. “That is why we have to take it one game at a time. The league table is something of course we are aware of but we always understand how many games there are to go.” Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy felt his side held their own until Salah scored in the 82nd minute. “I think we were in the contest for a result for a long time,” he said. “Three-one was the turning point in the sense the game was done there to get a result. “I think the 60th minute I remember a chanced for Daka to score the equaliser so we were in the game to get a surprising result. “We did well, we did what we could: a good start with the goal but if you speak of a turning point, 3-1 with Salah, the game was done.” Van Nistelrooy left goalkeeper Danny Ward out of the squad after he struggled in the defeat to Wolves and was jeered by his own fans. “The change in goal was one to make and the conversation with Wardy was impressive, the way he was thinking of the team and the club,” added the Dutchman. “I insisted on a conversation and of course it is a private conversation but what I want to share is the person and the professional he is. “I was impressed with that and his willingness for the team and the club to do well. “Really tough what happened for him. We are professionals but human beings as well, when frustration is being directed towards one person that is difficult.”
VVM Launches New Support ServiceIt's been another big year and for many of us, now is the time for a well-earned rest with family and friends. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading It's a time also to take stock of the things most important to us and our community. Our health, our quality of life and to think of what kind of world awaits us in the new year. However, for our essential workers in our hospitals, transport and emergency services, there is no let-up as the demand and strain on our stretched system increase in the festive season. The truth of the matter is that this time it will be tougher on many of these workers than in previous years because their employer, the NSW Government simply does not value their work as much as our community does and is stubbornly holding out on seriously negotiating an agreement to increase their ability to meet the skyrocketing cost of living. Our nurses and midwives, for example, are asking themselves why they are being punished simply for refusing to accept being some of the worst-paid health professionals in the country. They can't understand why the government is effectively asking them to choose between their ability to put bread on the table and pay for a roof over their heads and their ability to care for their patients with a guarantee of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. It's like having to choose between your right arm and your left leg for an amputation. The health experts have crunched the numbers, prepared detailed submissions and put forward a compelling case of what might happen to our hospitals if this injustice is not urgently addressed and yet our Premier and his government seem to be tone deaf. When promises remain unfulfilled They hear what they want to hear from their own bean counters who seem more intent on ordering BandAids than treating the underlying causes of the illness. How you fix our currently understaffed hospitals with an exodus of nurses and midwives to Queensland and Victoria is beyond my imagination. The war on rail workers seems just as futile. How exactly you reach an agreement with your workers by suing them and playing a game of industrial chicken a week out from Christmas is a question only Chris Minns can answer. My only guess is that his taxpayer-funded spin doctors reckon that it's better for the Premier to look tough and behave like Donald Trump than it is to sit down and negotiate and make some progress on the things that matter most to workers and their families in this state. I can assure you Premier Minns, the commuters of NSW won't be disappointed if the trains run on time because you had to swallow your pride and sit down with workers and their representatives - even if you dislike them. At the heart of these seemingly intractable disputes is a well-worn and tattered excuse that politicians use the world over to rat on their promises and commitments as they transform themselves from opposition to government. It's a bit like a reverse transformation in nature. Rather than changing from grubby caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly, they transform from a butterfly back to a grub. How do they do it? Like this. We know we said we would look after you when in opposition, but we had no idea that the finances were in such a dreadful state. We simply cannot afford to pay you any more than 3.5 per cent The treasury cupboard is bare! Where is the money going to come from? The only problem for the Premier, is that by walking away from his responsibility to pay his workers decently and giving that job to the industrial umpire, he is acknowledging that if the umpire awards significant pay rises to our essential workers then somehow, like Harry Houdini he will have to find the money to pay up. Just like that, magic - the once bare cupboard will be full of cash again. If he can't afford to pay our nurses and midwives decently through a negotiated agreement, how is he going to afford it after arbitration? The take-home message for Minns and his crew is that if you're going to lie, at least make it a good one, because frankly, the only people we want to take us for a ride are the rail workers. More from Latest News Newsletters & Alerts DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. 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Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Comforting robotic companions donated to pediatric cancer patients courtesy of Aflac ROSEVILLE Calif. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Children in Northern California now have a cuddly companion to bring them comfort through their cancer treatment journey. Aflac Incorporated , a leading provider of health supplemental insurance in the U.S. donated the robotic ducks to Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance in Roseville Thursday. The event marks nearly 200 ducks given to Keaton's in the last two years and more than 33,000 ducks distributed free of charge since the program began in 2018. "Approximately 26 children are diagnosed with cancer each day in the United States , including the brave 'Child Cancer Warriors' supported by Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance," said Ines Rodriguez Gutzmer , Aflac senior vice president and chief Communications officer. "These incredible children, and their families, embody determination and resilience – and most of all, as we saw today, their joyful spirit continues to shine. We're thankful to the team at Keaton's for allowing us to be a part of the great work they do each and every day. Together, we're making a difference in the lives of the children, their families and their communities." My Special Aflac Duck is a social robot powered by innovative technology that helps kids prepare for medical procedures, communicate their feelings, practice distraction techniques and more. The robotic companion was designed in consult with more than 100 children, families and medical professionals in conjunction with Empath Labs. A three-year study revealed that patients reported a reduction in distress, nausea, pain and procedural anxiety compared to those in the study who had not yet received a duck. In addition, parents and caregivers reported a reduction in stress and anxiety, showing how My Special Aflac Duck helps children's support system. The duck delivery Thursday coincided with Keaton's annual Operation Gobble, where more than 20 families received Thanksgiving meal kits. "We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Aflac to ensure that young cancer warriors and their families receive the personalized support they need throughout their journey" said Jessica Alonso , Executive Director of Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance. "This generous contribution of My Special Aflac Ducks will have a meaningful impact on the children we serve. These comforting, interactive companions provide emotional support and help children navigate the complexities of treatment, bringing much-needed smiles and strength to families during some of their most challenging moments. Together, we are empowering those we serve to face cancer with courage and hope." Since its debut in 2018 , My Special Aflac Duck has received numerous awards; it was named one of Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions and collected the Best in Show at CES and South by Southwest, among others. The My Special Aflac Duck program is a hallmark of Aflac's more than $184 million given toward pediatric cancer and blood disorder treatment, as part of the company's commitment to support the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta . Health care providers, support organizations and families can order My Special Aflac Duck free of charge for children 3 years or older who have been diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell disease at MySpecialAflacDuck.com . ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than 68 years to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan . In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products. 1 In Japan , Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol . Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability." 1 LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report Media contact: Jon Sullivan , 706-763-4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young , 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/my-special-aflac-duck-lands-in-the-sacramento-valley-302313728.html SOURCE Aflac
PRAYAGRAJ, India: Beside India’s holy rivers, a makeshift city is being built for a Hindu religious festival expected to be so vast it will be seen from space, the largest gathering in history. Line after line of pontoon bridges span the rivers at Prayagraj, as Indian authorities prepare for 400 million pilgrims—more than the combined population of the United States and Canada—during the six-week-long Kumbh Mela. The millennia-old sacred show of religious piety and ritual bathing is held once every 12 years at the site where the holy Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet. But this edition from January 13 to February 26 is expected to be a mega draw, as it is set to coincide with a special alignment of the planets. Beads of sweat glisten on laborer Babu Chand’s forehead as he digs a trench for seemingly endless electrical cables, one of an army of workers toiling day and night at a venue sprawling over 4,000 hectares (15 square miles). “So many devotees are going to come,” 48-year-old Chand told AFP, who says he is working for a noble cause for the mela, or fair. “I feel I am contributing my bit—what I am doing seems like a pious act.” A humongous tent city, two-thirds the area of Manhattan, is being built on the floodplains of Prayagraj, formerly called Allahabad, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. “Some 350 to 400 million devotees are going to visit the mela, so you can imagine the scale of preparations,” said Vivek Chaturvedi, the spokesman for the festival. Preparing for the Kumbh is like setting up a new country, requiring roads, lighting, housing and sewerage. “What makes this event unique is its magnitude and the fact that no invitations are sent to anybody... Everyone comes on their own, driven by pure faith,” Chaturvedi told AFP. “Nowhere in the world will you see a gathering of this size, not even one-tenth of it.” The Kumbh numbers, according to Chaturvedi, are mind-boggling. Some 150,000 toilets have been built, 68,000 LED lighting poles have been erected, and community kitchens can feed up to 50,000 people at the same time. Alongside religious preparations, Prayagraj has undergone a major infrastructure overhaul, and huge posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dot the city. Both are from the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with politics and religion deeply intertwined. The Kumbh Mela is an ancient celebration, with its origins rooted in Hindu mythology. Hindus believe that taking a dip in Sangam, the confluence of the rivers, will cleanse them of their sins and help them attain “moksha”, setting them free from the cycle of birth and death. According to legends, deities and demons fought over a pitcher—or “kumbh”—containing the nectar of immortality. During the battle, four drops fell to Earth. One drop landed in Prayagraj. The others fell at Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain—the three other cities where the rotating Kumbh Mela is held on other years. But the one in Prayagraj—held every 12 years—is the largest. Organizing authorities are calling it the great, or “Maha” Kumbh Mela. The last Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj in 2019 saw 240 million devotees, according to authorities—but that was the smaller “Ardh” or half festival, spaced in between the main event. — AFPWall Street closes higher after business activity data
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