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jili369 legit or not A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw troops in Kabul during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a Senate aide. The move by Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin follows threats from President-elect Donald Trump to fire senior officers and officials who oversaw the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan in 2021. It also comes as Trump’s transition team weighs possible court-martial proceedings against current and former officers involved in the withdrawal, as NBC News previously reported. Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue was nominated for promotion to become a four-star general and to oversee U.S. Army forces in Europe. His nomination was among more than 900 proposed nominations sent to the Senate but Donahue’s was put on hold by Sen. Mullin, according to the Senate aide. Mullin’s office declined to comment. Donahue was the last American service member to board the final U.S. military plane out of Afghanistan in 2021. A night-vision photograph of Donahue boarding a cargo plane went viral, capturing the symbolism of the end of America’s 20-year-long war. After the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan fell to Taliban militants, Donahue — then commander of the 82nd Airborne Division — was ordered to Kabul to oversee the withdrawal of U.S. forces, American embassy staff and Afghans who fought alongside American troops. Retired Gen. Tony Thomas, former head of Special Operations Command, said in a social media post that the decision was a “disgrace” and that Donahue was being treated as a “political pawn.” Heather Nauert, who worked for the State Department in Trump’s first presidential term, said in a social media post that she is a Trump supporter and likes Sen. Mullin but disagreed with the hold put on Donahue’s promotion. “Unless there are facts I don’t know, holding up military promotions bc of our disgraceful Afghanistan withdrawal is wrong,” she wrote. Donahue is currently commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. His promotion could now be at risk as the current Senate will soon go into recess and the new Republican-controlled Congress will start its work in 2025.

by Jayantha Perera At the Urumqi Airport in Xinjiang Province, China, I did not expect to face any immigration formalities. I had travelled from Guangzhou in southern China to Urumqi on a local flight. I was with an ADB team, on a mission to examine how several projects funded by ADB in Xinjiang Province, particularly those aimed at improving infrastructure and livelihoods, would impact local ethnic minorities. An officer with two stars on his jacket lapel stopped me before I reached the immigration desk. Nandia, the ADB translator, told me that the officer wanted my passport. A few minutes later, he shouted at Nandia when she tried to explain something. The officer led us into an unheated dark room. He sat on the only chair in the room, studied my passport for a few minutes, and walked out of the room with it. After half an hour, a man in civil attire came with the officer who had taken my passport. They discussed something with Nandia. She told me he was the chief Inspector. He examined my passport page by page while questioning me: “Why do you live in the Philippines?” Nandia translated. “Because I work in Manila at the Asian Development Bank,” I replied. “Why do you come to Urumqi?” the chief queried. “Asian Development Bank assists several projects in western Xinjiang, and I have come to meet project officials with a team of experts from ADB,” I responded. “But the infrastructure ministry did not inform us about your coming,” he shouted. Another 10 minutes passed before the chief Inspector read the official invitation letter in Mandarin and English. He first read the Mandarin letter and then tried to read its English translation. The Inspector opened a fat ledger pulled from a dusty cupboard and flipped through pages looking for something. He shook his head and muttered something. Nandia tried to avoid his gaze, but her unease was apparent. “The chief can’t find any entry about your arrival,” Nandia whispered in a strained voice. “But we have official invitation letters,” I told her. “Could you please stop talking to me? They suspect us when we talk in English.” Nandia sounded angry. I tried to avoid her eyes, too. A few minutes later, two jovial young security guards came running in their black uniforms with long lances. A lance is a long, black, rod-like weapon with a trigger at one end and a long, sharp blade at the other. The two escorted me to another dark room. They switched on the light and directed me to sit. I waited for the Chief Inspector and the officer who had taken my passport. I knew I was under arrest. I was mentally prepared to spend the night in this dingy room with the two guards. I did not know what happened to my ADB colleague who travelled with me and Nandia. Twenty minutes later, the chief Inspector returned. He said, “Okay, bye,” and returned my passport and the invitation letter. The relief was palpable as I regained my freedom. A middle-aged man with a short beard and rimmed glasses awaited me with my ADB colleague and Nandia in the ‘Visitors Area.’ I guessed he was the ADB’s contact person in Urumqi. Nandia introduced me to him. He was a shy man and spoke a few words in English. He was a professor of economics at a local university. The two young women with him helped us load our suitcases into a large van. One woman told us the outside temperature was minus 25 Celsius. The professor apologetically informed us he would not join our mission because his mother was ill. He said he was taking us to a hotel. I saw an elegant hotel near the airport and asked the professor whether we would stay there. He told us only foreign journalists were accommodated there and all other visiting foreigners stay at designated hotels in the city for security reasons. The hotel the professor booked for us was an old building. It looked grandiose but was in a state of disrepair. The van driver directed us to walk through the police barricade in the hotel lobby. Two uniformed policemen checked our bags manually first, then x-rayed them. They used hand-held detectors to search our bodies. One examined me roughly as if he were determined to find suspicious objects on me. He was huge, smelly, and unfriendly. He grabbed my passport after baggage examination and went through its pages. He then disappeared with passports, leaving us at the barrier. The hotel’s lobby manager was agitated because he was waiting for the local authority’s approval to allocate rooms for us. After 30 minutes, the professor told us we could stay at the hotel that night. Then, the manager told us to wait in the lounge for room keys. A hotel employee led us to our rooms through a narrow, dimly lit corridor. My room was large with huge curtains. The room lights were dim, and I could hardly see my bed. A few minutes later, I left the room to find my way to the lounge, where I hoped to have dinner. There was no dinner, so I headed back to my room. I realised it was a mistake to roam in the hotel without a local colleague. The policeman at the hotel entrance raised his head and saw me in the lounge. He recognised me and waved me back to my room. I was hungry. I had tea bags and a few cookies. There was no kettle in the room. I ate the cookies and drank cold water from the tap, feeling the stark loneliness of the unfamiliar surroundings. The following day, I bundled up in all my warm clothes and headed to the hotel restaurant. The large, dimly lit banquet room was a stark contrast to the breakfast spread, which consisted of a simple meal of thick rice soup, boiled eggs, and black tea, with no coffee in sight. The professor came to see us off to Alashankou City. He advised Nandia what she should tell guards at checkpoints. He introduced the vehicle driver as a senior project official who would safely take us to our destination. The driver did not speak English, but his assistant, who sat beside him, tried talking to us in English. He was a civil servant. We could see only the snow for many hours, and the road ahead was barely visible. We travelled for about six hours, and the civil servant told us we would soon reach a critical checkpoint. Before we arrived there, we saw a large concrete display board that stated, “Border Area.” We could see high barbed-wire fences and low buildings on both sides of the road, partially covered with snow. After collecting our passports and official invitation letters, the civil servant told us to stay in the van and ran to a small office about 25 metres from the road in a heavy snowstorm. He returned within a few minutes, distributed our passports, and asked us to follow him, leaving our bags behind in the van. We stood in an open area outside the building and waited for the civil servant to accompany us. There were several police officers, and sliding steel barricades blocked the entrance. I could hardly breathe and felt dizzy. The civil servant talked to a policeman and told us to follow him through an electrical gate. He disappeared again. A young Chinese policeman shouted at us, showed us the entrance, and waved us to go through the gate. A policewoman beckoned me to the gate and indicated I should leave my wallet and reading glasses beside the gate counter. Someone else directed me to empty my pockets and remove my trouser belt. After that, I went through a box-like structure without knowing it was an X-ray machine. Before I collected my belongings, including the passport, from the gate, I was told to enter a tunnel-like concrete structure. I did not know what had happened to my passport, reading glasses, and the wallet. When I resurfaced from the tunnel, a young policewoman gave them to me. She then directed me into another building, where several locals waited for security clearance. I soon realised they were bus passengers from the border area between Xinjiang Province and Kazakhstan. Several buses were waiting for them on the road under heavy security and snowfall. I tried to find a corner in the foyer to avoid the cold wind. I was curious to watch what the young, enthusiastic policemen and women in dark uniforms were doing inside the glass cubicle. The cubicle had three front windows. Several computers were below the windows, and the young policemen sat before them. Behind them, there were several rooms. And I guessed some were to detain those who could not prove their bona fide travel purposes. The young police officers were more enthusiastic about checking those locals who had arrived from the border area than clearing us for travel. Our driver, the project officer or the civil servant who travelled with us could not do anything to rescue us. Local travellers handed their cell phones to police officers. Two officers checked each cell phone’s telephone messages, photos, and internet downloads under the scrutiny of a senior officer. Checking each cell phone for suspicious material took about 15 minutes. Out of about 20 persons, the police detained three. They pleaded in their languages, but the officers ignored them. An officer with several stars on his coat lapel arrived and checked with his colleagues what we, foreigners, were doing in the lobby. He entered the cubicle, chased two young police officers away from a computer and occupied it. Our driver forced himself into the front and handed our passports to the officer. The driver told us to give the officer our invitation letters and pose our faces to a mirror-like gadget on the wall. The officer carefully observed what he had seen on the computer and matched our facial images with our passport photographs. He handed over our passports and talked to the driver. The driver saluted him and took us to our vehicle. The saga of security clearance took about 90 minutes. I could not feel my legs when I walked to the van because of the nasty cold wind. The driver gave us hot tea from his large flask. The unexpected delay at the border checkpoint made our journey difficult and precarious. The sun had set about an hour before, and fresh snow covered the unlit, slippery road. The driver drove fast as if he knew each nook and corner of the road. We reached Alashankou City at 8.30 pm. Unlike in Urumqi, in Alashankou, checking into the hotel was easy. It was a modern four-star hotel. Its furniture and internal décor were artistic and minimalist. The staff at the counter spoke English. Two policemen appeared from nowhere and beckoned us back to the security gate at the hotel entrance. They were polite and wanted to X-ray our handbags. My room was large and had modern furniture and amenities. There was a TV on the wall facing the cosy double bed. When I removed my shoes and socks, my feet felt warm, and I was elated to walk barefoot in my room. Hot water was flowing under the room floor, warming the room. We had dinner in the hotel dining room. A hot vegetable soup and spicy meat dishes were tasty and lifted my spirit. I could not sleep because of some loud shouting outside the hotel. A group of people shouted slogans as if they were in an army regiment. I suspected the regimented roar came from a police training centre or a workers’ camp. I did not ask Nandia about the uproar because I did not want to embarrass her by asking about things she might not want to discuss with me. Several Project Management Office (PMO) officials picked us up from the hotel lobby the following morning. They took us to their office, and we walked through several barriers without any hindrance. After a brief, cordial conversation on ethnic minority issues in project areas, the PMO chief told us there were no ethnic minorities in Xinjiang province! After lunch at our hotel, I watched the main public road from my room’s balcony. It was a four-lane road with a concrete partition in the middle. I saw several small white police cars of the same make crawling on the road at a human pace. The vehicles had tinted dark windows. It would be eerie to walk on the road if such a car accompanied me at my speed. My strange feeling graduated to a sense of fear. I counted three such cars moving north and three cars south all the time on the road. Although it was a working day, the road was largely empty. Two armoured vehicles parked at a street corner were waiting for trouble to break out on the road. A compact police station with deep blue walls on a slightly elevated platform was at each street corner. It had small windows and bright blinking blue lights hanging from the roof. On our second day in Alashankou, we lunched at a family-run Muslim restaurant. A middle-aged man served grilled lamb chunks on long skewers, unleavened bread as big as a standard pizza, and boiled vegetables. The soup came in a separate bowl. The food was tasty and was enough for three or four people. Several police officers were also having lunch at the restaurant. They were jovial but curiously observed us from their table. On the following day, when we were at the restaurant for breakfast, we saw a platoon of young police officers in their black uniforms and with lances. They secured each floor’s hotel entrances, exits, elevators, and staircases. They opened room doors as if they knew the layout of the building. Two came to us, smiled, and went away. Twenty policemen came down with a local young couple. The bearded man was wearing ethnic attire. The woman looked like a young teenager draped in a Muslim wedding dress. They talked with a middle-aged police officer and shook hands. Soon, the police platoon disappeared from the hotel. I checked the road and saw several young officers joking with each other while crossing the street. I wanted to ask the hotel manager what had happened. But the golden rule in Xinjiang – not publicly discussing government activities – stopped me from talking to him. At Horgos City, we were mesmerised by distant snow-capped mountains and frozen lakes. The road was winding, and we drove slowly, absorbing the breathtaking beauty. The bright sun gave us a sense of warmth as the heating device of the van quit working. We saw several skiing kiosks where local people gathered. We stopped at a kiosk to use the toilet. An old woman managed the toilet and gave a piece of paper for a few cents. The bathroom was clean and modern. Its floor was dry. We talked to a few people at the resort through our driver and the translator. The locals came to ski on the lake and stayed at local hotels. The civil servant took us to a restaurant where foreigners could have Chinese, Uyghur, and halal meals and consume liquor. Halfway to the restaurant, there was a large police station. Several police officers were smoking and chatting on the side road. I could see stone plates of the pavement under a layer of fresh snow. When I reached the officers, they did not move for me to pass, and I had to wade through fresh snow by the path to continue my walk. When we returned to the hotel from the restaurant, I saw many police officers on the side walk in front of the police Station. They were smoking and joking with each other. Snow piled up to about two feet on both sides of the side walk. When I reached them, they ignored me. They expected me to circumvent them and continue through the snow. I told them, “Excuse me.” They moved away from the side walk and stared at me. I walked a few yards and waited for my colleagues. I watched how they walked without disturbing the police officers. At the hotel, I talked to Nandia about the episode. She said she saw how I had walked through the police officers’ circle. She was scared as the police officers would have harassed me for disturbing their conversation. She told me never to anger a police officer in Xinjiang: they were powerful, arrogant, and quick-tempered, although they pretended to be cheerful and helpful. They probably did not stop me because I was a foreigner, and they did not know any English to accost me. Or perhaps they did not want to spoil their relaxing evening over a minor incident. The inter-country dry port at the border of Kazakhstan and Xinjiang Province is a thriving business centre. I saw hundreds of Kazaks in colourful clothes and with large empty suitcases, coming to shop at warehouses and shopping malls across the border. The central bus stand displayed a list of bus numbers for different Kazakhstani cities. Some went to large, covered markets to buy Russian goods. They brought clothes, leather hats, dried fruits such as dates, pistachios, and sliced dry bananas. The dry port area looked like a heavily guarded fort, and surveillance cameras observed the movements and transactions of visitors. The PMO officer invited us to visit the free trade zone. We went through several security searches; the final was verifying our identities. The officer could not tally the information on the computer with my passport information. An alarm bell went off, and two smiling policemen appeared from nowhere. They escorted me to a room. They asked me to sit on a bench and studied me. Suddenly, one guard spoke to me in English. “Hi, what is your name? American? We like to talk English.” I smiled; they smiled. I said “Jayantha, a Sri Lankan.” But they could not go further, so they repeated ‘Jantha,’ ‘Jantha.’ Again, they smiled; I smiled. After 20 minutes, two senior officials interviewed me in the room and returned my passport. The following day, we visited Yining City. We checked into a palace-like hotel where we were the only guests. The rooms were enormous and well-appointed. The professor had arranged with three friends in Yining to take us sightseeing. A woman and two men in their forties met us at the hotel. They took us to the Xibo Ethnic Minority Exhibition Village. Zibo was a civilisation in medieval times, but with the arrival of marauding bands, the Zibo state collapsed and became a collection of ethnic communities spread over a vast area. When we returned to the exit gate, some officers showed us two policemen in black with a white strip glued to their chest, “SWAT.” The SWAT officers directed us to follow their vehicle and sped away. Our friends followed the police vehicle with us. After travelling for 15 minutes, the police officers signalled us to get out of the car. The two policemen went through several barriers and waited for us to follow them. Nandia joined my ADB colleague and me. Our friends stayed in their vehicle. As we passed through each barrier, its gate closed with a loud bang behind us. After going through the three barriers, we found ourselves in the compound of the large building, where puppies were playing with several young men. Nandia introduced us to a man in jeans who was the chief of the police station. A few minutes later, he asked me, and Nandia translated: “You are a Sri Lankan. Why do you live in Manila”? “I have been in Manila because I work for the Asian Development Bank,” I replied. “Show me your invitation letter from Beijing,” he demanded. He read the Mandarin portion of the letter and phoned someone. Then he said, “Bye”. The three friends took us for dinner. They ordered a roasted baby lamb with boiled potatoes and vegetables. In addition, they selected a local steamed fish dish. Our hosts were a very close group of buddies from their school days. They travelled together and often met for drinks and dinner without their spouses. They were a cheerful group; one man tried to sing a song, and the other two politely stopped him. At the dinner, I commented that the lamb roast was excellent. That triggered a discussion among our hosts. The woman sent the lamb’s head to the kitchen. Before the dessert, a plate arrived with cut pieces of the lamb head. The host invited me to eat the cooked brain in the skull and said that it would be a great honour for them if I ate a piece of the brain. I told them that I could not eat lamb brain. My ADB colleague came to my rescue and ate the baked brain on my behalf. She told me later that it would have insulted them if we had refused to eat the brain. The hosts were sad to leave us. Before leaving, they called a taxi to send us back to our hotel so we could catch the earliest flight to Urumqi the following day.

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Mustapha Amzil scored 14 points as New Mexico beat Colorado State 76-68 on Saturday. Amzil added five rebounds for the Lobos (10-3, 2-0 Mountain West Conference). Donovan Dent added 14 points while going 7 of 16 from the field while they also had six assists. C.J. Noland had 11 points and finished 5 of 7 from the field. Nique Clifford led the way for the Rams (7-6, 1-1) with 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 13 points and nine rebounds for Colorado State. Kyan Evans also had 10 points. New Mexico took the lead with 8:53 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 41-25 at halftime, with Filip Borovicanin racking up 10 points. New Mexico was outscored by Colorado State in the second half by eight points, with Amzil scoring a team-high six points in the final half. Both teams next play Tuesday. New Mexico visits Fresno State and Colorado State goes on the road to play San Jose State. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .IT’S been a hell of a year for travel. The Sun team has ventured all over the globe, hunting out the best bargain getaways that will save our readers dosh, ticking off the lesser-known attractions that are loved by locals and sailing on record-breaking ships. Advertisement 9 The Sun's travel experts reveal their favourite moments of 2024 We share our favourite moments of 2024 . . . LISA MINOT Head of Travel ICON OF THE SEAS WHILE my last trip of the year was a lazy few days in Lanzarote , the start of 2024 saw me clock up 13,000 steps in just eight hours as I explored the world’s biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. Heading to the luxury liner’s home port of Miami, I was among the first to experience this leviathan of a ship. Advertisement READ MORE ON TRAVEL FOG CHAOS Dozens of flights cancelled & hundreds delayed sparking chaos at UK airports NOT BA-D British Airways launches £1 flights to Croatia, Greece and Spain with a catch 9 At full capacity cruise ship The Icon of the Seas can accommodate 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew across 20 dazzling decks Credit: Royal Carribean 9 Lisa Minot on the £2billion vessel Credit: Supplied Longer than the Shard or Eiffel Tower are tall, at full capacity it can accommodate 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew across 20 dazzling decks. The $2billion giant has seven pools — including the largest at sea — as well as 40 places to eat and drink spread across eight distinct neighbourhoods. Advertisement New is the AquaDome, sitting proud at the front of the ship. This multi-deck glass marvel is a tranquil oasis by day, with floor-to-ceiling ocean views and a 55ft waterfall tumbling into a pool that by night features aerial acrobatics and daring dives. Most read in News Travel CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE Flight attendant reveals empty middle seat rules & who gets tray table HEADING NORTH Aer Lingus flight forced to make 200-mile diversion to Edinburgh Airport HOLIDAY HIT Families face huge '£400 holiday tax' after eye-popping budget raid DRINK IT IN Why Coca-Cola always tastes worse on a plane and what to choose instead But the highlight of my visit was the Crown’s Edge — a terrifying walk-the-plank adventure where you’re strapped in and then step out 16 decks above the ocean across a series of tiny platforms, before reaching the final spot where the floor gives way and you’re flying over the sea and back on board. While the ship has been sailing the Caribbean in 2024, it will be joined by sister liner Star of the Seas in August next year, giving cruisers yet more to enjoy. Advertisement See royalcaribbean.co.uk Exploring the UK's Natural Wonderlands: Top 5 National Parks SOPHIE SWIETOCHOWSKI Assistant Travel Editor DEVON THIS may surprise some readers but my most cherished trips this year were not on my bucket list – although an oyster-fuelled adventure along Australia’s eastern coast was epic. Instead, they were the ones that didn’t involve hopping on a plane. Advertisement 9 Sophie Swietochowski enjoyed a relaxing staycation in Devon Credit: Supplied The South West of England, with its jaw-dropping coastlines, is where I can truly unwind. No airport stress. No time-strict schedule. No “where shall we go for dinner tonight?”. Just a cosy self-catered stay in a quiet seaside village where you can snuggle down with a book, potter to the local chippy or whip up a feast of fresh seafood caught by the local fishermen early that morning. Advertisement I’m in this neck of the woods at least once or twice a year (partly thanks to local friends) but hadn’t ever visited the peaceful town of Lynton on the Exmoor coast until a few months ago. It’s got buckets of charm and the dog-friendly apartments at Tors Park offer unbeatable views of a windswept bay. I took up running earlier this year and my dog Dora and I relished the chance to explore some of the most scenic coastal paths in the UK – with a few pub pit-stops along the way, too, of course. For those planning to visit Cornwall, the 18-mile Camel Trail is a must. Advertisement If you’re not a runner, walk it or hire a bike from one of the rental stores in Wade-bridge, close to the trail. CAROLINE McGUIRE Head of Travel (Digital) PARIS IT has been a few years since I paid a visit to Paris and after a weekend break this August, I’m delighted to say the city is more exciting than it has been in years. Yes, the traditional hotels and brasseries are still there, but so are many cool and innovative new bars, shops and more. Advertisement 9 Caroline McGuire says Paris is more exciting than it has been in years Credit: Getty 9 Caroline with a delicious array of small plates Credit: PR HANDOUT Staying in the Molitor on the outskirts of town was a prime example — it’s a posh place but not old-school-Paris stuffy, with an amazing art deco pool and a lively rooftop bar and restaurant. We were there to attend the annual summer music festival Rock En Seine, with the UK producer Fred Again headlining on the night we attended, and the buzz of the twenty and thirty-something Parisians was that of a city that knows it has its mojo back. Advertisement Following some of their recommendations, we headed into the previously overlooked 11th and 18th arrondissements on our second night — the cool, Shoreditch-like parts of the city. We dined on fusion tapas at Pantobaguette where the DJ is as good as the food, and Bambino, a chic restaurant-cocktail bar where records line the walls. We topped off our trip with a visit to one of Paris’s legendary flea markets on the edge of the city, Marche aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves, for extremely affordable vintage jewellery and homeware, that, thanks to the Eurostar, we could lug back home without extra baggage charges. HOPE BROTHERTON Travel Reporter THAILAND Advertisement I SPENT most of 2024 stomping through European cities such as Stockholm , Vienna , Ljubljana and Florence . But while Europe has my heart, I also left a slice in Khao Sok National Park after a dream trip to Thailand with TUI in March. 9 Hope Brotherton greets an elephant in Thailand Credit: supplied Specifically, I’ll never forget the moment I came face to face with an elephant at Elephant Hills. Advertisement The luxury tented jungle camp has its own elephant sanctuary where holidaymakers can meet these magnificent creatures in a safe and protected environment. Visitors prepare a medley of snacks such as bananas, sugar canes and pineapple wedges for the elephants to eat before watching them bathe and lounge in the safety of the sanctuary. The whole experience feels almost otherworldly. Elephant Hills puts on other activities, too, such as a jungle trek, a kayak tour along the Sok River and an excursion to Cheow Lan Lake to visit the Lake Camp, where you can paddleboard, kayak and swim. Advertisement And nothing felt strenuous because I spent my free time relaxing in a rather bougie glamping tent. It had an outside porch with a hammock and wicker rocking chairs as well as an en-suite bathroom. There was also a huge dining area where guests gathered to eat meals and a small pool to cool off in the heat. Put simply, my trip was heaven on earth and I don’t think it will be topped for a long while. Advertisement KARA GODFREY Deputy Travel Editor AMSTERDAM FOR me, 2024 was a mix of long-awaited bucket-list destinations — and revisiting old favourites. In South Korea, I stocked up on skincare and make-up by Renowned brand K-beauty, while on safari in Kenya I got up close with lion cubs, and in Hawaii I marvelled at the beaches. 9 Kara Godfrey was reminded how fantastic Amsterdam is Credit: Getty Advertisement 9 Kara in the Dutch capital Credit: supplied But one destination where I was reminded of how fantastic the place is was Amsterdam. Returning to the Dutch city after ten years, I escaped the crowds by checking out its Noord district, which is a quick, free ferry ride from the main train station. It’s here that I found a fantastic bar scene — set to be the next big thing, or so I’m told — as well as a thriving art community and even the neighbourhood’s own “beach” behind a trendy warehouse restaurant. Advertisement Dubbed the Brooklyn of Amsterdam, this is a place that makes you feel cooler than you really are, while surrounded by red-brick galleries and giant murals. Read more on the Scottish Sun 'DISGUSTING' Festive fly-tippers slammed for dumping mountains of rubbish at Scots Asda GHOST TOWN Former Scots shopping hotspot 'decaying' as multimillion pound revamp ‘failing’ And you don’t even have to brave the airport in order to get there. It has become my favourite lesser-known place to suggest friends visit.If you're waiting for Black Friday to score a powerful gaming laptop that won't break your wallet, that deal is already here: Best Buy has a Lenovo LOQ for just $700. That's 30 percent off its $1,000 MSRP, a phenomenal price for this RTX-powered machine. Let's start there, shall we? This would already be a pretty good price for an RTX 4050 laptop, but it's an insane price for an RTX 4060 laptop. You just don't see these going for $700, and this is a graphics card that'll let you crank up your settings on all but the... Gabriela VatuBEIJING , Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn : Representatives discuss hot topics faced by countries in digitalization China's forward-looking vision on the future development of the internet offers a glimpse into how cooperation can narrow the digital divide across the world, at a time when an economic slowdown and impeded globalization have stunted growth worldwide, said government officials and industry experts on Friday. They made the remarks at the 2024 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit that ended in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province on Friday. They also sought more global cooperation to advance the development of the internet in less-developed economies and enhance digital competence for all. Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC, said at a news conference, "More efforts should be made to help make the internet a new frontier for all parties to cooperate and continue to create more convergence of interests, growth points of cooperation and new highlights of win-win scenarios in cyberspace." "All parties around the world are expected to join hands to build a cyber world where human beings coexist, jointly create a digital future of win-win cooperation and make cyberspace better for all peoples of the world," he said. More than 1,800 representatives from governments, international organizations, industry associations, internet enterprises, universities and think tanks from over 130 countries and regions attended this year's summit, addressing some of the hottest topics faced by countries in digitalization. Teo Nie Ching , deputy minister of communications of Malaysia , said at the conference that digital transformation is not solely about technological advancement, but also a reflection of human values and actions. "As technology progresses, we must uphold a core principle of people-centered and holistic development to ensure that technological applications truly serve the common good and promote share to the progress," Teo said. A United Nations report found that 2.6 billion individuals globally still lack internet access and a sharp digital divide can also be observed among economies, among industries and between urban and rural areas. Although many less technologically advanced regions, such as Africa , possess a strong willingness to build an inclusive and equitable digital world, the rapid advancement of technologies often poses a huge challenge to developing countries — how to actively participate and keep pace with this growth, said Nii Narku Quaynor , chairman of Ghana Dot Com. Against this backdrop, reinforcing open access to internet channels, digital content and technologies can greatly benefit emerging economies in the digital world, he said. Eyeing a higher-level of inclusiveness, connectivity and cooperation in the internet sector, a statement on global digital cooperation was released by a sub-forum of the WIC. The statement highlighted the importance of advancing international cooperation on data exchange, enhancing cross-border data connectivity, and narrowing gaps in data circulation, as well as more initiatives to build an open and mutually beneficial international framework for data collaboration. Intensified efforts should also be made to deepen international exchanges on technology standards, ethical guidelines and legal frameworks, advancing a widely accepted global AI governance system, said the statement. It also called for human-centered and ethically sound approaches to cutting-edge technologies such as AI, encouraging safe, reliable, fair and transparent research and development as well as applications of AI. At the opening ceremony of WIC, Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang also stressed the need for the international community to jointly deal with problems such as the digital divide and a grave cybersecurity situation to build a better digital future. The digital divide continues to widen, and the situation of cybersecurity has become more severe, Ding said, adding that the international community is in greater need than ever of jointly advancing a community with a shared future in cyberspace. China has been sharing the opportunities of modernization with countries around the world and injecting strong impetus into global modernization, Ding said. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-set-to-narrow-digital-divide-302314740.html SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn

Jaylen Blakes, Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers combined for 35 points in a 47-point, first half explosion Saturday afternoon and Stanford ran away from California for an 89-81 Atlantic Coast Conference road win in Berkeley, Calif. Raynaud and Blakes finished with 20 points apiece for the Cardinal (8-2, 1-0 ACC), who won their first ever game in ACC competition. Andrej Stojakovic had a game-high 25 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 14 for the Golden Bears (6-3, 0-1), who dropped their second in a row after a 6-1 start. Playing just its second true road game of the season, Stanford scored 14 of the game's first 18 points and never looked back. Raynaud and Ryan Agarwal hit 3-pointers in the run. Blakes had 14 points, Raynaud 11 and Sellers 10 in the first half, which ended with Stanford in front 47-31. Cal was still down 81-65, after two free throws by Stanford's Chisom Okpara with 3:58 remaining before making a little run. Mady Sissoko converted a three-point play and Rytis Petraitis and Joshua Ola-Joseph connected on consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 flurry that made it a seven-point game with still 2:13 to go. It got as close as six when Stojakovic drilled a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, but Okpara and Blakes dropped in late layups to keep the hosts at arm's length. Seven of the nine Cardinal who saw action hit at least half his field goal attempts, led by Raynaud's 8-for-15 and Blakes' 7-for-13. Stanford finished 52.6 percent as a team. Both were deadly from the 3-point line as well, with Raynaud going 4-for-6 and Blakes 2-for-4. With Sellers adding 3-for-6, the Cardinal made 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Raynaud also found time for five blocks, while Agarwal and Aidan Cammann shared Stanford rebound honors with seven. Blakes complemented his 20 points with a team-high six assists and two blocks. The Cardinal registered 19 assists on 30 baskets, while Cal had just five on its 30 hoops. Agarwal and Okpara each also scored in double figures with 11 points. Facing his old team for the first time after transferring to Cal over the summer, Stojakovic shot 11-for-25. The Golden Bears finished at 42.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent (8 of 21) on 3-pointers. Ola-Joseph and Sissoko, who had 11 points, were the game's leading rebounders with eight apiece. -Field Level MediaChina set to narrow digital divide

Pope Francis has officially announced that Blessed Carlo Acutis will be canonized during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year 2025, specifically at the Jubilee of Teenagers from April 25 to 27. The canonization Mass is expected to take place on Sunday, April 27, at 10:30 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square. born in 1991, will become the first millennial saint of the Catholic Church. Known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his use of technology for evangelization, Acutis created a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles worldwide before his death from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. The path to sainthood for Acutis required the recognition of two miracles. The second miracle, recognized by Pope Francis in May 2024, involved the healing of Valeria Valverde, a young Costa Rican woman who suffered severe head trauma from a bicycle accident. After her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb, Valverde made a full recovery against all medical predictions. Acutis’ canonization has generated widespread enthusiasm among Catholics globally, particularly among youth. His life serves as an example of how faith can thrive in contemporary society, inspiring numerous initiatives aimed at engaging young people within the Church. In the same announcement, Pope Francis revealed that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will also be canonized during the Jubilee of Youth, scheduled for July 28 to August 3, 2025. Frassati, who died in 1925 at the age of 24, was an Italian Catholic activist known for his charitable work and devotion to social justice. These canonizations are expected to bring many young people to Rome in 2025 for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope, highlighting the importance of youth and modern-day sanctity in the faith.“Did Your Reindeer Learn to Sing” – Some ideas on Teaching vs LearningNJ Benson’s double-double leads the DePaul men to an 84-65 win over Loyola Maryland

Renck: Who’s ruining Thanksgiving now? The nonBolievers in Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.Duos Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCMKTS: DUOT) recently released its financial and operational results for the quarter and nine months ending September 30, 2024. The company’s robust performance was outlined in a press release and discussed during an earnings call held on November 20, 2024. The company reported a significant increase in total revenue for the quarter, rising by 112% to $3.24 million compared to the same period last year. This growth primarily stemmed from contract modifications associated with high-speed Railcar Inspection Portals projects and an increase in recurring services and consulting revenue. The quarter also saw an increase in cost of revenue, driven by amortization expenses and service contract revenues related to power consulting work. Despite this, Duos reported a notable increase in gross margin, demonstrating operational efficiency and strategic revenue recognition. Operating expenses decreased by 11%, contributing to a reduced net operating loss and net loss, showcasing the company’s efforts in cost management and revenue diversification. Looking ahead, Duos Technologies remains positioned for growth and profitability in 2025. The company’s strategic initiatives include ventures into the energy sector, with an asset management agreement projecting an estimated value of $42 million over the next two years. The agreement aims to manage 850 megawatts of power assets, signaling a milestone achievement for Duos in capitalizing on the data center industry’s rising demand for power solutions. In addition to the energy sector, Duos Technologies is actively expanding its Edge Data Center business, with plans to deploy 15 Edge Data Centers by the end of 2025. The company’s dedication to innovation and partnerships, such as with Ubiquiti, demonstrates its commitment to meeting evolving market demands and enhancing its service offerings. Furthermore, Duos Technologies is steadily advancing its Railcar Inspection Portal business, with ongoing projects and subscription offerings generating significant interest, particularly in the rail industry. The company’s focus on diversification, operational efficiency, and strategic partnerships underpins its optimistic outlook and lays the foundation for sustained growth in the coming year. Please note that forward-looking statements in this report are subject to uncertainties and risks outlined by Duos Technologies Group. Interested parties are advised to refer to the company’s filings with the SEC for a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing future performance. This article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Duos Technologies Group’s 8K filing here . Duos Technologies Group Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Duos Technologies Group, Inc, through its subsidiary, Duos Technologies, Inc designs and deploys artificial intelligence driven intelligent technologies systems in the United States. Its technology platforms include Praesidium, an integrated suite of analytics applications, which process and analyze data streams from virtually conventional or specialized sensors, and/or data points; and Centraco, a user interface that includes a physical security information management system. See Also

Trump returns to world stage in Paris with Ukraine war on agendaMAI Capital Management lowered its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems Inc. ( NYSE:FDS – Free Report ) by 30.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 886 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 395 shares during the period. MAI Capital Management’s holdings in FactSet Research Systems were worth $407,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ninety One UK Ltd grew its position in FactSet Research Systems by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,216,461 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $496,645,000 after purchasing an additional 10,928 shares in the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 296,329 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $136,267,000 after purchasing an additional 25,294 shares during the period. PineStone Asset Management Inc. grew its position in FactSet Research Systems by 0.4% during the third quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 274,003 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $126,000,000 after buying an additional 1,030 shares during the period. Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 250,028 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $102,079,000 after purchasing an additional 3,485 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in FactSet Research Systems by 21.5% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 235,387 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $96,113,000 after purchasing an additional 41,717 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.24% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In FDS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $503.00 price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research note on Friday, November 15th. UBS Group lifted their target price on FactSet Research Systems from $485.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on FactSet Research Systems from $451.00 to $469.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Redburn Atlantic downgraded FactSet Research Systems from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $420.00 to $380.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $471.00 to $521.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $450.00. FactSet Research Systems Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE:FDS opened at $487.62 on Friday. FactSet Research Systems Inc. has a 12-month low of $391.84 and a 12-month high of $499.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $466.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $435.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.75. FactSet Research Systems ( NYSE:FDS – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, September 19th. The business services provider reported $3.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.62 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $562.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $547.06 million. FactSet Research Systems had a net margin of 24.38% and a return on equity of 34.77%. The business’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.93 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that FactSet Research Systems Inc. will post 17.2 earnings per share for the current year. FactSet Research Systems Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 29th. FactSet Research Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.93%. Insider Activity In other news, EVP Christopher R. Ellis sold 13,952 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $456.15, for a total value of $6,364,204.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 23,515 shares in the company, valued at $10,726,367.25. This trade represents a 37.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, insider John Costigan sold 1,622 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $481.00, for a total value of $780,182.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 299 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,819. The trade was a 84.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 26,984 shares of company stock valued at $12,230,877. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock. About FactSet Research Systems ( Free Report ) FactSet Research Systems Inc, a financial data company, provides integrated financial information and analytical applications to the investment community in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company delivers insight and information through the workflow solutions of research, analytics and trading, content and technology solutions, and wealth. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FDS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for FactSet Research Systems Inc. ( NYSE:FDS – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for FactSet Research Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FactSet Research Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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High Street retailers closed up shop on Boxing Day due to fears of spiralling staff costs, expert claimsTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett is rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs signed the two-time Super Bowl champion on Saturday, while also announcing safety Jordan Whitehead was activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers. Barrett spent five seasons with Tampa Bay from 2019 to 2023. He led the NFL with a franchise-record 19 1-2 sacks in his first year with the Bucs, then helped the team win its second Super Bowl title the following season. In all, Barrett started 70 games with Tampa Bay, amassing 45 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He was released last winter in a salary cap move, signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, then abruptly announced his retirement on social media before the start of training camp in July. Barrett, who also won a Super Bowl during a four-season stint with the Denver Broncos, decided to unretire last month. He signed with the Bucs after clearing waivers earlier in the week. Whitehead has missed the past four games with a pectoral injury. His return comes of the heels of the Bucs placing safety Christian Izien on IR with a pectoral injury. On Saturday, the Bucs also activated rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson from IR and elevated punter Jack Browning to the active roster from the practice squad. ___ NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated Press

Ludhiana: Inter-College Youth Festival concluded at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Friday evening, with the College of Agriculture lifting the overall trophy in addition to running trophies for literary, dance, music and theatre items. The College of Community Science clinched the running trophies for fine arts and heritage items. Dressed-up in typical traditional costumes, bedecked with multi-coloured bangles and jewellery as well as wearing turbans, students delivered power-packed performances in giddha and bhangra. The 10-day youth fest enlivened the faculty and the students through a wide range of events encompassing fine arts, intellectual aptitude and items pertaining to dance, heritage and theatre. Chief guest Hardeep Singh Mundian, Punjab housing and urban development, water supply and sanitation minister, lauded students for participation and gave away the prizes to the winners. Famous folk dancer Paramjit Singh Pammi Bai and film actor Hobby Dhaliwal also captivated the audience. The societal impact of drug addiction, youths’ obsession with social media and rising unemployment were touched upon during the drama enactment. On display was the social fabric of Punjab, showing youths shifting to foreign lands to earn big bucks while elders stay back. Maintaining that participation was more important than winning, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, PAU vice-chancellor, said, “This unique platform is a microcosm, paving way for new innings which lie ahead.” He exhorted the students to “think out of box”, make unceasing devotion to their respective domains and stay cheerful in challenging times. Dr Nirmal Singh Jaura, director, students’ welfare, lauded the efforts of his entire team in successful conduct of the fest and proposed a vote of thanks. GADVASU Fest Soon Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana is going to organise Youth Festival from Nov 25. The whole show will be organised in two phases from Nov 25 to Dec 5. Dr Parkash Singh Brar, director, students’ welfare, said: “Our students hold a winning record” in different extra-curricular activities at All India Agricultural & Veterinary Inter University fests in the past and have won a number of prizes and trophies in these events.” VC Dr Jatinder Paul Singh Gill said that the fest will be the springboard for students to achieve the new heights in extracurricular and creative activities. Dr Brar said to streamline all the functioning, committees have been formed and duties allocated. The fest will be conducted according to the notified rules. Inter-Varsity Youh Fest Punjab Youth Development Board chairman Parminder Singh Goldy said that the Punjab State Inter-Varsity Youth Festival will be held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) from Nov 29 to Dec 2. During this festival, teams from top universities will participate in 51 different cultural and heritage competitions.