Kevin Sherrington: Why SMU-Penn State College Football Playoff matchup is redemption decades in the makingTulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout
Titans coach says WR Treylon Burks recently had surgery to fix partially torn ACL
ASX stocks have been strong performers in 2024. The good news is that Bell Potter still sees opportunities at this side of the market for investors in 2025. The broker notes that it has a "positive or constructive view on the outlook for the technology and gaming sector." This is due to "the generally strong or above average forecast revenue and/or earnings growth" and "the easing interest rate environment which is expected to commence in Australia next year." But given that large cap tech stocks have rallied this year, the broker suspects that the cuts "could have a more positive impact on small to mid cap tech and gaming stocks." With that in mind, let's look at three mid cap ASX tech stocks that are its best buys for the year ahead: ( ) This location technology company's shares are a best buy according to Bell Potter. It likes the ASX tech stock due to its huge growth opportunity, which is being underpinned by the monetisation of its massive user base. It explains: The [Life360] app is used globally by over 75 million people and, of these, there are around 7 million paying subscribers. The penetration rate, therefore, is around 10% and the company has a stated long term target of 30% so there is the potential for the paying subscriber base to triple from here. Life360 is also adding new verticals – like advertising, pet and elderly tracking – which provide additional areas of growth. The next potential catalysts are when Life360 releases its Q4/2024 result in February – we expect a strong result towards the upper end of the guidance ranges – and the S&P/ASX index rebalance in March where we see a good chance Life360 will be added to the Top 100. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $26.75 price target on its shares. ( ) Another ASX tech stock that gets the thumbs up from the broker is gaming technology company Light & Wonder. Bell Potter believes that recent weakness has created an opportunity for investors to buy into a high quality company. It said: Light & Wonder is a leading cross-platform games company that develops and manufactures slot machines, creates free-to-play social casino games for mobile platforms, and produces online real-money gaming content for online casinos. [...] We anticipate 8-11% annual EBITDA growth rates over CY24-26, driven by further R&D investment that enhances game performance and results in market share gains across the North American premium leased market, global outright game sales markets, and online gaming markets. Additionally, we view the recent turmoil surrounding the Dragon Train preliminary injunction as an attractive entry point. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $180.00 price target on its shares. ( ) A final ASX tech stock that makes the list is Gentrack. It provides billing, CRM, and utilities software. An example of its software that many readers will have seen is the arrivals/departures board at Sydney Airport. The broker believes that the company is well-positioned to deliver strong earnings growth in the coming years. It said: Gentrack develops, provisions, and integrates its billing/CRM platform into energy and water utilities, generating up-front project revenue (from deployments/integrations) that transitions into SaaS-type recurring revenue and embeds GTK within utility tech stacks long-term due to high switching costs. Demand for modern-day utilities billing solutions is growing rapidly due to dual tailwinds in (1) an evolving energy grid generating significant amounts of data and complexity in billing and customer management, and (2) legacy tech debt incurred from historical underinvestment in the utility billing stack. GTK has a track record of upgrading and beating guidance, with the interim result in May likely to be the next catalyst potentially from lumpy, large contract wins in Southeast Asia. GTK appears expensive at ~90x/~56x FY25e/26e P/E however the valuation reflects high earnings leverage emerging, noting PEG ratios of ~1.2x and ~0.9x respectively. Bell Potter has a buy rating and $13.90 price target on its sharesCandidates for political office vainly hope that by slinging mud upon opponents we voters might enhance our estimate of their cleanliness. During the weeks leading up to our Nov. 5 election, my paper machine worked overtime shredding high quality flyers featuring unflattering images of political adversaries and hyperbolic claims of their unworthiness. With the midterms of 2026 already in sight, I have vowed to not vote for any candidate who disparages their rival. I may struggle to vote for anyone. And in the 2028 presidential run on our sensibilities, I must guard against reverting to voting for a ne’er do well to prevent a worst ne’er do well from taking office. WC Beaver Mechanicsburg Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
The ministry for electronics and information technology informed the Lok Sabha in a written response on Wednesday that 44%, or ₹ 4,563.36 crore, of the ₹ 10,371.92 crore ($1.25 billion) approved by the cabinet for the IndiaAI Mission in March is earmarked for providing compute capacity of more than 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) over a period of five years. Of this, 19%, or ₹ 1,971.37 crore is allocated for the innovation centre. This IAIC will develop and deploy of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors. 18.7 per cent, or ₹ 1,942.5 crore, is allocated for startup financing. This is the first time that the government has given the detailed allocation for the seven pillars under the IndiaAI Mission. The entire corpus is meant for a period of five years. Prasad was answering a question asked by TMC MP Sajda Ahmed. The IndiaAI Mission will be implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) under Digital India Corporation (DIC) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 8.5 per cent, or ₹ 882.94 crore, is allocated for IndiaAI FutureSkills [sic] through which the government will focus on increasing the number of AI courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, and setting up data and AI Labs in tier 2 and tier 3 cities to teach foundation level courses. 6.6 per cent, or ₹ 689.05 crore, is allocated for the Application Development Initiative. 1.9 per cent, or ₹ 199.55 crore, has been allocated for the Datasets Platform through which the government will make public sector datasets AI-ready and give real time access to data through APIs wherever . “The beneficiaries of the non-personal datasets curated by this platform are Indian startups and researchers for the development of AI platforms and tools, with appropriate security and privacy controls in place,” the response read. 0.19 per cent or ₹ 20.46 crore have been allocated for the safe and trusted AI pillar. Under this pillar, eight projects were selected in October to ensure “responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI technologies”. These eight projects are on machine unlearning (IIT Jodhpur), synthetic data generation to mitigate bias in datasets and in machine learning (IIT Roorkee), AI bias mitigation strategy in health care systems (NIT Raipur), explainable AI framework (DIAT Pune, and Mindgraph Technology Pvt Ltd), privacy enhancing strategy (IIT Delhi, IIIT Delhi, IIT Dharwad, and Telecommunication Engineering Centre), AI ethical certification framework to assess fairness of an AI model (IIIT Delhi, and TEC), AI alogorithm auditing tool (Civic Data Labs), and AI governance testing framework (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and TEC). 0.99 per cent, or ₹ 102.69 crore, have been served for overheads and contingency at 1 per cent of the allocation for the seven pillars. 19 bids received to provide AI compute On Tuesday, MeitY had said that it had received 19 bids to provide AI compute and cloud services. These bids will now be evaluated by the technical evaluation committee and the commercial bidding will be opened only for the technically qualified bidders. The 19 bidders include Jio Platforms, Tata Communications Sify Digital Services, E2E Networks, and Yotta Data Services. After technical evaluation and completion of the commercial bidding process, more than one company or consortium can be empanelled by the ministry. This empanelment will be valid for 36 months and can be extended for an additional 12 months. Through this empanelment, the government will make 10,000 GPUs available to start-ups, researchers, students and academics.
After a recent string of burglaries at professional athletes' houses, the NBA has issued a memo to its players about home security. According to the Associated Press , which obtained a copy of the memo, the league urged players to take additional precautions when away from home. Those precautions ranged from updating alarm systems and keeping valuables in safes to using "protective guard services" during road trips and even having dogs around for security purposes. In September, while Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley was attending a Minnesota Vikings game, burglars broke into his house and stole jewelry, Medina Police Chief Jason Nelson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune . In November, Milwaukee Bucks center Bobby Portis said "most of my prized possessions" had been stolen from his house while he was at a game and offered a $40,000 reward for any information that led to the return of the stolen items. According to the memo, the FBI has connected recent burglaries to "transnational South American Theft Groups." These "reportedly well-organized, sophisticated" crime rings "incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices." The FBI believes that the rings are "primarily focused on cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches, and luxury bags." The NFL sent its players a similar security alert this week. The homes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs were both broken into in October , just days apart. Looking for more NBA insight from CBS Sports? Bill Reiter, John Gonzalez and more experts break down the league daily on the Beyond the Arc podcast.The tax exemptions provided by the state to households and businesses have reached 18.8 billion euros, an amount corresponding to 28.2% of total tax revenue. Without tax exemptions, tax revenues would have reached €85.5 billion, enabling governments to pursue social policy with targeted actions and permanent measures. According to the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, the value of tax exemptions grew by €3.26 billion last year. The increase in the amount from €12.8 billion in 2021 to €15.5 billion in 2022 is mainly due to the adjustment of the property rates used for taxable purposes (known as “objective values”) and the increase in the tax-free threshold for donations and parental benefits to €800,000. In 2023, tax exemptions numbered 1,106, up from 1,064 in 2022.
The undercard for Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk has been thrown into disarray by an anti-doping investigation into Dennis McCann. The British fighter’s clash with Peter McGrail next Saturday night will no longer go ahead. McCann has returned an “adverse finding” to an anti-doping test ahead of his scheduled fight with McGrail. The bout was due to take place on the undercard for Fury vs Usyk II in Saudi Arabia. A statement shared by Queensbury Promotions read: "The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has today informed all relevant parties that Dennis McCann has returned an adverse finding following an anti-doping test conducted in advance of his upcoming bout. "Mr. McCann’s scheduled fight next Saturday will no longer take place, as the relevant parties investigate the matter further. No further comment on this will be made at this time." The same statement was shared by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority. McCann has been removed from the undercard in Saudi Arabia. The circumstances of his test result will be investigated. The 23-year-old is the current European super-bantamweight champion, having won the title in July. His professional record stands at an impressive 16-0-1 with eight knockouts. The rising star is also the British and Commonwealth champion. It is unclear whether a new opponent for McGrail will be sourced before the fight. Any fighter happy to face the 28-year-old would only have eight days to prepare for the bout. McGrail, a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is 10-1 with six knockout victories during his professional career. His last fight came in September when he stopped Brad Foster in the second round in Sheffield. Fury exercised his right to a rematch after Usyk defeated him by split decision in an epic fight in May. It was soon announced that the rematch would take place on December 21. Speaking ahead of next Saturday’s fight, Fury said: "I'm just going to box smart, box clever and if I catch him, get him out of there. Pretty similar to what I did last time. A little bit less clowning around and a bit more focus and that's it, really. "I did more clowning than anybody in any high-level fight's ever done. It's taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory. I was messing around too much in there.”Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout
By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
The Latest: Suspect in United Healthcare CEO's killing charged with weapons, forgery, other chargesLG Electronics has launched in Qatar the Xboom Go XG2 portable Bluetooth speaker "designed to deliver powerful sound in a compact form." One of the outstanding features of the Xboom Go XG2 is its ability to produce deep, rich bass and clear highs even with its ultra-portable size, a statement said. With an IP67 water resistance rating, the Xboom Go XG2 is designed to endure rain and occasional spills. The device, which has also passed seven durability tests, is made as per military standards. The product offers up to 10 hours of playback. Xboom Go XG2 has Bluetooth 5.0 technology, which ensures stable connections and a wider range for seamless music streaming. The LG Xboom Go app gives users the ability to adjust sound settings with ease. It has an all-around string for various outdoor settings. LG Xboom Go XG2 is available at LG Brand Shop, Jumbo store, all leading hypermarkets and electronics stores or online at Jumbosouq.com. Related Story Web Summit Qatar holds kick-off event for second edition PM meets UK foreign secretaryNew Jln Tapang lorry facility to tackle parking woes
Alpine skiing-Shiffrin says she is sidelined for ‘a few weeks minimum’ after crashEx-Canuck Zadorov goes on epic anti-diving rant: "It's a man's league"The Philadelphia Eagles ruled wide receiver DeVonta Smith out for Sunday night's game at the Los Angeles Rams due to a hamstring injury. Smith did not practice all week and will miss his second game of the season and just the third of his four-year NFL career. He was inactive in a Week 4 loss at Tampa Bay due to a concussion. Smith, 26, leads the Eagles with 41 receptions and four touchdown catches ands ranks second with 516 receiving yards in nine starts this season. The former Heisman Trophy winner has 281 catches for 3,694 yards and 23 scores in 59 games (58 starts) since the Eagles drafted him with the 10th overall pick in 2021. NFC East-leading Philadelphia (8-2) takes a six-game winning streak to Los Angeles (5-5), which has won four of its last five games. --Field Level Media
LUQUE, Paraguay — Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It's brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savored in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts. The smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan's culinary traditions was enshrined on Wednesday by UNESCO on its list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity." At a meeting in Luque, Paraguay, members of UNESCO’s committee for safeguarding humanity's cultural heritage voted to recognize 45 cultural practices and products around the world, including Brazilian white cheese, Caribbean cassava bread and Palestinian olive oil soap. Unlike UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which includes sites considered important to humanity like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Intangible Cultural Heritage designation names products and practices of different cultures that are deserving of recognition. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts after the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was officially named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. A Japanese delegation welcomed the announcement in Luque. “Sake is considered a divine gift and is essential for social and cultural events in Japan,” Kano Takehiro, the Japanese ambassador to UNESCO, told The Associated Press. The basic ingredients of sake are few: rice, water, yeast and koji, a rice mold that breaks down the starches into fermentable sugars like malting does in beer production. The whole two-month process of steaming, stirring, fermenting and pressing can be grueling. The rice — which wields tremendous marketing power as part of Japan's broader cultural identity — is key to the alcoholic brew. For a product to be categorized Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. Japanese sake, a nominee for UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list, are displayed on Japan's delegation table, during a UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Wednesday. The UNESCO recognition, the delegation said, captured more than the craft knowledge of making high-quality sake. It also honored a tradition dating back some 1,000 years — sake makes a cameo in Japan’s famous 11th century novel, “The Tale of Genji,” as the drink of choice in the refined Heian court. Now, officials hope to restore sake's image as Japan's premier alcoholic drink even as the younger drinkers in the country switch to imported wine or domestic beer and whiskey. Japanese breweries also expressed hope the listing could give a lift to the country's export economy as the popularity of sake booms around the world and in the United States amid heightened interest in Japanese cuisine. “I hope that this will also be an opportunity for Japanese people to take another look at sake, shochu and awamori, which are the essence of their culture," Hitoshi Utsunomiya, director of the trade group Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, said in Tokyo. "I would like them to try it even once and see what it tastes like,” he said. Sake exports, mostly to the U.S. and China, now rake in over $265 million a year, according to the association. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts as the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. Japan's delegation appeared ready to celebrate Wednesday — in classic Japanese style. After the announcement, Takehiro raised a cypress box full of sake to toast the alcoholic brew and cultural rite. “It means a lot to Japan and to the Japanese,” he said of the UNESCO designation. "This will help to renew interest in traditional sake elaboration.” In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was “delighted” by UNESCO's recognition of traditional sake-making techniques, and he congratulated those dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition. The crisp autumn air ushers in more than just pumpkin spice latte season. Consider cozying up inside with friends for a wine tasting and sharing delicious food and drinks with more complex flavors than cinnamon and sugar. Perhaps once thought of as stuffy affairs only for wine connoisseurs, today a tasting can be as casual as pouring a few bottles while doing another activity—say, bar games like darts or art activities like painting. The tasting can also be more traditional, especially if held at a winery or local wine shop, which is a great way to learn about what wines you might like to later serve at home. To host the ultimate wine tasting, it pays to do some R&D. One of the best aspects of hosting a wine tasting at home is that you get to establish the mood, tone, and guest list for the gathering—you can't pick a playlist when you sample wines at a bar or wine shop or make the dress code loungewear. So whether the mood is serious or playful, sophisticated or laid-back, the key to a successful tasting is enjoying and appreciating the wine and having fun with friends and family. Of course, there are a few other things to figure out along the way. Peerspace put together a few tips for hosting your wine-tasting party. A tasting party is all about sampling different wines and evaluating and hopefully enjoying them—and there are a variety of ways to do that. Would you like to host a playful gathering where each guest brings a mystery bottle of wine within a certain price range—a BYOB affair? Or would it be better to have more control over which wines are featured by curating and supplying all the wines as a host? This decision sets the tone—a tasting where guests contribute wine can be a bit of a free-for-all, whereas one where you select wines you supply allows guests to sit back and simply enjoy. And you don't have to break the bank to buy excellent wines—there are lots of wine experts ready to share their affordable picks. How much folks know about wine differs—and that's a good thing. Tastings are group learning experiences. Expertise isn't necessary to host or attend a tasting, but it is helpful to think about what will keep guests comfortable and having fun. Decide whether the vibe will be relaxed and laid-back, like friends sipping wine fireside, or more upbeat and formal. Think about elements like the atmosphere and the location, and consider whether folks will be seated or standing. Will you have a spirited playlist (couldn't resist) or live music? Do you want an expert to introduce each wine, or will you be that expert? Consider how guests will share their thoughts on what they are tasting. Do you want to just talk about them or do something more organized, like take notes or give ratings? Then supply notebooks or notecards and pencils, with categories or questions established ahead of time—all of which can reflect your evening's tone as well. Picking a theme is essential to curating the selection of wines—it's the organizing principle behind your selections. Otherwise, your tasting might as well be just walking down the wine aisle at the grocery store and taking sips from random bottles. There's too much wine out there not to be strategic about this. Plus, a theme helps you to tell the story of each wine better—it's the plot line of the night, if you will. Common themes are types of wine, regions they are from, or even price points—really, one can get as creative as they wish. For inspiration, check out local wine shops and see what they do for tastings. Often, they will follow seasonality and group wines in novel ways for their own in-house tastings. Don't let food be an afterthought for the festivities—after all, food can enhance particular qualities of wine and vice versa. There are many rules around what foods to pair with which wines, but consider this simple advice from Alder Yarrow's Vinography : "Stick with eating good food and drinking good wine." Since the focus is on the wines, allow the drinks to determine what food makes sense, but don't overthink it. Food is a supporting character here—at the very least, guests will need something to soak up all the alcohol (unless you are spitting it out). Eating foods that contain a mixture of protein, fats, and carbs when drinking helps increase the rate of alcohol elimination . Whether it's a full meal or heavy hors d'oeuvres, thoughtful noshes are necessary. How many people to invite is a question largely informed by the answers to tip #1: Are you having a big, formal affair or an intimate catch-up with close friends? Or something in between? Whatever the case, an RSVP is essential because not only do you need to plan the setup of the space, but you must also make sure there's enough wine for everyone to taste, including each of the wines featured. There's nothing worse than a tasting that runs dry! The math to determine how much wine you need considers the size of the tasting pours—a full glass of wine at a restaurant is usually around 5 ounces, which yields around five glasses of wine from a standard bottle. For tastings, you'll want to do less, depending on how many wines you are featuring—say, 2 ounces if you'll be trying a lot of different wines. Experts agree, having more wine than you need is always a good idea—that way you can send guests home with a bottle should there be a prize at the end of the night. The bottom line is, however you do it, hosting the ultimate wine tasting should be fun. Wine can feel intimidating to many people, but most wine experts are passionate, inspired folks who want to share what they know and help you find wines you like. So visit your local wine store or winemaker and ask questions. There are good guides specifically concerning how to taste wine. Dig a little, taste a lot, and have fun. It's all research for your next ultimate wine tasting. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Peerspace and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers Communications RCI RCI today announced it has received clearance from the Competition Bureau to proceed with the acquisition of Bell's 37.5% stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Rogers and Bell received a "no-action letter" on December 12, 2024, from the Bureau, indicating that the Commissioner of Competition does not intend to challenge Rogers acquisition of Bell's interest in MLSE. The deal is subject to league approvals and approval from the CRTC. "This reflects an important step in securing approvals and expanding our ownership of MLSE, one of the most prestigious sports and entertainment organizations in the world," said Tony Staffieri, President and CEO, Rogers. "As Canada's leading communications and entertainment company, live sports and entertainment are a critical part of our core business strategy." In September, Rogers announced a deal to acquire Bell's stake in MLSE for C$4.7 billion to become majority owner of MLSE. About Rogers Communications Inc Rogers is Canada's leading communications and entertainment company and its shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange RCI and on the New York Stock Exchange RCI . For more information, please visit rogers.com or investors.rogers.com . For further information: Media Relations media@rci.rogers.com 1-844-226-1338 Investor Relations investor.relations@rci.rogers.com 1-844-801-4792 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.