
Coca-Cola’s AI holiday ad sparks controversy for not being the ‘real thing’As we visit friends and family over the holiday season, it’s always nice to take along a gift. There are, of course, many options, like a bottle of wine or a specialty food item. A bouquet of flowers, however, is one of the most meaningful and appreciated. Ever since the dark days of COVID-19, flowers have become the new "hug." They evoke a sense of happiness, and they bring a connection to nature. I love the fact that Millennial folks are growing their own cut flower gardens, even in small spaces. They love having their own source of cut flowers to enjoy in their homes and also to share as gifts with friends and neighbours. As our gardens are now dormant until spring, we are fortunate to have so many local, high-quality cut flower growers here in B.C. For that matter, they are now exporting cut flowers to other provinces and to the United States, and their selection is amazing, ranging from roses, orchid stems, chrysanthemums, alstroemerias, lilies, gerbera daisies and fragrant stocks to Ilex berries and skimmia flowers. Because of all their innovation and use of technology, their carbon footprint is quite low. If you are considering a gift of flowers, there are a few things you may want to keep in mind. The first is the lasting quality, especially in our warm, dry houses at this time of the year. Most cut flowers will deliver a week to ten days of enjoyment, while others can last for weeks. Always try to purchase flowers which are on the tight side and just beginning to open. Today, chrysanthemums are spectacular, both the spray type with multiple flowers and the single stem disbuds. They are available in so many new colours and various flower forms. Alstroemerias come in a wide range of colours and are noted for their long-lasting appeal. Tight lilies, both the colourful Asiatics and the fragrant Orientals, also last well. Roses are classy, and the spray forms, with their multiple smaller buds, have exceptional lasting qualities. Carnations, too, offer multi-flowered elegance. I love wax flowers with their masses of tiny blossoms that add a nice touch to any bouquet. Berry stems, like hypericum, also hang in there very well. Fragrance is an important consideration in any bouquet. Oriental lilies, freesias and Polianthes tuberosa will never disappoint. Eucalyptus has also become a favourite because of its unique perfume. At this time of the year, accessorizing bouquets with perfumed greens, such as small branches of soft white pine, silver fir or incense cedar, will add a pleasing forest scent. Your gift of flowers will be a much-appreciated bouquet of beauty and perfume to be enjoyed, possibly for weeks!
This is CNBC's live blog covering Asia-Pacific markets. Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mostly higher Monday as traders await China's November inflation data as well as revised economic growth data from Japan. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Japan's Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a higher open for the market, with the futures contract in Chicago at 39,450 and its counterpart in Osaka at 39,440 compared to the previous close of 39,091.17. Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 19,821 lower than the HSI's last close of 19,865.85. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 opened to trade down 0.35%. In the U.S. on Friday, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose to fresh records after November jobs data came in slightly better than expected , but not so hot as to deter the Federal Reserve from cutting rates again later this month. The broad market S&P 500 climbed 0.25% to 6,090.27. Tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 0.81% to 19,859.77, bolstered by gains in Tesla , Meta Platforms and Amazon . Money Report Stock futures are little changed after S&P 500 posts third-straight winning week: Live updates Biden says U.S. will support Syria and its neighbors after Assad dynasty collapses The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 123.19 points, or 0.28%, to close at 44,642.52. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq went on to their third straight positive week as well, rising 0.96% and 3.34%, respectively. The Dow slipped 0.6% during the period. — CNBC's Sean Conlon, Lisa Kailai Han and Pia Singh contributed to this report. CNBC Pro: Five global stocks the pros are buying before the start of 2025 2024 has seen some massive stock rallies, as investor interest in themes such as AI has shown little sign of waning. As the year-end nears, CNBC Pro asked three fund managers what global stocks they are buying in the lead-up to 2025, as they attempt to get ahead of the curve. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner Also on CNBC South Korea's President Yoon survives impeachment motion after ruling party boycotts vote 'Business as normal' in Korea despite martial law turmoil: AMCHAM Korea U.S. equities will continue to outperform, says Guggenheim PartnersSTARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Josh Hubbard scored 14 of his team-high 25 points in the final 10 minutes and Mississippi State pulled away late to post a 91-84 win over a road-weary Prairie View A&M on Sunday afternoon. Prairie View A&M, playing its eighth straight road game after a season-opening win over a non-NCAA opponent, will not play its second home game until it hosts Grambling in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener January 4. The Panthers have surrendered 100 points or more in three games and opponents have topped 90 points in seven of their eight road losses. Mississippi State (8-1), fresh off a dominating performance in a 90-57 win over No. 18 Pitt in the SEC/ACC Men's Challenge, got all it could handle from the Panthers. The teams were tied at the break at 44-44 and Tanahj Pettway hit from deep to give Prairie View the lead, 65-64 midway through the second half. The Bulldogs responded with a 16-2 run kick-started by a pair of Josh Hubbard layups and a Claudell Harris Jr., 3 and capped by a Hubbard 3 and a Jordan Tillmon layup to take an 80-68 lead with under five minutes to play. Hubbard hit 4 of 10 from beyond the arc and had three assists and a pair of steals. Harris came off the bench to hit 3 of 6 from deep to add 21 points. Shawn Jones Jr. scored 11 points, Michael Nwoko scored 10 points and grabbed 10 boards and RJ Melendez had 10 points. Nick Anderson led the Panthers with 21 points and four assists. Pettway hit 4 of 5 from deep and finished with 20 points while Marcel Bryant added 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
The BJP convened a meeting of its legislators on Monday (November 25, 2024), urging them to prioritize public issues and demand equitable development of both regions of the Union Territory. Also Read: Sunil Sharma elected as BJP legislature party leader in Jammu and Kashmir The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emphasized ensuring the Jammu region receives its rightful share in all government decisions. The meeting, held this evening at the BJP Headquarters in Jammu, was chaired by J&K BJP president Sat Sharma, J&K BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul, and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma. Also Read: Won’t allow J&K Assembly to function until resolution on Article 370 withdrawn: BJP Addressing the MLAs, Sat Sharma directed them to raise public concerns strongly in the Assembly and press the government for balanced development across Jammu and Kashmir. "The legislators should press the people's issues in the House (assembly). They should forcefully press the government for the equilateral development of both regions while ensuring that the people of Jammu region get their due share in all the decisions," he said. Mr. Sharma also called on legislators to focus on the ongoing membership drive and ensure maximum participation from their respective constituencies. Mr. Koul elaborated on the progress of the membership drive, highlighting the growing support for the BJP due to the "unprecedented political will" demonstrated by the Modi government. He urged the MLAs to contribute actively to the campaign, reflecting the public’s trust in the party’s vision. Sunil Sharma, who conducted the meeting, reaffirmed the commitment of the BJP MLAs to address the aspirations of people and work tirelessly for their welfare. Published - November 26, 2024 01:00 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Jammu / state politicsNEW YORK (AP) — Matt Zona's 15 points off the bench led Fordham to an 87-83 victory over Albany (NY) on Saturday. Zona shot 5 for 7, including 3 for 4 from beyond the arc for the Rams (8-5). Jahmere Tripp added 14 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line while they also had six rebounds and three steals. Jackie Johnson III shot 4 for 14 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. The Great Danes (7-7) were led by Amar'e Marshall, who recorded 24 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Albany (NY) also got 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals from Justin Neely. Byron Joshua finished with 16 points and five assists. Josh Rivera scored 11 points in the first half for Fordham, who led 46-35 at halftime. Fordham took the lead for good with 12:53 left in the second half on a 3-pointer from Zona to make it a 57-54 game. Fordham's next game is Tuesday against Saint Louis at home. Albany (NY) hosts Stony Brook on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .