NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen's stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday's showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn't paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”
Bruins send top prospect back to Providence after one NHL gameThe Washington Commanders lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in a way that didn't have to be as heartbreaking as it turned out to be. Washington was well on its way to an upset loss about midway through the fourth quarter when KaVontae Turpin returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to put Dallas ahead 27-17. Then, the Commanders decided to give their home crowd some hope, and it did not end well. They scored twice in the final two minutes, including this incredible for what should have been the game-tying touchdown with 21 seconds left: COMMANDERS 86-YARD TOUCHDOWN WOW 📺: on FOX 📱: — NFL (@NFL) Unfortunately, kicker Austin Seibert that likely would have sent the game to overtime. And just like that, the comeback was over. NO GOOD. 📺: on FOX 📱: — NFL (@NFL) It gets even worse. The miss was Seibert's second of the day, as he also missed an extra point in the third quarter. The 28-year-old hadn't missed an extra point all season. Had he made either kick, this game maybe has a different result. Instead, the Cowboys ended up winning 34-26, because Washington was forced to kick an onside kick that . Losing like that to your biggest rival is going to be a hard one to get over.Canopy Growth and Acreage Provide Update on Closing Timeline
CARACAS — Six Venezuelan government opponents who have sheltered for months at the Argentine embassy in Caracas decried Sunday that local police and intelligence agents were stationed outside of it for hours. The move prompted the U.S. government to call it a serious violation of international law and Argentina’s Foreign Ministry to describe it as an act of harassment. Most of the opponents belong to the Vente Venezuela party led by former legislator María Corina Machado. It denounced what it called “a new siege by hooded officials” that began Saturday night and extended into Sunday. The incident occurred hours after Machado called for a massive mobilization on Dec. 1, prompting Venezuela’s minister of the interior to accuse the political leader of being part of a new conspiracy attempt against the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Vente Venezuela said in a statement that the diplomatic headquarters remains without electricity and is surrounded by “regime vehicles” that are preventing traffic from circulating in the area. It said communication signals also were scrambled. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Saturday that the deployment of armed troops and the closing of streets in the vicinity “constitute a disturbance of security.”. It also called on the international community to condemn the incident, which the U.S. did. On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela posted on X that the U.S. “strongly condemns the acts of harassment against asylum seekers.” “The deployment of armed forces and blockades seriously violate international law,” it said. “We demand that the Venezuelan regime respect its international obligations, cease these intimidating actions and guarantee safe passage for asylum seekers.” Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been broken since 2019. The opposition members entered the embassy in March after the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office issued arrest warrants and accused them of promoting alleged acts of violence to destabilize the government. In August, Brazil accepted Argentina’s request to guard its embassy after the Venezuelan government ordered the expulsion of Argentine diplomatic personnel following statements by its president, Javier Milei, that he would not recognize “another fraud” in Venezuela after the controversial elections in Jul y. A month later, Venezuela revoked Brazil’s authorization to guard the embassy, alleging it had evidence of the use of the facilities “for the planning of terrorist activities and assassination attempts.” Brazil and Argentina have rejected those accusations.
New and Old Debates on Anti-imperialism and SocialismFLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — This was not the homecoming scenario Kirk Cousins would have scripted. Cousins' return to Minnesota, his NFL home from 2018 through 2023, on Sunday comes as he is hearing speculation about his job security in Atlanta. Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns in the Falcons' three-game losing streak. That includes four picks in last week's 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, his most in a decade. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.WWE returns to Madison Square Garden for a Raw taping in march, and the pre-sale code is online. WWE announced the March 10th taping at last night’s live event in the venue, and the online pre-sale starts on January 8th with a January 10th general public sale. As you can see below via the MSG Twitter account, the pre-sale code is SOCIAL . JUST ANNOUNCED: For the first time in three years, WWE returns to The Garden with Monday Night RAW on Mar 10! Access venue presale tickets starting Wed, Jan 8 at 10am with code SOCIAL. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Fri, Jan 10 at 10am. pic.twitter.com/eKYVZvJkY2 — MSG (@TheGarden) December 27, 2024
the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday, , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. A moderate Democrat, as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to as one of many health initiatives. the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief” and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America’s dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise” speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter’s diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___
NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen's stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday's showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn't paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”Educators at San Rafael City Schools are forming a committee on artificial intelligence to explore its potential effects and benefits. Christy Novack, the district’s technology director, told trustees on Monday that the panel’s goal will be to develop recommendations for the best uses of the technology in the schools. Novack is recruiting 12 to 15 parents, employees and students to serve on the panel. “We feel the student voices are very important,” she said. Novack said the committee will have four online meetings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, Feb. 26, March 26 and May 14. Applications to join the panel are online at shorturl.at/QYknR . Only teachers and staff have access to the district’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini artificial intelligence programs, Novack said. Some students might use ChatGPT, which is publicly available, at home, but the Google program is embedded in the district’s domain server and not accessible to students or the public, she said. The committee may seek to determine the point at which teachers will be able to share the AI tools in classes, for example, and teach children how to use them, Novack said. Trustees said they are excited about the AI exploration but want more details on the parameters. “This is growing so quickly and so fast,” said Carolina Martin, vice president of the board. She told Novack she is curious how the district’s digital literacy coaches would be involved. Novack said she is working with the coaches to establish safety and ethics guidelines for AI; determine how the technology can be used to increase efficiency and productivity for staff; and determine how to prevent bias and misinformation. Novack said she gave AI presentations to all the district’s schools earlier this year. Laura Trahan, assistant superintendent at the Marin County Office of Education, said Novack is a “key part of our countywide AI work and leading and designing the community of practice.” “The focus of the community of practice is to connect teachers and leaders with tools to increase efficiency,” Trahan said. “Christy is particularly good at making the learning accessible and the use of AI approachable.” Martin said that “integrating AI and computer science in schools isn’t just about teaching technology.” “It’s about equipping students with the skills and mindset to thrive in a world driven by innovation and computational thinking,” Martin said. “Technology is part of our lives. Whether students are going to make, create or use these technologies in the future, we have a responsibility to ensure they are responsible and prepared.”
The 2024-25 high school swimming season is here. Before the new campaign begins, have a look at some of the top swimmers in New Jersey returning to the water. Returning All-State Swimmers In alphabetical order: Kenny Barnicle, Mendham, Sr. First Team, 200 freestyle Gabe Beverini, Ridge, Sr. Second Team, 200 medley relay Karl Burghardt, Seton Hall Prep, Sr. First Team, 200 medley relay First Team, 200 freestyle relay Sebastian Canosa, Morristown, Sr. Second Team, 200 freestyle relay Tre Cottrell, Haddonfield, Sr. Second Team, 200 freestyle Ransom Chang, Chatham, Sr. Third Team, 200 freestyle relay Daren Chen, Ranney, Sr. First Team, 200 individual medley Michael Fisher, Westfield, Sr. Third Team, 400 freestyle relay Connor Johnson, Parsippany Hills, Sr. Second Team, 100 backstroke Charlie Kulp, Chatham, Sr. Third Team, 200 freestyle relay Jaden Lee, Bridgewater-Raritan, Jr. Second Team, 200 individual medley Second Team, 400 freestyle relay Third Team, 200 medley relay Jack MacMillan, Morristown, Sr. Second Team, 200 freestyle relay Michael McCarthy, St. Augustine, Sr. Second Team, 500 freestyle Dimitri Melnikov, Bergen Catholic, Sr. Third Team, 200 individual medley Danny Pierce, Westfield, Sr. Third Team, 400 freestyle relay Ryan Quinn, Haddon Township, Jr. Second Team, 100 butterfly Logan Swenson, Westfield, Sr. Third Team, 400 freestyle relay John Thompson, Ridge, Jr. Second Team, 200 medley relay Owen Waibel, Westfield, Sr. Second Team, 50 freestyle Third Team, 400 freestyle relay Greg Yukhvid, Bridgewater-Raritan, Sr. Second Team, 400 freestyle relay Third Team, 200 medley relay 6 Swimmers to Keep on Your Radar in Each Conference Limited to 1 swimmer per team who was not on the 2023-24 All-State team Big North Conference Johnathon Cheng, Northern Highlands, Sr. Roy Dafinoiu, Tenafly, Sr. Oliver Kiss, Passaic Tech, Jr. Timothy Lee, Demarest, Jr. Sam Skibo, Ridgewood, Sr. Eric Yoo, Bergen Catholic, Sr. Cape-Atlantic League Tommy Armstrong, Ocean City, Sr. Jesse Brown, Absegami, Jr. Brian Falk, Mainland, Jr. Nick Mainiero, Vineland, Sr. Christian Shenk, St. Augustine, So. DJ Williams, Egg Harbor, Sr. CVC Gavin Bossio, Notre Dame, Sr. Niall Brogan, Hopewell Valley, So. David Brophy, Princeton, Sr. Julien Fang, West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Jr. Jaden Potter, Robbinsville, So. Nick Straka, Lawrence, Jr. GMC Jaydan Almeida, North Brunswick, So. Brandon Calderone, South Plainfield, Jr. Travis Li, East Brunswick, Jr. Zachary McGeehan, Colonia, Jr. Sean Stanik, J.P. Stevens, Jr. Anthony Vasilov, St. Joseph (Met.), Jr. NJAC Kai Batchelor, Pope John, Sr. Dalton Brooks, Delbarton, Jr. Jack Cotnoir, Morristown, Sr. Dimitri Fedorov, Mendham, Jr. Eddie Lin, Mountain Lakes, Sr. Ryan O’Day, Chatham, Sr. NJIC Jayden Altamura, Secaucus, Sr. Drew Bancroft, Lyndhurst, Sr. Caden Cho, Leonia, So. Leonardo Saraceni, Rutherford, Jr. Daniel Sickels, Garfield, Sr. Jesse Swaim, New Milford, Jr. SEC Chris Benz, Millburn, So. Lucas Foung, Montclair, Sr. Mason Keith, Columbia, Jr. Brett Matlosz, Newark Academy, Sr. Daniel Murray, Caldwell, So. Kyle Phillips, Seton Hall Prep, Sr. Shore Conference Cole DiPietro, Rumson-Fair Haven, Sr. Christopher Hall, Holmdel, Jr. Aiden Padham, Toms River South, Sr. Alexander Ruckel-Bekefi, Christian Brothers, Sr. Milo Stefanowicz, Point Pleasant Boro, Sr. Aidan Wenzel, Central Regional, Jr. SJSL Jake Greenleaf, Moorestown, Sr. Josh Hogan, Haddonfield, Jr. Micah Lee, Cherokee, Jr. Jack McKenna, Shawnee, Sr. Ben Schlotterer, Cherry Hill East, Sr. Riley Smith, Eastern, Sr. Skyland Conference Lucas Abd, North Hunterdon, Sr. Derek Carranza Cordero, Bridgewater-Raritan, So. Anson Chen, Ridge, Jr. Zack Kusch, Immaculata, Jr. Derin Ozbas, Hillsborough, Sr. Owen Smith, Pingry, Jr. Tri-County Conference Garret Danze, Kingsway, Jr. Chris Green, Gloucester Catholic, Sr. Jordan Robinson, Highland, So. Jake Rosenberger, Clearview, Sr. Jakob Seibert, Cumberland, Sr. Luc Streitz, Gloucester Tech, Sr. UCC Richard Fadeev, New Providence, Jr. Paul Knecht, Oratory, Sr. Dylan Lagrimas, Westfield, Jr. Harrison McClure, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, So. Charlie Moon, Summit, Sr. Caden Wong, Gov. Livingston, Sr. Independent Will Heinze, St. Peter’s Prep, Sr. RECOMMENDED • nj .com Boys swimming: Divisional classifications for the 2024-25 season Nov. 30, 2024, 2:06 p.m. Tri-County Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, stat leaders and final ranking, 2024 Nov. 29, 2024, 6:00 a.m. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) PJ Potter may be reached at PPotter@njadvancemedia.com .
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Climate Change Don't miss out on the headlines from Climate Change. Followed categories will be added to My News. Australia’s delegation to the COP29 climate change conference has been labelled a “complete farce” after one speaker opened her remarks with an Indigenous Acknowledgment of Country — for an event in Azerbaijan. The two-week 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which wraps up on Friday, was held in the tiny former Soviet republic straddling eastern Europe and western Asia. Despite the fact that the capital Baku is more than 13,000 kilometres from Sydney, that did not stop Dr Clare Anderson from paying respects to Australia’s traditional owners, as is now customary before most corporate, government and sporting events. Dr Anderson, director of sustainability performance at engineering and professional services firm Worley, was speaking before a nearly empty crowd for the opening panel session at the Australian pavilion in Baku. Australia’s delegation to the COP29 conference in Baku. Picture: X “I’m very delighted to be here today,” she said. “To start, I might ... whilst we’re not on Australian lands, I’d still like to start with acknowledging the traditional owners of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands and pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.” A clip of the moment was shared on X by former Australian MP Craig Kelly . “What a complete farce — here’s a video from the ‘Australian Pavilion’ at the climate wankfest at Baku — funded by Australian taxpayers,” he wrote. “Imagine, all that coin to pay for constructing an exhibition stand, flying a delegation half way around world, setting up video facilities to record it all — and they get five people to attend.” He added that “I wonder if this would pass muster if we had an Australian DOGE”, referring to US President-elect Donald Trump’s Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency. Dr Clare Anderson, director of sustainability performance at Worley. Picture: Supplied The video sparked bemusement among many viewers. “Why are Australian government officials doing a welcome to country in Azerbaijan,” Nationals Senator Matt Canavan asked. “Welcome to Country ... in Baku,” said Freelancer chief executive Matt Barrie. One-time Liberal candidate Katherine Deves, who unsuccessfully ran for former Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s northern beaches seat of Warringah in 2022, said, “Australia is an outpost. No one cares.” Several X users labelled it a “joke”. “Cancel the return flight, the credit cards and disavow. That will save lots of planet and our money,” one wrote. “We are not a serious country,” another said. After the failure of the Voice to Parliament referendum last year, some commentators have suggested the Welcome to Country and Acknowledgment of Country — now found everywhere from bus announcements and school assemblies to job interviews and pilates classes — should be scaled back. Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said earlier this year the overuse of the Welcome to Country in Australian public life could actually make people feel unwelcome in their own country. Ms Price told Sky News Australians should not be “confronted with it at every single opportunity”. In September, One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson called for ceremonies to be banned , saying Australians were “sick and tired of them”. “They are sick of being told Australia is not their country, which is what these things effectively do,” she wrote on X. frank.chung@news.com.au More Coverage Pauline calls for Welcome to Country ban James Dampney Kids told to repeat ‘always Aboriginal land’ Frank Chung Originally published as ‘Complete farce’: Australian delegate performs Acknowledgment of Country at COP29 in Azerbaijan Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Breaking News ‘Suspicious’: Huge twist in bushfire chaos A chaotic bushfire which destroyed at least one home and burned through 1000ha of land may have been deliberately lit, authorities have revealed. Read more Breaking News ‘Not safe to return’ as Vic fires rage At least one home has been destroyed as fires tore through more than 2000 hectares of bushland, with authorities warning of “challenging” conditions yet to come. Read moreCorporate sector investments drive agricultural growth in Pakistan: report The representational image shows a farmer harvesting wheat at a field in the outskirts of Lahore, in Punjab province, May 16, 2013. — Reuters KARACHI: The corporate and financial sectors are increasingly investing in the agriculture sector, aiming to boost its growth and development. This insight was shared during the launch of The State of Pakistan’s Agriculture 2024 report by the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) and the Pakistan Agricultural Coalition (PAC), held at the National Foods Limited (NFL) Corporate Head Office. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); In his opening remarks, Ehsan Malik, CEO of the PBC, highlighted the agriculture sector’s immense potential to contribute to economic stability, food security and rural development. “This report shows how the corporate sector is playing a key role in advancing the agriculture industry,” Ehsan stated. Kazim Saeed, CEO of PAC, said that where international-level agriculture is found in Pakistan, there is often a leading corporate entity working directly with farmers. “This report documents how corporate and financial players are contributing capital, technology and expertise to the agricultural sector for its growth and prosperity,” Kazim explained. He added that many companies are adopting sustainable practices, such as regenerative agriculture, eco-friendly production methods and efficient resource usage. The event included presentations by companies whose initiatives were featured as case studies in the report. Global CEO of National Foods Limited (NFL) Abrar Hasan praised the efforts of the PBC, PAC and other corporate players driving growth in the agriculture sector. Speaking about NFL’s case study, he noted that the company is focused on self-sufficiency, increasing exports and digitising farming in Pakistan to maintain a strong value chain. “Our products and partnerships demonstrate the positive impact of technology. The ‘Seed to Table’ initiative reflects our commitment to growth beyond borders, expanding into international markets while supporting the national economy through exports,” said Abrar. He highlighted NFL’s success in developing the tomato value chain, which helped create import substitution for tomato paste, benefitting both the company and the country. “We can unlock export potential by developing the tomato paste value chain, as tomatoes have higher export potential compared to other crops,” he added, noting that NFL’s approach serves as an example of how to respond to the recent sharp depreciation of the rupee. Adil Sattar of K&N’s spoke about the company’s six-decade-long leadership in poultry breeding, introducing new technologies in poultry farming, processing and retailing for both domestic and international markets. He also mentioned their commitment to food safety and Halal certification, maintaining hand slaughtering methods instead of stunning, despite the additional cost and effort. Faraz Zafar, Investment Director at AlKaram, discussed plans for Pakistan’s largest shrimp farm, Al-Karam’s Dhabeji Aqua Foods. The farm, located in Sindh’s Thatta, will cover 400 acres and feature 300 half-acre ponds. AlKaram has also invested in companies focused on cultivation and drone-based services. Faisal Iftikhar, CEO of AquaHatch, shared the vision of Garibsons and Jaffer Group, who are investing in fish and shrimp seed businesses to support farmers across Pakistan. Taimur Malik from Drawdown Farm by Thal Industries highlighted the importance of regenerative agriculture in protecting Pakistan’s soil, water and biodiversity. Amer Aziz, CEO of HBL Zarai Services, discussed how the corporate sector can better serve farmers, while M Aminuddin, CEO of TPL Insurance, spoke about the role of crop insurance in safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods.
Hunter Biden gun case terminated after President Joe Biden's sweeping pardonThe much-anticipated second season of Squid Game is currently streaming on Netflix. The new season picks up three years after Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) leaves the airport with a mission to end the deadly games for good, even as they continue to lure unsuspecting players with promises of a massive cash prize. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for However, before the highly anticipated second season premiered, Netflix had to address a significant issue from the first season—a mistake that nearly turned one woman’s life upside down. The Blunder That Sparked Chaos In the very first episode of Squid Game, protagonist Gi-hun receives a mysterious business card with an eight-digit phone number. While it was intended to enhance the plot’s suspense, it turned out to be a real, active phone number when paired with South Korea’s mobile prefix, 010. This mistake led to a nightmare for Kim Gil-young, a resident of Seongju, South Korea, who had been using the number for over a decade. When the show became a global sensation in 2021—topping charts in 90 countries—curious fans began dialing the number to see if it was real. Gil-young told Money Today thatshe was bombarded with thousands of calls and messages around the clock. 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I’ve had to delete over 4,000 numbers from my phone.” Her phone’s battery would drain within hours due to the constant influx of calls, and she initially had no idea what was happening until friends informed her that her number appeared in the show. Netflix Takes Action Unable to change her number because she used it for business, Gil-young reached out to Netflix and the production company, Siren Pictures , for help. Fortunately, the streaming giant acted quickly, editing out her phone number just weeks after the show’s release. The real digits were replaced with an unusable set: 010-034. Netflix and Siren Pictures also issued statements urging fans to stop making prank calls and sending messages. In Squid Game Season 2, the infamous business card makes a return, but this time, Netflix and the creators have taken extra precautions to avoid a repeat of the mistake. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
COMPASS is going global with the acquisition of @properties and Christie’s International Real Estate. The deal is reported to be worth $444 million. Headquartered in Chicago, @properties is the eighth-largest residential brokerage in the United States by sales volume, operating out of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and, through the Ansley Real Estate brand, the Atlanta metro. The firm acquired Christie’s International Real Estate in late 2021 and rebranded as @properties Christie’s International Real Estate in early 2022. Christie’s International Real Estate, meanwhile, maintains 100+ independently owned domestic and international affiliates across 50 countries and territories. (Their Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno brand, in Northern California, will become an independent brokerage with “network affiliation” following the recent news.) “This partnership will allow us to empower strong independent brokerages and broker-owner entrepreneurs around the world who are affiliates under Christie’s International Real Estate,” COMPASS Founder and CEO Robert Reffkin , said in a press release. “Our companies share the same passion for empowering entrepreneurial agents. Together, we will be able to provide unparalleled resources and support to help everyone succeed and deliver exceptional client experiences.” “COMPASS shares our commitment to enhance the real estate industry through technology, marketing, and exceptional service and to embrace the local, independent broker through the Christie’s International Real Estate and @properties brands,” @properties Co-CEO Thad Wong added. “This is a very complementary union that respects our unique brands and empowers agents to provide an even better experience for the clients they serve.” This move will also include the connected title and mortgage businesses Proper Title and Proper Rate , as well as the lead-generation business, Suburban Jungle . Editor’s note: This story is developing and will be updated as new information becomes available.Baker Hughes Co. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors