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The semiconductor sector in Asia faced a turbulent day on Thursday as investor confidence waned following Micron Technology’s sobering forecast for the coming months. Despite the robust demand for AI-related components, Micron’s outlook indicated weak sales in personal computers and smartphones, causing a ripple effect on Asian chip stocks. Micron Technology, a leader in memory chip production, highlighted challenges in its traditional markets, casting a shadow over its stock, which plummeted by 15%. This drop has prompted analysts and investors to question the sector’s immediate future, despite areas of growth facilitated by AI advancements. Broad Impact on Markets The repercussions of Micron’s forecast were felt across Asia, with notable declines in various semiconductor stocks. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the globe’s largest contract chipmaker, saw its shares slip slightly by 0.004%. Despite maintaining some steadiness, investor cautiousness was evident. Meanwhile, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF, which encompasses various prominent Asian chip manufacturers, fell by 1.21%, underscoring prevailing negative market sentiment. Navigating Through Uncertainty Currently, the semiconductor sector is grappling with opposing forces. On one end, the surge in AI applications provides a promising avenue for growth; on the other, decreased consumer demand in electronics presents significant hurdles. The global economic landscape adds another layer of complexity, urging investors to stay vigilant while reassessing their strategies. As earnings seasons approach, further reports from chipmakers will shed light on the trajectory of the sector. While short-term volatility appears to persist, the long-term outlook, buoyed by technological advances in AI, still holds potential. Unveiling the Future of Semiconductors: Challenges and Opportunities Await Micron’s Forecast Sends Ripples Across Asia’s Semiconductor Industry The world of semiconductors experienced a whirlwind as Micron Technology’s recent forecast cast a shadow over the Asian market. While the burgeoning demand for AI-related components was expected to bolster the sector, emerging weaknesses in traditional markets such as personal computers and smartphones sent jitters through investors. Key Market Dynamics and Innovations Despite the challenges faced, new innovations and market dynamics are reshaping the semiconductor landscape. The rapid evolution of AI technology offers substantial growth potential, particularly in areas like machine learning, autonomous vehicles, and IoT devices. Semiconductors play a critical role in enabling these technologies, which could lead to significant advancements and increased demand in the coming years. Trends and Predictions in the Semiconductor Sector Several trends are shaping the semiconductor industry’s future: – AI-Driven Growth : The demand for specialized AI chips is on the rise, as industries increasingly incorporate AI into their processes. – Emerging Markets : New markets such as electric vehicles and renewable energy are creating opportunities for semiconductors, particularly power devices and sensors. – Sustainability Efforts : Chip manufacturers are focusing on sustainability, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of production processes. Opportunities and Limitations While the AI segment offers promising growth, the sector faces limitations, particularly in traditional consumer electronics markets. The slowdown in sales of personal computers and smartphones could pose a risk to overall growth trajectories. However, organizations that pivot quickly towards rising AI technologies may encounter fewer hurdles. Comprehensive Market Analysis As the semiconductor sector grapples with shifting demands, a comprehensive market analysis highlights several critical areas: – Investment Strategies : Investors are urged to adopt adaptive strategies, focusing on emerging technologies and diversifying their portfolios. – Technological Advancements : Companies that innovate and align with technological trends, especially in AI and IoT, are likely to thrive. Predictions for the Sector’s Future As we look ahead, industry experts predict that technological developments in AI, coupled with a renewed emphasis on sustainability, will define the future trajectory of the semiconductor sector. Despite short-term market volatility, the long-term growth potential remains robust, powered by a blend of innovation and strategic reorientation towards high-growth areas. For more insights into the fast-evolving semiconductor industry, consider exploring further resources from TSMC and major market players.VANCOUVER — British Columbia business owner Joe Chaput will spend $5,500 a month on security guards during the holiday season and plans on upgrading his store's video camera system for around $5,000 more. He's not selling luxury brands or expensive jewels. Chaput sells cheese, and at Christmas, cheese is a hot commodity. He is the co-owner of specialty cheese store les amis du Fromage, with two locations in Vancouver. While cheeselifting is rare in their Kitsilano store, the outlet in East Vancouver is hit in waves, with nothing happening for a month, then three of four people trying to steal their inventory within a week. "Sometimes, you miss it. Sometimes, you catch it. The way shoplifters behave ... they tend to gravitate toward expensive things," said Chaput. Expensive cheese is on shoplifters' Christmas list, he said. "They tend to do the classic examples of staying away from customer service and trying to go to a different part of the store so they can be left alone to steal." Chaput isn't alone. Police say food-related crimes on are the rise in Canada and as prices climb for items such as cheese and butter, they become lucrative on the black market for organized crime groups, not to mention theft for local resale. Sylvain Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University's Agri-food Analytics Lab, said a black market tends to emerge as soon as food prices surge. "Organized crime will steal anything (if) they know they can sell it and so, they probably would have known who their clients are before even stealing anything at all, and that's how a black market is organized," said Charlebois. He said he believes there are two categories of people shoplifting — those who do so out of desperation because they can't afford the food, or organized criminals, profiting from sales on the black market. Mounties in North Vancouver made cheesy headlines when they ran into a man with a cart of stolen cheese in the middle of the night in September. The cheese, valued at $12,800, was from a nearby Whole Foods Store. While the cheese was recovered, it had to be disposed of because it hadn't been refrigerated. Const. Mansoor Sahak, with the North Vancouver RCMP, said officers believe cheese is targeted because it's "profitable to resell." "If they are drug addicts, they will commit further crimes with that or feed their drug habits. It’s a vicious cycle,” said Sahak. Sahak said meat is also a top target for grocery thieves, with store losses sometimes in the thousands. "So, we're not surprised that this happened,” said Sahak. Police in Ontario have been chasing down slippery shoplifters going after butter. Scott Tracey, a spokesman with Guelph Police Service, said there have been eight or nine butter thefts over the last year, including one theft last December worth $1,000. In October, two men walked into a local grocer and filled their carts with cases of butter valued at $936, and four days later a Guelph grocer lost four cases valued at $958. Tracey said he has looked at online marketplaces and found listings by people selling 20 or 30 pounds of butter at a time. “Clearly, somebody didn't accidentally buy 30 extra pounds of butter. So, they must have come from somewhere,” said Tracey, “I think at this point it appears to be the black market is where it's headed.” He said the thefts seem to be organized, with two or three people working together in each case. Police in Brantford, Ont., are also investigating the theft of about $1,200 worth of butter from a store on Nov. 4. Charlebois said retailers could invest in prevention technologies like electronic tags, but putting them on butter or cheese is rare. He said up until recently grocery store theft has been a "taboo subject for many years." Stores didn't wanted to talk about thefts because they didn't want to alarm people but now they feel they need to build awareness about what is "becoming a huge problem," said Charlebois. Chaput, the cheese store owner, said he had been running the East Vancouver store for 15 years while managing the store in Kitsilano for 30 years, and he loves his customers. "It's really one of the best parts of our businesses, seeing familiar faces and making new customers. It's why we come to work, really. Partly it's the cheese, and partly it's the people," said Chaput. He said his strategy to combat would-be thieves is to give them extra customer service to make it harder for them to steal. He admits, however, that the shoplifting causes him stress. "It's challenging. You're busy trying to run your business day to day and take care of customers and take care of employees. Having to deal with criminals, just kind of scratches away. It can be a bit exhausting," said Chaput. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024. Nono Shen, The Canadian PressEdmunds: Five dream-worthy vehicles you wish you got for the holidaysxbet casino online 。

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Blind and partially sighted people are being excluded from the benefits of artificial intelligence tools and facing “a new level of discrimination”, the new president of the Royal Society for Blind Children has claimed as he called for better design of everything from video games to AI agents. Tom Pey said existing difficulties for blind children were “now compounded because they’re excluded [and] distanced from their non-disabled peers, because those people can experience games, alternative realities and the AI-driven visual types of technology”. Pey lost his sight as a child and created the Waymap app which offers step-by-step audio navigation instructions. His comments come as tech firms launch more visually based AI-powered systems such as Meta’s range of spectacles and the Google Lens function, which relies on users pointing their phone camera at objects or places. Pey called on the technology secretary, Peter Kyle, to “formulate laws that will support the needs of disabled people, but also help direct the big companies and startups, so they include disabled people”. “If we look at the hardware around AI, a lot of it is visual, and it ignores the needs of blind people, and it ignores people who have difficulty, not just with not being able to see, but being able to interpret visual imagery,” he said. “Those people, like me and others, we’re just excluded.” People with sight loss are less likely to use the internet every day, more likely to be digitally excluded and less likely to own a smartphone compared with the rest of the population, research by the Royal National Institute of Blind People . But it also reported that digital exclusion for blind and partially sighted people was reducing and that AI technology was becoming more accessible. In response, tech companies including Google, Meta and Open AI all pointed to initiatives to use their tech to help blind and partially sighted people. In September Meta that will allow people wearing its tech-enabled Ray-Ban glasses to connect instantly to a sighted volunteer who will be able to see through their glasses’ lens and provide a real-time description of what is going on in front of them. Open AI has also devised a virtual volunteer that will provide an audio description of whatever the phone is pointed at – for example the contents of a fridge – as well as have a conversation about it. The system, Be My Eyes, an accessibility app founded in Denmark, uses Chat GPT-4. Google has an AI-powered app for people with low vision called Lookout, which and also reads out tests and engages in question and answer. But Pey said young people with blindness or restricted sight were finding the existing gap between their experience of the world and that of non-disabled peer was now widened “because those people can experience games, they can experience alternative realities, they can experience the AI-driven visual types of technology, whereas people like them can’t”. He called it “a new level of discrimination, which could be avoided by upfront thinking”. He added: “The designers need to just wake up to the fact that they should design for disabled people.”VANCOUVER — British Columbia business owner Joe Chaput will spend $5,500 a month on security guards during the holiday season and plans on upgrading his store’s video camera system for around $5,000 more. He’s not selling luxury brands or expensive jewels. Chaput sells cheese, and at Christmas, cheese is a hot commodity. He is the co-owner of specialty cheese store les amis du Fromage, with two locations in Vancouver. While cheeselifting is rare in their Kitsilano store, the outlet in East Vancouver is hit in waves, with nothing happening for a month, then three of four people trying to steal their inventory within a week. “Sometimes, you miss it. Sometimes, you catch it. The way shoplifters behave ... they tend to gravitate toward expensive things,” said Chaput. Expensive cheese is on shoplifters’ Christmas list, he said. “They tend to do the classic examples of staying away from customer service and trying to go to a different part of the store so they can be left alone to steal.” Chaput isn’t alone. Police say food-related crimes on are the rise in Canada and as prices climb for items such as cheese and butter, they become lucrative on the black market for organized crime groups, not to mention theft for local resale. Sylvain Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-food Analytics Lab, said a black market tends to emerge as soon as food prices surge. “Organized crime will steal anything (if) they know they can sell it and so, they probably would have known who their clients are before even stealing anything at all, and that’s how a black market is organized,” said Charlebois. He said he believes there are two categories of people shoplifting — those who do so out of desperation because they can’t afford the food, or organized criminals, profiting from sales on the black market. Mounties in North Vancouver made cheesy headlines when they ran into a man with a cart of stolen cheese in the middle of the night in September. The cheese, valued at $12,800, was from a nearby Whole Foods Store. While the cheese was recovered, it had to be disposed of because it hadn’t been refrigerated. Const. Mansoor Sahak, with the North Vancouver RCMP, said officers believe cheese is targeted because it’s “profitable to resell.” “If they are drug addicts, they will commit further crimes with that or feed their drug habits. It’s a vicious cycle,” said Sahak. Sahak said meat is also a top target for grocery thieves, with store losses sometimes in the thousands. “So, we’re not surprised that this happened,” said Sahak. Police in Ontario have been chasing down slippery shoplifters going after butter. Scott Tracey, a spokesman with Guelph Police Service, said there have been eight or nine butter thefts over the last year, including one theft last December worth $1,000. In October, two men walked into a local grocer and filled their carts with cases of butter valued at $936, and four days later a Guelph grocer lost four cases valued at $958. Tracey said he has looked at online marketplaces and found listings by people selling 20 or 30 pounds of butter at a time. “Clearly, somebody didn’t accidentally buy 30 extra pounds of butter. So, they must have come from somewhere,” said Tracey, “I think at this point it appears to be the black market is where it’s headed.” He said the thefts seem to be organized, with two or three people working together in each case. Police in Brantford, Ont., are also investigating the theft of about $1,200 worth of butter from a store on Nov. 4. Charlebois said retailers could invest in prevention technologies like electronic tags, but putting them on butter or cheese is rare. He said up until recently grocery store theft has been a “taboo subject for many years.” Stores didn’t wanted to talk about thefts because they didn’t want to alarm people but now they feel they need to build awareness about what is “becoming a huge problem,” said Charlebois. Chaput, the cheese store owner, said he had been running the East Vancouver store for 15 years while managing the store in Kitsilano for 30 years, and he loves his customers. “It’s really one of the best parts of our businesses, seeing familiar faces and making new customers. It’s why we come to work, really. Partly it’s the cheese, and partly it’s the people,” said Chaput. He said his strategy to combat would-be thieves is to give them extra customer service to make it harder for them to steal. He admits, however, that the shoplifting causes him stress. “It’s challenging. You’re busy trying to run your business day to day and take care of customers and take care of employees. Having to deal with criminals, just kind of scratches away. It can be a bit exhausting,” said Chaput. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024. Nono Shen, The Canadian Press

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How to set up your new monitorThe Department of Agriculture is promoting the use of drone technology to help the nation's ageing farmers. Speaking during a seminar on "Professional Farming Drone under Academic Principle and Laws" organised on Wednesday by the department and farming agencies, Pongthai Thaiyotin, the department's deputy chief, said that the agricultural sector plays a significant role in the country's economic growth. Thailand has 150 million rai of farmland, with over 7 million farming families, he said. Their average age is about 57, and that number is expected to increase to 65 by the next decade, he added. Due to this demographic trend, there is a demand for agricultural services, especially chemical spraying drone services, he noted. "Drone technology is going to play a stronger role in the farming sector. But there is no standard for the service, so the department has worked closely with partners to develop the best practices for the ultimate results," he said. The department has launched a guidebook on the best practices for spraying pesticides using drones. The department believes that the guidebook will help drone providers develop the skills and good practices for chemical use on farmland. Moreover, the department has launched identification cards for drone service providers to ensure standards and show that providers have passed training courses. Kelly Stange, consultant to the US Embassy in Thailand's agricultural sector, told the audience that drone technology is a "great innovation" for helping farmers to reduce the cost of investment, higher crop production and proper use of chemicals with less impact on the environment. "We hope to see further drone technology development through our collaborative partners so that farmers can use technology to respond to climate change impacts," she said. Chortip Salayapong, director of the Plant Protection Research and Development Office, said that using drones properly in farming would limit environmental impacts and increase safety for users and communities.

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A WARM breeze drifts through the open balcony doors just as I’m lulled to sleep by the sound of waves splashing lazily against the shore. It’s November, I’m steeling myself for the festive season’s craziness, and I can’t think of a better way to relax before it all than this. A long weekend in Lanzarote was just the trick, where the sun shone in a clear blue sky and the balmy temperatures warmed my winter bones. Our getaway was to the wonderfully located Barcelo Teguise Beach, right on the seafront in Costa Teguise. This smaller resort on the island’s sunny east coast is known for its lovely golden sand beach and compact, walkable centre. And we loved the fact our adult-only hotel was right in the heart of the action. Read more on Lanzarote Our room looked out over the bay and down below, and we could watch the morning joggers on the promenade and holidaymakers strolling day and night along the seafront’s many bars, restaurants and shops. The hotel’s Champs sports bar sits right on the promenade too, so you can enjoy all the benefits of the hotel’s all-inclusive package while still being in the midst of the town and beachfront. This 4H resort has a lovely boutique feel to it and welcomes a mix of nationalities — the majority British — with a relaxed, chilled atmosphere. There are two pools, a lovely courtyard main pool lined with palm trees with plenty of sun loungers and cabana beds as well as a rather swish infinity number on a terrace overlooking the seafront. Most read in Beach holidays There was of course some of the inevitable lounger-hogging for the sunniest spots but it was encouraging to see staff clear away towels if beds remained unoccupied for long periods. The vibe was calm with activities such as aqua aerobics and board games occasionally across the day from the hotel’s enthusiastic staff. By night, guests gathered after dinner in the swish B-Lounge where there was live music and excellent cocktails . I was particularly impressed that the drinks were all premium brands, served with a flourish by the waiters at your table directly from the spirit bottle. The hotel offers B&B and half-board options as well as all-inclusive deals and the food was of good quality with plenty of choice. The main buffet restaurant, open in winter for breakfast and dinner, featured a different themed cuisine each night, as well as plentiful fresh salads and live cooking stations serving up everything from freshly grilled seafood to steaks. At lunch, those on all-inclusive could choose from the comfort pub classics at Champs or light local cuisine at the Breeze Gastro Pool Bar. I loved the Canarian cold tomato soup with slices of boiled egg and quality Iberico ham. Rooms — recently refurbished — were the perfect place to relax, too. Our junior suite came with a separate living room and two balconies — one with its own hot tub, the other with loungers. With plenty of storage space, USB sockets and rainfall shower with quality full-size toiletries, it really ticked all the boxes. The black and white loo rolls were a quirky touch — reflecting the island’s natural volcanic geography. Many of the hotel’s deluxe double rooms also feature a tub on the balcony. Unique natural beauty The resort’s classic Lanzarote architecture of brilliant white walls and vibrant green woodwork are of course part of the huge legacy of the Spanish artist, architect and activist Cesar Manrique. His passion for preserving the island’s unique natural beauty saw him lead the way in fighting overdevelopment when tourism boomed in the 1980s. His influence helped establish strict building regulations that remain in place to this day, that buildings must be low-rise and feature traditional colours with doors and windows in blue or green. And the great man played a significant role in the development of Costa Teguise itself. We wandered around the Pueblo Marinero, a complex of white-washed buildings with green wooden shutters and balconies that is home to a host of shops, houses and restaurants . Las Cucharas beach was developed in a way to respect the natural landscape, and even humble roundabouts in the town feature sculptures and other artworks. But that’s not to say you’re in a Disneyesque fantasy: there are still oodles of places to eat and drink with the inevitable Irish bars and tapas joints offering happy hour £2 pints and cocktails from £4.50. After a couple of days to relax, we took to our hire car to explore more of the island and Manrique’s influence. We rented a car through Cicar, picking it up easily from the airport. This Which?-recommended hire car provider is a gem. I paid £155 for five days. We were pleased to be offered an upgrade and all their cars come with no insurance excess. There’s even a handy Cicar app to help you with audio guides to the island’s main attractions There is even a handy Cicar app to help you with audio guides to the island’s main attractions. Just a ten-minute drive took us to Manrique’s former home and studio in Taro de Tahiche, which is now the headquarters of the foundation dedicated to preserving his legacy. Also a museum displaying his art and personal collections, the astonishing house is built into a lava field with rooms and even a pool garden carved out of the natural volcanic formations. Sunday is also the best day to visit the inland town of Teguise — its narrow, cobbled streets host a weekly market selling handmade crafts including pottery, ceramics and jewellery from local artisans as well as your standard souvenirs, food and Canarian cheeses and meats. We stopped for lunch at La Bodeguita del Medio in the middle of the market, paying just £16.50 for a generous platter of six tapas dishes plus a basket of bread, enjoying plump prawns, spicy chorizo sausage and crisp potatoes. With clear roads and little traffic, in just half an hour we were admiring the astonishing, stark lava fields and volcanic craters in the Timanfaya national park. READ MORE SUN STORIES Manrique’s influence continues here — he designed many of the buildings in the park including the El Diablo restaurant where chefs cook over the heat of the dormant volcano. Here, you can tuck into grilled dishes including chicken and chorizo in the Manrique-designed dining room with stunning views all around. GETTING / STAYING THERE : Seven nights’ half-board in a deluxe double room with hot tub is from £881pp including flights from Stansted on January 14, 2025, 22kg luggage and transfers. Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester departures also available. See jet2holidays.com . MORE INFO : See barcelo.com/en-es/barcelo-teguise-beach .How co-writing a book threatened the Carters’ marriageJimmy Carter had the longest post-presidency of anyone to hold the office, and one of the most active. Here is a look back at his life. 1924 — Jimmy Carter was born on Oct. 1 to Earl and Lillian Carter in the small town of Plains, Georgia. 1928 — Earl Carter bought a 350-acre farm 3 miles from Plains in the tiny community of Archery. The Carter family lived in a house on the farm without running water or electricity. 1941 — He graduated from Plains High School and enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus. 1942 — He transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. 1943 — Carter’s boyhood dream of being in the Navy becomes a reality as he is appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. 1946 — He received his naval commission and on July 7 married Rosalynn Smith of Plains. They moved to Norfolk, Virginia. 1946-1952 — Carter’s three sons are born, Jack in 1947, Chip in 1950 and Jeff in 1952. 1962-66 — Carter is elected to the Georgia State Senate and serves two terms. 1953 — Carter’s father died and he cut his naval career short to save the family farm. Due to a limited income, Jimmy, Rosalynn and their three sons moved into Public Housing Apartment 9A in Plains. 1966 — He ran for governor, but lost. 1967 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s fourth child, Amy, is born. 1971 — He ran for governor again and won the election, becoming Georgia’s 76th governor on Jan. 12. 1974 — Carter announced his candidacy for president. 1976 — Carter was elected 39th president on Nov. 2, narrowly defeating incumbent Gerald Ford. Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter embraces his wife Rosalynn after receiving the final news of his victory in the national general election, November 2, 1976. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) New-elected President Jimmy Carter gives a press conference after being elected 39th President of the United States, on November 05, 1976 in Plains, Georgia. (Photo by GENE FORTE / CONSOLIDATED NEWS PICTURES / AFP) (Photo by GENE FORTE/CONSOLIDATED NEWS PICTURES/AFP via Getty Images) Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter hold up signs during a rally on may 15, 1976 in New York. – Carter was elected on December 21, 1976 39th President of the United States, 51% voice against 48% for incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford. (Photo by CONSOLIDATED NEWS / AFP) (Photo by -/CONSOLIDATED NEWS/AFP via Getty Images) Chief Justice Warren Burger administers the oath of office to Jimmy Carter (R), flanked by his wife Rosalynn, as the 39th President of the United Sates on January 20, 1977. (Photo by CONSOLIDATED NEWS / AFP) (Photo by -/CONSOLIDATED NEWS/AFP via Getty Images) Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter embraces his wife Rosalynn after receiving the final news of his victory in the national general election, November 2, 1976. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) 1978 — U.S. and the Peoples’ Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. President Carter negotiates and mediates an accord between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. 1979 — The Department of Education is formed. Iranian radicals overrun the U.S. Embassy and seize American hostages. The Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty is signed. 1980 — On March 21, Carter announces that the U.S. will boycott the Olympic Games scheduled in Moscow. A rescue attempt to get American hostages out of Iran is unsuccessful. Carter was defeated in his bid for a second term as president by Ronald Reagan in November. 1981 — President Carter continues to negotiate the release of the American hostages in Iran. Minutes before his term as president is over, the hostages are released. 1982 — Carter became a distinguished professor at Emory University in Atlanta, and founded The Carter Center. The nonpartisan and nonprofit center addresses national and international issues of public policy. 1984 — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter volunteer one week a year for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps needy people in the United States and in other countries renovate and build homes, until 2020. He also taught Sunday school in the Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains from the mid-’80s until 2020. 2002 — Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 2015 — Carter announced in August he had been diagnosed with melanoma that spread to his brain. 2016 — He said in March that he no longer needed cancer treatment. 2024 — Carter dies at 100 years old. Sources: Cartercenter.org, Plains Historical Preservation Trust, The Associated Press; The Brookings Institution; U.S. Navy; WhiteHouse.gov, Gallup

Golden Minerals Announces NYSE American Notice to Commence Delisting and Intended Transition to OTCQB MarketHyderabad: The Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (TGSCDRC) rejected an appeal by SBI Card, holding the company responsible for overcharging a customer. The decision upheld a previous ruling by the District Consumer Commission, which ordered SBI Card to pay Rs 15,000 with 9 per cent annual interest and Rs 5,000 as costs. The issue arose when the customer, Abdul Khader, from Medak, used his SBI credit card for transactions amounting to Rs 24,710.66. He claimed he had chosen to repay the amount in six monthly installments but said SBI changed this to 12 installments without his consent. He also accused the bank of automatically debiting Rs 7,979 from his SBI savings account without a notice. In January 2019, the district consumer commission ruled in favour of Khader, stating that SBI Card was deficient in its service. SBI Card later appealed, arguing that the changes to the EMI plan were communicated through e-statements and that the auto-debit was necessary to cover unpaid dues. However, the TGSCDRC dismissed the appeal, citing SBI’s inability to provide evidence or calculations to justify the debited amount. The commission also noted that the partial refund of Rs 2,573 issued by SBI supported his claim of being overcharged. It criticized SBI for lacking clarity on how the interest was calculated.

Alphabet Inc. ( NASDAQ:GOOGL – Get Free Report ) shares traded up 0.1% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $169.48 and last traded at $169.23. 19,241,543 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 29% from the average session volume of 27,217,824 shares. The stock had previously closed at $169.12. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Alphabet from $217.00 to $208.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 14th. China Renaissance upgraded shares of Alphabet from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Alphabet from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Alphabet from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $217.00 price target (up previously from $215.00) on shares of Alphabet in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have assigned a buy rating and five have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $205.90. Read Our Latest Research Report on GOOGL Alphabet Trading Down 0.2 % Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The information services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $88.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $72.85 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 27.74% and a return on equity of 31.66%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.55 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Alphabet Inc. will post 8.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Alphabet Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. Alphabet’s payout ratio is 10.61%. Insider Activity at Alphabet In related news, Director Kavitark Ram Shriram sold 10,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.78, for a total transaction of $1,898,190.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 330,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $59,741,643.48. This trade represents a 3.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . Also, CAO Amie Thuener O’toole sold 682 shares of Alphabet stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.44, for a total transaction of $109,420.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,136,807.48. The trade was a 2.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 206,795 shares of company stock valued at $34,673,866. Corporate insiders own 11.55% of the company’s stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alphabet Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GOOGL. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Alphabet by 75.0% in the 2nd quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 140 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. LMR Partners LLP bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Denver PWM LLC bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 2nd quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new stake in Alphabet during the 2nd quarter valued at about $53,000. Institutional investors own 40.03% of the company’s stock. About Alphabet ( Get Free Report ) Alphabet Inc offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The Google Services segment provides products and services, including ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Alphabet Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alphabet and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

– Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu-PF, is embroiled in a bitter internal power struggle as suspensions and purges target officials perceived to oppose efforts to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidency beyond 2028. The conflict, which has escalated since the party’s October conference in Bulawayo, exposes deep divisions within Zanu-PF over succession plans and the controversial “2030 project.” In October, Zanu-PF officially resolved to back Mnangagwa for a term extension until 2030. However, the President has publicly maintained that he will not seek to exceed his constitutionally mandated two terms, creating confusion and fueling factional tensions. Critics accuse powerful party figures of sidelining potential rivals in a bid to control the race for Mnangagwa’s eventual successor. At the centre of the turmoil is Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, widely regarded as a leading contender to succeed Mnangagwa. Alleged supporters of Chiwenga are being purged on charges of disloyalty. Masvingo province, a traditional Zanu-PF stronghold, has emerged as a hotspot for infighting. Simon Muchafa, a provincial executive member, ignited controversy when he accused retired army general Engelbert Rugeje of backing Chiwenga. In a leaked audio recording, Muchafa declared he would not support a presidential candidate from outside Masvingo, signalling his opposition to Chiwenga. Following these remarks, over ten provincial members were slapped with prohibition orders, including youth leader Brighton Mushekwa and Kudakwashe Gopo. Provincial leaders, including Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira, accused them of aligning with Chiwenga and accepting bribes to undermine the “2030 project.” Despite Muchafa’s inflammatory statements, he has not faced disciplinary action, raising concerns about fairness in the purge process. Meanwhile, the composition of the provincial disciplinary committee has come under scrutiny, with figures linked to Chiwenga reportedly sidelined, further intensifying suspicions of bias. The crackdown extends beyond Masvingo. In Chiredzi, key figures such as Israel Lunga, Levy Gumbo, and Felix Bangu have been removed. In Harare, Emmanuel Juta faces a disciplinary hearing on December 11th after receiving a prohibition order. In Mashonaland East, Provincial Minister Aplonia Munzverengi and Uzumba MP Wiriranai Muchemwa are reportedly next in line for disciplinary action over alleged ties to the so-called “Hwedza project,” a rival faction. The escalating factionalism is now spilling into the public domain. Former Masvingo Provincial Commissar Isaac Makomichi, suspended after questioning the “2030 project,” defended his stance. “You should not suspend someone for asking,” he said, questioning the legitimacy of extending Mnangagwa’s term when the President himself had expressed intent to retire in 2028. Zanu-PF’s internal strife highlights growing tensions over succession and the push for political dominance. The “2030 project” has become both a rallying point and a source of division, with its political fallout likely to shape the future of the ruling party as it approaches the next election. : OnlineKam Jones scored 20 points and dished with 10 assists to lead the No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles to a 94-62 victory over the visiting Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee. Jones added six rebounds for Marquette (8-0), which is off to its best start since winning 10 straight to begin the 2011-12 campaign that ended with a Sweet 16 appearance. Ben Gold added 12 points, while Stevie Mitchell scored 10 and had three steals. David Joplin, Caedin Hamilton and Royce Parham each netted nine points for the Golden Eagles. The Catamounts (2-4) were led by Bernard Pelote's 13 points and eight boards. Jamar Livingston chipped in 10 points and CJ Hyland bundled five points with five rebounds and six assists. Marquette controlled most of the game, thanks largely to 51.4 percent shooting and 21 takeaways. The Golden Eagles built a 16-point lead in the first half before Western Carolina clawed within 37-28 with 3:55 left. Marquette responded with a 12-2 run to take a 49-30 advantage into the break, its largest lead of the game to that point. The game quickly got out of hand from there, with the Golden Eagles eventually scoring 11 straight points to push its lead to 81-45 with 7:15 remaining. Marquette finished with 26 points off of Catamount turnovers and hit 14 of 40 shots (35.0 percent) from 3-point range. The win wasn't all smooth sailing for the Golden Eagles, who lost backup guard Zaide Lowery to an apparent left knee injury. Lowery was helped off the court and into the locker room by his teammates with 1:36 left in the game. Saturday's game was a final tune-up for Marquette, which has three challenging games coming up against No. 5 Iowa State, No. 15 Wisconsin and Dayton before Big East conference play begins Dec. 18. --Field Level Media

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NoneKroger ( KR 1.33% ) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Dec 05, 2024 , 10:00 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good morning and welcome to The Kroger Co. third quarter 2024 earnings conference call. [Operator instructions] Please note, this event is being recorded. I'd now like to turn the conference over to Rob Quast, senior director, investor relations. Please go ahead. Robinson C. Quast -- Senior Director, Investor Relations Good morning. Thank you for joining us for Kroger's third quarter 2024 earnings call. I am joined today by Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer, Rodney McMullen; and interim chief financial officer, Todd Foley. Before we begin, I want to remind you that today's discussions will include forward-looking statements. We want to caution you that such statements are predictions, and actual events or results can differ materially. A detailed discussion of the many factors that we believe may have a material effect on our business on an ongoing basis is contained in our SEC filings. The Kroger Company assumes no obligation to update that information. After our prepared remarks, we look forward to taking your questions. In order to cover a broad range of topics from as many of you as we can, we ask that you please limit yourself to one question and one follow-up question, if necessary. I will now turn the call over to Rodney. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Rob. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. Before we begin, I'd like to provide an outline of our discussion topics this morning. I will start by sharing a recap of our third quarter performance and highlight how we continue to advance our go-to-market strategy, which powers our value creation model and drives long-term sustainable growth for our shareholders. Then Todd will cover our financial results for the third quarter and walk through updates to our full year guidance. And finally, I will close with some comments on our pending merger with Albertsons. Turning first to our performance. We delivered strong third quarter sales results, led by our pharmacy and digital performance, which reflects the versatility of our model. Customer engagement remains strong. Our convenient seamless shopping experience, along with incredible customer value through low prices, personalized offers, and great quality Our Brands products, drove growth in both total and loyal households. As we entered the last quarter of 2024, we are focused on providing the quality, fresh, and affordable products that make holiday celebrations special. Customer spending habits continue adjusting to current macroeconomic factors. As inflation normalizes, our premium and mainstream households are feeling more confident and are returning to their pre-pandemic shopping patterns more quickly. Mainstream households are the primary driver of our positive customer engagement trends. While overall consumer settlement remains low, expectations are improving, which positions us well for the holidays and into next year. As we said, near term, some customers are managing macroeconomic uncertainty. Spending from budget-conscious households remained under pressure as the effects of multiyear inflation and higher interest rates have had a larger impact on these households. Therefore, we expect it will take longer for these households to feel the benefits of economic improvement. Kroger is delivering on its long-standing commitment to provide customers with the value they are seeking. We are helping customers save in multiple ways, including competitive shelf prices and loyalty discounts, personalized offers, fuel rewards, and an expanded multitiered Our Brands portfolio. Digital offers are an important way we deliver savings to customers, and engagement continues to grow with 5% more digital offer clips so far this year, and that has led to 14% more savings for Kroger customers. We are always creating additional ways for our customers to save. This quarter, we celebrated and thanked our customers with a customer appreciation week, offering new great deals. And to help our customers enjoy a memorable Thanksgiving, we lowered the price of Thanksgiving meals for the third consecutive year by creating a meal bundle that served a group of 10 people for less than $5 per person. We are focused on executing our go-to-market strategy to deliver a differentiated customer experience through our focus areas of fresh, Our Brands, personalization, and seamless. We appreciate our associates' continued efforts to elevate the customer experience and bringing this strategy to life by improving on our key priorities of full, fresh, and friendly again this quarter. I would now like to cover how we are enhancing our go-to-market strategy. We are seeing long runways for growth in many areas of our strategy, starting with fresh. Customers connect strongly to our Fresh for Everyone brand promise, which is a key differentiator for Kroger. Improvements across the supply chain as part of our end-to-end fresh initiative are increasing days of freshness. For example, bagged salads now offer customers more than seven days of freshness. Customers are noticing, and it has led to identical sales in produce of more than 3% this quarter. In addition, we constantly evaluate new ways to apply data and technology to provide an even better fresh experience and deliver more days of freshness for our customers. One of the ways we are doing this is through recent implementation of RFID-embedded labels on bakery items. These labels provide us with greater insights into our fresh inventory, resulting in consistently fresher items and higher in-stock levels. We have seen encouraging results, including higher sales in locations and categories where we have piloted the RFID labels, and we look forward to scaling this to more stores. Turning to Our Brands, I would like to step back and talk about the significant investments we've made in Our Brands and how those investments are delivering value to both customers and shareholders. For years, the grocery industry offered private label products, with the primary goal of creating products at lower price points. Several years ago, we recognized an untapped opportunity for growth in these products and envisioned a future where our private label products would match or exceed the innovation, quality, and recognition of national brands, which is why we coined the phrase Our Brands. Guided by that vision, our teams built distinct and recognizable brands that our customers want and love, providing more value and meeting unique product needs that national brands cannot fill. Recently, we focused in on refining Our Brand architecture to optimize the portfolio and ensure each brand plays a unique role on the shelf. The successful addition of Smart Way, our new opening price point brand, played an important role in rounding out our multitiered portfolio and offering an attractive alternative to national brands at every price point. The next phase of the work involved refreshing designs and packaging, enhancing brand equity, and reinforcing quality and improving the shopability. For example, to reinforce our long-standing guarantee of quality and freshness, we are placing guarantees on labels across our Kroger-branded products. Innovation remains a driving force for Our Brands' growth. We utilize our data and insights to understand customer trends and meet increasing demands by consistently introducing new items to our portfolio, with a focus on growth areas, including free-from, organic, and multicultural. This innovation enables us to differentiate ourselves from both national brands and other private label brands, creating destination items that help build customer loyalty. Our manufacturing capabilities will continue to be an important advantage for Our Brands. With oversight over the quality and the supply, we can develop unique and differentiated products while keeping costs low, allowing us to pass the savings to customers while preserving our ability to grow margins. A true win-win for customers in Kroger. This quarter, Our Brands continued to deliver strong financial results, which Todd will cover in more detail. Next, to personalization. Our Kroger Plus program provides our loyal customers access to savings and rewards that, in turn, drive traffic to our seamless experience. As customers become more engaged, we gain deeper insights into customer trends while creating the data that enables us to grow Kroger Precision Marketing and deliver more effective promotions and relevant product recommendations. We are working to grow Boost, the next level of our loyalty program, through new benefits. And this quarter, we announced the addition of Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ streaming benefits with Boost annual memberships. Turning to seamless. Digital sales grew 11%, driven by an increase in both households and traffic. Within digital, delivery sales grew at 18% and continues to outpace other channels. Boost is one of the important ways we are increasing e-commerce penetration, providing customers an affordable membership model for free delivery. Increasing e-commerce penetration is important to our model as households who shop with us digitally and are in our stores are our most loyal customers and increase retail media monetization opportunities as well. As our digital business grows, particularly in our delivery network, it continues to have a larger impact on our financial results. Improving profitability is a key priority and becoming even more important to our financial model. Over nearly a decade, we made significant investments in our digital capabilities: building out our own properties, creating distribution channels in both pickup and delivery, investing in automation, enhancing personalization, and introducing an industry-leading retail media network. While each of these capabilities required significant investments, we now have a unique digital experience that our customers enjoy. Moving forward, we are committed to growing volumes, utilizing automation, and introducing new technology that will create efficiency gains while helping us narrow the profitability gap between online and in store. Narrowing that gap will generate meaningful operating margin benefits and help drive shareholder value over the next several years. By executing our go-to-market strategy, we are building loyalty, increasing customer engagement, and creating more growth opportunities. First, with alternative profit businesses, which had another solid quarter, Kroger Precision Marketing continued to deliver the most significant growth from our alternative profit businesses. Next, in health and wellness, as the pharmacy industry continues to transform, Kroger has a unique opportunity to play a bigger role in helping patients live healthier lives while growing our share of the industry. We are excited about this area of the business, and its performance this quarter demonstrates we can grow this business profitably in a way that supports our customers to live healthier lives. Sales and profitability this quarter were well ahead of last year, led by growth in both GLP-1s and vaccines. Our strong growth in vaccines reflect patient trust in Kroger to vaccinate them and their families during the start of the cold and flu season, the peak quarter of the year for vaccinations. Our health and wellness teams did an excellent job this quarter in building awareness around our vaccine capabilities, growing share, and administrating significantly more vaccines this year versus a year ago. These helped offset the product mix pressures from GLP-1s. Our vaccine efforts are leading to new patient scripts, which is important as these customers are more likely to become loyal households and spend more across the store. We appreciate our associates for their continued efforts to elevate the customer experience by delivering on our key priorities of full, fresh, and friendly. Team consistency leads to a better customer experience, and we are excited about another quarter of improvement in retention. Our focus on retention reflects a holistic strategy, including investments in wages and benefits, as well as enhancing the associate experience through training, technology, and career development opportunities. With that, I will hand it over to Todd to take you through our third quarter financial results. Todd. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Rodney, and good morning, everyone. Kroger's third quarter results reflect the durability of our model, with strong pharmacy results that helped offset lower fuel profitability as we cycled strong fuel results from a year ago. As we head into the final quarter of the year, we are narrowing the ranges on our identical sales without fuel, adjusted FIFO operating profit, and adjusted EPS guidance. The strength of our model gives us confidence in our ability to deliver on this full year guidance. Before I walk through our third quarter financial results, I would like to start off by covering a couple of items from the quarter that affected our financial results. First, during the third quarter, we finalized the sale of our Kroger Specialty Pharmacy business for $464 million. The sale reduced total company sales in the third quarter by approximately $340 million compared to the same period last year, and annualized sales will be approximately $3 billion lower going forward. KSP was a low-margin business. As a result, the sale of the business increased both Kroger's gross margin and operating general and administrative costs as a rate of sales. It had no material effect on operating profit. Second, on a year-over-year basis, the combined hurricane season and port strike had approximately a 20-basis-point favorable impact on sales as customers stocked up in anticipation of these events. These events had an unfavorable impact on OG&A. Together, this did not have a material impact on total operating profit. I'll now take you through our third quarter financial results. We achieved identical sales without fuel growth of 2.3%. As Rodney mentioned earlier, identical sales without fuel were led by strong pharmacy and digital sales. We're also encouraged by the continuation of positive customer metric trends, including increases in total and loyal households. Our Brands had a strong quarter with sales outpacing national brands again this quarter, led by mid-single-digit growth in our most premium brand, Private Selection. Customers continue to demand premium products but, at the same time, are looking for value. Our Private Selection brand is a perfect solution by offering our customers premium quality at an attractive price. These results demonstrate the breadth of Our Brands portfolio and the ability to meet customers' needs for quality and value. Digital sales delivered another quarter of double-digit growth, led by 18% growth in delivery solutions, driven by our customer fulfillment centers. The CFCs are offering customers a superior digital experience with excellent in-stocks, fresh items, and a white-glove on-time delivery. CFC growth was driven by a significant increase in households and trips, as well as an increase in basket size. Our third quarter identical sales without fuel results were affected by the Boar's Head recalls that began in the second quarter. We acted quickly with the safety of our customers in mind as soon as we became aware of the situation. Boar's Head is a strategic supplier, with brand-loyal customers that are an important driver of our deli sales. As a result, some customers have temporarily migrated away from the category. It will take some time for those customers to resume their prior purchasing behavior, and we expect this to remain a headwind to sales in the near term. The unfavorable sales effect from Boar's Head this quarter was largely offset by the favorable sales impact from the hurricane and port strike. Turning to margins. Gross margin was 22.9% of sales, and our FIFO gross margin rate, excluding fuel, increased 51 basis points compared to last year and was ahead of expectations. The increase in rate was primarily attributable to the sale of Kroger Specialty Pharmacy, Our Brands performance, and lower shrink, partially offset by lower pharmacy margins. The result reflected Kroger's ability to improve margin while being competitive on price and helping customers manage their budgets. The OG&A rate, excluding fuel and adjustment items, increased 22 basis points, driven by the sale of Kroger Specialty Pharmacy and increased incentive plan costs, partially offset by the continued execution of cost savings initiatives. Excluding the sale of Kroger Specialty Pharmacy, fuel, and adjustment items, our OG&A rate to sales would have been nearly flat year over year, demonstrating that our model can leverage expenses when we achieve our long-term id sales without fuel goal of 2% to 4%. This is made possible by our relentless focus on productivity and cost savings initiatives, which remain an essential part of our model. These initiatives are focused on simplification and utilizing technology to enhance the associated experience without impacting the customer experience. This quarter, we launched a new, internally developed, generative AI-powered sell-through tool, which helps us better manage inventory in both fresh and center store departments through real-time insights tracking sales and shipments. This enables our teams to increase freshness on shelves and prioritize sell-through, optimizing both sales and margins. Looking ahead, we plan to further enhance the AI capabilities on this platform by extending into improved forecasting and end-to-end inventory management. During the third quarter, we recorded a LIFO charge of $4 million, compared to a charge of $29 million for the same period last year, due to lower expected year-over-year inflation. Adjusted FIFO operating profit was 1.02 billion, and adjusted EPS was $0.98 per diluted share, an increase of 3% compared to last year. Fuel is an important part of our strategy. Fuel rewards through our Kroger Plus program help build customer loyalty. Fuel sales were significantly lower this quarter compared to last year, attributable to a lower average retail price per gallon. Fuel profitability was also meaningfully behind a year ago as a result of fewer gallons sold and lower cents per gallon margin. I wanted to provide a brief update on inflation as it remains a topic of interest for many investors. Inflation was down slightly in the third quarter compared to the second quarter but remains around 1%. We expect inflation to remain consistent in the fourth quarter. I would now like to provide a brief update on associates and labor relations. During the third quarter, we ratified new labor agreements for Dillons Columbia and Missouri clerks; Central Division, Ottawa, and Streator clerks; Northern Illinois meat clerks; Fred Meyer Portland retail stores; and the Foods Co. contract in Northern California, all covering nearly 13,000 associates. We respect associates' right to collectively bargain. We're also communicating to local unions. And coming to the table with proposals that do not balance investing in associates with keeping groceries affordable for our customers and supporting a growing and profitable business model are untenable. These proposals stand in the way of operating our business in a way that ensures job security and advancement opportunities for associates. Turning to cash flow. Kroger continues to generate strong adjusted free cash flow or consistent operating results. Free cash flow generation is an important part of our model and is enabling us to invest in our business for growth. At the end of the third quarter, Kroger's net total debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio was 1.21, compared to our target range of 2.3 to 2.5. Our strengthened balance sheet provides us flexibility to pursue growth and enhance shareholder value. We continue to take a disciplined approach to deploying capital, prioritizing the highest growth opportunities that strengthen our business and deliver solid returns for our shareholders. We're committed to maintaining our investment-grade debt rating, increasing our dividend over time, subject to board approval, and returning excess capital to shareholders when we are able to do so. I would now like to provide some additional color on our outlook for the rest of the year. After delivering solid third quarter results, we're narrowing the ranges of identical sales without fuel, adjusted FIFO operating profit, and adjusted EPS guidance. Additionally, we have updated our guidance for adjusted effective tax rate and expect it to be 22.5%. We now expect identical sales without fuel for the year to be in the range of 1.2% to 1.5%, with quarter-to-date trends signaling we will be near the midpoint of this range. Identical sales without fuel results year to date have largely been in line with our expectations, with Q3 being slightly ahead of expectations due the favorable effects from the hurricanes, the port strike, and strong vaccine growth during the peak season for immunizations. Our expectations for fourth quarter identical sales without fuel are consistent with our forecast at the beginning of the year. We expect Q4 identical sales to remain strong but sequentially lower than third quarter, partially due to the cycling of weather benefits from the fourth quarter of 2023 that are not built into our current forecast for Q4 2024. We now expect adjusted FIFO operating profit to be in the range of $4.6 billion to $4.7 billion, and adjusted net earnings per diluted share is expected to be in the range of $4.35 to $4.45. Looking to next year, we are in the process of finalizing our 2025 business plan. While we still have many unknowns, we do expect Kroger to deliver FIFO operating profit growth on a stand-alone basis. During our fourth quarter earnings call, we plan to share our full year 2025 outlook in more detail. In closing, we are happy to deliver another quarter of strong results, which reflect the resilience of our value creation model. While macroeconomic conditions remain uncertain, our model has multiple levers, which enable us to navigate any environment, including grocery, health and wellness, fuel, and alternative profit businesses. This gives us flexibility in the ways we create shareholder value and confidence in our ability to generate attractive and sustainable returns for shareholders. I will now turn the call back to Rodney. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Todd. Before I open it up to Q&A, I'd like to speak briefly about our pending merger with Albertsons. First, I would like to express my appreciation for our associates and their incredible commitment. It has been a long journey, and our associates have done an excellent job serving customers and running the day-to-day operations of our business while also preparing for the merger. I would like to extend a special thanks to those who supported the litigation in federal and state courts, both the associates who testified and the teams who prepared a compelling case about the meaningful and measurable benefits of the merger. Our teams are ready to ensure a seamless transition for our customers and associates from day one. It is exciting to see the complementary strengths of both Kroger and Albertsons organizations. And we look forward to combining these strengths to provide customers with an even better experience. As we await the court rulings in the regulatory challenges to the merger, we remain confident in the facts and the strengths of our position. The retail industry continues to be more competitive. And we know how our customers shop. Every day, they are making decisions on where to eat and where to buy their groceries. They shop at a wide range of competitors, from Costco to Amazon to dollar stores, and they eat at restaurants. They shop digitally and brick and mortar. And as I've said before, we remain committed to closing the merger because it will provide meaningful and measurable benefits for customers, for associates, and for communities across the country. And we look forward to bringing these commitments to life. Regardless of the outcome of the trials, Kroger is operating from a position of strength. And we are optimistic about our future. Our business is more diverse than ever, and our value creation model provides us with multiple ways to drive sustainable growth. Our strong free cash flow and strengthened balance sheet provides us with the ability to invest in our business and enhance shareholder value. With that, Todd and I look forward to taking your questions. Because we are still in litigation, we will not be taking questions on the merger this morning. Questions & Answers: Operator Thank you. [Operator instructions] Our first question for today comes from Simeon Gutman of Morgan Stanley. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Simeon Gutman -- Analyst Good morning, Rodney, Todd. My question is on the P&L for 2024. If you take out the extra week lap and then you pull out some of the merger-related costs, the big ones, it looks like the core business is growing pretty nicely on EBIT and really nicely, potentially mid-single, even high single-digit percentage. And that's despite lower fuel profitability, and the environment has been pretty tough. So, first, is that a fair characterization? And is it mixing the way you would have thought between the core business and the alternative? Thanks. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Great question, Simeon. Thanks for that. And I think that's a fair read on how you've described it. You know, we were obviously very happy with the results that we've seen coming from not only the core business but inclusive of pharmacy. We're particularly pleased with the results we saw in the pharmacy. You heard Rodney talk about it today. So, despite that lever in fuel giving us a headwind this quarter, we were pleased with the core growth coming from the core business and see that continuing. The mix relative to alternative and core business, I think the growth expectations that we have around the alternative profit business are relatively consistent to what we expected to see. And so, I think that those are -- continue to be as balanced as we expected going into the quarter. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer And, you know, longer term, as everyone knows, the alternative business -- profit businesses, we continue to see a great opportunity, and the margins on that business is meaningfully higher than the supermarket business. And the whole flywheel between our brick-and-mortar business and our seamless business, pickup and delivery, is the engine behind driving that continuation there, which we're very excited about. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer That's a great call, Rodney. We saw the digital growth, again, at low double-digit growth, which is an important part of the growth that you talked about, Simeon. And that -- again, when you talk about mix in our business and our omnichannel, that low double-digit growth is right on what we expected and helps drive both the core business and the alternative profit, as Rodney described. Simeon Gutman -- Analyst And the one follow-up, this is more toward a comment Rodney made. All year, we talked about the mainstream, the premium, and the lower end. It felt like there may have been an inflection whereas the mainstream has been resilient and the premium has been healthy. I thought your comments today on mainstream inflected a little more positively. I'm not sure if that's reading too much in. Lower income sounds about the same. Curious if that's fair. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Yeah, the mainstream customers certainly performed -- connected with us better in the third quarter than the second quarter. How much of that is driven because of things we did and how much they're just feeling better, we don't know. Now, they're telling us they feel better. And certainly, customers that are on a budget continue to be under a lot of strain. And the cumulation of inflation and other aspects and higher interest rates have affected -- continue to affect them more. And I think the other thing that's always important to remember is that customer, in many cases, are starting out in careers and things and they don't have as many physical assets on -- you know, a house or a little bit of savings and those things, and those inflation obviously affects that person a little harder than others. Thanks, Simeon. Operator Our next question comes from Rupesh Parikh of Oppenheimer. Rupesh, your line is now open. Please go ahead. Rupesh Parikh -- Analyst Good morning and thank you for taking my question. So, just going back to your guidance, so you did narrow the operating profit range to the lower end of the range for the full year. So, just curious what's driving that. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Todd, I'll let you start. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Yeah. Well, you know, with one quarter left, Rupesh, we wanted to try to narrow the range because there should be less variability in our expectations. When you look at the sales part of the guidance, down at 1.2 to 1.5, I think that's pretty consistent with what we've been thinking for the year. The midpoint on that range is a tick higher than I think what we have been thinking before. And frankly, when you look at where we expect to be in Q4, I think that's right on how we've been thinking about it all year, relative to all of that. Q3 actually is the one that was really strong. And we talked about -- Rodney talked about the pharmacy and the digital growth there, particularly in the vaccine space. We were really pleased. We've been working hard to grow our vaccine business, and we saw that throughout the quarters early in this year. But with Q3 being that key vaccine -- you know, Super Bowl season for vaccines, we were really pleased to see that that growth continue and that it paid off in that point in time. So, that's where we saw Q3 being really strong and that Q4 guidance being really what we expected. When you look at it on the EPS side of our guidance, Rupesh, again, we narrowed the range there. We took a nickel off the top side and the bottom side. And really, that midpoint of the range is pretty consistent with where we've been thinking about it for the year. As we think about that range and some of the key factors for that range in the fourth quarter, a couple of key things that we're keeping an eye on. One is weather. We alluded to it in our prepared comments. There were several meaningful weather events a year ago that, you know, drove some benefits. And we just don't forecast weather, you know, on a forward-looking basis. So, if we see the number and magnitude of weather events in the fourth quarter this year, I think that would be something that could push us toward the higher end of that range. And then the other one is fuel. Certainly, we -- you know, fuel tends to be pretty volatile, and we've seen that this year. And really, we have fuel expectations to be pretty in line with where they were last year. And frankly, from a gallon trend and from a cents per gallon trend, in the fourth quarter, we're pretty consistent sequentially from where we've been performing over the last few periods. So, if we have variance in the fuel profitability, either positive or negative, I think that could lean us toward the top or the bottom end of that range, respectively. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Todd said this, but I think it's important to just highlight it. You know, if you look at the range for the year, fuel in the third quarter was a tougher quarter than what we expected it to be, and that really -- relative to the top side. And the other thing that Todd mentioned, we don't budget weather because we just don't know. Obviously, there's been some major storms, but those storms haven't been in places where we operate stores. So, it really hasn't affected us so far. And generally, that's a positive when we have weather because people eat at home as opposed to going to restaurants. Rupesh Parikh -- Analyst And then my very quick follow-up question, just on the Boost membership, you added the Disney perk as well, just, you know, overall, are you guys happy with the signups that you're seeing and the retention with that program? W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer I would say we're very happy, but the thing that I guess I get more excited about is the potential because it's an incredible value for customers and customers love it and they -- and we have a high renewal rate and a high NPS score. So, our job is to continue to educate more customers on it. So, I'm really more excited about, you know, the opportunity going forward and the overall deeper connection with customers. So, great question. Thanks, Rupesh. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Leah Jordan of Goldman Sachs. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Leah Jordan -- Analyst Good morning. Thank you for taking my question and thanks for the commentary on inflation this morning and how you're thinking about it in the fourth quarter. But as you plan with your vendors, seeing if you can add more color on how you're thinking about inflation into next year. You know, what are you seeing across categories in hearing from those partners? Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Yeah. No, a great question. Maybe still a little early to think about next year. But, you know, if you think about where we were this year, obviously, coming into the year, we were coming out of that crazy disinflation that we had a year ago. And inflation has played out more or less the way we expected. It's maybe a little bit less than what we expected, but it's been relatively stable at just under 1%, maybe even saw, I think, a slight step back in Q3 relative to Q2, which, as we said, we expect to see for next year. As we look to next year at this point, looking at, you know, both some of the macro and governmental studies, as well as conversations with vendors, again, it's still early to tell and we might see a slight expansion to inflation next year but really don't expect to see anything meaningfully different or inconsistent with what we're kind of seeing right now with inflation. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer We are continuing to see CPGs be a little more aggressive on trade dollars. And, you know, over time, you know, that obviously affects inflation a little bit as well. Leah Jordan -- Analyst Great. Thank you. And I just wanted to follow up on some of your fresh initiatives. I know you've been working on improving days of freshness in produce for a while, so great to see some improvement there. But it seemed like the RFID tags within bakery is new to me. You know, just wanted more color there. You know, what degree of lift are you seeing when you add that to the category? How many of your stores have it today and how should we think about the rollout over time? W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Well, we are -- you know, as I mentioned, we're testing it. We're happy with the initial result. The benefits are as much helping our associates be able to do their job a little bit easier. And, you know, it's too early -- it's early enough to be excited about the potential. It's too early to say, you know, this much we can budget in terms of what we would do. But, you know, the thing that we're excited about for our customers, it's helping us make sure we have fresher product for the customer and stay in stock better. And, you know, it's super exciting. You know, we will look at other areas of the store to see what kind of opportunity it is. The cost per tag is still higher than we would like. So, we still need to continue to work on focusing on the getting the cost per tag down. But positive early results really early in the process and excited about the potential. Thanks, Leah. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Ken Goldman of J.P. Morgan. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Ken Goldman -- Analyst Hi. Thank you. I wanted to follow up on the topic of next year, I appreciate it's too early to -- for specifics, and I'm not asking for any numbers. But to Simeon's question, you agreed that it's a fair read that the core underlying business is doing very well -- I think those were the words -- despite when you ex out the merger cost and the digital mix and fuel and so forth. And you talked a little bit about inflation being sort of steady and predictable and consistent in that low single-digit range. Are there any other unusual tailwinds or headwinds that we should consider, just directionally, as we think about next year? Just trying to get a sense for what would kind of throw you off from having another, you know, reasonably good year. You did say that operating profit would be up, but you didn't kind of tell us how much, and your longer term amount goes 3% to 5%, of course. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Yeah, and it's -- it would be way too early to tell you specifics. And obviously, we're awaiting for the ruling on the merger, which will affect guidance as well. The other thing that -- I guess, from a positive standpoint that I'm excited about, in the third quarter, we opened or expanded the most number of stores that we've done I think it's actually in a quarter in seven years. And as you know, last year, we talked about it that we will open more stores this year than we have in several years, and we would expect to continue to open more stores. And so far, the stores that we've opened, we're happy with the way they're connecting with customers and we're happy in terms of the volumes they're creating and the early read on, you know, the profitability of the stores as well. So, over time, we would hope that that would continue to be a tailwind. And obviously, on seamless, we continue to see that as really critical to our five- or 10-year future to be awesome there. And we still have a lot of work to do to make -- where we're indifferent, whether somebody shops with us online or in store, and we'll continue to put a lot of effort there. In terms of headwind, Todd, I'll let you -- anything that you can think of that's -- Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer I can't think of anything unusual headwinds or tailwinds as we sit here today, frankly, Ken. But, you know, going into next year, part of what has us optimistic and feeling good about the strength of our value creation model is a lot of the momentum we have in the things that are in our high-growth areas today. We've talked about a lot of them already. It's pharmacy. It's our digital business. It's our alternative profit. And we have good momentum in those spaces and are executing on those. And from a headwind standpoint, we're going to continue to invest in the business, we're going to invest in price. You've heard Rodney say it before, we assume every year is going to be more competitive than the last, and that view hasn't changed. And so, we'll continue to engage in customers, make sure we're delivering value to them by investing in price and investing in their shopping experience. And we're committed to continue to invest in wages. So, some of those are headwinds. They're just the parts of our model that is we deliver the value in our model through all their different value propositions, we're able to use that to invest in the business to keep the flywheel moving. Ken Goldman -- Analyst OK. Thank you for that. And then speaking about price investments, you know, Rodney, you mentioned that CPGs continue to be a little bit more aggressive on trade dollars. Your largest competitor or -- you know, in food retail -- we'll see if the judges agree that it's a competitor or not. But your largest competitor in food retail had more kind of commentary last week or this week about, you know, how they would like to see more of those price investments from key vendors. Rodney, your tone, you know, since I've known you has always been more sort of agnostic about that. You know, if investor -- if your vendors don't invest with that, you'll be happy to sell customers more private label. I'm just curious where you stand in terms of are you content with the level of price investment or are you more just sort of agnostic and saying, look, whatever our vendors want, it'll play out either way beneficially for you. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. I guess a little bit of both. The -- if you look at tonnage growth in CPGs, there's a lot of CPGs that cannot be satisfied with their tonnage growth. And I believe that trade dollars and being more aggressive on partnering with us to make sure the right customer gets access to those benefits is good long term for the customer, long-term benefit for both of us on tonnage. If they're not willing to do that, it really gets back to the comment that we talked about. Our Brands, and, you know, Todd and I both mentioned it, had a strong quarter. The profitability of Our Brands is, you know, several 100 basis points higher than national brand. And if the CPGs are willing to continue to give up share to Our Brands, we're OK with that because what we find is once a customer tries Our Brands, the repeat rate of customers coming back is incredibly high because what they find is they have -- there's no compromise on quality and they have a great value for the money. So, you know, at the end of the day, the customer wins when they buy Our Brands. But it really is -- we try to run a business where the customer decides what they want to buy as opposed to forcing them to buy something. Thanks, Ken. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Ed Kelly of Wells Fargo. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Edward Kelly -- Analyst Hi. Good morning, everyone. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Good morning. Edward Kelly -- Analyst Curious about the gross margin. You've had a couple of good quarters, you know, on the gross margin front. I think you admit this quarter was better than expected. How are you thinking about gross margin in Q4, and then, you know, even like into -- I don't know, you're not going to get next year, but sort of like the outlook for the gross margin? And I'm talking like ex-Spec Pharma divestiture and maybe, you know, just talk about the puts and takes around that. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Yeah. No, great question, Ed, and I think you hit on a key part of thinking about it, excluding KSP. You know, we talked about, you know, it was a strong quarter in gross margin, and about half of that year-over-year benefit was a result of the divestiture. But the other piece of it really came -- we highlighted both of them. Rodney -- layers in well with what Rodney was just talking about -- was our growth in Our Brands. We continue to have Our Brands sales growth outpacing national brands, and that is always going drive, you know, solid margin expansion. And so, that's certainly what we saw again in the third quarter, very similar to what we saw in the second. And then shrink had another nice quarter. So, we've got, you know, cautiously optimistic on the progress we're making there, but we are making progress in the shrink space that really helped us in the third. As we look to the fourth, I think, you know -- excluding KSP, I think, overall, we'll probably be slightly favorable in the fourth. Reflecting KSP, when you pull that out, I think we'll probably be relatively flat on that, relative to some of the puts and takes, again, if we over-indexed in things like Our Brands and whatnot, but we may be a little bit favorable. But overall, I think we'll be relatively consistent, relatively flat year over year on the margins in Q4. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer I totally agree with everything Todd said, and Todd said the big pieces. I would also add a couple of smaller pieces that's helping on gross margin that should continue is, if you look at our warehouse and transportation costs, we continue to make some progress there. And the customer continue to buy more value-added product, and fresh continues to grow as well. So, those are things that help on mix, in addition to things that Todd talked about. Edward Kelly -- Analyst And just to -- Rodney, a quick follow-up. This one is for you, and you kind of hinted at it or talked about it. But, you know, Albertsons would be a transformational deal. How do you feel about Kroger's position, you know, if the deal is rejected? And do you need to hunt for something else more transformational or is it just simply more prudent to double down on what you have and reward shareholders for their patience with return of capital? W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Yeah, it's a great question. You know, if you look at the balance sheet capacity that we have, there's probably no -- nothing else that would be transformational that would use the balance sheet capacity that we would have. So, I don't know that we would be out there trying to find what's the next Albertsons. As you know, and you just said it, we try -- we've always made sure that we don't need to do mergers to make our business successful. And that was one of the reasons that we've always been proud of what Kroger has done. We're super excited about Albertsons and the potential, and we believe we will be able to add a ton of value for giving customers better value. The people there, we'll be able to provide security, and grow our business and create additional career opportunities and support communities. But if it doesn't happen, we'll continue to go on. As you know, we always will continue to look at how -- ways to grow the business. Mergers is always one of those ways of growing the business. But we try to make sure that we only do a merger when it makes sense. And we're not chasing something, and we won't get in a position where we are having to chase something. So, great question, and thanks, Ed. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Michael Lasser of UBS. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Michael Lasser -- Analyst Good morning. Thank you so much for taking my question. As of the second quarter, Kroger had made a point in its presentation that it was on track to deliver more than 20% media growth this year, and that line was removed this quarter. So, is it right to interpret that the media growth, which is an important driver of the alternative revenue stream, is starting to slow perhaps as there are more platforms for advertisers to choose and direct its advertising dollars? And if that's the case, how does Kroger accelerate that element of its algorithm in order to support the long-term outlook for the business? Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Yeah, let me start there, Michael. Thanks for the question. It's a good call. We do still expect to see our retail media growth be in that 20% range for the year. It's still a fast-growing part of our business, and the outcomes that we're seeing continue to demonstrate that we're well-positioned for that growth. You know, as we look at those CPGs that are advertising with us, we see the outsized return on ads spend that they're generating. And so, that's why I say we're able to demonstrate and we're seeing those results. And not coincidentally, the sales for those CPGs at Kroger are strong. And so, I think the proof points continue to be there, but as you say, there's a proliferation of options as everybody's kind of got their own flavor of what this is. So, I think we just need to continue to demonstrate that to CPGs because I think the proof will be in the results. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Todd's last point, to me, and if CPGs are listening, and that's the only reason why I'm adding on top, the CPGs that increased spending the most had the highest tonnage growth with us on -- which, to me, is it shows you the power of our platform. And, you know, Todd said it. I just wanted to double down on it. Michael Lasser -- Analyst OK. And my follow-up question is what do you need to drive -- what do you need to happen in order to drive the -- back -- Kroger to achieve the sales piece of its long-term algorithm in 2025? This year, there's been a contribution from the GLP-1 drug, some storm-related spending. Perhaps don't -- won't -- those won't be as meaningful contributors next year. So, is it that you would be banking on, A, market share stabilizing and is that realistic; and B, some acceleration in inflation to offset what have been driving the -- some of the comp this year? W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Yeah, we wouldn't -- we would not be dependent on inflation. And it's really -- we continue to double down on the customer experience. And when we find that we improve the customer experience, our business follows that or the customer rewards us for that. And it's -- you know, it really gets back to -- you've heard us say it a million times -- full, fresh, and friendly. The other thing that we're increasingly supporting is allocating capital to growth areas, and that would be, you know, storing; obviously, continuation of seamless. Our online business continues to have outside growth. And then specific projects that support cost reductions and sales opportunities. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Yeah, I agree with everything you said, Rodney, especially the storing, which you hit on earlier as well. You mentioned GLP-1, and that certainly has been part of this year. But as we sit here today, I think we continue to expect to see growth in that area as more manufacturers get in the mix and the supply continues to become more available and more and more patients continue to utilize that drug. So, I think we'll still see -- expect to see growth in the GLP-1 space as well for the -- at least near future -- foreseeable future. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Michael. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from John Heinbockel of Guggenheim Partners. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. John Heinbockel -- Analyst Hey, Rodney, can you talk about the -- you referenced in your release the initiatives -- productivity initiatives on in-store order selection. How broadly is that rolled out? And when I think about how much you can take the cost per order down, can you take that down double digit from where we are today? W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Over time, we would certainly expect to take it down double digit from where we are today. And when I talk about over time, I'm talking about over the next two or three years. And it's -- we still have a reasonable amount to roll it out. Now, as you -- you followed Kroger long enough to know that we will start -- whenever we roll something out, we start with the biggest opportunity places first. So, it's the highest volume locations and those kind of things. The thing that I think is fascinating and exciting is if you look at the fundamental things behind the software, we're learning that we can actually use that same technology in other areas of the business. And I would hope that we'll continue to find those kind of opportunities. So, I feel, you know, confident and comfortable that, certainly, well, you know, double-digit-type stuff of improvement. But, you know, our team is not going be satisfied until they get to where it's indifferent, how somebody shops with us. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Michael Montani of Evercore ISI. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Michael Montani -- Analyst Yes. Good morning. Thanks for taking the question. I just wanted to ask first, did I miss the fuel CPG contribution for this quarter? Wondering if you could give some added color there. And then just had a follow-up. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Yeah. Thanks, Michael. We don't typically -- we stopped a few quarters ago given -- giving details around CPG. You did catch on to the point that -- I think that Rodney brought out that both gallons and CPG were down in the third quarter, again, with some of the volatility in fuel. But as we looked at the fourth quarter relative to our expectations versus a year ago, we think fuel will be a little bit -- our expectation is that fuel will be a little bit more stable year over year in Q4, and that's supported by some of the trends that we've seen over the last few periods in both gallons and margins. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Rob Dickerson of Jefferies. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Robert Dickerson -- Analyst Great. Thanks so much. Rodney, you know, I know you said upfront and it seems like consumer settlement is still low, but maybe, you know, there are some green shoots. Maybe it's improving a little bit. So, I'm just wondering kind of as you got through the Thanksgiving holiday and then as we're kind of, you know, in a real time in the current holiday season, like have you seen any, you know, incremental, almost like sequential traffic improvement in the actual retail stores? W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer We feel good about where we are. The thing I guess I would say that we still don't quite under -- it'll take time as there's five less shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, we feel good about where we are. We're tracking a little bit better than where we thought we would be. But we still are cautious because of the five less shopping days and how does that play out. And as you mentioned, we are seeing the customer -- most of the customers are starting to feel a little bit more relaxed and comfortable in terms of where they stand and what's coming, what -- how things look going forward. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Jacob Aiken-Phillips of Melius Research. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Jacob Aiken-Phillips -- Melius Research -- Analyst Good morning, everyone. Thanks for the question. I just wanted to go back to inflation a little bit. So, you showed that you were able to kind of leverage SG&A given, like, flat comps, excluding KSP. How do we think about that relationship going forward in terms of wage inflation and wage investment? And then also, with tariffs, aware of the view that it could be a self-fulfilling prophecy in terms of, like, people buying stuff and causing inflation, even if there aren't actually tariffs happening. I just wanted your thoughts on that. Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Yeah, I'll start with the wage investments. It's a great question. You -- we've talked a lot about how important it is for us to invest in our associates because they're so critical in delivering our customer experience. But, you know, we will continue to balance those wage investments with the other profitability enhancement items that we say. So, in any inflationary environment and in any sales leverage environment, you know, we've demonstrated that our model enables us to pull the levers to be able to balance those wage increases accordingly over time. So, given the comments that we've said with fairly balanced inflation, we think we'll be able to leverage our SG&A, including wage investments. Rodney, I don't know if you want to comment on tariffs. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Tariffs, for us, you know, first of all, you know, the effect on us is probably a little less than most companies. And we buy products internationally, but it's pretty modest. If you look in the fresh departments, it's, you know, less than 20% of the stuff. If you look in the center store, it's a fraction of that. So, we would see the tariffs affecting others generally more than us, and we feel like we'll be able to manage whatever is done because our competitors will have to deal with the same thing. Thanks, Jacob. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Chuck Cerankosky of Northcoast Research. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. Chuck Cerankosky -- Analyst Good morning, everyone. Rodney, you mentioned that the mainstream and premium customers were pretty close to spending how they had been before COVID. But they are also, from what I can observe, the groups that are more likely to be going to restaurants, which seem to be doing fairly well right now. How do you sort of offset that with Kroger's prepared food offerings and maybe what changes are you making in those categories? W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Well, first of all, we believe that that's a huge opportunity. You know, our market share -- you know, half of meals bought at a restaurant is consumed in a car or at home. Actually, I think it's a little over half. So, we see that as a huge opportunity. I would say we're trying a lot of different things. We've -- we're working with a couple of outside companies trying to help us there. But, you know, to me, it's more of a -- we -- in the future, we have a bigger opportunity than we've been able to unlock so far, and we believe it's a huge opportunity because what we've found is that a customer can buy a meal from us and it's usually the cost is one-third to one-fourth versus going out to a restaurant. So, it's -- for us, it's a great opportunity, but we're just scratching the surface. Operator Thank you. At this time, we'll take no further questions, so I'll hand it back to Rodney for any further remarks. W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Thank you for all the questions. And as always, we have a lot of our associates listening in. First, I would like to send our thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the recent hurricanes. I would also like to take a moment to express my gratitude and appreciation for our dedicated team of associates, especially during this time. They just did amazing things on supporting communities. And as you know, our stores are vital to each community we serve. And during these types of times, our customers rely on us to provide them with food and other essential items. And I am so proud of our associates who have stepped up to be there for our customers, communities, and each other. Thank you for everything that you do for Kroger and our customers and thank you for everyone joining us today. We wish you a very happy holiday season, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. Operator [Operator signoff] Duration: 0 minutes Call participants: Robinson C. Quast -- Senior Director, Investor Relations W. Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Todd Foley -- Interim Chief Financial Officer Rodney McMullen -- Chair and Chief Executive Officer Simeon Gutman -- Analyst Rupesh Parikh -- Analyst Leah Jordan -- Analyst Ken Goldman -- Analyst Edward Kelly -- Analyst Ed Kelly -- Analyst Michael Lasser -- Analyst John Heinbockel -- Analyst Michael Montani -- Analyst Robert Dickerson -- Analyst Jacob Aiken-Phillips -- Melius Research -- Analyst Chuck Cerankosky -- Analyst More KR analysis All earnings call transcripts

Extended meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan

In October, we asked ‘Will this year’s word of the year be another slice of Gen-Alpha slang?’ In the article, Digital Journal pondered over potential words that might be selected. What represents the ‘word of the year’ is, of course, subjective and it depends on the august body that awards it. The first such winner to emerge in 2024 comes from the Oxford English Dictionary (established 1884). This year the publishers of the Oxford Dictionary have named “ brain rot ” the 2024 Word of the Year. This was the 20th year of lexicographers putting forward and helping to select words that captured the zeitgeist. For 2024 the selection was made following a public vote in which more than 37,000 people took part. This was chosen from a shortlist of six words intended to reflect the moods and conversations that have helped shape the past year. The other words on the short-list were: • Demure (adj.): Of a person: reserved or restrained in appearance or behaviour. Of clothing: not showy, ostentatious, or overly revealing • Dynamic pricing (n.): The practice of varying the price for a product or service to reflect changing market conditions; in particular, the charging of a higher price at a time of greater demand • Lore (n.): A body of (supposed) facts, background information, and anecdotes relating to someone or something, regarded as knowledge required for full understanding or informed discussion of the subject in question • Romantasy (n.): A genre of fiction combining elements of romantic fiction and fantasy, typically featuring themes of magic, the supernatural, or adventure alongside a central romantic storyline • Slop (n.): Art, writing, or other content generated using artificial intelligence, shared and distributed online in an indiscriminate or intrusive way, and characterized as being of low quality, inauthentic, or inaccurate How many of these words will remain on our lips by the time we reach the end of 2025? “Brain rot” is a popular term used among Gen Z and Gen Alpha (despite the first usage being traced back to 1854) to describe both the cause and effect of “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” In terms of everyday language, “brain rot” is intended to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. The term increased in usage frequency by 230 percent between 2023 and 2024. Hence, the most prominent “brain rot” symptom is the adoption of seemingly nonsensical language used in this type of unchallenging content, which may leave those not in the loop puzzled and confused. How exposed are we to “brain rot”? According to The Guardian , the typical UK adult now spending at least four hours a day online (with gen Z men spending five and a half hours a day online, and gen Z women six and a half). In 2023, the word of the year was “manifest” ( as we reported on Digital Journal ). Here, the traditional definition of manifest included the adjective “easily noticed or obvious” and the noun “to show something clearly through signs or actions”. The post-2023 definition now includes “to manifest” in the sense of “to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief doing so will make it more likely to happen”. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

Pinnacle West and APS Announce Leadership SuccessionThe outcome of the 2024 election has resulted in no shortage of Democratic finger-pointing. While the postmortem and soul-searching are necessary, the tone and tenor of the blame game have begun to morph into something more insidious. In the last weeks we have seen an increasing demand for the Democratic Party to abandon its association with political issues reflecting the “identity” of marginalized or vulnerable communities. While few constituencies have been spared recrimination, some of the most cynical and pernicious scapegoating has been reserved for the transgender community. This is deeply troubling because trans people are particularly vulnerable; with an estimated population of 1.6 million people nationwide, they are barely half of 1% of the U.S. adult population. Transgender people face a disproportionate amount of discrimination. In the last year, more than 500 anti-trans laws were introduced in state legislatures. Over $215 million was spent on political ads demonizing trans people — despite polling showing trans-related issues were not a top priority for most voters. And even Congress is forming its own anti-trans brigade to ban the country’s first trans congresswoman from using the U.S. Capitol’s bathrooms. Trans issues are not fringe issues. Equality, dignity and the ability to control our own bodies are interlinked for all of us, but especially for the trans community. That’s why on Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union, where I serve as executive director, argued a landmark case before the Supreme Court regarding the constitutional rights of families with trans children. United States v. Skrmetti will decide whether Tennessee violates equal protection by enacting a sweeping health care ban preventing adolescents, parents and doctors from making decisions around gender-affirming health care. That the court has decided to take up this case demonstrates that how we treat trans people in law and society is important for all of us. Conservatives’ focus on trans rights is merely the next front in the attacks that brought about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. There is a throughline between trans rights and abortion rights: When the Supreme Court heard Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the justices were deciding whether a state could ban a form of healthcare that saved lives — just as they will in Skrmetti. By targeting one of the nation’s most vulnerable communities, conservatives are hoping the American people will shrug and let them do as they please. The recent retrenchment on the political left and center may set back the cause of trans equality — and equal protection more broadly. Pundits are saying we need to course correct because we have moved too far left. Some will even argue that bringing a Supreme Court case on trans rights — at this moment — isn’t politically savvy. But everyone deserves civil rights and civil liberties, even if the group being targeted does not poll well among likely voters. As the election postmortems continue, people should remember that the struggle for equality is rarely politically expedient or popular — especially at the outset. As a gay man, I vividly remember hearing from the Democratic establishment that gay equality was a losing proposition in the political arena. LBGTQ+ people understood that the Defense of Marriage Act, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and California’s Proposition 8 were little more than rationalizations and gussied-up prejudice. Looking further back, the struggles for civil rights and women’s equality were also unpopular with the public — especially White men — at their inception. It’s not a new phenomenon when voters in some states zealously resist any extension of federal civil rights into their communities. Fighting for trans rights is not hard or complicated for those of us who believe everyone has the right to live free from discrimination. The next generation has far more expansive views on LGBTQ+ issues and trans rights than many of the old guard who populate the top rungs of political parties and institutions today. They will remember the organizations and people who showed conviction and courage in this moment. Meanwhile, history is unlikely to look kindly upon the so-called leaders who chased polls and popularity at the expense of progress and principles. Betting on the future and fighting for trans equality is not just the right call — it’s an easy choice. Anthony D. Romero is the executive director of the ACLU. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Rookie Bucky Irving relishes opportunity to help Buccaneers any way he can against skidding Raiders

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Ozy Media Founder Carlos Watson Sentenced To Hefty Prison Term For Defrauding InvestorsAn online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalitionTiny Homes Market to Grow by USD 4.82 Billion from 2023-2028, Report Explores AI-Driven Transformation Across Segments by Technavio - Technavio

Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) got into a yelling match Thursday during a congressional hearing about the July assassination attempt on President-elect Donald Trump . When Fallon began asking Rowe — who was the Secret Service’s deputy director when Trump was shot July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania — questions about security failures that day, the two men remained relatively calm. Holy shit -- acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon just had a huge, angry blow up during a hearing, screaming and yelling at each other pic.twitter.com/LQdvHGnEGM The exchange became heated when Fallon presented a photo of Rowe at the 9/11 remembrance in New York earlier this year and asked him if he was the special agent in charge of the president’s protective detail that day. Rowe told Fallon that the special agent in charge in September was not in the photo. His voice rising, he said he “actually responded to Ground Zero” on Sept. 11, 2001 and “was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.” He was at the 2024 remembrance, he said, to “show respect for our Secret Service members that died on 9/11.” Fallon yelled at Rowe, “I’m not asking you that. I’m asking you if you were the special agent in charge.” “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes,” Rowe shouted back. “Don’t try bullying me,” Fallon said, pointing his finger at Rowe as the two men began talking over each other. “I am elected member of Congress,” he said, “and I am asking you a serious question. ... Were you the special agent in charge that day?” Rowe said he wasn’t. “You know why you were there,” Fallon said. “Because you wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job.” Fallon said Rowe should have been on duty during the remembrance and because he wasn’t, he was effectively putting President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in danger. Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Fallon’s questioning time was up, but he said to Rowe, “You’re a bully.” Rowe became the interim Secret Service director on July 24, one day after then-Director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down. She had been heavily criticized for her agency’s response to Trump’s assassination attempt. In a comment to HuffPost, Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service chief of communications, said that all detail personnel were at the 9/11 memorial ceremony and “had complete access to their protectees during the memorial.” Fallon’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Related From Our Partner

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In conclusion, the wave of mergers and acquisitions in Hebei Province reflects the ongoing transformation and evolution of the banking industry in China. As rural banks seek to adapt to new market realities and regulatory requirements, consolidations and partnerships offer a strategic path towards sustainable growth and enhanced competitiveness. While challenges remain in terms of managing the impact on employees and communities, the overall trend of consolidation signals a positive direction for the banking sector in Hebei Province.The Week 17 NFL schedule has a lot in store. Among those contests is the Tennessee Titans squaring off against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In terms of live coverage, we have everything you need to know regarding Week 17 of the NFL here. Check out the piece below. Don’t miss a touchdown this NFL season. Catch every score with NFL RedZone on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Sign up today and watch seven hours of commercial-free football from every NFL game every Sunday. Rep your favorite NFL players with officially licensed gear. Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, hats, and much more.None

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Al Jazeera television has clashed with the Palestinian Authority over its coverage of the weeks-long standoff between Palestinian security forces and militant fighters in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. Fatah, the faction which controls the Palestinian Authority, condemned the Qatari-headquartered network, which has reported extensively on the clashes in Jenin, saying it was sowing division in "our Arab homeland in general and in Palestine in particular". It encouraged Palestinians not to cooperate with the network. Israel closed down Al Jazeera's operations in Israel in May, saying it threatened national security. In September, it ordered the network's bureau in Ramallah, to close for 45 days after an intelligence assessment that the offices were being used to support terrorist activities. "Al Jazeera has successfully maintained its professionalism throughout its coverage of the unfolding events in Jenin," it said in a statement on Tuesday. Palestinian Authority security forces have battled Islamist fighters in Jenin, as they try to control one of the historic centres of militancy in the West Bank ahead of a likely shakeout in Palestinian politics after the Gaza war. Forces of the PA, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, moved into Jenin in early December, clashing daily with fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both of which are supported by Iran. The standoff has fuelled bitter anger on both sides, deepening the divisions which have long existed between the Palestinian factions and their supporters. Al Jazeera said its broadcasts fairly presented the views of both sides. "The voices of both the Palestinian resistance and the Spokesperson of the Palestinian National Security Forces have always been present on Al Jazeera's screens," Al Jazeera said. (This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Maharashtra endorsed development, defeated dynasty politics: PM ModiA bid by The Onion satirical news outlet to buy Alex Jones' conspiracy theory platform Infowars returned Monday to a Texas courtroom, where a judge heard arguments on whether a bankruptcy auction was properly run as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston is looking into the November auction and how a trustee chose The Onion over the only other bidder — a company affiliated with Jones that offered twice as much money as The Onion. The judge said the hearing would last into Monday evening and pick up again on Tuesday afternoon. The sale of Infowars is part of Jones' personal bankruptcy case , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control. Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Jones' personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy judgments issued by juries and judges in state courts in Connecticut and Texas. Some proceeds will go to Jones' other creditors. The Onion, which wants to turn Infowars' website and social media accounts into parodies , offered $1.75 million for Infowars' assets in the auction, while First United American Companies — which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements — bid $3.5 million. The Onion's bid also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, chose The Onion, saying its proposal was better for creditors because they would receive more money. Joshua Wolfshohl, an attorney for Murray, told the judge Monday that no wrongdoing occurred during the auction. He called the complaints by Jones and First United American Companies unfounded. “The vast majority of their complaints are just fantastic, imagined conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality," he said. Jones' lawyer, Ben Broocks, questioned Murray's rationale for choosing The Onion and alleged that a recent deposition of the trustee showed improprieties. He also questioned the validity of The Onion's bid, saying it was technically valued at $7 million because of the incentive offered by the Sandy Hook families. An auction company executive involved in the sale testified most of the afternoon. In court filings, Jones and First United American Companies accused Murray, The Onion and the Sandy Hook families of illegally colluding on the bidding, committing fraud and violating the judge's rules for the auction. Murray, The Onion and the families deny the allegations. In his own court filing, Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.” Up for sale at the auction were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, as well as its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations. Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened . On Friday, a Connecticut appeals court reduced by $150 million the original $1.44 billion judgment against Jones in the lawsuit against him in that state, but upheld the rest of the award. Jones' lawyer said he will ask Connecticut's highest court to review the appellate ruling. Jones is also appealing a $50 million judgment in a similar Texas defamation lawsuit.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — After losing to San Francisco in the playoffs three of the last five seasons, the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t mind seeing the 49ers get left out of the postseason entirely. The Packers (7-3) could damage San Francisco’s playoff hopes Sunday by beating the 49ers at Lambeau Field. San Francisco (5-5) dropped to .500 after losing at home to the Seattle Seahawks, though the 49ers remain just a game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. “I think we’re motivated to keep winning more than anything,” Packers center Josh Myers said. “Obviously, they have knocked us out quite a bit. There’s that extra motivation behind it, but at this point, we’re just trying to churn out wins.” The 49ers will be playing this game without starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who injured his right shoulder in the Seahawks game. Although an MRI showed no structural damage, Purdy's shoulder didn't improve as the week wore on. Brandon Allen will start in Purdy's place. Green Bay is third in the NFC North and two games behind the Detroit Lions, but the Packers appear on track to at least earn a wild-card playoff berth. History suggests their path to a potential Super Bowl would get much clearer if the 49ers aren’t standing in their way. The 49ers trailed 21-14 in the fourth quarter before rallying to beat the Packers 24-21 in the divisional playoffs last year on Christian McCaffrey’s 6-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left. Now, it’s the 49ers who are struggling to protect late leads, as they’ve blown fourth-quarter advantages in three games against divisional opponents. “You could look at, ‘Hey, we’re three possessions away from being 8-2,’ but you can’t really live like that,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “Those are the mistakes that we’ve made to be 5-5. It’s not exactly where we want to be. It is frustrating. The nice thing is we have seven games left to go out there and play Niners football and take advantage of those opportunities.” Green Bay’s recent history of playoff frustration against the 49ers also includes a 13-10 loss at Lambeau Field in the 2021 divisional playoffs and a 37-20 road defeat in the 2019 NFC championship game. Even the Packers players who weren’t around for last season’s playoff loss realize what this game means. “I think one of the first meetings that I was in here, we had a conversation about the Niners beating us,” said Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney, who joined the Packers this season. “So I understand how important it is, and we all do.” Both teams must figure out how to convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. The 49ers are scoring touchdowns on just 48.8% of their drives inside an opponent’s 20-yard line to rank 27th in the NFL. The Packers are slightly worse in that regard, scoring touchdowns on 48.7% of their red-zone possessions to rank 28th. In their 20-19 victory at Chicago on Sunday, Green Bay drove to the Bears 5 without scoring on two separate series. Purdy isn't the only notable player who won't be participating in Sunday's game. San Francisco won't have four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa available after he hurt his left hip and oblique against the Seahawks. Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) also have been ruled out. Kittle expects to play for the 49ers on Sunday after missing the Seahawks game with a hamstring injury. 49ers left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable. Green Bay’s defense feasted on turnovers the first part of the season, but hasn’t been as effective in getting those takeaways lately. The Packers have 19 takeaways – already exceeding their 2023 total – but haven’t forced any turnovers in their last two games. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan hasn’t eased McCaffrey back into the lineup in his return after missing the first eight games with Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey has played 91% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps the past two weeks. Jordan Mason, who rushed for 685 yards during McCaffrey’s absence, has just five snaps on offense the last two games. Shanahan said he’d like to get Mason more opportunities, but it’s hard to take McCaffrey off the field. Green Bay nearly lost to the Bears because of its third-down struggles on both sides of the ball. The Packers were 1 of 5 on third-down opportunities, while the Bears went 9 of 16. The Packers’ defense could have a tough time correcting that problem against San Francisco, which has converted 45.4% of its third-down situations to rank fourth in the league. AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLNewly-appointed State Security Minister Lovemore Matuke has ordered a ban on journalists deemed "hostile" from covering Zanu-PF internal meetings, signaling a shift in the party's media access policy. Traditionally, both private and public media representatives were allowed to attend official Zanu-PF gatherings, such as Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meetings. However, Matuke’s directive seeks to limit attendance to vetted individuals, citing concerns over information leaks and social media backlash. Clampdown on Information Leaks In a video widely circulated on social media, Matuke addressed Zanu-PF members during a PCC meeting in Masvingo, held at Clovelly, emphasizing the need for heightened vigilance. "We hold meetings, but by the time we leave, we would already be facing backlashes [on social media], and you then wonder whether the people who participated in those meetings were bonafide Zanu-PF members," said Matuke, who also serves as the security secretary in the Zanu-PF Politburo. The minister issued a stern warning to party members leaking sensitive information, stating that security agencies would track down and punish those responsible. "We must have our security guys who watch out for people who leak information and bring them to book. Those people should be dealt with thoroughly," he added. Tighter Scrutiny at Meetings Matuke called for stricter vetting procedures to ensure only eligible members attend internal gatherings. "Going forward, chairman, we need to designate our members responsible for information, including news personnel. Be very strict that nobody just comes and sits without being scrutinized. If it is a PCC, only those eligible should attend," he said. Implications for Press Freedom The directive has sparked concerns over press freedom, with critics warning that barring independent journalists from covering Zanu-PF activities could restrict transparency and accountability. This move follows a broader trend of tightening control over information flow within Zimbabwe, particularly concerning political processes and governance. Critics argue that targeting journalists and whistleblowers may suppress dissenting voices and limit public access to crucial information. Increased Security Measures Matuke’s statements reflect the ruling party’s growing unease over internal divisions and the dissemination of sensitive information through social media. By consolidating control over information and intensifying scrutiny of attendees, Zanu-PF aims to reinforce its organizational security and reduce public criticism. The minister’s remarks also highlight the dual role of Zanu-PF's leadership in both party and state apparatuses, raising questions about the intersection of party politics and national governance.

Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a strategic move to stabilize its finances while keeping operations running smoothly. Known for its ultra-low-cost business model, the airline has faced mounting challenges, including over $1 billion in deferred debt, a $158 million quarterly loss this year and failed merger efforts with JetBlue and Frontier Airlines. Don't Miss: This rooftop wind turbine is taking on a market projected to reach over $900 billion by 2032 — With already over 40,000 users signing up to purchase, here's a chance to be an early investor today! Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – with $1,000 you can invest at just $0.26/share! According to a company statement, Spirit's restructuring plan involves $300 million in new financing and $350 million in equity investments from bondholders, which will slash nearly $795 million in debt. The airline expects to emerge from bankruptcy by early 2025. CEO Ted Christie assured passengers that the restructuring would not affect flights and bookings in an open letter to customers. "You can continue to book and fly confidently now and in the future," Christie said. Spirit has pledged to maintain ticket sales, flights and loyalty programs without disruption throughout the process. Spirit's financial woes didn't develop overnight. According to CNBC, the airline hasn't turned a profit since 2019, when it lost $335 million. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected travel demand, hitting Spirit's operations hard. See Also: ‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest TODAY for just $0.26/share with a $1000 minimum. The recall of Pratt & Whitney engines in 2023 further strained the airline by disrupting fleet availability, while rising fuel costs and stiff competition from larger carriers put additional pressure on margins. Regulatory hurdles compounded these challenges. In January, U.S. courts blocked Spirit's $3.8 billion merger with JetBlue, citing concerns about reduced competition in the budget travel market. Analysts warn, however, that more drastic measures, such as cutting routes or reducing flight frequencies, could still be necessary. Statista reported that Spirit's total flight capacity declined by 33% to 27.7 billion available seat miles between 2019 and 2020. TD Cowen's senior research analyst, Helane Becker, told CNBC, “Spirit Airlines' goal should be to preserve value as much as they can." Trending: The global games market is projected to generate $272B by the end of the year — for $0.55/share, this VC-backed startup with a 7M+ userbase gives investors easy access to this asset market. In response to its financial struggles, Spirit has begun implementing cost-saving measures. The Associated Press reported that the airline plans to sell 23 older planes for $519 million and cut jobs, saving an estimated $80 million annually. The Wall Street Journal revealed that Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have resumed talks about a potential merger, causing their stock prices to climb. However, investor confidence has faltered amid these setbacks. According to CNBC, Spirit's stock price dropped from $3.22 to $1.15 after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was set to file for bankruptcy. Tom Fitzgerald, an analyst at TD Cowen, recently highlighted Spirit Airlines’ precarious situation on UPI. He stated that balancing cost-cutting measures with maintaining passenger confidence is critical for the airline’s survival. He noted that customers might begin avoiding the airline if its financial struggles intensify. Read Next: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — you can become an investor for $0.80 per share today. Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Last Chance to get 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.26/share! © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Two promoted teams, Ikorodu City and Heartland continued their unbeaten run in the Nigeria Premier Football League, making it four and five games without a loss respectively. On Saturday, defending champion of the league, Rangers International, forced Heartland to a goalless draw in Owerri while baby of the league, Ikorodu City, forced away team, Nigeria Tornadoes, to the same result as they remain unbeaten despite starting the season on a bad note. In some of the other games played on Saturday, El-Kanemi Warriors compounded Akwa United woes with another defeat with the game ending 1-0 in favour of the home team. Bendel Insurance started the post Monday Odigie era with a 3-1 defeat of Kwara United while it ended 2-2 between Lobi Stars and Kano Pillars with the away team coming back from two goals down to secure the draw. More games continue tomorrow with Katsina United facing Remo Stars at home, same as Plateau United hosting Nasarawa United in Jos. Abia Warriors will be the guest of Rivers United with Bayelsa United playing away to Shooting Stars of Ibadan.

NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Macy's, Inc. M resulting from allegations that Macy's may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. So What: If you purchased Macy's securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31645 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. What is this about: On November 25, 2024, The New York Times published an article entitled "Macy's Discovers Employee Hid Millions in Delivery Expenses." This article stated that "Macy's said on Monday that an employee had "intentionally" misstated and hidden up to $154 million in delivery expenses over the past few years, forcing the retailer to delay a much-anticipated earnings report that Wall Street uses to gauge the strength of holiday shopping." On this news, the price of Macy's, Inc. stock fell 2.2% on November 25, 2024. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.syahrir maulana This article updates my latest review on DGRS , in light of its current portfolio and recent performance. DGRS strategy WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Quality Dividend Growth Fund ETF ( NASDAQ: DGRS ) was launched on 07/25/2013 and tracks the WisdomTree Quantitative Risk & Value (QRV) provides you with risk indicators and data-driven, time-tested strategies. Get started with a two-week free trial now. Fred Piard, PhD. is a quantitative analyst and IT professional with over 30 years of experience working in technology. He is the author of three books and has been investing in data-driven systematic strategies since 2010. Quantitative Risk & Value Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Pramod Kumar Voola: Pioneering ethical AI and innovation in healthcare technology

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Save up to 20% off for Skechers Plus (free account) memberships with code GOTIME. 20% Off This Clever Sex Pillow From Tabu In honor of Sexual Health Awareness Month, Tabu is offering a free Alby Body Oil (a $55 value) with orders over $200. Tabu’s Prim Pillow is a game changer in the bedroom – and it’s no surprise it's selling out fast. With a patent-pending design and rave reviews from intimacy experts like Dr. Emily Morse and Dr. Kelly Casperson, this sex pillow combines comfort and functionality. 20% Off Bold Timepieces From Ralph Christian Got a watch enthusiast on your shopping list? This timepiece from Ralph Christian is a guaranteed stunner. It pairs a striking skeleton gold and black dial with sapphire-coated crystal glass. Interchangeable straps and 5 ATM water-resistance add practical touches for a watch that's as attractive as it is functional.There are two games on the college basketball schedule on Wednesday that feature a ranked squad. That includes the Oklahoma Sooners versus the Louisville Cardinals. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 22 Louisville Cardinals Florida Atlantic Owls at No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.Sri Lanka is known as a country that provides labour. It’s our most enduring national export. But we are also known as the nation that encourages any type of foreign remittances. A massive number of Sri Lankans — perhaps a majority — would give anything to settle down abroad with family in a Western country, or in South Korea perhaps. We in Sri Lanka have taken these proclivities for granted. We have encouraged them. Reason being that these nations have large populations of the Sri Lankan diaspora so-called, that remit money that keeps our economy ticking. But this expectation of being bankrolled by a diaspora is a sellout. Yes, we are glad the money comes in at a time we most need it. But we should target to rid our country of the bad reputation as the nation that everyone wants to leave. Any country that can live with such a bad rap is not self-respecting. This narrative of cheap labour has become the story of Sri Lanka, and no doubt there are two sides to it. Our political parties get a boost from diaspora support, and the Sinhala diaspora so-called was extremely engaged in this year’s elections. HARASSED Their support was mostly for the same party that Sri Lankans overwhelmingly voted for this year. This was a happy coincidence. Those abroad saw things the same way those who are toiling here back at home did. One reason may be that in a strange way a large number of those who are here, are also trying their best to leave, so they too could hopefully contribute to the national effort from abroad. But it’s delusional to think that all Sri Lankans want to contribute to the national effort from overseas. Most are merely ensuring that the relatives back home get a fair share. They are in effect remitting money to whom they think are less fortunate. This is not a state of affairs we should hanker after. It is why this country should plan on replacing remittances as the number one foreign exchange source of the country. Previous Governments largely didn’t lend their minds to it. If people went abroad and sent money, they were considered assets. The fact that national pride was in tatters was never considered. That no country should be proud of the fact that its citizens for the most part want to live overseas, was not considered relevant. That most of the manpower “exported” abroad in this fashion is harassed, or feels harassed and exploited in their new domiciles, was also never considered. Our national narrative cannot and should not be that we provide labour and know-how to the world. It is true that we have also exported brain-power with our doctors and engineers and scientists contributing to the GNP of Uber-rich nations. But that’s a small part of the equation. Most Sri Lankans who go abroad are low-paid workers or immigrants who provide low-cost labour to do the work that the citizens in rich countries are loathe to do themselves. It is true that a magic wand cannot be waved and revenue sources created to replace the tidal wave of citizens leaving for better opportunities abroad, while incidentally helping to earn the much needed foreign exchange to fund our purchases of fuel and other essentials. But, we cannot be a country that didn’t try, or didn’t consider it necessary to stem this tide. Singapore’s founder premier Lee Kwan Yew famously said that if his country was rife with corruption, Singaporean women would have to work as housemaids in the kitchens of Middle Eastern countries. The gentleman was concerned about the collective dignity of Singaporeans, and the effect that would have on the nation’s psyche. In contrast, successive Sri Lankan Governments couldn’t care less. It was as if the poor were encouraged to work for a pittance abroad so that the rich could make merry on the spoils that were remitted back to the country. That’s not stated in jest. Sri Lankan Embassies in the Middle East notoriously couldn’t care less about the plight of some workers who were mistreated. But they made sure that every facility was made available to remit the money that was realised by these servants to the Sheiks. All of the above should make clear that dependence on foreign remittances should be a last and not first resort. We were forced to sell our labour abroad because of the dearth of employment and business opportunities within the country. It is as simple as that. Powers Once it was clear that the powers that be didn’t mind if the poor toiled abroad, and were salivating for the money they brought in, the system became institutionalised. The ruling cabals didn’t want to think of policy solutions that would help grow the economy. They could lord it over the toiling hordes, as long as they could ensure that there would be enough of a labour-force that could be forced to go abroad and effectively sell their souls for a mess of pottage that would sustain the corrupt ruling classes back home. It’s time to regain national dignity, and eschew the selling of cheap labour as a source of national revenue. The policymakers must generate alternative sources of income for the country if this ideal is to be realised. But it’s the psychology that matters too. If the rulers are intent on retaining the status quo in which the sale of cheap labour is considered our primary source of national income, the country would continually languish in the doldrums. People should consider themselves as something more than domestic servants, nurses for old people, drivers and hospital attendants, if they want to envision a country that offers dignity, opportunities, and a standard of living that makes people want to stay back, and not leave the country. But, foreign remittances have been the opium of the masses. The rulers have ensured that the revenue earned from selling the people’s labour cheap, helps keep our heads just above water. The people in turn have got used to existing on the barest minimum and not aspiring to anything more. They have cultivated a fatalism about their general plight and that’s not surprising as the rulers have always “showed them their place” as the servants and odd job men for foreigners. SHORING As outlined earlier, it doesn’t mean that all Sri Lankans abroad are menial workers. There are top-echelon scientists and other professionals. But these are in the minority. The vast majority have forgotten what it is to hail from a country that is interested in keeping the dignity of its average citizen intact. It’s not the work ethic of the Singaporeans that helped the country make that quantum leap from backwater to Asian Tiger. It was also the mindset. If people buy into the mythology that they are only suited to be domestics abroad or odd-job men to rich foreigners, they cannot envision a better country for themselves. In other words, they cannot make the mental leap towards considering themselves worthy of comfortable living conditions. As of last month, however, we should make that mental leap. We seem to be in a place where we can at least try to stop wallowing in our plight. But the policymakers cannot be satisfied with the status quo. They cannot be satisfied with shoring up our two major revenue streams, foreign remittances and tourism-earnings. They have to ensure that the nation grows out of this two-track mindset. There could be a blowback. People could say that our revenue earners abroad are being maligned, that the dignity of their labour is not being appreciated. The problem is that they don’t have dignity of labour in the first place. They are for the most part doing jobs that foreigners won’t do in their own countries because those jobs don’t offer dignity of labour. Their foreign employers seldom offer them the dignity they deserve. That’s the truth for the most part, and there is no point glossing over it.Caprock Group LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Hormel Foods Co. ( NYSE:HRL – Free Report ) by 3.9% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 10,728 shares of the company’s stock after selling 440 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC’s holdings in Hormel Foods were worth $340,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HRL. Empower Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Hormel Foods by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,649 shares of the company’s stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its stake in Hormel Foods by 1.2% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 31,499 shares of the company’s stock valued at $959,000 after acquiring an additional 384 shares during the last quarter. Keynote Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of Hormel Foods by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Keynote Financial Services LLC now owns 13,202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $419,000 after acquiring an additional 472 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Hormel Foods by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 41,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,273,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Accredited Investors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hormel Foods by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. now owns 13,925 shares of the company’s stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 533 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.99% of the company’s stock. Hormel Foods Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of Hormel Foods stock opened at $30.67 on Friday. Hormel Foods Co. has a 12-month low of $28.51 and a 12-month high of $36.86. The company has a market cap of $16.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.60, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $31.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.74. Hormel Foods Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th were issued a $0.282 dividend. This represents a $1.13 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.68%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 15th. Hormel Foods’s payout ratio is 79.58%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have issued reports on HRL. Citigroup lowered their target price on Hormel Foods from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Stephens began coverage on Hormel Foods in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $31.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Hormel Foods in a report on Monday, October 21st. They set an “underperform” rating and a $28.00 price objective on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hormel Foods has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.29. View Our Latest Report on HRL Insider Buying and Selling In related news, VP Steven J. Lykken sold 9,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.91, for a total value of $312,718.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 30,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $976,094.99. This represents a 24.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, SVP Kevin L. Myers sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.70, for a total transaction of $327,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 39,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,276,935. This trade represents a 20.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 71,400 shares of company stock worth $2,288,338. Insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock. About Hormel Foods ( Free Report ) Hormel Foods Corporation develops, processes, and distributes various meat, nuts, and other food products to retail, foodservice, deli, and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Retail, Foodservice, and International segments. The company provides various perishable products that include fresh meats, frozen items, refrigerated meal solutions, sausages, hams, guacamoles, and bacons; and shelf-stable products comprising canned luncheon meats, nut butters, snack nuts, chili, shelf-stable microwaveable meals, hash, stews, tortillas, salsas, tortilla chips, nutritional food supplements, and others. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HRL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hormel Foods Co. ( NYSE:HRL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Hormel Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hormel Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .pbet casino 。

The local vehicle assembly and manufacturing industries have called upon the Government to maintain a fair and competitive tax structure between locally-assembled and Completely Built Unit (CBU) imports when the temporary suspension on CBUs is lifted. The full text of the media release: “The local assembly industry, under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Ministry of Industries, comprises over 17 assemblies producing cars, SUVs, motorcycles, electric three-wheelers, light and heavy trucks. “These assemblies are supported by local component manufacturers who produce a range of parts such as batteries, tyres, bumpers, exhaust systems, seats, plastic parts, composite parts, liners, wire harnesses, rubber components, and metal components. “During the temporary suspension of vehicle imports, many component manufacturers recruited over 5,000 technically qualified employees, including students and on-the-job trainees, contributing to the country’s human capital development. “This industry has also indirectly created over 10,000 jobs over the past five years, setting up a complete ecosystem that risks being threatened if unregulated imports are allowed. They risk losing all the advancements made over this period. “Although the SOP is a Government policy to promote local industry, the President of the Local Assemblers’ Association said the new decision to open up Completely Built Unit (CBU) imports will discourage local assemblies of international brands operating in Sri Lanka. “These brands include Hyundai, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata, Lanka Ashok Leyland, DFSK, JMC, Chery, Proton, Wuling, and BAIC for four-wheelers, and TVS, Bajaj, and Hero for two-wheelers, effectively covering the below-250cc motorcycle market with several more to come. “This portfolio of international brands, set up within a short period, is a significant achievement for any country. “Another crucial aspect is the component manufacturing sector, which has grown from nothing to one capable of developing components, scaling down manufacturing processes, and meeting international standards. This growth has enabled major brands to set up operations in Sri Lanka, promoting the country’s technical ability on the world stage. “This industry expects vehicle and two-wheeler exports within the next five years, and notably, component exports to increase from USD 800 million to USD 2 billion, creating 45,000 jobs in the industry, following the example of countries such as Morocco, Thailand, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey, which have leveraged strategic advantages such as location, government incentives, and strong supply chains, to develop successful local assembly industries. This has led to economic benefits, including job creation, GDP growth, and increased exports. “A thriving local assembly industry not only contributes to GDP and job creation but also enhances the country’s industrial image, attract further foreign investments, and fosters technological and economic growth. “The assembly and local manufacturing industries call upon the Government to maintain a fair and competitive tax structure between locally-assembled and CBU imports when the temporary suspension on CBUs is removed,” the release added.Global stocks end mostly up with DAX crossing 20,000 for 1st time

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Shares of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. ( NASDAQ:CDNS – Get Free Report ) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $326.00. Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Cadence Design Systems in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $225.00 target price on the stock. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of Cadence Design Systems from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “neutral” rating and set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Cadence Design Systems in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Mizuho began coverage on Cadence Design Systems in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $325.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Loop Capital initiated coverage on Cadence Design Systems in a research report on Monday, November 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $360.00 price target for the company. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on CDNS Insider Buying and Selling Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cadence Design Systems A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CDNS. Park National Corp OH lifted its holdings in Cadence Design Systems by 19.8% in the second quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 136,251 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $41,931,000 after acquiring an additional 22,537 shares during the last quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Cadence Design Systems by 83.4% during the 1st quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,505 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $1,402,000 after buying an additional 2,048 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its stake in Cadence Design Systems by 48.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 952,427 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $258,136,000 after buying an additional 310,250 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Cadence Design Systems by 88.4% in the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 54,022 shares of the software maker’s stock worth $16,625,000 after buying an additional 25,347 shares during the period. Finally, Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Cadence Design Systems by 19.4% in the third quarter. Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,131 shares of the software maker’s stock valued at $3,559,000 after buying an additional 2,136 shares during the last quarter. 84.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Cadence Design Systems Trading Up 1.7 % Shares of CDNS stock opened at $311.87 on Tuesday. Cadence Design Systems has a fifty-two week low of $241.29 and a fifty-two week high of $328.99. The company has a quick ratio of 2.27, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $278.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $283.62. The stock has a market cap of $85.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 81.86, a P/E/G ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 1.02. Cadence Design Systems ( NASDAQ:CDNS – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 28th. The software maker reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.18 billion. Cadence Design Systems had a return on equity of 28.49% and a net margin of 23.87%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.01 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Cadence Design Systems will post 4.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Cadence Design Systems ( Get Free Report Cadence Design Systems, Inc provides software, hardware, services, and reusable integrated circuit (IC) design blocks worldwide. The company offers functional verification services, including emulation and prototyping hardware. 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Additionally, glossy pink overlays enhance the design, while the teal base adds balance. The yellow accents on the outsole and branding provide a bright contrast. Furthermore, the mix of colors reflects Miami’s energetic and tropical aesthetic. The design also incorporates premium materials , ensuring both style and durability. LeBron’s latest player-exclusive pair continues to push boundaries. The "South Beach" theme connects fans to the era when LeBron dominated in Miami. That period, marked by championships and cultural influence, remains a defining chapter in his career. This exclusive pair blends nostalgia and modern innovation seamlessly. It reinforces LeBron’s long-standing partnership with Nike . The "South Beach" PE is a tribute to one of the most iconic chapters of LeBron’s journey. Although unavailable to the public, its unveiling creates a buzz among fans and collectors alike. Read More: Nike Air Max Plus Shines In New “Iridescent” Release The shoes boass a vibrant design inspired by Miami’s energy. Its glossy pink overlays sit atop a teal base, creating a bold contrast. Premium materials ensure durability and performance, while yellow accents on the outsole and branding add extra flair. The shoe's streamlined silhouette highlights Nike’s cutting-edge technology, designed for LeBron’s dynamic gameplay. This exclusive PE perfectly blends style and function, celebrating LeBron’s iconic South Beach legacy with modern flair. Unfortunately for sneaker fans, this Nike LeBron 22 “South Beach” will not be available for purchase. This is strictly a "Player's Edition" and there are no plans for the public to wear this pair on the court. Read More: USC Receives Player’s Exclusive Nike Kobe 6 Cleats

Extended Highlights: Southampton 2, Liverpool 3 Matchweek 12Kathmandu, Nov 24: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has directed the ministries and agencies concerned to resolve the dispute regarding the facility of resident doctor-post-graduate level (PG) in the medical college through mutual discussions. At the 15th meeting of the Medical Education Commission held today at the Prime Minister's official residence at Baluwatar, Prime Minister Oli who is also the Chairman of the Commission, instructed the Minister for Education, Science and Technology Bidya Bhattarai, Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel and the Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof Dr Anjani Kumar Jha to make appropriate decision to settle the issue. Based on the letter of the Ministry of Health and Population, the commission had published a notice to fill the self-evaluation form by November 26, asking that resident doctors of private colleges should also be facilitated to maintain facilities of Rs 48 thousand. Prime Minister Oli urged the Commission to study the profit and loss of the private medical colleges when they address demand. In the meeting, President of Association of Medical and Dental Colleges of Nepal, Dr. Gyanendra Man Singh Karki, asked Prime Minister Oli to give a solution, saying that the commission cannot make a unilateral decision to provide subsistence allowance to PG students on the same salary as government medical officers. In the ongoing meeting of the commission, there are agendas such as the progress report of the last fiscal year, policy revisions in the current fiscal year's budget and programme, letters of intent and relationships, transfer of ownership, scholarships, among others for discussions.(RSS)HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work and wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory claiming all birds are actually government surveillance drones. Peters said she and some other former employees are upset and think the relaunch was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, 74, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. But Sherron Watkins, Enron’s former vice president of corporate development and the main whistleblower who helped uncover the scandal, said she didn’t have a problem with the joke because comedy “usually helps us focus on an uncomfortable historical event that we’d rather ignore.” “I think we use prior scandals to try to teach new generations what can go wrong with big companies,” said Watkins, who still speaks at colleges and conferences about the Enron scandal. This story was corrected to fix the spelling of Ken Lay’s first name, which had been misspelled “Key.” Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70

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An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full a dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastically-arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Syrian insurgents reach the capital's suburbs. Worried residents flee and stock up on supplies BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria is gaining speed with news that they have reached the suburbs of the capital of Damascus. The government on Saturday was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels’ moves around Damascus were reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander. They came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions. The factions are by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party. But the party also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 100-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor recalls confusion and chaos during Japanese bombing 83 years ago PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors are planning to return to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. They are each over 100 years old. They will join active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for a remembrance ceremony hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.New Delhi: The Central government is likely to announce seven days of national mourning as a mark of respect to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who died at the age of 92 here on Thursday, according to sources. Sources said that the last rites of the former Prime Minister will be conducted with full state honours. It has been learned that all government programmes scheduled for Friday will be cancelled and the Union Cabinet would hold a meeting at 11 a.m., sources said. The National Flag will be flown at half-mast on the days of mourning throughout India on all buildings where it is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the days during the period of national mourning. The news of Dr. Singh's demise was confirmed by AIIMS New Delhi. "With profound grief, we inform the demise of former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh aged 92. He was being treated for age related medical conditions and had sudden loss of consciousness at home on December 26. Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the medical emergency at AIIMS. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 p.m.,” said the hospital in a statement. Dr. Singh, who served as the country's Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, was known for his transformative role in steering India’s economy through a period of significant liberalisation. He is survived by his wife, Gursharan Kaur, and their three daughters. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced soon, with the nation’s leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expected to participate in honouring his memory. Dr. Singh's death marks the end of an era in Indian politics. His leadership and legacy will continue to inspire future generations. In April this year, Manmohan Singh retired from Rajya Sabha, with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge praising his long parliamentary career. Manmohan Singh shot to prominence as the country's Finance Minister in the government headed by P.V. Narasimha Rao during 1991-96, having brought in sweeping reforms that transformed the economy.

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The Shocking Drop! Why Indie Semiconductor’s Stock PlummetedTelly host Jeff Stelling was asked for a selfie - by a local man halfway up the highest mountain in Africa. The ex-Soccer Saturday frontman was on a fundraising climb up Kilimanjaro when he was stunned to learn he had fans in the remote region. Jeff and a group of pals - who raised more than £100,000 for charity - had been accompanied by two guides and helpers known as Rafiki. He said: "I had also learnt that Soccer Saturday was popular in the most unlikely places. "Halfway up Kilimanjaro, one of the Rafiki, Samuel, had approached me quite shyly and asked for his photo to be taken with me. "His friend apparently owned one of the biggest satellite dishes in Tanzania and they could receive Sky Sports. He and his mates regularly watched the show. "It’s the first and only time I have been asked for a selfie halfway up an African mountain. I am not sure whether Sky’s investigation units tracking illegal viewing have quite reached as far as Moshi yet, though I wouldn’t be too surprised!" In his new autobiography Saturday Afternoon Fever, Jeff also said he is still tortured by fans shouting at him in the street even though he left the show last year. He revealed: "In the time since I have left Sky I still hear the cries of 'Unbelievable Jeff!' from passers-by and black-cab drivers. "But often it is now accompanied with 'It isn’t the same anymore, Jeff'. That saddens me as that was never my intention when I left Soccer Saturday.” Jeff, 69, also admitted that some punters get him mixed up with other sports presenters. He added: "I have been mistaken for many people. Usually Geoff Shreeves or Richard Keys. I don’t mind the former, not so keen on being called the latter! "I was once misidentified as Trevor Brooking. Yes, that 6 feet tall, slender, ex-England international footballer Trevor Brooking. "The only thing we have in common is that neither of us can head a ball!" Come and join The Daily Star on , the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X. Fear not, we're not leaving , but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on , and see us social better than the rest. You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a . So what are you waiting for?! Let'sChivas Regal Unites Fans for Arsenal, Chelsea Watch Party Experience

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Coterra Energy SVP sells $439,800 in stockWishing Merry Christmas to everyone from Guoweixing 12-26-2024 08:00 PM CET | IT, New Media & Software Press release from: ABNewswire As Christmas approaches, Guoweixing would like to take a moment to wish our customers, partners, and employees around the world a joyful and peaceful holiday season. This year has been filled with exciting developments, and we are grateful for your continued trust and support. A Year of Expansion and Innovation 2024 has been a year of growth and transformation for Guoweixing [ https://www.gwxpcsheet.com/ ]. From enhancing our product offerings to expanding our global presence, we have made significant strides in advancing our mission to provide high-performance polycarbonate sheets. [ https://www.gwxpcsheet.com/polycarbonate-solid-sheet/ ] Some of the key highlights include: * New Product Launches: This year, we introduced several new and innovative polycarbonate products, including pc great wall sheet and pc U-Lock hollow sheet. These additions to our product range cater to a variety of industries, from construction and architecture to interior design. * Global Exhibitions and Partnerships: We showcased our products at major international trade shows in countries such as Indonesia, South Africa, and Philippines, where we connected with new clients and partners. These exhibitions have helped solidify our reputation as a leading supplier of durable and versatile polycarbonate materials. * Quality and Durability at the Core: Our polycarbonate sheets are designed with the highest standards of durability and safety in mind. 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Thank You for a Fantastic Year As we celebrate this season of giving, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has been part of our journey. Whether you are a customer, a partner, or a member of the Guoweixing team, your support has been crucial to our success. May this holiday season bring you happiness, peace, and prosperity. We look forward to working with you in the coming year to achieve even more milestones together. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Guoweixing! Image: https://ecdn6.globalso.com/upload/p/317/image_other/2024-12/guoweixing-merry-christmas.jpg A New Material Granting Distinctive Charm to Architecture PC roofing sheet stands as a star material in the field of architecture, bringing outstanding and high quality and elegance to your projects with their unique design and exceptional performance. Polycarbonate solid sheet, a novel building material, imbue architecture with unique allure through their exquisite appearance and exceptional performance. Not only do these materials possess an elegant aesthetic, but they also exhibit durability and versatility, making them a sought-after choice in architectural design. Crafted from polycarbonate solid sheet feature a distinctive wavy design that enhances the visual appeal of buildings while offering excellent waterproofing and UV resistance. Resilient against weather elements, they withstand sun, rain, and climate variations, maintaining long-lasting color and appearance, imparting enduring decorative effects to structures. Image: https://ecdn6.globalso.com/upload/p/317/image_other/2024-07/20-3.jpgImage: https://ecdn6.globalso.com/upload/p/317/image_other/2024-09/wechat-picture_20240902110348-1.png "The introduction of polycarbonate hollow sheet has brought forth more creativity and choices in architectural design," expressed an architectural designer. "Their outstanding aesthetics and performance inject new vitality into the construction industry, make the smooth progress of your projects." Their lightweight nature and easy installation make polycarbonate corrugated sheet an ideal choice for roof coverings in residential properties and suitable for embellishing landscape architecture and commercial buildings. Pc sheet find extensive use in roofs, sunlight rooms, carports, and so on. Their wide adaptability caters to diverse styles and design requirements, offering personalized and elegant appearances to structures. 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I'm A Celeb winners now - from devastating health scare to TV sacking and beautiful weddingThe Cincinnati Bengals (7-8) will host the Denver Broncos (9-6) for their final home game on Saturday afternoon in Week 17. This contest has playoff implications for both franchises. A win for Cincinnati will keep their hopes alive heading into Week 18. Denver can clinch a spot in the postseason with a victory and knock out the Bengals. With the season on the line for Cincinnati, it should benefit the fantasy football managers of a pair of players that you can put in your lineups this weekend. Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Tee Higgins Higgins is coming off a solid outing against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16, in which he finished with eight catches for 58 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. He has received double-digit targets in three of his last five games and has a touchdown in five of his last six games. This weekend Higgins will be facing a Denver defense that hasn’t been kind to receivers this season. Per Pro Football Reference , they are tied for the fifth-fewest PPG to receivers and are the only team in the NFL to allow less than 10 receiving touchdowns to the position. That might tell you to sit Higgins but the Broncos haven’t been as tough on the position as of late. In their last four games, there have been five receivers to finish with at least 80 receiving yards, and three of those receivers crossed the 100 receiving-yard mark. Higgins is a low-end WR2 in Week 16 who can overcome his matchup because of the volume of targets he can see and how great Joe Burrow has been this season. He’s worth the risk if he is active on Saturday . Verdict: Start 'Em Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Chase Brown If you are reading this then that likely means Brown has helped carry your fantasy football team to the championship game. He has finished with at least 15 touches and 100 total yards in his last five outings. This Saturday he will face a Denver defense that is tied for the 13th-fewest allowed PPG to running backs this season per Pro Football Reference . They are one of the 11 teams in the league that hasn’t allowed double-digit rushing touchdowns to the position but are tied for the second-most allowed receiving touchdowns (six) to running backs. The Broncos defense has only allowed one running back to finish over 75 total yards in their last four games, which was Jonathan Taylor. In those contests, they gave up five touchdowns to the position but should be six if JT didn’t infamously drop the ball before crossing the endzone . Brown is on a hot streak heading into Week 17 and you can’t sit players that got you to this point. Leave him in your lineups. Verdict: Start 'EmLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Voters dejected by the presidential election results need to find a way to give back and remain involved, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Clinton presidential library. The former president urged audience members in a packed theater to remain engaged and find ways to communicate with those they disagree with despite a divisive political time. The two spoke about a month after former President Donald Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election. “We’re just passing through, and we all need to just calm down and do something that builds people up instead of tears them down,” Bill Clinton said. Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who was defeated by Trump in the 2016 election, said she understands the next couple of years are going to be challenging for voters who don’t agree with the decisions being made. “In addition to staying involved and staying aware, it’s important to find something that makes you feel good about the day because if you’re in a constant state of agitation about our political situation, it is really going to shorten your life,” she said. The Clintons spoke during a panel discussion with journalist Laura Ling, who the former president helped free in 2009 when she was detained in North Korea with another journalist. The event was held as part of a weekend of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the Clinton Presidential Library’s opening in Little Rock. The library is preparing to undergo an update of its exhibits and an expansion that will include Hillary Clinton’s personal archives. Hillary Clinton said part of the goal is to modernize the facility and expand it to make it a more open, inviting place for people for convene and make connections. When asked about advice he would give for people disappointed by the election results, Bill Clinton said people need to continue working toward bringing people together and improving others’ lives. “If that’s the way you keep score, then you ought to be trying to run up the score,” he said. “Not lamenting the fact that somebody else is winning a different game because they keep score a different way.” “And in addition, figure out what we can do to win again,” Hillary Clinton added, eliciting cheers. The program featured a panel discussion with cast members of the hit NBC show “The West Wing” and former Clinton White House staffers. The weekend amounted to a reunion of former Clinton White House staffers, supporters and close friends, including former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and adviser James Carville. McAuliffe said he and Carville ate Friday at Doe’s Eat Place, a downtown restaurant that was popular with Clinton aides and reporters during Clinton’s 1992 White House run. He said he viewed the library and its planned expansion as important for the future. “This is not only about the past, but it’s more importantly about the future,” McAuliffe said. “We just went through a very tough election, and people are all saying we’ve got to get back to the Clinton model.” More articles from the BDN

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pbet casino login Mozambique's highest court confirmed Monday the ruling party's victory in a disputed October vote after allegations of rigging triggered weeks of deadly street clashes. Fears are high in the country and abroad that more violence could break out in the southern African nation after the opposition threatened to call an uprising following the decision. The United States called for calm after the Constitutional Court said the ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secured 65 percent of the vote, revising down provisional results from the electoral commission which said he got nearly 71 percent. Chapo's main challenger, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, received an upward revision to 24.2 percent of the vote. The final results extend Frelimo's half-century grip on power and lines up Chapo to take over from President Filipe Nyusi whose second term ends on January 15. Mondlane has said that the election was rigged in favour of Frelimo and that a separate count shows he won enough votes to take office, which he intends to do. Several international observer missions have also said there were irregularities. In Washington, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said there was "a lack of transparency" about the results and urged all parties to "refrain from violence and engage in meaningful collaboration to restore peace and foster unity". In his first speech after being declared winner, Chapo struck a conciliatory tone, promising to reach out to Mondlane, who has been in a self-imposed exile. "For our development we will continue to talk to everyone," said Chapo, a former provincial governor with no experience in national government. Mondlane has been in exile since the assassination of his lawyer on October 19, a killing he blames on security forces, and it was unclear if he intended to return. In address on social media after the court announced the result, the 50-year-old said that he would continue his fight for the "electoral truth". "The Mozambican people demand that we remain firm, that we don't stop our struggle and that we remain united and strong," said Mondlane, who appeals to disenchanted younger voters in a country of 33 million people marked by poverty despite its abundant resources. Before the announcement, he vowed to bring the country to a "new popular uprising at a level never seen before", should the council endorse Frelimo as winner. Maputo was tense ahead of the announcement, with main roads deserted and the metal curtains of stores lowered. Protesters set fire to tyres early in the evening but dispersed after a heavy rainfall. Mozambique has been rocked by unrest since the election commission said that the October 9 vote was won by Chapo. At least 130 people have been killed in two months of violence, most of them opposition demonstrators shot by security forces, according to local NGOs. Cities, mines, borders and ports have been affected by protest action and operations at the main border with South Africa halted, causing its neighbour major losses in exports. The US government on Thursday raised its warning level against travel to Mozambique before the council's announcement. Pope Francis called Sunday for dialogue and goodwill to "prevail over mistrust and discord" in Mozambique. The protests have been the "most dangerous" ever seen in Mozambique, said analyst Borges Nhamirre, continuing despite deaths and arrests, and intensifying with police stations and Frelimo offices torched. "I'm convinced that if Monday the Constitutional Council declares the election as free and fair, which I am 100 percent convinced it will, then the blood is going to flow," Maputo-based political and security risk analyst Johann Smith told AFP. "The whole game changes on Monday," said Smith. "It will be a lot more intense and bloody." Mondlane had awakened resentment against Frelimo, he said, similar to discontent that this year led to the party that governed Botswana since independence being voted out and threatening to do the same in Namibia. "It's almost like the Southern African Spring," Smith said, in a reference to the Arab anti-government protests in North Africa in the early 2010s. bur-ho/br/phz

What a second Trump presidency means for Silicon Valley - San José SpotlightSingapore, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Webuy Global Ltd. (Nasdaq: WBUY) (the “Company”), a Southeast Asian community-oriented e-commerce retailor with a focus on grocery and travel, today announced the closing of its previously announced registered direct offering with certain institutional investors for the sale and purchase of an aggregate of 21,013,239 of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.000000385 per share (the “Shares”) (or Class A ordinary share equivalents in lieu thereof) in a registered direct offering at a purchase price of $0.1756 per share. The purchase price for the pre-funded warrants is $0.1755 to the purchase price for Shares, less the exercise price of $0.0001 per share. The gross proceeds to the Company from the registered direct offering are estimated to be approximately $3.7 million, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other estimated offering expenses. D. Boral Capital LLC acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP acted as counsel to the Company and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC acted as counsel to D. Boral Capital LLC. The proposed offering of the securities described above is being offered by the Company pursuant to a “shelf” registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-283356) filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and declared effective by the SEC on December 3, 2024, and the accompanying prospectus contained therein. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. The prospectus supplement describing the terms of the public offering was filed with the SEC. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or by contacting D. Boral Capital LLC Attention: Syndicate Department, 590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor, New York, NY 10022, by email at syndicate@dboralcapital.com , or by telephone at +1 (212) 970-5150. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Webuy Global Ltd Webuy Global Ltd. (Nasdaq: WBUY) is a forward-thinking, technology-driven company aimed at becoming the leading e-commerce and travel platform in Southeast Asia. Leveraging advanced AI technologies, the Company enhances its 'group buy' model by providing personalized recommendations, predictive demand analytics, and seamless community interactions. In addition, Webuy integrates AI-powered travel solutions, such as its proprietary AI Travel Consultant, to deliver personalized itineraries, group travel planning, and real-time support. These innovations streamline the traditional supply chain, foster a community-driven shopping experience, and simplify travel planning for its users. Webuy is committed to improving the lives of millions of families in Southeast Asia with high-quality, affordable products, services, and travel experiences. For more information, visit http://webuy.global Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the Company’s current expectations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties described more fully in the Company’s filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update them, except as required by law.

JAKARTA, Dec 21 — Indonesian artist Arahmaiani has had many lives — from an imprisoned then exiled anti-dictatorship activist to a hippie, art teacher and environmentalist — which have inspired her works that test the limits of freedom. The South-east Asian artist was a nomad for years because of a crackdown on her paintings, installations and performances, which were viewed as provocative in the conservative Muslim-majority nation. Her works are now on show at Britain’s Tate Modern in London for the first time and in November she gave a performance there focusing on violence suffered by Chinese-Indonesians in unrest during the fall of dictator Suharto in the late 1990s. Her voice and percussion-based performance named “Burning Country” presents a healing process for the community after the trauma from riots still fresh in the memory. Her radical view of that era, questioning of religious tolerance and environmental damage were major themes of her mini-exhibition “The Wrath of Earth” held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in August and September. “Art should challenge the status quo and provoke thought. It is a means to question our reality and inspire change,” she wrote in the exhibition catalogue. ‘Our Frida Kahlo’ Prominently featured in Jakarta were Linnga and Yoni, masculine and feminine symbols that are Hindu representations of the balance of opposites. Indonesians “wanted to forget these symbols” that were once omnipresent in the archipelago, which was Buddhist, Hindu and animist before becoming the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, she said. “I want to remind myself and others about this forgotten cultural heritage,” Arahmaiani, 63, told AFP. Recognised abroad as one of the region’s best artists, she is “less so in Indonesia”, said Deborah Iskandar, owner of ASI Gallery in Jakarta that hosted Arahmaiani’s exhibition this year. She wanted to host an exhibition for Arahmaiani to “introduce her work to a younger generation of art lovers”, she said. Exhibition curator Nasir Tamara calls Arahmaiani “our Frida Kahlo”, comparing her to the Mexican feminist and taboo-breaker. “For young people, Yani (Arahmaiani) is a heroine, she’s free. She’s been a fighter since university,” she said. The black-haired woman with a serene smile from Indonesia’s main island of Java now laughs at past controversies. Born in the Javan city of Bandung to a cleric father and a mother of Hindu-Buddhist descent, she studied art at the Bandung Institute of Technology. She was briefly imprisoned there in 1983 following complaints about her works from Islamist parties. ‘Freedom for everyone’ A 1993 painting “Lingga-Yoni” and 1994 installation “Etalase” caused controversy for combining symbols linked to Islam, Western culture and sexuality. Conservative Muslims called for these works to be censored and Arahmaiani received death threats. She then left for Australia, where she carried on her studies while living with a hippy community. “There should be freedom for everyone, including women, on the religious basis of love and compassion,” she said. But being a Muslim woman abroad can also carry its own stigma. She criticised those prejudices in her installation “11 Juni 2002” after a trip to the United States. In that work, she recreates a room where she was detained by American immigration officers. Her status as a young Muslim woman travelling alone had made authorities suspicious about possible terrorism links, she said. In 2006, following a major earthquake in the central Javan city of Yogyakarta, she launched the “Flag Project”: spectacular performances in which flags are waved with messages that encourage community dialogue. Those performances were replicated elsewhere, including Tibet. Arahmaiani is involved in environmental protection work there and visits regularly, marvelling at the historical links between Tibetan Buddhism and Indonesia’s Buddhist heritage. The artist says she is now working on the theme of political dynasties, a hot topic in Indonesia since the election of President Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo is a former son-in-law of Suharto and his vice-president is the son of the outgoing head of state Joko Widodo, in a country long known for its political nepotism. — AFPMoreover, with a well-rested and motivated team, Fat Tony's can better serve its customers during peak hours, ensuring prompt service, accurate orders, and a memorable dining experience for all patrons. The streamlined workflow resulting from the 5-hour workday will enable employees to focus on their tasks more efficiently, avoid fatigue, and maintain a consistently high standard of service throughout the day.

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A GLASGOW MP toured Siemens Mobility's depot to learn more about infrastructure projects in the city. The visit on December 6 gave John Grady, who was recently elected to represent Glasgow East, the chance to see first-hand the contributions that the company has made to the UK rail industry and the key role it plays to transform rail travel and transport for passengers across Scotland. During the visit, Grady toured the facility to learn about Siemens Mobility's continued commitment to Scotland's Net Zero targets through key electrification and signalling projects, such as the £140 million East Kilbride Enhancement project. The Labour MP also learnt more about the environmentally-friendly Westrace Modular signalling technology with the Inverness Airport railway station upgrade. Grady also had a chance to meet with local apprentices and graduates to learn more about their professional development, including their training roles and career aspirations. He said: "It was great to visit Siemens Mobility’s Glasgow depot to hear about their infrastructure projects across Scotland and the impact this will have on passengers across the country. "I particularly enjoyed meeting with so many talented apprentices who were keen to share their work and aspirations for the future. "Investing in our young people’s future is crucial in delivering economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity, two key missions of this Labour Government." Stephen Wright, regional engineering manager for Glasgow, added: "It was a pleasure to host Mr Grady at our depot and walk him through some of the work Siemens Mobility is doing to modernise and decarbonise the rail network in Scotland, including projects in Inverness, Perth, Portobello, and East Kilbride. "We were particularly pleased to have our apprentices and graduates share their experiences on these projects with Mr. Grady, whose commitment to developing the next generation of rail engineers aligns with our own."The reveal trailer showcases stunning visuals, breathtaking landscapes, and dynamic gameplay that seamlessly blends exploration, combat, and storytelling. From the intricate character designs to the lush environments, every detail in "Vanishing Radiance" exudes a sense of wonder and immersion that is sure to captivate players from the moment they step into this fantasy realm.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) celebrated efforts to combat crime in New York City's subway system on the same weekend several "barbaric" crimes occurred there. Two people were stabbed at a transit station in Queens , with one of them dying, and a woman was set on fire and died on a subway car in Brooklyn. On the same day, Hochul posted on social media about how "crime is going down" on the subway. In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day. Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up. pic.twitter.com/T7uRxx9nIO — Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) "In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day. Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up," Hochul said in a post on X. Hochul's post, which was still up as of Monday afternoon, was blasted by multiple New York City officials. Democratic New York City Councilman Robert Holden said the governor's "incompetence is costing lives" in a scathing rebuke of Hochul. Unbelievable timing: just hours after a woman was senselessly burned alive, and two people were stabbed, one fatally. Kathy Hochul’s incompetence is costing lives—she needs to leave public office immediately before more New Yorkers suffer. https://t.co/P9LPIT9C0c — Robert Holden (@BobHoldenNYC) "Unbelievable timing: just hours after a woman was senselessly burned alive, and two people were stabbed, one fatally. Kathy Hochul’s incompetence is costing lives—she needs to leave public office immediately before more New Yorkers suffer," Holden said in a post on X. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) also slammed Hochul over her post for being "tone-deaf" and that she "took a victory lap" despite the crime on the transit system that day. Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways “safer.” She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive. Has there ever been a more tone-deaf... pic.twitter.com/KIPujqpKa3 — Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER "Two hours ago, Kathy Hochul took a victory lap for making subways 'safer.' She congratulates herself on the same day two subway riders were stabbed in Queens (one in the face and one in the chest) and another was barbarically burned alive. Has there ever been a more tone-deaf Governor in the history of New York?" Torres said in a post on X. Torres has been consistently critical of Hochul and has not ruled out a gubernatorial primary challenge to her in 2026.

During their visit, Xue watched Zhao film a crucial scene for her drama, offering words of encouragement and praise for her friend's exceptional acting skills. The camaraderie between them was evident as they exchanged playful banter and inside jokes, creating a lighthearted and comfortable atmosphere on set.

Tech News Today Live Updates: In an era dominated by rapid technological evolution, staying informed with the latest technology news is essential. This segment offers a comprehensive look at the newest advancements and breakthroughs shaping our world. From cutting-edge developments in artificial intelligence and quantum computing to updates on consumer electronics and cybersecurity, our coverage spans a broad spectrum of tech-related topics. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a professional in the field, or simply curious about how technological changes affect your daily life, our updates are designed to keep you informed and ahead in the ever-changing world of technology. Tech Reviews Today Live: DOR TV 43-inch review: Ambitious Subscription model with a few rough edges

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Southwest Airlines says it is ending cabin service earlier to reduce chance of injury Southwest Airlines is ending its cabin service earlier starting next month. Beginning on Dec. 4, a company spokesperson says flight attendants will begin preparing the cabin for landing at an altitude of 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet. The company says it's making the changes to reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries. For passengers, that means they will need to return their seats to an upright position or do other pre-landing procedures earlier than before. While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Why your favorite catalogs are smaller this holiday season PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — While retailers hope to go big this holiday season, customers may notice that the catalogs arriving in their mailboxes are smaller. Many of the millions of catalogs getting sent to U.S. homes were scaled down to save on postage and paper. Some gift purveyors are sending out postcards. In a sign of the times, the American Catalog Mailers Association rebranded itself in May as the American Commerce Marketing Association. Despite no longer carrying an extended inventory of goods, industry experts say catalogs help retailers cut through the noise and still hold their own in value because of growing digital advertising costs. Canada's Trudeau says he had an 'excellent conversation' with Trump in Florida after tariffs threat WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he had an “excellent conversation” with Donald Trump in Florida after the president-elect’s threat to impose significant tariffs on two of America’s leading trade partners raised alarms in Ottawa and Mexico City. It's unclear, as Trudeau headed back to Canada on Saturday, whether the conversation had alleviated Trump’s concerns. Trump’s transition team hasn't responded to questions about what the leaders had discussed at their dinner Friday night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he said was the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans swept to power on Election Day and now control the House, the Senate and the White House, with plans for an ambitious 100-day agenda come January. Their to-do list includes extending tax breaks, cutting social programs, building the border wall to stop immigration and rolling back President Joe Biden's green energy policies. Atop that list is a plan to renew some $4 trillion in expiring tax cuts that were a signature domestic achievement of Republican Donald Trump’s first term as president. It's an issue that may define his return to the White House. The ruble's in a slump. For the Kremlin, that's a two-edged sword Russia’s ruble is sagging against other currencies, complicating the Kremlin’s efforts to keep consumer inflation under control with one hand even as it overheats the economy with spending on the war against Ukraine with the other. Over time a weaker ruble could mean higher prices for imports from China, Russia's main trade partner these days. President Vladimir Putin says things are under control. One wild card is sanctions against a key Russian bank that have disrupted foreign trade payments. If Russia finds a workaround for that, the ruble could regain some of its recent losses. Iceland votes for a new parliament after political disagreements force an early election REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Icelanders are electing a new parliament after disagreements over immigration, energy policy and the economy forced Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to pull the plug on his coalition government and call early elections. This will be Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis devastated the economy of the North Atlantic island nation and ushered in a new era of political instability. Opinion polls suggest the country may be in for another upheaval, with support for the three governing parties plunging. Benediktsson, who was named prime minister in April following the resignation of his predecessor, struggled to hold together the unlikely coalition of his conservative Independence Party with the centrist Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement. Massachusetts lawmakers push for an effort to ban all tobacco sales over time BOSTON (AP) — A handful of Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping to persuade their colleagues to support a proposal that would make the state the first to adopt a ban meant to eliminate the use of tobacco products over time. Other locations have weighed similar “generational tobacco bans.” The bans phase out the use of tobacco products based not just on a person's age but on birth year. Lawmakers plan to file the proposal next year. If approved, the bill would set a date and ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after that date forever, eventually banning all sales. Vietnam approves $67 billion high-speed railway project between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north with the financial capital of Ho Chi Minh in the south. It is expected to cost $67 billion and will stretch 1,541 kilometers (957 miles). The new train is expected to travel at speeds of up to 350 kph (217 mph), reducing the journey from the current 30 hours to just five hours. The decision was taken by Vietnam’s National Assembly on Saturday. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and Vietnam hopes that the first trains will start operating by 2035. But the country has been beleaguered by delays to its previous infrastructure projects. Inflation rose to 2.3% in Europe. That won't stop the central bank from cutting interest rates FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro currency rose in November — but that likely won’t stop the European Central Bank from cutting interest rates as the prospect of new U.S. tariffs from the incoming Trump administration adds to the gloom over weak growth. The European Union’s harmonized index of consumer prices rose 2.3 percent, up from 2.0% in October, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. However, worries about growth mean the Dec. 12 ECB meeting is not about whether to cut rates, but by how much. Market buzz says there could be a larger than usual half-point cut in the benchmark rate, currently 3.25%.

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How to plan an incredible trip to New York CityThe heartbeat of African combat sports thundered through Lagos yesterday as the African Knockout Championship (AKO6) took centre stage with a dazzling face-off event at the Monarch Event Centre. This electrifying prelude to the sixth regular season and the first semi-final of the championship has set the city ablaze with excitement, promising a jaw-dropping spectacle today. Brace yourselves for a night of spine-tingling action, featuring pulse-racing bouts across light heavyweight, featherweight, middleweight, lightweight, and women’s bantamweight divisions. The stakes have never been higher as warriors from across the continent prepare to leave it all in the AKO arena, vying for glory, honor, and a chance to etch their names in African MMA history. The main event and first semi final of the championship is a showdown that sends shock-waves, as Nigeria’s own Jackiel Anyana, locked eyes with Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ananias Mulumbu. Sparks flew as these two juggernauts of the featherweight category ignited a rivalry that promises to deliver a battle for the ages. Adding to the drama, Nigeria’s duo of Yahaya Yahuza Muhamed and Odogwu Isaac, promised fans an unmissable spectacle as they gear up to clash in a fight brimming with raw passion and determination. Another standout fighter bringing his A-game is Chad Henekoms , a participant in the 2023 Dana White Contender Series, hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, as he takes on Cherif Drame from the Benin Republic in the middleweight category.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Jaden Green and Geoffrey Jamiel scored on long plays in the fourth quarter and unseeded Lehigh rallied to defeat No. 9 Richmond 20-16 on Saturday in a first-round game of the FCS playoffs. Lehigh advances to a second-round game at eighth-seeded Idaho on Dec. 7. The Mountain Hawks trailed 16-7 early in the fourth quarter after Richmond's Sean Clarke scored on a 7-yard pass from Camden Coleman. Green dashed 65 yards for a touchdown on the next play from scrimmage and Lehigh trailed 16-14 with 10 1/2 minutes remaining. The Mountain Hawks (9-3) forced a three-and-out, then Jamiel and Hayden Johnson connected on a 56-yard pass play for the go-ahead touchdown. The Spiders were stopped short of midfield on their final drive but nearly came up with a huge play when Lehigh's Quanye Veney muffed the punt at his own 14-yard line. Ignatious Williams recovered the loose ball for Lehigh to preserve the win. Johnson completed 14 of 18 passes for 199 yards. Jamiel caught 10 for 137 yards. Coleman was 24-of-37 passing for 199 yards. Zach Palmer-Smith had 107 yards rushing for Richmond (10-3). Richmond had 249 yards of total offense in the first half but managed only three short field goals by Sean O'Haire. The scoring drives were 76, 70 and 64 yards and Richmond controlled the ball for nearly 21 minutes in the first half. Lehigh took a 7-6 lead on Johnson's 7-yard TD pass to Logan Galletta, but the Spiders answered with O'Haire's third field goal for a 9-7 halftime lead. This is 13-time Patriot League champion Lehigh's first playoff appearance since 2017. Lehigh and Richmond will have a rematch in the 2025 season opener at Lehigh. It will be Richmond's debut as a member of the Patriot League. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballNone

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Zuora, Inc. (NYSE: ZUO), a leading monetization suite for modern business, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended October 31, 2024. Descriptions of our non-GAAP financial measures are contained in the section titled "Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below and reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures are contained in the tables below. On October 17, 2024, we announced that Zuora entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing, in partnership with an affiliate of GIC Pte. Ltd. (“GIC”). The transaction is valued at $1.7 billion, with Silver Lake and GIC to acquire all outstanding shares of Zuora common stock for $10.00 per share in cash. The acquisition is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions and approvals, including the receipt of the required regulatory approvals. Upon completion of the transaction, Zuora will become a privately held company. Given the proposed acquisition of Zuora, we will not be holding a conference call or live webcast to discuss Zuora's third quarter of fiscal 2025 financial results, we will not be providing any forward looking guidance, and we are withdrawing all previously provided goals, outlook, and guidance. . We define ACV as the subscription revenue we would contractually expect to recognize from a customer over the next twelve months, assuming no increases or reductions in their subscriptions. We define the number of customers at the end of any particular period as the number of parties or organizations that have entered into a distinct subscription contract with us and for which the term has not ended. Each party with whom we have entered into a distinct subscription contract is considered a unique customer, and in some cases, there may be more than one customer within a single organization. . We calculate DBRR as of a period end by starting with the sum of the ACV from all customers as of twelve months prior to such period end, or prior period ACV. We then calculate the sum of the ACV from these same customers as of the current period end, or current period ACV. Current period ACV includes any upsells and also reflects contraction or attrition over the trailing twelve months but excludes revenue from new customers added in the current period. We then divide the current period ACV by the prior period ACV to arrive at our dollar-based retention rate. ARR represents the annualized recurring value at the time of initial booking or contract modification for all active subscription contracts at the end of a reporting period. ARR excludes the value of non-recurring revenue such as professional services revenue as well as contracts with new customers with a term of less than one year. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue, and is not intended to be a substitute for, or combined with, any of these items. ARR growth is calculated by dividing the ARR as of a period end by the ARR for the corresponding period end of the prior fiscal year. In addition to financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this press release and the accompanying tables contain non-GAAP financial measures including: non-GAAP cost of subscription revenue; non-GAAP subscription gross margin; non-GAAP cost of professional services revenue; non-GAAP professional services gross margin; non-GAAP gross profit; non-GAAP gross margin; non-GAAP income from operations; non-GAAP operating margin; non-GAAP net income; non-GAAP net income per share; and adjusted free cash flow. The presentation of these financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. We use non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP measures as part of our overall assessment of our performance, including the preparation of our annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts, to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies and to communicate with our Board of Directors concerning our financial performance. We believe these non-GAAP measures provide investors consistency and comparability with our past financial performance and facilitate period-to-period comparisons of our operating results. We also believe these non-GAAP measures are useful in evaluating our operating performance compared to that of other companies in our industry, as they generally eliminate the effects of certain items that may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to overall operating performance. We exclude the following items from one or more of our non-GAAP financial measures: Additionally, we disclose "adjusted free cash flow", which is a non-GAAP measure that includes adjustments to operating cash flows for cash impacts related to and described above, and net purchases of property and equipment. We include the impact of net purchases of property and equipment in our adjusted free cash flow calculation because we consider these capital expenditures to be a necessary component of our ongoing operations. We believe this measure is meaningful to investors because management reviews cash flows generated from operations excluding such expenditures that are not related to our ongoing operations. Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool. The non-GAAP measures we use may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, limiting their usefulness for comparison purposes. We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP items excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as “believes,” “may,” “will,” “determine,” “estimates,” “potential,” “continues,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “expects,” “could,” “would,” “projects,” “plans,” “targets,” “strategy,” “likely,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Zuora, including the expected timing of the closing of the acquisition, and expectations for Zuora following the completion of the acquisition. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations as of the date of this filing and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. Our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed in our Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 29, 2024 as well as other documents that may be filed by us from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024. In particular, the following factors, among others, could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: the possibility that the closing conditions to the proposed acquisition are not satisfied (or waived), including the risk that required approvals from Zuora’s stockholders for the proposed acquisition or required regulatory approvals to consummate the acquisition are not obtained in a timely manner (or at all); the outcome of the current complaint and any potential litigation relating to the proposed acquisition; uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the proposed acquisition; the ability of each party to consummate the proposed acquisition; our ability to attract new customers and retain and expand sales to existing customers; our ability to manage our future revenue and profitability plans effectively; adoption of monetization platform software and related solutions, as well as consumer adoption of products and services that are provided through such solutions; our ability to develop and release new products and services, or successful enhancements, new features and modifications; challenges related to growing our relationships with strategic partners; loss of key employees; our ability to compete in our markets; adverse impacts on our business and financial condition due to macroeconomic or market conditions; the impact of actions to improve operational efficiencies and operating costs; our history of net losses and ability to achieve or sustain profitability; market acceptance of our products; the success of our product development efforts; risks associated with currency exchange rate fluctuations; risks associated with our debt obligations; successful deployment of our solutions by customers after entering into a subscription agreement with us; the success of our sales and product initiatives; our security measures; our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property; interruptions or performance problems; litigation and other shareholder related costs; the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and ability to integrate operations and technology of any acquired company; geopolitical conflicts or destabilizing events; other business effects, including those related to industry, market, economic, political, regulatory and global health conditions and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. We undertake no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. In connection with the proposed acquisition, Zuora has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a proxy statement in preliminary form on November 25, 2024, a definitive version of which will be mailed or otherwise provided to its stockholders. The Company and affiliates of the Company have jointly filed a transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3 (the Schedule 13E-3). Zuora may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the potential transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, ZUORA’S STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND THE SCHEDULE 13E-3 IN THEIR ENTIRETY AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the proxy statement, the Schedule 13E-3 and other documents that Zuora files with the SEC from the SEC’s website at and Zuora’s website at . In addition, the proxy statement, the Schedule 13E-3 and other documents filed by Zuora with the SEC (when available) may be obtained from Zuora free of charge by directing a request to Zuora’s Investor Relations at . Zuora and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Zuora’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of Zuora in connection with the proposed transaction, including a description of their respective direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise will be set forth in the proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 and other materials to be filed with the SEC. You may also find additional information about Zuora’s directors and executive officers in Zuora’s proxy statement for its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on May 16, 2024 (the “Annual Meeting Proxy Statement”). To the extent holdings of securities by potential participants (or the identity of such participants) have changed since the information printed in the Annual Meeting Proxy Statement, such information has been or will be reflected in Zuora’s Statements of Change in Ownership on Forms 3 and 4 filed with the SEC. You can obtain free copies of these documents from Zuora using the contact information above. Zuora provides a leading monetization suite to build, run and grow a modern business through a dynamic mix of usage-based models, subscription bundles and everything in between. From pricing and packaging, to billing, payments and revenue accounting, Zuora’s flexible, modular software platform is designed to help companies evolve monetization strategies with customer demand. More than 1,000 customers around the world, including BMC Software, Box, Caterpillar, General Motors, The New York Times, Schneider Electric and Zoom use Zuora’s leading combination of technology and expertise to turn recurring relationships and recurring revenue into recurring growth. Zuora is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in the Americas, EMEA and APAC. To learn more, please visit . © 2024 Zuora, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Zuora, Subscribed, Subscription Economy, Powering the Subscription Economy, Subscription Economy Index, Zephr, and Subscription Experience Platform are trademarks or registered trademarks of Zuora, Inc. Third party trademarks mentioned above are owned by their respective companies. Nothing in this press release should be construed to the contrary, or as an approval, endorsement or sponsorship by any third parties of Zuora, Inc. or any aspect of this press release. SOURCE: ZUORA, INC. Revenue: Subscription $ 105,253 $ 98,048 $ 308,263 $ 283,232 Professional services 11,676 11,801 33,831 37,760 Total revenue 116,929 109,849 342,094 320,992 Cost of revenue: Subscription 1 23,954 20,378 67,207 62,304 Professional services 1 14,383 14,650 43,483 47,851 Total cost of revenue 38,337 35,028 110,690 110,155 Gross profit 78,592 74,821 231,404 210,837 Operating expenses: Research and development 1 26,833 27,504 76,853 79,428 Sales and marketing 1 36,597 40,245 108,579 124,488 General and administrative 1 26,880 15,893 71,351 54,160 Total operating expenses 90,310 83,642 256,783 258,076 Loss from operations (11,718 ) (8,821 ) (25,379 ) (47,239 ) Change in fair value of debt derivative and warrant liabilities (20,174 ) 6,997 (29,115 ) 2,241 Interest expense (7,045 ) (5,610 ) (20,781 ) (14,604 ) Interest and other income (expense), net 6,505 2,272 19,988 13,639 Loss before income taxes (32,432 ) (5,162 ) (55,287 ) (45,963 ) Income tax (benefit) provision (226 ) 340 (2,152 ) 1,396 Net loss (32,206 ) (5,502 ) (53,135 ) (47,359 ) Comprehensive loss: Foreign currency translation adjustment 462 (696 ) 386 (1,383 ) Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities 248 (18 ) 63 494 Comprehensive loss $ (31,496 ) $ (6,216 ) $ (52,686 ) $ (48,248 ) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.21 ) $ (0.04 ) $ (0.36 ) $ (0.34 ) Weighted-average shares outstanding used in calculating net loss per share, basic and diluted 152,263 141,488 149,457 138,789 (1) Stock-based compensation expense was recorded in the following cost and expense categories: Cost of subscription revenue $ 2,331 $ 2,350 $ 6,291 $ 6,889 Cost of professional services revenue 2,598 2,747 7,359 8,997 Research and development 7,697 7,165 21,680 20,661 Sales and marketing 7,613 8,191 20,609 24,857 General and administrative 4,694 5,648 13,163 16,569 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 24,933 $ 26,101 $ 69,102 $ 77,973 Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 277,615 $ 256,065 Short-term investments 280,909 258,120 Accounts receivable, net 82,414 124,602 Deferred commissions, current portion 15,995 15,870 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 25,183 23,261 Total current assets 682,116 677,918 Property and equipment, net 27,403 25,961 Operating lease right-of-use assets 20,591 22,462 Purchased intangibles, net 23,146 10,082 Deferred commissions, net of current portion 24,941 27,250 Goodwill 73,903 56,657 Other assets 4,972 3,506 Total assets $ 857,072 $ 823,836 Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 761 $ 3,161 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 45,167 32,157 Accrued employee liabilities 29,860 37,722 Deferred revenue, current portion 177,436 199,615 Operating lease liabilities, current portion 7,030 6,760 Total current liabilities 260,254 279,415 Long-term debt 368,348 359,525 Deferred revenue, net of current portion 860 2,802 Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion 32,573 37,100 Deferred tax liabilities 4,066 3,725 Other long-term liabilities 6,781 7,582 Total liabilities 672,882 690,149 Stockholders’ equity: Class A common stock 15 14 Class B common stock 1 1 Additional paid-in capital 1,067,329 964,141 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (410 ) (859 ) Accumulated deficit (882,745 ) (829,610 ) Total stockholders’ equity 184,190 133,687 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 857,072 $ 823,836 Net loss $ (53,135 ) $ (47,359 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation, amortization and accretion 14,715 13,684 Stock-based compensation 69,102 77,973 Provision for credit losses 2,117 457 Amortization of deferred commissions 13,946 14,415 Reduction in carrying amount of right-of-use assets 3,470 4,876 Change in fair value of debt derivative and warrant liabilities 29,115 (2,241 ) Other (2,418 ) 2,630 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 40,149 12,476 Prepaid expenses and other assets (2,657 ) 878 Deferred commissions (12,107 ) (12,013 ) Accounts payable (2,529 ) (634 ) Accrued expenses and other liabilities 6,843 (82,904 ) Accrued employee liabilities (7,986 ) 509 Deferred revenue (24,439 ) (7,461 ) Operating lease liabilities (7,476 ) (10,962 ) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 66,710 (35,676 ) Purchases of property and equipment (9,252 ) (6,913 ) Purchases of short-term investments (240,093 ) (66,665 ) Maturities of short-term investments 222,279 175,128 Cash paid for acquisition, net of cash acquired (24,786 ) (4,524 ) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (51,852 ) 97,026 Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options 3,372 1,000 Proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan 4,481 4,765 Payment for taxes related to net share settlement of stock options (1,547 ) — Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes, net of issuance costs — 145,861 Net cash provided by financing activities 6,306 151,626 Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents 386 (1,383 ) Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 21,550 211,593 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 256,065 203,239 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 277,615 $ 414,832 Reconciliation of cost of subscription revenue: GAAP cost of subscription revenue $ 23,954 $ 20,378 $ 67,207 $ 62,304 Less: Stock-based compensation (2,331 ) (2,350 ) (6,291 ) (6,889 ) Amortization of acquired intangibles (1,164 ) (607 ) (2,706 ) (2,083 ) Workforce reductions (228 ) — (796 ) (38 ) Acquisition-related expenses (12 ) — (103 ) — Asset impairment — (439 ) — (439 ) Shareholder matters — — (20 ) — Non-GAAP cost of subscription revenue $ 20,219 $ 16,982 $ 57,291 $ 52,855 GAAP subscription gross margin 77 % 79 % 78 % 78 % Non-GAAP subscription gross margin 81 % 83 % 81 % 81 % Reconciliation of cost of professional services revenue: GAAP cost of professional services revenue $ 14,383 $ 14,650 $ 43,483 $ 47,851 Less: Stock-based compensation (2,598 ) (2,747 ) (7,359 ) (8,997 ) Acquisition-related expenses (22 ) — (22 ) — Shareholder matters — — (28 ) — Workforce reductions — — (5 ) (46 ) Non-GAAP cost of professional services revenue $ 11,763 $ 11,903 $ 36,069 $ 38,808 GAAP professional services gross margin (23 )% (24 )% (29 )% (27 )% Non-GAAP professional services gross margin (1 )% (1 )% (7 )% (3 )% Reconciliation of gross profit: GAAP gross profit $ 78,592 $ 74,821 $ 231,404 $ 210,837 Add: Stock-based compensation 4,929 5,097 13,650 15,886 Amortization of acquired intangibles 1,164 607 2,706 2,083 Workforce reductions 228 — 801 84 Acquisition-related expenses 34 — 125 — Asset impairment — 439 — 439 Shareholder matters — — 48 — Non-GAAP gross profit $ 84,947 $ 80,964 $ 248,734 $ 229,329 GAAP gross margin 67 % 68 % 68 % 66 % Non-GAAP gross margin 73 % 74 % 73 % 71 % Reconciliation of (loss) income from operations: GAAP loss from operations $ (11,718 ) $ (8,821 ) $ (25,379 ) $ (47,239 ) Add: Stock-based compensation 24,933 26,101 69,102 77,973 Acquisition-related expenses 10,299 19 17,100 211 Amortization of acquired intangibles 1,164 607 2,706 2,083 Workforce reductions 241 — 1,518 265 Shareholder matters 181 (3,508 ) 4,240 (3,265 ) Asset impairment — 1,592 — 1,592 Non-GAAP income from operations $ 25,100 $ 15,990 $ 69,287 $ 31,620 GAAP operating margin (10 )% (8 )% (7 )% (15 )% Non-GAAP operating margin 21 % 15 % 20 % 10 % Reconciliation of net (loss) income: GAAP net loss $ (32,206 ) $ (5,502 ) $ (53,135 ) $ (47,359 ) Add: Stock-based compensation 24,933 26,101 69,102 77,973 Change in fair value of debt derivative and warrant liabilities 20,174 (6,997 ) 29,115 (2,241 ) Acquisition-related expenses 10,299 19 17,100 211 Amortization of acquired intangibles 1,164 607 2,706 2,083 Workforce reductions 241 — 1,518 265 Shareholder matters 181 (3,508 ) 4,240 (3,265 ) Asset impairment — 1,592 — 1,592 Non-GAAP net income $ 24,786 $ 12,312 $ 70,646 $ 29,259 GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted 1 $ (0.21 ) $ (0.04 ) $ (0.36 ) $ (0.34 ) Non-GAAP net income per share, basic and diluted 1 $ 0.16 $ 0.09 $ 0.47 $ 0.21 (1) For the three months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, GAAP and Non-GAAP net (loss) income per share are calculated based upon 152.3 million and 141.5 million basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock, respectively. For the nine months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, GAAP and Non-GAAP net (loss) income per share are calculated based upon 149.5 million and 138.8 million basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock, respectively. Reconciliation of adjusted free cash flow: Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (GAAP) $ 22,408 $ (55,657 ) $ 66,710 $ (35,676 ) Add: Acquisition-related expenses 5,587 28 7,300 135 Shareholder matters 824 71,377 4,379 72,130 Less: Purchases of property and equipment (3,330 ) (3,075 ) (9,252 ) (6,913 ) Adjusted free cash flow (non-GAAP) $ 25,489 $ 12,673 $ 69,137 $ 29,676 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (GAAP) $ 18,999 $ 2,005 $ (51,852 ) $ 97,026 Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (GAAP) $ (1,295 ) $ 145,899 $ 6,306 $ 151,626 View source version on : CONTACT: Investor Relations Contact: Luana Wolk 650-419-1377Media Relations Contact: Margaret Juhnke 619-609-3919 KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE PAYMENTS ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY ELECTRONIC COMMERCE FINTECH OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Zuora, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 04:10 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 04:08 PM

Marvell Technology Stock Climbs After Better-Than-Expected Q3 Results, Strong Q4 Guidance

Job fairs not attracting displaced Pogo workersK92 Mining Announces Multiple New Near-Mine Infrastructure Dilatant Zones Identified and High-Grade Zones Extended

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The union representing about 55,000 striking postal workers said it is “disappointed and frustrated” with Canada Post’s proposals as the labour disruption drags into its fourth week. However, in a statement Sunday afternoon, the Crown corporation told the Star that it has yet to receive a formal response from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) through the federally-appointed mediator after its latest proposal on Friday. “We continue to operate within a confidential process, which was agreed to by Canada Post and CUPW,” Canada Post wrote in a statement. “While we strongly disagree with the responses the union has shared publicly, we encourage CUPW to share their positions through the formal process.” In an email to the Star, CUPW said it “respects” the bargaining process and noted that its representatives met with the mediator Saturday afternoon to discuss the proposals, which they argue contain “drastic changes and rollbacks that no union in the world would ever accept.” CPP and OAS cheques will still be delivered. However, cheques for many social assistance “We urge Canada Post to bring forward proposals that reflect the value of its workforce,” the union said. “While no counterproposal has been made yet, CUPW negotiators remain committed to working toward a fair deal and are ready to return to the table.” Details of the proposals exchanged between the two sides during the mediation process have not been shared publicly. The Crown corporation said it remains committed to getting people “back to work.” “Our proposals include significant moves to close the gap on key issues like weekend delivery, pensions and wages to reach new agreements,” a Canada Post spokesperson said. The strike began on Nov. 15 and will hit the four-week mark this Friday. In the last three weeks, most mail and parcels have not been processed or delivered, except for some . Both parties have been informally communicating via the meditator to find a solution, but have not been back to the official bargaining table since were suspended last week. As the strike continues, especially amid a crucial holiday period for many small businesses and customers, pressure has been building on the federal government to step in. But in a statement on Saturday, Ottawa signalled it’s not planning to intervene and force the postal employees back to work through binding arbitration. “We urge the parties to get back to the negotiating table,” Matthieu Perrotin, press secretary to Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon, stated in an email to the Star Saturday morning. “Parties must do the work necessary to reach a deal, as Canadians are counting on them. Those with passports being held by Service Canada can arrange to pick them up in person, “Negotiated agreements are always the best way forward,” he wrote. CUPW president Jan Simpson told the Star in an interview Saturday that the government not intervening is a “good thing.” The union had called for a cumulative wage hike of 24 per cent over four years, while the company previously countered with wage increases totalling 11.5 per cent over four years and additional paid leave, while protecting the defined benefit pension and job security provisions. “The proposals that they put forward are not adequate. This strike highlights there’s so many unresolved systemic issues. And it’s not an overreach of the unions to try to fix these,” Simpson said.Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter spurs broader discussion on who else should be granted clemency

NEW YORK (AP) — Police don't know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Over the weekend, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any possible clues and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. Early Sunday afternoon, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. The bag’s apparent manufacturer did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it looks like on TV . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask.Secretaries of State are being told that any outgoings which are not contributing towards one of Labour’s “priorities” must be cut as Rachel Reeves vows to wield “an iron fist against waste.” In letters sent by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, departments will be told to brace for “difficult” spending decisions in order to restore trust in the Government’s handling of the public finances. Every pound of departmental spending will be face a “line-by-line review” involving external finance experts from banks and think tanks in order to ensure it represents value for money, the Treasury said. The Chancellor will on Tuesday launch the next round of Government spending, and is expected to warn departments that they “cannot operate in a business-as-usual way when reviewing their budgets for the coming years”. She will insist that areas focused on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “plan for change”, which includes targets to improve living standards across the country and build 1.5 million homes, must be prioritised. Ms Reeves said: “By totally rewiring how the Government spends money we will be able to deliver our plan for change and focus on what matters for working people. “The previous government allowed millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to go to waste on poor value for money projects. We will not tolerate it; I said I would have an iron grip on the public finances and that means taking an iron fist against waste. “By reforming our public services, we will ensure they are up to scratch for modern day demands, saving money and delivering better services for people across the country. That’s why we will inspect every pound of Government spend, so that it goes to the right places and we put an end to all waste.” Under the Treasury’s plans, departments will ensure budgets are scrutinised by “challenge panels” of external experts including former senior management of Lloyd’s Banking Group, Barclays Bank and the Co-operative Group. These panels, which will also involve think tanks, academics and the private sector, will advise on which spending “is or isn’t necessary”, the ministry said. The Treasury said work has already begun, with an evaluation of the £6.5 million spent on a scheme that placed social workers in schools finding “no evidence of positive impact on social care outcomes”. “Departments will be advised that where spending is not contributing to a priority, it should be stopped,” it said. “Although some of these decisions will be difficult, the Chancellor is clear that the public must have trust in the Government that it is rooting out waste and that their taxes are being spent on their priorities.” Ms Reeves had already announced efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments in her autumn budget as she seeks to put the public finances on a firmer footing. In a speech in east London, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden hinted at a further squeeze. “At the Budget the Chancellor demanded efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments – and there will be more to come,” he said. “As we launch the next phase of the spending review at its heart must be reform of the state in order to do a better job for the public.”