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The mighty caste system: Part - II It is believed that reservation is only opportunity Scheduled Castes have to break into mainstream Roy believes the statistics Singh cited may be flawed, but are unlikely to be drastically flawed. She notes, “They are a quarter of a century old now. Some new census-based information would help, but is unlikely to be forthcoming because the government is not interested in including caste in the census.” It is a common complaint of the Dalits that they don’t get justice from the courts. Roy, while citing a study, reveals 47 per cent of all Indian Supreme Court chief justices between 1950 and 2000 were Brahmins. “During the same period, 40 per cent of the associate justices in the high courts and lower courts were Brahmin.” It is not only some surveys that make such claims but a report by the Backward Classes Commission also revealed in 2007 that 37.17 per cent of the Indian bureaucracy was made up of Brahmins. “Most of them occupied the top posts.” The Indian media has also been dominated by upper-caste Hindus. Perhaps it was this reason that forced Ambedkar to say in 1945 that the 'Untouchables have no press'. He bitterly complained, “The Congress Press is closed to them and is determined not to give them the slightest publicity.” It is asserted that in the past the staff of the Associated Press in India, which is the main news distributing agency in India, was entirely drawn from the Madras Brahmins. Dalits claim that indeed the whole of the press in India had been in Brahmin hands in the past because they were Congress supporters and they didn’t allow any news hostile to Congress to get publicity. Roy quotes a 2006 survey by the CSDS on the social profile of New Delhi's media elite. She notes, “Of the 315-key decision-makers surveyed from thirty-seven Delhi-based Hindi and English publications and television channels, almost 90 per cent of the decision-makers in the English language print media and 79 per cent in television were found to be 'upper caste'. Of them, 49 per cent were Brahmins. Not one of the 315 was a Dalit or an Adivasi; only 4.0 per cent belonged to castes designated as Shudra, and 3.0 per cent were Muslim (who make up 13.4 per cent of the population). Of the four most important English national dailies, three are owned by Vaishyas and one by a Brahmin family concern.” She notes that caste is also visible in the South Indian media landscape. “In southern India, caste manifests itself somewhat differently. For example, the Eenadu Group – which owns newspapers, the largest film city in the world and a dozen TV channels, among other things – is headed by Ramoji Rao of the Kamma peasant caste of Andhra Pradesh, which bucks the trend of Brahmin-Bania ownership of Big Media.” India witnessed several riots and protests over the issue of reservations in universities and for jobs in state-run bodies for those who belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It is believed that reservation is the only opportunity Scheduled Castes have to break into the mainstream. But unfortunately, the policy does not apply to Dalits who have converted to other religions but continue to face discrimination. Even benefitting from this reservation is very difficult for Dalits because to be eligible for the reservation policy, a Dalit needs to have completed high school but 71.3 per cent of Scheduled Caste students drop out before they matriculate, which means that even for low-end government jobs, the reservation policy only applies to one in every four Dalits. The minimum qualification for a white-collar job is a graduate degree. According to the 2001 Census, only 2.24 per cent of the Dalit population are graduates. But detractors of Dalits assert that the liberalisation of the economy has provided ample opportunities to everyone. They assert it is because of this that Vaisyas, despite being low in the social hierarchy, made it to the list of richest Indians. But Roy believes this didn’t benefit Dalits, who constitute an overwhelming majority among India's poor. “In a nation of 1.2 billion, more than 800 million people live on less than Rs20 a day. A list of dollar billionaires published by Forbes magazine a few years ago, features 55 Indians. The novelist noted the figures, naturally, are based on revealed wealth. “Even among these dollar billionaires, the distribution of wealth is a steep pyramid in which the cumulative wealth of the top ten outstrips the forty-five below them. Seven out of those top ten are Vaishyas, all of them CEOs of major corporations with business interests all over the world. Of the remaining forty-five, nineteen are Vaishyas too. The rest are for the most part Parsis, Bohras and Khatris (all mercantile castes) and Brahmins. There are no Dalits or Adivasis in this list.” So, it seems that industrialisation in India didn’t bring the much-vaunted social reforms that could have put an end to social hierarchy based on caste and religion. It is also interesting to note that, while the Western bourgeoisie was anti-clergy and progressive, the business classes of the largest democracy are still very superstitious. From wedding dates to the inauguration of new projects, they are said to be heavily dependent on semi-literate religious leaders. The Western bourgeoisie deprived the priests of political clout but the Indian bourgeoisie brought Yogi Adityanath into the power corridors of Lucknow by gifting him the crown of India’s most populous province. They also fund several religious places besides bankrolling a number of mystics with a medieval mindset. Perhaps the Indian bourgeoisie believes that the inhuman religious and social hierarchy was one of the factors fueling their wealth which is why they don’t want to abolish this archaic system. They are trying to create an impression that this system is also open to the Dalits whose chamber of commerce is believed to be financed by upper-caste Hindu capitalists. But many among the Dalits believe that without radical change, emancipation is not possible. The solution doesn’t lie in enriching a few Dalits but in breaking the shackles created in the name of religion. They also dismiss top government posts that are sometimes given to Dalits, arguing that until structural reforms are carried out, nothing will change. Many Dalit leaders believe that such change can only be brought through a violent revolution which can end Brahmin domination and capitalist supremacy. Concluded The writer is a freelance journalist who can be reached at: egalitarianism444@gmail.com
Ituka scores 18 off the bench, Jacksonville State downs East Carolina 86-78
A person’s face is covered by a Chinese flag fluttering in the wind in Beijing in an undated photograph.Photo: Bloomberg ‘UNITED FRONT’: Beijing provides Internet ‘influencers’ with templates and directions, such as criticizing Taiwanese politicians, the rapper said By Chung Li-hua and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer 請繼續往下閱讀... Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) in a video showed how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) bribes Taiwanese online influencers in its “united front” efforts to shape Taiwanese opinions. The video was made by YouTuber “Pa Chiung (八炯)” and published online on Friday. Chen in the video said that China’s United Front Work Department provided him with several templates and materials — such as making news statements — with some mentioning Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politician Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and asking him to write a song criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party. 請繼續往下閱讀... He said he had produced content for China as requested, but did not receive the royalties as promised by a Beijing-based management company for his song Chinese Bosses (中國老總), which is sung in an exaggerated Taiwanese accent with lyrics implying a pleasant life for businesspeople in China. Chen said he also founded a company in China jointly with a business partner from the Jinjiang Taiwan Compatriots Friendship Association, who worked as his manager and later poached all his employees and capital invested in the company. He was labeled as a fraud and a “Taiwanese independence separatist,” and attacked by Chinese Internet trolls, after he released an online video condemning his former business partner for betraying him. “I finally realized the hard way that where I was staying [China] was not a place of democracy,” Chen said, adding that there is a huge difference between democratic Taiwan and autocratic China. The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday said it is in control of the situation where Taiwanese influencers allegedly vilify the government’s policies, lure Taiwanese to work in China or engage in “united front” campaigns requested by the Chinese government. The National Security Act (國家安全法) prohibits people from engaging, initiating, funding, hosting, manipulating, directing or developing an organization for a foreign country, including China, Hong Kong and Macau, external hostile forces, or any type of organizations, institutions, or groups established or controlled by them, or a representative dispatched by such organizations, institutions or groups, the council said. The Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) prohibits people from receiving instructions, being commissioned or funded by external hostile forces to engage in activities that disrupt social order, spread disinformation or interfere with elections, it said. Article 33-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) prohibits individuals, juristic persons, organizations or other institutions from engaging in any form of cooperation with the Chinese military, political parties or any organization of a political nature, it added. 新聞來源: TAIPEI TIMES 不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎 點我下載APP 按我看活動辦法On April 1, four years ago, piqued by the incessant jokes in the village at his expense, Bandu Barve decided he’d had enough. It was time for him to turn ‘smart’. His dead granny’s voice rang in his ears — “Read the papers, Bandya, they tell you all.” So, off went Bandu to the stash of newspapers on his father’s desk. As luck would have it, the first paper Bandu got his hands on was The Hindu businessline . The stock recos, in particular, had him in thrall. Soon, Bandu metamorphosed into an ace investor and trader. These days, Bandu picks five stocks each Sunday, which he believes will be blockbusters over the next week. Here’s your chance to match step with Bandu. Guess the stock that will give the best return by next Friday (BSE prices). By this Wednesday noon, mail us your pick and its expected price rise to bandublockbuster@gmail.com with your name, mobile number and address. One lucky winner will get a prize of ₹2,000. To know the winner selection process, please click: https://tinyurl.com/Bandu-selection Bandu’s picks CESC Angel One BLS International Jindal Saw Cyient Last week’s winner: Kalyan Banerjee Last week’s winning stock: Lloyds Metals & Energy Closing price (Nov 29): ₹1,040.50 Closing price (Dec 06): ₹1,050.95 Return: 1 per cent CommentsGame Boy classic Donkey Kong Land is on Nintendo Switch Online now
WHEELING, W.Va. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WesBanco, Inc. ("WesBanco") (Nasdaq: WSBC) and Premier Financial Corp. ("Premier") (Nasdaq: PFC) today announced that WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders have each voted overwhelmingly to adopt and approve, as applicable, all proposals relating to the previously announced merger agreement for WesBanco to acquire Premier. The votes were held at the respective special meetings of WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders today. Approximately 85% of the votes cast at WesBanco's special meeting voted to approve the merger and to approve the proposal to issue shares of WesBanco common stock as described in the joint proxy statement/prospectus for the special meeting, and approximately 68% of the outstanding shares of Premier common stock voted to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. "Shareholder approval is a key milestone that reflects strong confidence in the opportunities this merger creates for our communities, customers, employees and shareholders," said Jeff Jackson , President and Chief Executive Officer of WesBanco. "With this step complete, we look forward to receiving the required regulatory approvals and then scheduling the closing of the merger, so we can bring our community commitment and the resources of a stronger organization to all of our communities." With the completion of this critical milestone, the companies believe the merger is on track to close during the first quarter of 2025. The transaction remains subject to the completion of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals. The merger will create a regional financial services institution with approximately $27 billion in assets, significant economies of scale, and strong pro forma profitability metrics. With complementary and contiguous geographic footprints, the combined company would be the 8th largest bank in Ohio , based on deposit market share, have increased presence in Indiana , and serve customers in nine states. About WesBanco, Inc. With over 150 years as a community-focused, regional financial services partner, WesBanco Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBC) and its subsidiaries build lasting prosperity through relationships and solutions that empower our customers for success in their financial journeys. Customers across our eight-state footprint choose WesBanco for the comprehensive range and personalized delivery of our retail and commercial banking solutions, as well as trust, brokerage, wealth management and insurance services, all designed to advance their financial goals. Through the strength of our teams, we leverage large bank capabilities and local focus to help make every community we serve a better place for people and businesses to thrive. Headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia , WesBanco has $18.5 billion in total assets, with our Trust and Investment Services holding $6.1 billion of assets under management and securities account values (including annuities) of $1.9 billion through our broker/dealer, as of September 30, 2024 . Learn more at www.wesbanco.com and follow @WesBanco on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. About Premier Financial Corp. Premier Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: PFC), headquartered in Defiance, Ohio , is the holding company for Premier Bank. Premier Bank, headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio , operates 73 branches and nine loan offices in Ohio , Michigan , Indiana and Pennsylvania and also serves clients through a team of wealth professionals dedicated to each community banking branch. For more information, visit Premier's website at www.PremierFinCorp.com . Matters set forth in this press release contain certain forward-looking statements, including certain plans, expectations, goals, and projections, and including statements about the benefits of the proposed Merger between WesBanco and Premier, that are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those contained or implied by such statements for a variety of factors including: the effects of changing regional and national economic conditions, changes in interest rates, spreads on earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and associated interest rate sensitivity; sources of liquidity available to WesBanco and its related subsidiary operations; potential future credit losses and the credit risk of commercial, real estate, and consumer loan customers and their borrowing activities; actions of the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Institution Regulatory Authority, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, the Securities Investors Protection Corporation, and other regulatory bodies; potential legislative and federal and state regulatory actions and reform, including, without limitation, the impact of the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act; adverse decisions of federal and state courts; fraud , scams and schemes of third parties; cyber-security breaches; competitive conditions in the financial services industry; rapidly changing technology affecting financial services; marketability of debt instruments and corresponding impact on fair value adjustments; and/or other external developments materially impacting WesBanco's operational and financial performance, the businesses of the WesBanco and Premier may not be integrated successfully or such integration may take longer to accomplish than expected; the expected cost savings and any revenue synergies from the proposed Merger may not be fully realized within the expected timeframes; disruption from the proposed Merger may make it more difficult to maintain relationships with clients, associates, or suppliers; the required governmental approvals of the proposed Merger may not be obtained on the expected terms and schedule; changes in economic conditions; movements in interest rates; competitive pressures on product pricing and services; success and timing of other business strategies; the nature, extent, and timing of governmental actions and reforms; and extended disruption of vital infrastructure; and other factors described in WesBanco's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Premier's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, and documents subsequently filed by WesBanco and Premier with the SEC. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available at the time of the release. Neither WesBanco nor Premier assumes any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wesbanco-inc-and-premier-financial-corp-announce-shareholder-approvals-of-merger-agreement-302329433.html SOURCE WesBanco, Inc.Experts shed light on what new PTI move would mean for economy KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plans to initiate a civil disobedience movement, encouraging overseas Pakistanis to limit their remittances, could hurt the economy, say experts. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges, has threatened to launch a nationwide civil disobedience campaign from December 14 if party demands are not met. As part of this movement, overseas Pakistanis will be encouraged to reduce their remittances and participate in a boycott campaign. “If the PTI launches a civil disobedience movement, it could have serious consequences for Pakistan’s economy. Remittances, which bring in over $30 billion annually, might drop if people are encouraged to use informal channels like hawala instead of official banking systems,” said Saad Hanif, head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities. “Political instability might scare off investors, weaken the rupee further, and drive up inflation, making life harder for ordinary people. Overall, it could disrupt the government’s plans and push the economy deeper into crisis,” he added. Awais Ashraf, director research at AKD Securities Limited, does not believe that potential civil disobedience will significantly impact remittance flows, as people send this money to support their families and some flows are earnings of freelancers. Remittances to Pakistan have increased to $11.8 billion in July-October FY25, up 34.7 per cent from the same period last year, providing crucial support to the external account. Both the government and the central bank anticipate that remittances will reach historic levels of $35 billion in FY25, averaging $2.9 billion per month so far. These significant inflows will strengthen the reserves, offering a much-needed boost to the economy. A senior banker said that we need to observe how Pakistani expatriates respond to the planned call. In reality, Pakistan regularly receives significant remittance inflows from its migrants working abroad, most of whom belong to the lower and middle classes and typically engage in blue-collar jobs in Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he said. However, the expatriates who may have acquired nationality in their host countries often send funds back home during occasions such as Eid festivals, for Hajj, for charity, and for making investments in Pakistan. Khan’s latest announcement comes at a time when the nation’s struggling economy is on the mend, largely thanks to a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. As a result, inflation has decreased, dropping to 4.9 per cent in November. The current account balance shifted to a surplus of $218 million in the first four months of the fiscal year 2025, compared to a deficit of $1.528 billion in the same period last year. As of November, the foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan amounted to $12 billion, which is sufficient to cover more than two months of imports. Interest rates have also fallen, decreasing by 700 basis points to 15 per cent since June. Moreover, Pakistan’s benchmark stock index has performed well, surpassing 100,000 points. If the economy suffers as a result of the political unrest, the IT industry, which is already suffering from slow speed, is likely to experience more difficulties. The consistent internet disruptions and its slow speed are detrimental to the national economy in general and IT sector in particular, which will further affect adversely the economic activities and damage the reputation of the country if the situation persists, said Saad Shah, an IT exporter. As far as the IT sector is concerned, various IT companies are facing challenges to complete their projects on time despite their multiple efforts of working extra hours due to the prevailing internet situation. Large IT companies having annual contracts with local and foreign clients may survive through managing their work from offshore offices, but medium and small players including freelancers could not have options but to lose projects and clients, Shah added Hanif also expressed that “[civil disobedience] would reduce the country’s foreign exchange reserves. The government could also struggle to collect taxes and utility bills, worsening its financial problems and delaying important projects,” Hanif said. In a message posted on X, Khan announced the formation of a five-member negotiation team. This team is tasked with discussing two key demands with the government: the release of under-trial prisoners and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the incidents that occurred on May 9, 2023 and November 26, 2024 -- dates that saw significant protests from Khan’s supporters, which were met with a crackdown from the government and security forces.Rachel Cooke’s best graphic novels of 2024
But the City boss has vowed to stay on and lift the club back to the top even if they are sent all the way down to the National League. Guardiola ended speculation over his immediate future this week by extending his contract, which had been due to expire at the end of the season, through to the summer of 2027. That has given the club some stability at a time of great uncertainty as they fight 115 charges related to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations. City have denied all wrongdoing but their punishment if found guilty could be severe, with demotion even a possibility. Guardiola has strongly defended the club in the past and is happy to continue doing so. The Spaniard said: “I don’t enjoy it, I prefer not to be in that position, but once it’s there I love it because, when you believe in your club, and the people there – I believe what they say to me and the reasons why. “I cannot say yet because we’re awaiting the sentence in February or March – I don’t know when – but at the same time, I like it. “I read something about the situation and how you need to be relegated immediately. Seventy-five per cent of the clubs want it, because I know what they do behind the scenes and this sort of stuff. “I said when all the clubs accused us of doing something wrong, (and people asked) what happens if we are relegated, (I said) I will be here. “Next year, I don’t know the position of the Conference they are going to (put) us, (but) we are going to come up and come up and come back to the Premier League. I knew it then and I feel it now.” The immediate priority for Guardiola, who said his contract negotiations were completed in “just two hours”, is to arrest a run of four successive defeats in all competitions. Yet, ahead of their return to action against Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the champions continue to grapple with a lengthy injury list. Mateo Kovacic is their latest casualty after sustaining a knock on international duty that could keep him out for up to a month. On the positive side, defenders Nathan Ake, John Stones and Manuel Akanji could feature and Jack Grealish is also closing in on a return after a month out. Much to Guardiola’s frustration, Grealish was called up by England for their recent Nations League games, although he later withdrew. Guardiola said: “I want the best for Jack and I want the best for Jack with the national team but the doctor said to me that he was not ready to play. “I know (England) want him but they have 200 players to select from and Jack was not fit. He had to recover from many things.” Kyle Walker played for England against both Greece and the Republic of Ireland despite limited game time since suffering injury in the October international break. Guardiola said: “If he is fit I like him to play in the national team. It is not a problem, don’t misunderstand me. “Kyle has a dream to make 100 caps for the national team. Do I want to cancel this dream? Absolutely not. “But if you are not fit, if you cannot play here, you cannot play for the national team. It is quite obvious.”
Staff report ANDERSON, S.C. — The Catawba women’s basketball team will look back on Wednesday’s game in a few weeks and will still be trying to figure out how they won it. But the Indians really did win 63-62 at Anderson in the South Atlantic Conference opener for both teams. Freshman Bailee Goodlett (North Rowan) made the game-winning drive with eight seconds left, as a crowd of 118 looked on in the Abney Center. Catawba scored a meager 18 points in the first half and it looked like the Indians might get shut out until Goodlett banked in a 3-pointer after more than four minutes had been played. Catawba shot six free throws all night. Yes, six. That should get you beat in a Division II game. Catawba also allowed 19 offensive rebounds. That also should get you beat. But the Indians (3-1, 1-0) hung in there and they had one heck of a 27-point fourth quarter. Sydney Gueterman was a star. She doesn’t always play a lot, but she was hot and Catawba was desperate. She filled it up in the fourth quarter and scored 15. Janiya Foskey had a terrific game with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Goodlett made her second 3-pointer in the fourth quarter in a key situation and then she came through again at the end. Anderson (2-3, 0-1) and Catawba were both playing short-handed. Catawba 9 9 18 27 — 63 Anderson 11 14 18 19 — 62 CATAWBA scoring — Gueterman 15, Foskey 14, Goodlett 10, Wilson 9, Ingram 8, Baker 3, Dixon-Booker 2, Fuertes 2.Savvy mum's budget-friendly stocking filler ideas – costing from just £1.29Iron man John Michael Schmitz’s future with Giants an open questionGreen Guillotine: how politics prevailed over principles in legislative avalanche
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:02 p.m. ESTREYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Icelanders will elect a new parliament Saturday 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 is 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. Iceland, a nation of about 400,000 people, is proud of its democratic traditions, describing itself as arguably the world’s oldest parliamentary democracy. The island’s parliament, the Althingi, was founded in 930 by the Norsemen who settled the country. Here’s what to look for in the contest. How does the election work? Voters will choose 63 members of the Althingi in an election that will allocate seats both by regional constituencies and proportional representation. Parties need at least 5% of the vote to win seats in parliament. Eight parties were represented in the outgoing parliament, and 10 parties are contesting this election. Turnout is traditionally high by international standards, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 parliamentary election. Why now? A windswept island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland normally holds elections during the warmer months of the year. But on Oct. 13 Benediktsson decided his coalition couldn’t last any longer, and he asked President Halla Tómasdóttir to dissolve the Althingi. “The weakness of this society is that we have no very strong party and we have no very strong leader of any party,’’ said Vilhjálmur Bjarnson, a former member of parliament. “We have no charming person with a vision ... That is very difficult for us.” Why is Iceland's politics so fractured? The splintering of Iceland's political landscape came after the 2008 financial crisis, which prompted years of economic upheaval after its debt-swollen banks collapsed. The crisis led to anger and distrust of the parties that had traditionally traded power back and forth, and prompted the creation of new parties ranging from the environment focused Left-Green Alliance to the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy and individual freedoms. “This is one of the consequences of the economic crash,’’ said Eva H. Önnudóttir, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland. “It’s just the changed landscape. Parties, especially the old parties, have maybe kind of been hoping that we would go back to how things were before, but that’s not going to happen.” What are the issues? Like many Western countries, Iceland has been buffeted by the rising cost of living and immigration pressures. Inflation peaked at an annual rate of 10.2% in February 2023, fueled by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While inflation slowed to 5.1% in October, that is still high compared with neighboring countries. The U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.6% last month, while the European Union’s rate was 2.3%. Iceland is also struggling to accommodate a rising number of asylum-seekers, creating tensions within the small, traditionally homogenous country. The number of immigrants seeking protection in Iceland jumped to more than 4,000 in each of the past three years, compared with a previous average of less than 1,000. What about the volcano? Repeated eruptions of a volcano in the southwestern part of the country have displaced thousands of people and strained public finances. One year after the first eruption forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavik, many residents still don’t have secure housing, leading to complaints that the government has been slow to respond. But it also added to a shortage of affordable housing exacerbated by Iceland’s tourism boom. Young people are struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder at a time when short-term vacation rentals have reduced the housing stock available for locals, Önnudóttir said. “The housing issue is becoming a big issue in Iceland,'' she said. —— Kirka reported from London. Marco Di Marco And Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Michelle Cheramie, founder of Zeus' Rescues, at her office in New Orleans on Dec. 9 with a whiteboard index of sheltered cats and dogs and a Scrim look-alike recuperating in the background. 'I'm a travelin' dog and I've made a lot of stops/All over this town...' Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...And at every stop I own the heart, of at least one lovely...' People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. Neighbor Tammy Murray had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues van toward reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim came to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter for stealth. Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, left, walks with Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...If you're ever in the 9th Ward stop and see/My cute little mini poodle...' Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something," she said. "He's doing that, too.” Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim rests in a kennel Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...and my Shar-Pei doll down in old Treme/Waits for my return...' Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” A Scrim sticker for sale Dec. 9 at Zeus' Rescues office to raise money for the shelter in New Orleans. A homemade portrait of Scrim hangs Dec. 9 in the Zeus' Rescues shelter in New Orleans. Scrim spends some time outside Oct. 24 with Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, in a fenced-in area at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Scrim sits in the arms of Zoey Ponder on Oct. 24 at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Scrim at the Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter in Louisiana. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!WHEELING, W.Va. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WesBanco, Inc. ("WesBanco") (Nasdaq: WSBC) and Premier Financial Corp. ("Premier") (Nasdaq: PFC) today announced that WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders have each voted overwhelmingly to adopt and approve, as applicable, all proposals relating to the previously announced merger agreement for WesBanco to acquire Premier. The votes were held at the respective special meetings of WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders today. Approximately 85% of the votes cast at WesBanco's special meeting voted to approve the merger and to approve the proposal to issue shares of WesBanco common stock as described in the joint proxy statement/prospectus for the special meeting, and approximately 68% of the outstanding shares of Premier common stock voted to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement.
Active funds or active investing relies on leveraging available information to outperform the index. This should imply that large and mid-cap (L&M) space with higher information availability, should perform better. But the same is not reflected in the performance of active funds in the L&M space compared to small-cap funds. The latter have delivered comparable or better returns on an absolute basis and outperformed in beating the index (alpha). We measure the gap in performance between the two and the reason for outperformance. A stock in the L&M space can sometime be covered by 10-15 analysts which should significantly lower any information asymmetry. On the other hand, small cap stocks are undercovered and can sometimes have no analyst coverage. The access to management and regular investor meetings (disclosed on stock exchange websites) also favours L&M stocks though small-cap stocks are improving investor access recently. The access and reduced information gap should power active investing in L&M space to beat the index. But the higher research focus on a small group of stocks could be leading to diminishing return on research, leading to negative alphas in most cases. Macro readthroughs are much more impactful on the top end of the market compared to the bottom end. This should allow an additional lever for L&M fund managers to outperform the index compared to small-cap universe. A higher government capex outlay, a cut in repo rate, policy shifts in energy, export/imports and PLI announcements have a higher impact on L&M stocks with their conglomerate backing than on small-cap ecosystem. But this too has failed to elevate alpha performance. With diminishing return on research and inability to leverage macroeconomic indicators, the management fees paid in L&M space ranging from 100-250 bps per year has been a bearing on investor returns. Small-cap stocks are expected to fare well on absolute return metric, which is shown in the table as well. Small-cap universe is wider than L&M universe. This limits the number of positions taken in L&M funds, limit return potential. The sector selection is also wider in the small-cap space. Shifts in textile industry, evolving trade flows in chemicals and life sciences sector, growth tailwinds in electronics manufacturing, or renewable or alternate energy solutions find more resonance in small-cap space than in L&M sectors which are populated by mature sectors. Earlier small-cap stocks were disproportionally impacted by corporate governance discounts. The situation is gradually improving as well. With periodic investor/conference calls, the management is regularly answerable to their strategies which should limit governance related discounts. The recent incidence of CE Info Systems (MapmyIndia) where announced plans of new company were modified under investor scrutiny is an example. We have considered active funds with more than five years of operations for analysis. The 13 small-cap funds have delivered an average alpha of 380 bps over Nifty Smallcap 250 – TRI measured as average daily five-year rolling return CAGR for the last 10 years. In the L&M space with 19 funds, the alpha is a negative 80 bps over NIFTY LargeMidcap 250 – TRI index in the same measure. In fact only one fund in the small-cap space failed to outperform the index while only four of the 19 in L&M have managed to better the index. Nine of the small-cap active funds have beaten the index more the 75 per cent of the days on a 5-year CAGR basis while the large-cap counterpart has only three funds doing the same. SBI Small Cap Fund has delivered an average 5-year CAGR of 23.1 per cent in the last 10 years compared to index return of 14.7 per cent. The top performer in the large-cap space is Mirae Asset Large & Midcap with average returns of 21.7 per cent compared to index returns of 15.4 per cent. In the short timeframe of 1-year average returns in the last decade, volatility has impacted small-cap funds’ alpha performance. The alpha shrinks to 80 bps for small-cap funds but remains firmly at -100 bps in the large-cap space. The average Nifty Smallcap 250 – TRI returns over 1 year at 25.7 per cent though outperforms NIFTY LargeMidcap 250 – TRI average returns of 20.6 per cent. CommentsSignal Gold Exercises Option and Upsizes Concurrent Financing, Confirms Conversion of Subscription Receipts and Updated Credit Facility Restructuring Terms
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REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Icelanders will elect a new parliament Saturday 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 is 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. Iceland, a nation of about 400,000 people, is proud of its democratic traditions, describing itself as arguably the world’s oldest parliamentary democracy. The island’s parliament, the Althingi, was founded in 930 by the Norsemen who settled the country. Here’s what to look for in the contest. How does the election work? Voters will choose 63 members of the Althingi in an election that will allocate seats both by regional constituencies and proportional representation. Parties need at least 5% of the vote to win seats in parliament. Eight parties were represented in the outgoing parliament, and 10 parties are contesting this election. Turnout is traditionally high by international standards, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 parliamentary election. Why now? A windswept island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland normally holds elections during the warmer months of the year. But on Oct. 13 Benediktsson decided his coalition couldn’t last any longer, and he asked President Halla Tómasdóttir to dissolve the Althingi. “The weakness of this society is that we have no very strong party and we have no very strong leader of any party,’’ said Vilhjálmur Bjarnson, a former member of parliament. “We have no charming person with a vision ... That is very difficult for us.” Why is Iceland’s politics so fractured? The splintering of Iceland’s political landscape came after the 2008 financial crisis, which prompted years of economic upheaval after its debt-swollen banks collapsed. The crisis led to anger and distrust of the parties that had traditionally traded power back and forth, and prompted the creation of new parties ranging from the environment focused Left-Green Alliance to the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy and individual freedoms. “This is one of the consequences of the economic crash,’’ said Eva H. Önnudóttir, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland. “It’s just the changed landscape. Parties, especially the old parties, have maybe kind of been hoping that we would go back to how things were before, but that’s not going to happen.” What are the issues? Like many Western countries, Iceland has been buffeted by the rising cost of living and immigration pressures. Inflation peaked at an annual rate of 10.2% in February 2023, fueled by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While inflation slowed to 5.1% in October, that is still high compared with neighboring countries. The U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.6% last month, while the European Union’s rate was 2.3%. Iceland is also struggling to accommodate a rising number of asylum-seekers, creating tensions within the small, traditionally homogenous country. The number of immigrants seeking protection in Iceland jumped to more than 4,000 in each of the past three years, compared with a previous average of less than 1,000. What about the volcano? of a volcano in the southwestern part of the country have displaced thousands of people and strained public finances. One year after the first eruption forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavik, many residents still don’t have secure housing, leading to complaints that the government has been slow to respond. But it also added to a shortage of affordable housing exacerbated by Iceland’s tourism boom. Young people are struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder at a time when short-term vacation rentals have reduced the housing stock available for locals, Önnudóttir said. “The housing issue is becoming a big issue in Iceland,’’ she said. —— Kirka reported from London.
But the City boss has vowed to stay on and lift the club back to the top even if they are sent all the way down to the National League. Guardiola ended speculation over his immediate future this week by extending his contract, which had been due to expire at the end of the season, through to the summer of 2027. That has given the club some stability at a time of great uncertainty as they fight 115 charges related to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations. City have denied all wrongdoing but their punishment if found guilty could be severe, with demotion even a possibility. Guardiola has strongly defended the club in the past and is happy to continue doing so. The Spaniard said: “I don’t enjoy it, I prefer not to be in that position, but once it’s there I love it because, when you believe in your club, and the people there – I believe what they say to me and the reasons why. “I cannot say yet because we’re awaiting the sentence in February or March – I don’t know when – but at the same time, I like it. “I read something about the situation and how you need to be relegated immediately. Seventy-five per cent of the clubs want it, because I know what they do behind the scenes and this sort of stuff. “I said when all the clubs accused us of doing something wrong, (and people asked) what happens if we are relegated, (I said) I will be here. “Next year, I don’t know the position of the Conference they are going to (put) us, (but) we are going to come up and come up and come back to the Premier League. I knew it then and I feel it now.” The immediate priority for Guardiola, who said his contract negotiations were completed in “just two hours”, is to arrest a run of four successive defeats in all competitions. Yet, ahead of their return to action against Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the champions continue to grapple with a lengthy injury list. Mateo Kovacic is their latest casualty after sustaining a knock on international duty that could keep him out for up to a month. On the positive side, defenders Nathan Ake, John Stones and Manuel Akanji could feature and Jack Grealish is also closing in on a return after a month out. Much to Guardiola’s frustration, Grealish was called up by England for their recent Nations League games, although he later withdrew. Guardiola said: “I want the best for Jack and I want the best for Jack with the national team but the doctor said to me that he was not ready to play. “I know (England) want him but they have 200 players to select from and Jack was not fit. He had to recover from many things.” Kyle Walker played for England against both Greece and the Republic of Ireland despite limited game time since suffering injury in the October international break. Guardiola said: “If he is fit I like him to play in the national team. It is not a problem, don’t misunderstand me. “Kyle has a dream to make 100 caps for the national team. Do I want to cancel this dream? Absolutely not. “But if you are not fit, if you cannot play here, you cannot play for the national team. It is quite obvious.”Soccer-Arsenal building up momentum, says Arteta
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