fishing diving 2024 has just about come and gone, but before we ring in the new year, let’s take a moment to acknowledge some of the Australian rugby league players who left us for good in 2024, many of them far too soon. Darrell Bampton OAM A hard-working backrower, Bampton was a great clubman for South Sydney, both on and off the field, and went from club captain in 1978 to CEO in 1997. He also managed both NSW Origin and Australian sides, was vice-president of the NSWRL in 2002, was made a life member of both South Sydney and the NSWRL and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to rugby league in 2009. A rugby league man through and through. Darrell Bampton played 51 first grade games for South Sydney. He passed away in January 2024 aged 74. Bob Banks After making his first-grade debut with Eastern Suburbs as a 19-year-old in 1950, Banks headed to the Queensland country where he spent the bulk of his career. He was a great on-field organiser and a tough defender, soon found himself in the Queensland team and went on to become the Kangaroos’ first choice five-eighth for most of the 1950s. Bob Banks played 32 games for Queensland, six as captain, and 15 Tests for Australia. He passed away in July 2024 aged 94. Keith “Golden Boots” Barnes AM Born in Wales, Barnes’ family settled in Wollongong NSW after emigrating to Australia when he was 15 years of age. After representing NSW Country just four years later, he was signed by Balmain where he became an institution. Every game he played for the club over the next 14 years was in first grade and, after he retired from playing, he went on to not only coach the club, but also serve as Secretary-Manager of the Balmain Leagues Club and later as Chief Executive of the football club. He represented Australia between 1957 and 1966 before competition from the likes of Les Johns, Ken Thornett and Graeme Langlands saw him lose his place in the Australian team. Apart from being a great all-round player in both attack and defence, he was the best goal kicker of his era and held the record as the competition’s highest point scorer when he hung up his boots in 1968. Keith Barnes played 194 games for Balmain, scoring over 1500 points along the way, 12 games for NSW and 17 Tests for Australia, including 12 as captain. He also coached both Balmain and Australia. What a career! He passed away in April 2024 aged 89. Credit: NRL John Bilbija Bilbija was a rugged second rower who struggled to gain a real foothold in first grade, after debuting for Balmain in 1980. His best years were in 1986 and 1987 with Western Suburbs after returning to the big league following a stint in the Parramatta juniors. Bilbija played 49 first grade games for Balmain, Parramatta, Western Suburbs and South Sydney in his career, along with many in the lower grades. He passed away in August 2024 aged 65. Steve Blyth Blyth was a big, tough back rower who was renowned for his defence, and he was a key component of two of the toughest forward packs to go around in the mid 1970s to early 1980s, the Western Suburbs Magpies and the Newtown Jets. He was part of the Magpies’ 1997 Amco Cup-winning team in 1977 and joined the Jets two years later. He retired from the big league at the end of the 1982 season and then spent a few years playing on the Central Coast. Steve Blyth played 93 first grade games. He passed away in May 2024 aged 69. Gary Cameron Originally from the Hunter Valley, Cameron was a very useful five-eighth who played over 90 games for Cronulla in the late 1970s, including 35 in the top grade. Sharks fans may best remember him for his man of the match performance in the 1979 Amco Cup final when Cronulla defeated a star-studded Brisbane Firsts team 22-5 with Cameron crossing for three tries. He passed away in July 2024 aged 70. Rees Duncan Duncan first rose to prominence as a 15-year-old in 1947 when he captained Maitland High School to take out the then prestigious University Shield. Three years later, whilst playing for Kurri Kurri, he found himself selected in the Country Seconds team to play Sydney, was there again in 1952, and impressed enough to be selected to play for Australia against NZ in two Tests that same year, and to tour with the Kangaroos at the end of the season. A meteoric rise if ever there was one. He joined Manly for three seasons in 1954, returned to the Newcastle competition in 1957, had a final season in Sydney with Western Suburbs in 1958, and then finished his career in NSW country football. Rees Duncan played 60 first grade games for Manly and Western Suburbs, two Tests for Australia and five games for NSW. He passed away in February 2024 aged 92. More League Len Dittmar Anyone involved in rugby league back in the 1970s knows that playing in the front row was not for the faint-hearted, but it certainly suited big Len Dittmar to a T. He joined Brisbane Brothers from Padua College in 1969 and remained a one club man throughout his all too-brief career, and he soon proved he had what it takes to mix it with the best of them. At the age of just 21 he was selected for Queensland for all three games of the 1971 interstate series, coming up against NSW hard men including John O’Neill, Bob O’Reilly, Bob McCarthy, Paul Sait and Bill Hamilton, and he gave as good as he got. Many judges considered Dittmar good enough to play for Australia, but that opportunity never came as a knee injury brought his career to an abrupt end in 1973. He passed away in August 2024 aged 73. George Downie While George Downie won’t be remembered as one of the Western Suburbs Magpies’ greatest players, he certainly was one of their greatest clubmen. He played 112 games for Wests across the 1958 to 1963 seasons, including 11 in first grade, and was part of their third-grade premiership-winning teams in both 1958 and 1961. A front rower who came to the Magpies from Lismore, he continued his involvement with the club by performing many voluntary roles for some 50 years after retiring due to injuries at the end of the 1963 season. A Magpies’ champion. He passed away in August 2024 aged 87. John “Snoozer” Elford Originally from Northern NSW, Elford made a name for himself with the Smithtown Tigers before joining Western Suburbs in 1966. A beach sprint champion in his day, he began his career on the wing with the Magpies but transitioned to the second row in 1972, where he cemented his reputation as a “no holds barred” defender and strong runner of the ball. He represented both NSW and Australia that year. He wasn’t a fan of either coach Noel Kelly or the culture at Wests, and after failing to gain a transfer to another club, he sat out the entire 1969 season and joined Balmain’s Dennis Tutty in his fight against the NSW Rugby League’s transfer season. With Kelly replaced as coach in 1970 by Ron Watson, Elford re-signed with the Magpies and played on until 1976 when continued injuries forced his retirement aged 29. John Elford played 116 games for Western Suburbs, one game for NSW and four Tests for Australia. He passed away in February 2024 aged 76. Peter Ford A mobile and hard running backrower, Ford joined Parramatta from Gerringong in 1985 after representing NSW Country in 1983 and 1984. He debuted off the bench in Round 7 that year and went on to play 58 first grade games for the club before returning to Gerringong in 1989 where he had some success as a coach. He passed away in October 2024 aged 63. Roar editor Christy Doran made the trip to Seattle with VisitSeattle.org, diving into the city’s electric sports vibe, outdoor adventures, and renowned food scene. Click here for his latest adventure in the Emerald City. John “Jack” Gill John Gill was a rugged lock forward from the Newcastle competition who joined Parramatta as a 22-year-old in 1959. He had just one season with the club, scoring a try in his first game, before heading back to Newcastle in 1960 to re-join the Northern Suburbs club. John Gill played 13 first grade games for Parramatta. He passed away on 27 May 2024 aged 87. Ern Gillon Gillon was a tough-tackling centre better known for his defence rather than his try-scoring deeds, as evidenced by the fact that he scored only four tries in his 80-game career in the top grade. A Parramatta junior, he debuted for the Eels in 1966 before joining the Panthers in their inaugural season in the NSWRL in 1967, going on to win the Player of the Year award that year. He spent four years with Penrith before finishing his career with Ryde-Eastwood in the second division competition. Ern Gillon played 80 first grade games for Parramatta and Penrith. He passed away in March 2024 aged 81. Kevin Goldspink Kevin Goldspink was a very good forward who joined the Bulldogs from Tumbarumba NSW in 1963 and was one of their most consistent forwards during his time at Belmore. Although Canterbury lost the 1967 decider to South Sydney, Goldspink was one of three Bulldogs chosen for the 1967-68 Kangaroo tour of England and France. He played 13 games on tour but was unable to unseat the likes of Ron Coote, Ron Lynch or Elton Rassmussen for a place in the Test team. He had two years with Eastern Suburbs after leaving Canterbury at the end of the 1969 season and later captain/coached the Collegians team in the Wollongong competition. His last game in the “big time” came in 1972 when he represented NSW Country Firsts in their annual clash with City. Kevin Goldspink played 129 games for Canterbury and Eastern Suburbs. He passed away in October 2024 aged 82. Peter Harrison Son of the North Sydney great Rex Harrison, Peter Harrison was a clever five-eighth for the North Sydney Bears during the mid-1960s, but he struggled to get past the club’s preferred No.6 in South African international Col Greenwood. Despite offers from other clubs Harrison always remained loyal to the Bears and was considered the best five-eighth in the NSWRL reserve grade competition. Peter Harrison played nine first grade games for North Sydney. He passed away in January 2024 aged 83. Terry Hill A big and powerful outside back, Hill spent time with South Sydney, Eastern Suburbs and Western Suburbs before joining Manly in 1994, going on to win a premiership with them in 1996. He was a punishing defender and strong attacker and will be remembered for his part in successfully challenging the legality of the player draft transfer system in 1991. Terry Hill played 246 first grade games, 14 Origins for NSW and nine Tests for Australia. He passed away in April 2024 aged just 52. Terry Hill. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Peter Langmack Peter Langmack was a hard player who was equally at home at centre, five-eighth, lock or second row, and he was an asset both in attack and defence. He made his first-grade debut for the Eels in 1971, switched to the Panthers for four seasons from 1973, then returned to the Eels in 1977. My favorite memory of Peter was watching him destroy the opposition while playing for Fairfield Patrician Brothers, however as a St George supporter, my least favorite memory occurred at Penrith Park in 1974 when he scored five tries as Penrith defeated the Dragons 22-21, a Penrith try scoring record that he holds to this day. He played 36 first grade games for Parramatta and 57 for Penrith. He passed away in December 2024 aged 73. Bob Lanigan Bob Lanigan debuted for Newtown in 1965 and scored 455 points over the next three seasons before heading to the bush for the next six years to see out his career, playing for the Griffith Waratahs, Dapto Canaries, Erina Hawks and the Macquarie Scorpions. His lifetime involvement in the game included a stint as a coach, a strength and conditioning coach, and as a football manager with Melbourne, before becoming an NRL ground manager from 1999 to 2022. A life devoted to rugby league. Bob Lanigan played 67 games for Newtown. He passed away in April 2024 aged 81. Brian Lockwood Brian Lockwood joined Canterbury in 1974 after 11 seasons, 231 games and 2 Challenge Cup Final wins for Castleford. He was one of the best forwards to arrive in the British invasion, skillful with the ball and as hard and as tough as they come. A typical English forward. He moved to the Balmain Tigers in 1975, spending the next three years there and captaining the club on many occasions. He won two more Challenge Cup Finals when he returned to England, was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy in 1980, and was an automatic selection for England and Great Britain for most of his career. He played 442 first grade games, between Australia and England, and represented Great Britain and England on 12 occasions. He passed away in October 2024 aged 78. Phil Lowe Big, fast and a devastating ball runner, Phil Lowe was another great English forward to make his way to Australia, and he was a legend with Hull Kingston Rovers where he played an incredible 418 games between 1967 and 1983. He also spent three seasons with Manly in the mid 1970s and scored their only try in their 13-10 grand final victory over Parramatta in 1976. Phil Lowe played 490 first grade games and 17 Test matches for England and Great Britain. He passed away in March 2024 aged 74. Ron “Thirsty” Lynch Ron Lynch joined Parramatta in 1961 after being selected for NSW from the Country Firsts side the previous year, and never looked back, making such an impression that he found himself in the Australian team in his debut season. Lynch was a rugged and skillful back rower who rarely missed a game through injury, and his leadership qualities saw him preferred as captain at Parramatta in 1962 over the likes of Brian Hambly, Dick Thornett and Bobby Bugden, and he led the Eels to the finals for the next three seasons. He was appointed as captain/coach of Parramatta in 1970, had one final season with the Eels the following year, and finished his career as captain of Penrith in 1972 and 1973. He was made a Parramatta life member in 1970 and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000. A Parramatta legend. Ron Lynch played 238 first grade games, 17 games for NSW and 12 Tests for Australia. He passed away in May 2024 aged 84. Richard McKell At over 190cm tall and tipping the scales somewhere near 120kg, big Richie McKell was an impressive sight, unless you were the opposition. Originally from Newcastle, the big front rower played lower grades with both Cronulla and Parramatta before joining South Sydney in 1995, where he made his first-grade debut against the Western Reds in the 1995 Tooheys Challenge Cup. He went on to play 18 games in the top grade for Souths over the next two seasons before heading to the UK in 1997 where he played with both Wakefield Trinity and the Castleford Tigers. He passed away in December 2024 aged just 53. Alan McRitchie The son of Bill McRitchie, a St George front rower from the 1940s, Alan McRitchie followed his father into the Dragons front row, making his first-grade debut for the club in 1964. Unable to get past the likes of Kevin Ryan, Monty Porter, Robin Gourley and Barry Beath for a regular game in first grade, he headed to Cronulla in 1967 to become a key component of their inaugural team, going on to spend three years with the Sharks. Alan McRitchie played 51 first grade games in his career. He passed away in August 2024 aged 81. John Moran Originally from Taree, John Moran followed his elder brother Grahame to the Panthers and made his first-grade debut for the club in 1969. A very good outside back, he had five years with Penrith before joining Parramatta in 1974, where he alternated between first and second grade. He lined up in the centres for the Eels against Manly at the Sydney Cricket Ground in their historic first grand final appearance in 1976, and it was his pass that winger Neville Glover infamously spilled with the line wide open to give the game to Manly. John Moran played 85 first grade games for Penrith and Parramatta. He passed away in February 2024. Ken Peet Ken Peet joined Canterbury as a winger in 1958 from the Sydney University Rugby Club. He scored a try in his first-grade debut in round 4 that year, lining up against West’s lethal winger Peter Dimond. He was in and out of first grade over the next few seasons, playing a total of 23 first grade games, before injuries suffered in a car accident in 1961 saw him retire from the game. He passed away in October 2024 aged 88. Eric Pitt Originally from Mossman in Far North Queensland, the big, hard running second rower was one of many Queenslanders to turn out for the North Sydney Bears in the mid-1960s, including the likes of Noel Cavanagh, Lloyd Weir and brothers George and John Ambrum. He was an intimidating sight at full gallop and spent four years with the Bears between 1966 and 1969, playing 30 first grade premiership games and 11 Pre-Season Cup Matches. He passed away in August 2024 aged 82. Joe Reaiche To describe Joe Reaiche’s life as interesting doesn’t do it justice. Born in Redfern, he had a hard family upbringing before falling in love with rugby league. He spent a large part of his teenage years in war-torn Lebanon, became a Scientology whistleblower in later life and finished up as a successful businessman in the US. He was a talented outside back and goal kicker and played 22 games for Eastern Suburbs, one game for Canterbury and two for South Sydney. He passed away in September 2024 aged 66. Eric Robinson Eric Robinson graduated from the Redfern All Blacks club to join South Sydney in 1961 and made his first-grade debut for the Rabbitohs that same year, at just 18 years of age. He was an outstanding athlete, blessed with both exhilarating speed and great footwork. He played 42 games for Souths across the 1961 to 1964 seasons, then spent the rest of his career playing with Maitland, Brisbane Wests and Bourke, before returning to the Redfern All Blacks in the late 1970s. He was awarded Life Membership of both the Redfern All Blacks and the South Sydney Football Club. He passed away in November 2024 aged 82. Geoff “Robbo” Robinson The term “cult hero” is often overused but not in the case of Geoff Robinson. He announced himself to the rugby league world in as a 19-year-old in 1977 with a man of the match performance in his first game in the top grade with Canterbury, and then spent another eight years with the club, winning premierships in both 1980 and 1984. Fearless and playing well above his weight, he gave meaning to the term “impact player”, and if watching him charge into the opposition was a thrill for fans, it was far less enjoyable for the opposition forwards. One of the original and greatest “dogs of war”. Geoff Robinson played 139 games for Canterbury and 30 games for Halifax. He passed away in July 2024 aged 66. Joe Ryan Ryan was a Magpies junior who played 104 games for the club across the 1958 to 1963 seasons including 13 games in first grade in which he crossed for seven tries. A powerful centre and occasional winger, he played in two winning lower grade grand finals for the club. He passed away in January 2024 aged 88. Johnny “Jack” Thompson Johnny “Jack” Thompson began his sporting career as a both a sprinter and a very good rugby union winger for the Eastwood club, going on to play for the NSW Waratahs in 1953 and just missing selection for the Wallabies’ tour to South Africa that year. Having recorded sub 11 second times for the 100 yards, he was reputed to be the fastest man in rugby at the time. He switched to rugby league with the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1954 and spent the next five years with the club, scoring 24 tries in 48 first grade games. He passed away in September 202, aged 93. Ed Whiley Ed Whiley lived and breathed the Manly Sea Eagles and had a lifelong association with the club, progressing from junior footballer to first grade player, became a Manly life member and was elected club chairman from 1999 to 2000. A very good halfback, Whiley made his first-grade debut for Manly in 1964 and went on to play a total of 37 first grade games for the club across the 1964 to 1971 seasons, usually as a back up to star halves in Frank Stanton and Dennis Ward, including the 1970 grand final loss to South Sydney, He passed away in August 2024 aged 79. Graham Willard Graham Willard played just two first grade games on the wing for North Sydney in 1966, notching a try on debut, but it would be as a coach in the women’s game that he would leave an indelible mark. Once his playing days were over, he transitioned to coaching in the Canberra region and was a prime mover and supporter of the growth of women’s rugby league. He built a reputation as a very successful coach, particularly with the Woden Rams club, and went on to become the first coach of the Jillaroos, the Australian women’s rugby league team, in 1994 He passed away in November 2024 aged 83.Traveling this holiday season? 10 things the TSA wants you to knowJimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100Best of the Best

By Marshall Cohen , CNN Smartmatic, the voting technology company suing Fox News over its promotion of 2020 election lies, is trying to obtain evidence from the secret court battle between Rupert Murdoch and his children over the future of his right-wing media empire. For the first time, Smartmatic has gone directly to the probate court in Nevada and asked a commissioner to turn over some of the secret documents in that case, a source told CNN. The voting technology company wants to examine sealed documents from the family fight that it thinks will bolster its defamation lawsuit against Fox, according to a source familiar with recent filings in the Murdoch trust case. The source said these documents could include transcripts of depositions or trial testimony from media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his and family members, who control Fox's parent company After Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, many of Fox News' on-air hosts and guests falsely accused Smartmatic of rigging the results to help elect Joe Biden. Those lies are at the heart of Smartmatic's massive defamation suit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation. The Fox entities vehemently deny that they defamed anyone. The Murdoch family has battled over succession in compete secrecy in a Reno court. Earlier this month, a probate commissioner rejected an attempt by Murdoch, 93, to retool the irrevocable family trust so his most conservative son, Lachlan, could singularly lead Fox Corporation after his death, instead of sharing power with his three siblings as planned. The source said Smartmatic's filings say testimony from the Nevada case might contradict past assertions in the 2020 election litigation, where Fox claimed control of the parent company doesn't impact the editorial direction of Fox News. In the Nevada case, Rupert has argued that Lachlan must succeed him in order to maintain his outlet's right-wing political bent. On the public docket in Nevada, there are indications that an outside party filed a motion last week. The records are sealed and CNN has not obtained Smartmatic's filing. A Fox spokesperson and attorneys for the Murdochs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyers for Fox previously said in Smartmatic's election defamation case that they oppose disseminating the records from the family trust fight. "That litigation is entirely irrelevant to this case," Fox lawyer Winn Allen told a judge during a hearing last month. "That is litigation pending in a Nevada probate court, and concerns changes that Mr. Murdoch made to the family trust in 2023, years after the alleged conduct in this case... It has nothing at all to do with the issues in this case." CNN previously reported that the Nevada probate commissioner eviscerated Rupert and Lachlan for acting in "bad faith" to manipulate the family trust, rejecting their bid to amend the family trust. They can appeal the decision. That ruling was sealed. The New York Times, which obtained the full 96-page ruling, reported that the commissioner further concluded Rupert's proposal was a "carefully crafted charade" and that his representatives "demonstrated a dishonesty of purpose and motive." Smartmatic's defamation case against Fox is slated for trial next year in New York, unless there is an out-of-court settlement, which is common in these cases. Smartmatic is also trying to obtain the Nevada records through the discovery phase of the New York litigation. The lawsuit is just one of many 2020-related cases that are still pending in the courts. Smartmatic is suing Trump allies Mike Lindell and Sidney Powell. The company has settled similar litigation against conservative network Newsmax and the far-right channel One America News. A separate but similarly aggrieved voting technology company, Dominion Voting Systems, famously settled with Fox for more than US$787 million after jury selection began in that defamation trial last year. Dominion is still suing Newsmax, OAN and other Trump allies. All of the media outlets and Trump allies facing lawsuits deny wrongdoing. - CNN

CIT Wins CES 2025 Innovation Award for Transparent AntennaEven with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight

SEOUL, South Korea , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Spaid, an emerging leader in the Geospatial AI sector, will attend CES early next year, 2025, to unveil the foundational solutions behind its CES 2025 Innovation Award-winning "AI2RE: Image to 3D Geospatial AI Metaverse" and showcase a demo of the "OpenAI-Integrated Geospatial Information Platform," which is scheduled for release in 2025. AI Technology to Overcome Initial Accessibility Challenges in 3D Cadastral Mapping Using Only Aerial Imagery The award-winning "AI2RE" leverages a proprietary AI engine to extract 2D (vector) lines exclusively from aerial imagery, including satellite and drone capture. Based on these extracted vectors, this technology supports 3D models such as terrains, buildings, and roads. This technology addresses initial accessibility challenges in 3D cadastral mapping—such as data loss and compatibility issues—using only aerial imagery. Doing so contributes to providing reliable and stable 3D geospatial information to government agencies and enterprises. The technology is currently being utilized in projects related to the European Union (EU)'s Data Governance and Utilization Strategy, showcasing a remarkable improvement in cadastral mapping efficiency—from 6 months per person to just 5 days per person. Furthermore, business discussions are ongoing with South American and African countries, expanding its global reach. OpenAI-Integrated Geospatial Data Platform At CES, Spaid will unveil its first-ever OpenAI-Integrated Geospatial Data Platform. This innovative platform allows users to receive personalized geospatial data card recommendations through the OpenAI agent. By simply dragging and dropping these cards, users can intuitively visualize and analyze data in a 3D map viewer without the need for additional tools or software. Spaid is progressively advancing the digital twin transformation of the world within its geospatial data platform using a data-driven approach. This roadmap aims to create a metaverse that can be effectively utilized in real-world industries. Spaid at CES 2025 Spaid's booth will be located at LVCC South Hall 2 (35726), where visitors can experience the cutting-edge "AI2RE: Image to 3D Geospatial AI Metaverse" solutions and the innovative "OpenAI-Integrated Geospatial Data Platform (Geo Data Platform)." For the award-winning AI2RE, attendees can dive into ongoing projects that demonstrate the full workflow—object detection, 2D line extraction, and 3D model generation—with a single click. In addition, the "OpenAI-Integrated Geospatial Data Platform" will feature an interactive demo designed specifically for CES. Visitors can engage with geospatial data cards for San Francisco by simply dragging and dropping them to visualize the data in 3D, showcasing the platform's intuitive and user-friendly capabilities. Chongkul Yi, CEO of Spaid, said, "We are incredibly proud to have our 'One of a Kind' innovative AI Engine recognized by the CES Innovation Award." He added, "At CES 2025, we aim to showcase the excellence of our cutting-edge Geospatial AI solutions and the data-driven metaverse platform, accelerating our efforts to expand into the global market." About Spaid SPAID pursues being "one of a Kind." It aims to bridge the gap between the physical and digital environments by leveraging all live streaming information and data to maximize usability. We specialize in providing geospatial AI-based solutions that enable synergetic decision-making by deriving new insights through a fusion network of diverse data sources provided by public agencies and enterprises. Our solutions empower clients across industries by facilitating smart decision-making in smart city and smart factory digital twin operations, defense simulations, real estate location value analysis, building energy management, financial investment and risk management, and telecom network resource management. SPAID aims to drive transformative progress across various industries through these innovative solutions, contributing to sustainable development and fostering long-term growth. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spaid-winner-of-ces-innovation-awards-for-redefining-the-future-of-geospatial-with-ai-to-unveil-ai-solution-and-openai-platform-at-ces-2025-302339321.html SOURCE SpaidA State-level party has, yet again, caused a roadblock for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While details fit into the jigsaw puzzle of explaining victories and losses, the big picture presented by Jharkhand has two key elements. First, it was about the tenacity and the ability of State-level forces to face and respond to all-India intrusions and, second, the tough competition between regional identity-based politics centred around Adivasis vis-à-vis an attempt to draw in Adivasis toward a set of aggressive and all-India concerns that are centred on cultural identity. Jharkhand Assembly elections 2024: Full coverage The two sides At the tactical level, the emphatic victory of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance was a victory: of effective coalition management and of a campaign that focused on issues that struck a chord with voters. But beyond that, Jharkhand saw a clear competition between two alternative narratives. The JMM-led government was defending its track record in governance and its image of representing tribal interests. The BJP-led alliance sought to present a wider narrative to try and appeal to a wider cross-section and aggressively attack the incumbent government on non-performance and high levels of corruption. The BJP’s narrative also had a strong dose of Hindutva mobilisation that sat awkwardly with the Adivasis of Jharkhand’s many tribal groups. The results indicate that the JMM alliance was able to hold on to its tribal vote and make inroads in non-tribal areas on account of its alliance with the Congress. While the BJP did well in the non-tribal belt, it was not able to make deeper inroads in tribal areas. In the winning alliance, the JMM was the leader, winning 80% of the seats it contested. The Congress clearly benefited from being the junior alliance partner, securing a strike rate of just over 50%. The Lokniti-CSDS survey (see methodology) provides some indications of what contributed to the INDIA coalition’s win. While it scored in terms of better coordination within the alliance which brought together a diverse social coalition and support across regions, the NDA coalition depended largely on the BJP’s efforts. There was a much fairer distribution of seats within the INDIA coalition while the NDA saw the BJP contest seven of every 10 seats. The INDIA coalition’s united message worked to its advantage. It won support across age groups, did very well in rural areas, drew strong support from the poor and middle classes and the less educated, and finally, built a social coalition of support that included key segments among the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, Muslims and Yadavs. The diverse nature of its social coalition reflected the impact of the different parties in the coalition which included the JMM, the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Communist parties. Voters and polarisation The Lokniti-CSDS survey clearly indicates the strong levels of polarisation among voters. Two thirds of them who were fully satisfied with the Soren government, voted for the INDIA coalition. On the other hand, two thirds of those fully dissatisfied with the incumbent government voted for the NDA, suggesting that more than satisfaction, voters’ prior decision to vote for a particular coalition was crucial. While net satisfaction with the Narendra Modi government was much higher than that with the Soren government, the fact that this was a State election seemed to matter. The support for the party was clearly central to the voting decision, with more than half the respondents saying they cast their vote keeping in mind the party concerned. Data indicate that voters were not very happy with the development record on the ground. They believed that the state of industrialisation and corruption had worsened in the past five years, while the situation regarding communal violence and naxalism had improved. Yet, two factors need to be considered. First, those who highlighted unemployment, poverty, inflation and the lack of development as factors continued to invest in the INDIA coalition. Second, women voters seem to have favoured the INDIA coalition in larger numbers. The impact of the Maiya Samman Yojana appeared to be a factor. Role of leaders Yet another factor aiding the INDIA coalition was the perception among voters that State-level issues were central to this election. More than half of those who took this stand favoured the winning coalition. On the other hand, just one in every 10 persons who believed that State issues mattered voted for NDA candidates. The impact of national leaders in supporting the coalition they led was also visible. Most of those who voted for the BJP endorsed the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their voting choice. Similarly, when reflecting on the role of Rahul Gandhi, supporters of the INDIA coalition clearly highlighted his impact. Hemant Soren was the preferred Chief Minister choice of one-thirds of the respondents. Thus, while the BJP banked largely on the charisma of Mr. Modi, the INDIA coalition had a combination of national- and State-level leaders who contributed to heightened support for its candidates. Thus, the victory of the INDIA coalition was closely linked to the support enjoyed by the JMM in the tribal pockets and the corollary support from its alliance partners in non-tribal areas. It scored over the NDA in securing support across key demographic indicators. Though there was a strong perception of increased corruption under the incumbent government, it was still voted back as other key factors emerged as key influencers determining voter choice. The BJP did try to mobilise voters on issues of the Uniform Civil Code and Bangladeshi infiltrators, but voters were more concerned with their local identity issues — as is seen from the strong feeling voters expressed on the question of Sarna identity. Except for the Santhal community, the BJP was not able to attract many among other Adivasi groups. In the long run, the challenge for the BJP will be to connect with Adivasis. How it manages that with its overall ambition to also popularise Hindutva will decide the future course of political competition in the State. Suhas Palshikar taught political science and is the Chief Editor of Studies in Indian Politics; Sanjay Kumar is Professor and Co-director Lokniti-CSDS; Sandeep Shastri is Director-Academics, NITTE Education Trust and the National Coordinator of the Lokniti Network. Published - November 26, 2024 01:00 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Jharkhand / Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 / Bharatiya Janata Party / tribals / culture (general) / Jharkhand Mukti Morcha / political campaigns / Indian National Congress / National Democratic Alliance / Caste / minority group / Rashtriya Janata Dal / voting / development / employment / poverty / inflation and deflation / gender / Prime Minister Narendra Modi / Rahul Gandhi / civil / Bangladesh

NoneLindsay Corporation Stock Hits 52-Week High at $135.17

Chief Edwin Clark, the Convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, has maintained that Martins Amaewhule, the former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and 27 other pro-Wike lawmakers have lost their seats due to their defection to the All Progressives Congress. Clark argued that the lawmakers committed perjury by claiming to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party in one court document and denying their defection in another. This conflicting position, Clark said, is enough reason for them to lose their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly. In a statement released on Monday, Clark said, “Now that the former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and his 27 colleagues have confirmed in a court of law that they defected from the PDP to the APC, they have automatically lost their seats as of December 11, 2023, and are therefore disqualified from bringing any court action on behalf of the Rivers State House of Assembly and its members.” Read also: Equities market closes negative as investors lose N123bn Clark also alleged that the FCT Minister and the lawmakers are doing everything possible to undermine Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, adding that President Tinubu had failed to call Wike to order. He criticized Wike for having no respect for the Constitution, stating that Nigerians would one day ask the President why he allowed the Minister to breach the Constitution on several occasions. Additionally, Clark stated that the judgment allegedly given by Justice Omotosho is null and void and was obtained by fraud. He also said that the three-man panel that sat on Justice Omotosho’s case did not preside over any valid judgment to be reviewed or supervised by the Court of Appeal because the case was dead long ago. In conclusion, Clark said, “Nyesom Wike, who is a serving Minister in President Bola Tinubu’s government, has no regard or respect for the Constitution of Nigeria. Mr. President may one day be asked by patriotic Nigerians why he allowed Nyesom Wike to breach the Constitution of Nigeria on several occasions.” Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate NowSix talented STEM students from the British School Manila have competed in the F1 in Schools Global STEM Challenge, which took place from Nov. 21 to 28 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. This milestone marks the first time a Filipino team, AGILAS, has participated in the prestigious global competition. The AGILAS team is composed of senior students Neo Gatlabayan, Gian Andre Benjamin Gaisano Anggala, Lau Li Khai (Marcus), and Sofia Margaret Gorospe, alongside junior Aaron Gabriel Chua and sophomore Tara Bahukhandi. The team is guided by their adviser, Jenna Storey, as they prepare to showcase Filipino innovation on the international stage. “This is our first time competing, and we didn’t know what to expect, but everything is coming together,” shared Mr. Gatlabayan, the team’s managing director and chief engineer. “We’re about to register our cars, and we’re good to go. It feels incredible to be the first Filipino team here.” Ms. Bahukhandi, marketing and promotions lead, expressed pride in representing the Philippines. “It’s inspiring to see competitors from all over the world. Being on an international stage makes me incredibly proud to represent the Philippines in STEM,” she said. Mr. Lau, chief finance officer and director of research & design, shared his excitement about meeting teams from around the world. “We saw a few teams at the airport, and it’s thrilling to know we’ll be competing alongside so many talented individuals,” he said. F1 in Schools is a global, not-for-profit competition that encourages students to develop and showcase their STEM skills by designing, building, and racing miniature Formula 1 cars. Teams are evaluated in areas such as car speed, engineering quality, branding, marketing, project management, and verbal presentation skills, making it a comprehensive platform for young innovators. The AGILAS team’s participation not only highlights the growing importance of STEM education in the Philippines but also paves the way for more Filipino students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

California Vows To Step In If Trump Kills US EV Tax CreditRUBEN AMORIM is on a mission to steer crisis-hit Manchester United away from relegation as he ruled out a European finish. The Red Devils conceded directly from a corner AGAIN for Matheus Cunha ’s opener — with keeper Andre Onana at fault . Then sub Hee Chan Hwang struck in injury- time at a foggy Molineux. Bruno Fernandes was sent off at 0-0 — the United’s skipper’s third dismissal of the season — for two yellow cards. Defeat leaves United 14th — eight points above the bottom three. Asked about the prospect of relegation, Amorim said: “We just have to survive and to win sometimes, to work on the team. “We have tough games and it’s a long journey. Like I said on the first day, we have to continue and we have to fight the bad moments because this is part of football. "When you don’t have the results, it is even harder for them to believe.” Asked about European qualification, Amorim said: “No, no, no, no. “We have to work on a lot of things in our club inside the pitch, outside the pitch. “Let’s focus on each game and use every minute of training to improve the team.” FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Onana was unable to keep out Cunha’s corner just seven days after stand-in stopper Altay Bayindir was embarrassed by Son Heung-min in Tottenham’s 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final win . Amorim added: “The first half was controlled by us but we lacked aggression in the last third. “At half-time, we talked in the dressing room, tried something different and then the sending off changed the game.” Fernandes received a second yellow card for a tackle on Nelson Semedo. Amorim said: “I am always frustrated with a red card. “He wants to go to the ball — it’s not like he wants to stop a player with a yellow. “The other guy touches the ball first, there is contact and that thing is tough on him also.” Marcus Rashford was left out of the squad for a fourth game in a row and Amorim said: “It’s always the same reason. “We have to be the same professionals, winning or losing. “Losing, I have to be stronger. I’ll continue with my idea until the end.” New Wolves boss Vitor Pereira , who has won his first two games, said: “It is a fantastic feeling, especially because of the spirit of the team. “We can see the players are ready to suffer, run and fight for each ball.” Wolves scorer Cunha was playing because the FA are yet to decide on a punishment for elbowing an Ipswich staff member earlier this month. The Arsenal target said: “Vitor came with a lot of energy and we feel this. “It means a lot — in the stadium you can see how happy they are.”

It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." Something in the kitchen was contaminated In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." But how did the drugs get into the kitchen? A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." New information sent to WADA ... eventually This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not."Search for Missing 17-Year-Old Sophia Cano Continues in North Bexar County, San Antonio Police Request Public Assistance

The Federal Government has told the public to disregard a purported list of ambassadorial nominees which has gone viral on some social media platforms, describing it as fake. Acting spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, stated this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Ebienfa cautioned the general public “to kindly disregard the fake list of ambassadorial nominees, which is currently in circulation on some social media platforms.” The statement added that appointment of ambassadors is at the discretion of the President, adding that no such appointment has been made. “The Ministry wishes to state unequivocally that the appointment of Ambassadors is the perogative of Mr. President and no such appointments have been made in that regard. “The purported list should, therefore, be discountenanced.” LEADERSHIP recalls that President Bola Tinubu has not replaced the ambassadors since their recall for over one year.Travelzoo ( NASDAQ:TZOO – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 150,400 shares, a decrease of 21.2% from the November 30th total of 190,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 133,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.1 days. Currently, 2.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Travelzoo Price Performance Travelzoo stock opened at $19.72 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $232.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.71. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $18.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.40. Travelzoo has a 1 year low of $7.12 and a 1 year high of $22.44. Travelzoo ( NASDAQ:TZOO – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The information services provider reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $20.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.15 million. Travelzoo had a return on equity of 210.54% and a net margin of 16.67%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.16 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Travelzoo will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Transactions at Travelzoo In related news, CEO Holger Bartel sold 23,057 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.73, for a total transaction of $454,914.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 4,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $78,920. This represents a 85.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, major shareholder Azzurro Capital Inc sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.02, for a total value of $150,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,837,696 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $72,662,193.92. This represents a 0.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 265,557 shares of company stock valued at $4,672,865 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 47.00% of the company’s stock. Institutional Trading of Travelzoo Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Travelzoo by 169.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 127,186 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,533,000 after purchasing an additional 79,990 shares during the period. ClariVest Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Travelzoo by 2.9% during the second quarter. ClariVest Asset Management LLC now owns 97,730 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $742,000 after purchasing an additional 2,732 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Travelzoo by 10.6% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 82,241 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $991,000 after purchasing an additional 7,857 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its holdings in Travelzoo by 217.4% during the third quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 34,453 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $415,000 after buying an additional 23,599 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd raised its stake in Travelzoo by 103.5% in the third quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 25,274 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 12,854 shares in the last quarter. 27.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have commented on TZOO. StockNews.com lowered shares of Travelzoo from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Barrington Research lifted their price target on shares of Travelzoo from $12.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Ascendiant Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Travelzoo from $18.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Litchfield Hills Research initiated coverage on Travelzoo in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $35.00 target price for the company. View Our Latest Analysis on Travelzoo About Travelzoo ( Get Free Report ) Travelzoo, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an Internet media company that provides travel, entertainment, and local experiences worldwide. It operates in four segments: Travelzoo North America, Travelzoo Europe, Jack's Flight Club, and New Initiatives. The company offers Travelzoo website, Travelzoo Top 20 email newsletters, Standalone email newsletters, Travelzoo Network, Travelzoo mobile applications, Jack's Flight Club website, Jack's Flight Club mobile applications, and Jack's Flight Club newsletters. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Travelzoo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Travelzoo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

How it happened: Two seismic weeks that toppled Syria's government( MENAFN - AFP) Japanese Stocks rose Friday on a weaker yen after a muted day on Wall Street following the Christmas holiday. Japan's key NIKKEI index was up more than 1 percent in morning trade, after the yen hit 158.08 per US dollar on Thursday evening -- its lowest level in almost six months. The Nikkei had closed up 1.1. percent on Thursday, boosted by comments from the bank of Japan chief and share price gains for top-selling automaker Toyota. "Today's Japanese market is expected to start with an upswing, continuing the upward momentum of the previous day's Japanese market, driven by the weak yen, while the US market was slightly mixed," said Kosuke Oka, an analyst at Monex Securities. The yen was "marginally stronger" on Friday, Bloomberg reported, after data showed inflation in Tokyo rose for a second month in December. Other positive figures from Japan showed industrial production declined less than expected in November while retail sales came in higher than estimated last month. With the country's unemployment rate holding at 2.5 percent in November -- low by international standards but slightly above Japan's pre-pandemic average -- Moody's Analytics said Friday that the data confirmed their view that "employment conditions are wobbly". Investor attention is now focused "on whether the Nikkei average will expand its rise to recover to the 40,000 points range by the end of the year", added Oka from Monex. Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda had bewildered observers last week by suggesting a prolonged pause in the institution's monetary policy tightening, in the face of domestic and international economic uncertainties, which had sent the Japanese currency tumbling. On Wednesday, Ueda said rates would be "adjusted" if the situation continued to improve on the economic and price fronts, leaving investors without a clear signal on a possible interest rate hike and contributing to the yen's slide. "With the calendar year winding down and little in the way of tier-one economic data, the market is content mainly to drift until something shakes it from its slumber -- likely a late-year squeeze or perhaps a Trump-driven shift in global economic sentiment," said Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management, ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump retaking the White House in January. In New York on Thursday, major indices veered in and out of positive territory in a sleepy post-Christmas session. The broad-based S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1 percent. Large tech companies that have led the market in much of 2024 mostly took a breather, including Netflix, Tesla and Amazon, which all declined. In Asia, Hong Kong and Shanghai were down Friday morning. Seoul dropped about 1.5 percent as South Korea struggles to shake off political turmoil sparked by suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration that shocked the world early this month. Sydney, Wellington and Taipei rose. Key figures around 0230 GMT - Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.3 percent at 40,065.55 points Hang Seng: DOWN 0.2 percent at 20,051.15 Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,394.87 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0409 from $1.0424 on Thursday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2521 from $1.2526 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 157.59 yen from 158.00 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.14 pence from 83.19 pence West Texas Intermediate: FLAT at $69.62 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: FLAT at $73.25 per barrel New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,325.80 (close) MENAFN26122024000143011026ID1109033781 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Traveling this holiday season? 10 things the TSA wants you to know

Broncos assistants could be drawing interest from other teamsUnicharm Co. ( OTCMKTS:UNICY – Get Free Report ) hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $4.62 and last traded at $4.99, with a volume of 718381 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $4.91. Unicharm Price Performance The stock has a market cap of $14.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.95 and a beta of 0.17. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.33. Unicharm Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Unicharm Corporation engages in the manufacturing and sale of wellness, feminine, baby and children, kirei, and pet care products in Japan and internationally. The company's baby and child care products, including disposable diapers and wipes under the Moony, MamyPoko, Oyasumiman, and Torepanman brands; feminine care products comprise napkins, tampons, panty liners, sanitary short, panty liners, and other feminine care products under the Sofy, Center-In, and Unicharm brand names; and wellness care products include napkin-type incontinence pads, pants-type diapers, tape-type diapers, pants-type specialized urine pads, and tape-type specialized urine pads under the Lifree and Charmnap brand. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Unicharm Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Unicharm and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Lindsey is a Seattle area writer interested in all things society, including internet culture, politics, and mental health. Outside of the Daily Dot, her work can be found in publications such as The Mary Sue, Truthout, and YES! Magazine.

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 p.m.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi . Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on the social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. The United States offered its condolences, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that Singh was “one of the greatest champions of the U.S.-India strategic partnership.” “We mourn Dr. Singh’s passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together,” Blinken said. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.Former attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz is now selling $500 videos on Cameo . The disgraced politician’s new business venture comes a day after he withdrew his candidacy to become the Trump Administration’s chief law enforcement official. His withdrawal followed congressional and law enforcement investigations that reportedly concluded he paid for sex with a minor on more than one occasion . “I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history,” Gaetz said in a statement ending his candidacy . The 42-year-old right-wing firebrand also said Friday that he wouldn’t try to return to Congress where he’d served as a representative from Florida from 2017 until just last week. That will seemingly leave Gaetz more time to record personalized videos for supporters looking for advice, pep talks or birthday wishes, according to his newly created Cameo page. “Don’t be afraid to get creative with your request, especially for celebrations like weddings, retirements, or bachelor and bachelorette parties that call for a good laugh,” his listing says. Gaetz is following in the footsteps of fellow Republican politicians George Santos and Rudy Giuliani in joining Cameo to cash in on newfound infamy. Santos was expelled from Congress last December when it was learned he lied about almost every aspect of his life to get elected to New York’s 3rd Congressional District. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft charges in August, and is scheduled to be sentenced in February. Santos’ videos , which average 44 seconds in length, start at $250. Giuliani — New York City’s former two-term mayor — was indicted on election crimes in May. That case hasn’t gone to trial, though a civil court ordered him to pay $148 million to two election workers he defamed after the 2020 presidential election. He charged $375 per video after joining Cameo in August 2021. Gaetz has not been charged with any crimes and maintains he did nothing wrong.