Man, woman attacked as kids’ fight becomes brawl
Walmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victoryA WOMAN who's paid to sleep with men has left people stunned after sharing how she was booked as a "birthday treat" for one woman's husband. Lucy is a sex worker , and was contacted a few months ago by a woman who had come across her page on TikTok, before she'd decided to take the plunge and make a booking. But the booking wasn't for herself - instead she had decided to gift her spouse a session with Lucy for his big day. It was a two-hour booking, which began with Lucy sitting down with the couple in a hotel bar for a few drinks, before she took the birthday boy upstairs to the room. The woman had told her husband about the birthday surprise last week, and had even told Lucy about his likes and dislikes in the bedroom - down to the kind of lingerie that turns him on. "And now I get to surprise him by doing things he likes without him having to ask for it, which I think is gonna be super fun," she explained in a video on her TikTok page. Read more Sex stories She'd then headed out for the booking, before returning to the social media site to share an update later on. Kicking off the clip , Lucy insisted that the booking had gone "really well", and she'd had "so much in common" with the wife. After around 45 minutes drinking together, the wife headed off, so that they could get down to business. "It turns out that this was actually their first dip into non-monogamy," Lucy said, adding that they'd been married for over a decade. Most read in Fabulous But it was the woman who had decided "she was interested in her husband being with someone else" and it was "something that she's really into". "I felt very honoured to be a part of their first experience," Lucy grinned. "And yeah, it was a super lovely time, and I hope that I get to see them again." However, people in the comments section weren't convinced that the session was an ideal birthday treat, with one writing emphatically: "Love is dead". "May this kind of love never find me," another added. "If I was married, I would never share my husband with another person, even if she was a professional," a third commented. "I would die of jealousy and anger. "I don't know how people do it!" By Emma Kenny, a TV presenter and psychologist Raucous Role Play: If your partner enjoys dressing up for fun, it shows creativity and a desire to keep things exciting. However, it might signal that he struggles with responsibility. Multi-Partner Fantasies: Craving variety doesn't always mean he wants to cheat. However, it could indicate deeper feelings of unfulfillment. Power & Control: A little dominance is normal, but if it's always about control, it may hide insecurities. Adventure: Men seeking thrills may push boundaries, so be sure your comfort zone is respected. Passion: If he’s romantic, he’s emotionally tuned in—though occasionally avoiding tough conversations. Flexibility: Openness to new experiences is great, but constant novelty-seeking could mean avoiding emotional connection. Red Flag: If control is his ultimate fantasy, it may signal a deeper struggle with power dynamics. "Same! Just the thought of it makes me angry and uncomfortable," someone else agreed. "It’s so gross," another raged. But others were more on board with the idea. "I wish everyone was this open-minded," one said. "This is real love," another wrote. READ MORE SUN STORIES As a third added: "There are kinks that make this fun for both partners. "Just because YOU do not like it does not mean the couple in question does not either."
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris ,was among the dignitaries that graced the wedding fatiha of the daughter of the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) , Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Rofiat, which was held in Ilorin, Kwara state on Friday. Also in attendance were the editor of Blueprint Newspapers (Daily), Alhaji AbdulRahaman Abdulrauf, and top media executives. The long stretch of the Ode Alfa-Nda -Oke-kura area of Ilorin along which the Onilu compound is situated was busy with human and vehicular movements as dignitaries thronged the venue of the wedding fatiha. It was indeed a convergence of colour and class as dignitaries from Abuja and different parts of the country converged on Ilorin for occasion. Prior to the Friday event, the (bride’s night), a pre-wedding cultural event, had preceded the main event where family members, friends, and well-wishers observed the traditional pre-wedding event. As of the time of filing in this report, the wedding reception was going on at the stadium complex, Ilorin, where guests were being treated to high level hospitality as the ceremony remains the talk of the town among this weekend’s social events taking place in Ilorin.Liberal candidate in B.C. byelection seeks Métis membership after identity questioned
At least 6 dead in political protests in Pakistan’s capital
After his team's 102-89 home win on Wednesday night over Purdue Fort Wayne, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades challenged his team's fan base to show up and make more noise. "Sweat with us," he said at one point. At 5-0, the Nittany Lions haven't had to sweat much to get off to a fast start. They might not have to expend much perspiration to make it 6-0 on Monday when they meet Fordham in a semifinal matchup at the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn State hasn't played a strong schedule so far, but the team has been impressive. It's averaging 98.2 points per game and 13.8 steals per game, both of which ranked second in Division I through Saturday's play. The Nittany Lions were seventh per kenpom.com in turnover rate, forcing 25.3 per 100 possessions. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is leading the charge, scoring 16.4 points and dishing out 7.8 assists while chipping in 2.6 steals. Zach Hicks has nearly doubled his scoring average from 8.4 last season to 15.8 this season, while Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser has beefed up the interior, tallying 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Fordham (3-3) is coming off a 73-71 home loss Friday night against Drexel in New York. The Rams blew a seven-point lead early in the second half and missed a chance to force overtime when leading scorer Jackie Johnson III missed a layup as time expired. Johnson, a UNLV transfer, is averaging 19 points per game and is making nearly 48 percent of his shots as one of three Rams with double-figure scoring averages. Jahmere Tripp scores at an 11.0 clip while Japhet Medor is contributed 10.5, but Fordham is struggling to make shots, canning only 41.5 percent from the field. The Rams were picked for a 14th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 despite returning more scoring than any team in the league except for VCU. Third-year coach Keith Urgo thinks his team can defy low external expectations. "We're experienced and I think we're poised to have a tremendous year," he said. --Field Level MediaLiberal candidate in B.C. byelection seeks Métis membership after identity questioned
Branding, venues, rule changes: 5 things to follow ahead of the PWHL's new campaign
Roy Keane challenges football fan to 'wait for me in the car park' in angry confrontation - The MirrorAuthored by Jeffrey Sachs via CommonDreams.org, When a nation is very sick, we need multiple and overlapping remedies... America is a country of undoubted vast strengths—technological, economic, and cultural—yet its government is profoundly failing its own citizens and the world. Trump’s victory is very easy to understand. It was a vote against the status quo. Whether Trump will fix—or even attempt to fix—what really ails America remains to be seen. The rejection of the status quo by the American electorate is overwhelming. According to Gallup in October 2024, 52% of Americans said they and their families were worse off than four years ago, while only 39% said they were better off and 9% said they were about the same. An NBC national news poll in September 2024 found that 65% of Americans said the country is on the wrong track, while only 25% said that it is on the right track. In March 2024, according to Gallup , only 33% of Americans approved of Joe Biden’s handling of foreign affairs. At the core of the American crisis is a political system that fails to represent the true interests of the average American voter. The political system was hacked by big money decades ago, especially when the U.S. Supreme Court opened the floodgates to unlimited campaign contributions. Since then, American politics has become a plaything of super-rich donors and narrow-interest lobbies, who fund election campaigns in return for policies that favor vested interests rather than the common good. Two groups own the Congress and White House: super-rich individuals and single-issue lobbies. The world watched agape as Elon Musk, the world’s richest person (and yes, a brilliant entrepreneur and inventor), played a unique role in backing Trump’s election victory, both through his vast media influence and funding. Countless other billionaires chipped into Trump’s victory. Many (though not all) of the super-rich donors seeks special favors from the political system for their companies or investments, and most of those desired favors will be duly delivered by the Congress, the White House, and the regulatory agencies staffed by the new administration. Many of these donors also push one overall deliverable: further tax cuts on corporate income and capital gains. Many business donors, I would quickly add, are forthrightly on the side of peace and cooperation with China, as very sensible for business as well as for humanity. Business leaders generally want peace and incomes, while crazed ideologues want hegemony through war. There would have been precious little difference in all of this with a Harris victory. The Democrats have their own long list of the super-rich who financed the party’s presidential and Congressional campaigns. Many of those donors too would have demanded and received special favors. Tax breaks on capital income have been duly delivered by Congress for decades no matter their impact on the ballooning federal deficit, which now stands at nearly 7 percent of GDP, and no matter that the U.S. pre-tax national income in recent decades has shifted powerfully towards capital income and away from labor income. As measured by one basic indicator, the share of labor income in GDP has declined by around 7 percentage points since the end of World War II. As income has shifted from labor to capital, the stock market (and super-wealth) has soared, with the overall stock market valuation rising from 55% of GDP in 1985 to 200% of GDP today! The second group with its hold on Washingtons is single-issue lobbies. These powerful lobbies include the military-industrial complex, Wall Street, Big Oil, the gun industry, big pharma, big Ag, and the Israel Lobby. American politics is well organized to cater to these special interests. Each lobby buys the support of specific committees in Congress and selected national leaders to win control over public policy. The economic returns to special-interest lobbying are often huge: a hundred million dollars of campaign funding by a lobby group can win a hundred billion of federal outlays and/or tax breaks. This is the lesson, for example, of the Israel lobby, which spends a few hundred million dollars on campaign contributions, and harvests tens of billions of dollars in military and economic support for Israel. These special-interest lobbies do not depend on, nor care much about, public opinion. Opinion surveys show regularly that the public wants gun control, lower drug prices, an end of Wall Street bailouts, renewable energy, and peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. Instead, the lobbyists ensure that Congress and the White House deliver continued easy access to handguns and assault weapons, sky-high drug prices, coddling of Wall Street, more oil and gas drilling, weapons for Ukraine, and wars on behalf of Israel. These powerful lobbies are money-fueled conspiracies against the common good. Remember Adam Smith’s famous dictum in the Wealth of Nations (1776): "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices." The two most dangerous lobbies are the military-industrial complex (as Eisenhower famously warned us in 1961) and the Israel lobby (as detailed in a scintillating new book by historian Ilan Pappé). Their special danger is that they continue to lead us to war and closer to nuclear Armageddon . Biden’s reckless recent decision to allow U.S. missile strikes deep inside Russia, long advocated by the military-industrial complex, is case in point. The military-industrial complex aims for U.S. “full-spectrum dominance.” It’s purported solutions to world problems are wars and more wars, together with covert regime-change operations, U.S. economic sanctions, U.S. info-wars, color revolutions (led by the National Endowment for Democracy), and foreign policy bullying. These of course have been no solutions at all. These actions, in flagrant violation of international law, have dramatically increased U.S. insecurity. The military-industrial complex (MIC) dragged Ukraine into a hopeless war with Russia by promising Ukraine membership in NATO in the face of Russia’s fervent opposition, and by conspiring to overthrow Ukraine’s government in February 2014 because it sought neutrality rather than NATO membership. The military-industrial complex is currently—unbelievably—promoting a coming war with China. This will of course involve a huge and lucrative arms buildup, the aim of the MIC. Yet it will also threaten World War III or a cataclysmic U.S. defeat in another Asian war. While the Military-Industrial Complex has stoked NATO enlargement and conflicts with Russia and China, the Israel Lobby has stoked America’s serial wars in the Middle East. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, more than any U.S. president, has been the lead promoter of America’s backing of disastrous wars in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria. Netanyahu’s aim is to keep the land that Israel conquered in the 1967 war, creating what is called Greater Israel, and to prevent a Palestinian State. This expansionist policy, in contravention of international law, has given rise to militant pro-Palestinian groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Netanyahu’s long-standing policy is for the U.S. to topple or help to topple the governments that support these resistance groups. Incredibly, the Washington neocons and the Israel Lobby actually joined forces to carry out Netanyahu’s disastrous plan for wars across the Middle East. Netanyahu was a lead backer of the War in Iraq. Former Marine Commander Dennis Fritz has recently described in detail the Israel Lobby’s large role in that war. Ilan Pappé has done the same. In fact, the Israel Lobby has supported U.S.-led or U.S.-backed wars across the Middle East, leaving the targeted countries in ruins and the U.S. budget deep in debt. In the meantime, the wars and tax cuts for the rich, have offered no solutions for the hardships working-class Americans. As in other high-income countries , employment in U.S. manufacturing fell sharply from the 1980s onward as assembly-line workers were increasingly replaced by robots and “smart systems.” The decline in the labor share of value in the U.S. has been significant, and once again has been a phenomenon shared with other high-countries. Yet American workers have been hit especially hard. In addition to the underlying global technological trends hitting jobs and wages, American workers have been battered by decades of anti-union policies, soaring tuition and healthcare costs, and other anti-worker measures. In high-income countries of northern Europe, “social consumption” (publicly funded healthcare, tuition, housing, and other publicly provided services) and high levels of unionization have sustained decent living standards for workers. Not so in the United States. Yet this was not the end of it. Soaring costs of health care, driven by the private health insurers, and the absence of sufficient public financing for higher education and low-cost online options, created a pincer movement, squeezing the working class between falling or stagnant wages on the one side and rising education and healthcare costs on the other side. Neither the Democrats nor Republicans did much of anything to help the workers. Trump’s voter base is the working class, but his donor base is the super-rich and the lobbies. So, what will happen next? More of the same—wars and tax cuts—or something new and real for the voters? Trump’s purported answer is a trade war with China and the deportation of illegal foreign workers, combined with more tax cuts for the rich. In other words, rather than face the structural challenges of ensuring decent living standards for all, and face forthrightly the staggering budget deficit, Trump’s answers on the campaign trail and in his first term were to blame China and migrants for low working-class wages and wasteful spending for the deficits. This has played well electorally in 2016 and 2024, but will not deliver the promised results for workers in the long run. Manufacturing jobs will not return in large numbers from China since they never went in large numbers to China. Nor will deportations do much to raise living standards of average Americans. This is not to say that real solutions are lacking. They are hiding in plain view—if Trump chooses to take them, over the special interest groups and class interests of Trump’s backers. If Trump chooses real solutions, he would achieve a strikingly positive political legacy for decades to come. The first is to face down the military-industrial complex. Trump can end the war in Ukraine by telling President Putin and the world that NATO will never expand to Ukraine. He can end the risk of war with China by making crystal clear that the U.S. abides by the One China Policy, and as such, will not interfere in China’s internal affairs by sending armaments to Taiwan over Beijing’s objections, and would not support any attempt by Taiwan to secede. The second is to face down the Israel lobby by telling Netanyahu that the U.S. will no longer fight Israel’s wars and that Israel must accept a State of Palestine living in peace next to Israel, as called for by the entire world community. This indeed is the only possible path to peace for Israel and Palestine, and indeed for the Middle East. The third is to close the budget deficit, partly by cutting wasteful spending —notably on wars, hundreds of useless overseas military bases, and sky-high prices the government pays for drugs and healthcare—and partly by raising government revenues. Simply enforcing taxes on the books by cracking down on illegal tax evasion would have raised $625 billion in 2021, around 2.6% of GDP. More should be raised by taxation of soaring capital incomes. The fourth is an innovation policy (aka industrial policy) that serves the common good . Elon Musk and his Silicon Valley friends have succeeded in innovation beyond the wildest expectations. All kudos to Silicon Valley for bringing us the digital age. America’s innovation capacity is vast and robust and an envy of the world. The challenge now is innovation for what? Musk has his eye on Mars and beyond. Captivating, yet there are billions of people on Earth that can and should be helped by the digital revolution in the here and now. A core goal of Trump’s industrial policy should be to ensure that innovation serves the common good, including the poor, the working class, and the natural environment. Our nation’s goals need to go beyond wealth and weapons systems. As Musk and his colleagues know better than anybody, the new AI and digital technologies can usher in an era of low-cost, zero-carbon energy; low-cost healthcare; low-cost higher education; low-cost electricity-powered mobility; and other AI-enabled efficiencies that can raise real living standards of all workers. In the process, innovation should foster high-quality, unionized jobs—not the gig employment that has sent living standards plummeting and worker insecurity soaring. Trump and the Republicans have resisted these technologies in the past. In his first term, Trump let China take the lead in these technologies pretty much across the board. Our goal is not to stop China’s innovations, but to spur our own. Indeed, as Silicon Valley understands while Washington does not, China has long been and should remain America’s partner in the innovation ecosystem. China’s highly efficient and low-cost manufacturing facilities, such as Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai, put Silicon Valley’s innovations into worldwide use ... when America tries. All four of these steps are within Trump’s reach, and would justify his electoral triumph and secure his legacy for decades to come. I’m not holding my breath for Washington to adopt these straightforward steps. American politics has been rotten for too long for real optimism in that regard, yet these four steps are all achievable, and would greatly benefit not only the tech and finance leaders who backed Trump’s campaign but the generation of disaffected workers and households whose votes put Trump back into the White House.None
49ers QB Brock Purdy, DE Nick Bosa out, Brandon Allen to start at Green BaySOUTH FLORIDA 74, PORTLAND 68
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.The Vegas Golden Knights offense came to life against the Montreal Canadiens, as part of a 6-2 victory at Bell Centre on Saturday. The Golden Knights improved to 13-6-2 on the season, and goalie Adin Hill made 15 saves. “I thought it was a lot of good things, it wasn’t just luck,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “And once you get a lead like that, then you should be able to finish the job, and we did.” Here are three takeaway from the game: Explosive Second Period The Golden Knights’s offense has been inconsistent of late, but it came to life by scoring five goals in the second period to put the game away early. Tomas Hertl, Cal Burke, Ivan Barbashev, Tanner Pearson, and Keegan Kolesar scored in the period. “It was a great feeling, even better that we were able to close it out,” Kolesar said. Golden Knights’ Top Line Dominates Eichel (one goal, two assists) and Barbashev (one goal, two assists) had a dominant night against the Canadiens. Montreal made a push in the third period, scoring two goals, but Eichel’s goal at 18:12 capped off a good night for the top line. “They had a good night,” Cassidy said. “Let’s face it, in the third period, we got off our game; they pushed us. I know it’s late, but at the end of the day, good on them to make a play.” It has been a game of musical chairs on Eichel’s right wing with forward Mark Stone out of the lineup. Cassidy has tried Alexander Holtz, Pavel Dorofeyev, and most recently Burke in that spot, which brings us to... Burke’s First NHL Goal Burke tallied his first NHL goal by playing alongside the top line. “It feels good. It takes a little bit of pressure off, knowing that you can do it and you’ve got a goal, so you’re not always fishing for it,” he said. “To score my first goal, assisted by Eichel and Barbashev. ‘Barbie’ made a good pass, put it on a platter for me.” Burke has played six career NHL games after spending most of his career in the minors. While Burke’s time with the team may be limited, the Golden Knights hope he can give them some valuable minutes and solid play during his stint with the team. Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_ . This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.
Quarterbacks in spotlight when No. 6 Miami visits Syracuse
Major poll puts Ireland’s lead parties near neck-and-neckTrump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it?
VANCOUVER, BC , Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ("Sandstorm Gold Royalties", "Sandstorm" or the "Company") (NYSE: SAND) (TSX: SSL) is pleased to provide various developments within its diversified stream and royalty portfolio (dollar figures in USD unless otherwise indicated). Robertson Receives Approval of Key Environmental Permit On November 15 th , the U.S. Bureau of Land Management filed a positive Record of Decision for the Robertson mine, following publication of the project's Final Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") and public review period. The Record of Decision is the last major Federal permit under the National Environmental Protection Act of 1969 ("NEPA"). Robertson is owned by Nevada Gold Mines ("NGM"), a joint venture between Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Corporation, and is located at the north end of Nevada's Cortez District. The project is less than 10 kilometres east of the Pipeline and Cortez Mine Complex, a well-known mining district that hosts NGM gold production from the operating Pipeline, Cortez, and Goldrush mines. Robertson is planned as an open-pit, heap leach operation that will utilize certain infrastructure and facilities at the Pipeline and Cortez Mine Complex. NGM most recently estimated first production at Robertson in 2027, subject to permitting, and feasibility work remains ongoing. For more information about the Robertson mine visit www.barrick.com . For information regarding the Record of Decision, visit the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's website at www.blm.gov and refer to the press release dated November 20, 2024 . Sandstorm has a 1.0%–2.25% sliding scale net smelter returns ("NSR") royalty on the Robertson project. At current gold prices, Sandstorm expects the upper-end of the sliding scale would apply to its royalty. Hod Maden Site Preparation Continues SSR Mining Inc. ("SSR Mining") reports that engineering studies and site preparation activities continue at its Hod Maden project in Türkiye, as the company continues to advance the project through to a construction decision. In the third quarter of 2024, approximately $10.9 million was spent at Hod Maden. SSR Mining will provide guidance on the expected 2025 capital spend at Hod Maden with its annual 2025 guidance. For more information, visit www.ssrmining.com and refer to the press release dated November 6, 2024 . Sandstorm holds a 2.0% NSR royalty and a 20% gold stream on the Hod Maden project. Under the terms of the Hod Maden gold stream, Sandstorm has agreed to purchase 20% of all gold produced from Hod Maden (on a 100% basis) for ongoing per ounce cash payments equal to 50% of the spot price of gold until 405,000 ounces of gold are delivered. Sandstorm will then receive 12% of the gold produced for the life of the mine for ongoing per ounce cash payments equal to 60% of the spot price of gold. Underground Development Commences at Hugo North Extension; Additional High-Grade Intercepts Released Entrée Resources Ltd. ("Entrée") announced the commencement of underground development work at Oyu Tolgoi Lift 1 Panel 1 on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture property in November. This initial phase involves up to 212 metres of lateral development in the southwest corner of the Hugo North Extension ("HNE"), as outlined in the 2024 Oyu Tolgoi Mine Plan, intended to support the development of mine infrastructure. Entrée continues to advance discussions with Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi LLC ("OTLLC") to finalize either (i) the execution and delivery of the existing JV agreement between the parties or, (ii) conversion to an alternative agreement of equivalent economic value to govern their relationship during the development and mining stages of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture property. Entrée, Rio Tinto and OTLLC have identified a potential pathway forward, with corresponding definitive agreements subject to the approval of the entire OTLLC board. Entrée also released additional results from the 2023 drilling program at HNE, which includes both infill and extension holes from surface and underground. In addition to confirming long, high-grade intervals within the existing Hugo North Lift 2 block cave footprint, drill hole EGD 174 was terminated in mineralization at a depth of 1,800 metres, highlighting that the deposit remains open at depth with continuity for deeper potential lifts at Oyu Tolgoi. At depths, the Hugo North deposit dips to the northwest with an increasing proportion located on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture ground. Underground geotechnical holes UGD 807A, UGD 807B , and UGD 808 confirmed continuity of mineralization outside the potential Hugo North Lift 2 footprint. Highlights from the surface drill results include: Highlights from the underground drill results include: During 2024, drilling has continued at HNE with all holes targeting the potential Lift 2 mineralized footprint. As of October 31, 2024 , OTLLC had advised Entrée that approximately 5,287 metres of underground drilling in 23 diamond drill holes and 2,476 metres of surface drilling in four diamond drill holes had been completed. Entrée will report on the drill results once they have been received and reviewed. For more information, including full details of the drill results, visit www.entreeresourcesltd.com and refer to the press releases dated October 29 and November 4, 2024 . Sandstorm has a copper and precious metal stream with Entrée on the HNE whereby the Company has the right to purchase 0.42% of the copper, 5.62% of gold, and 4.26% of silver produced for ongoing cash payments of $0.50 per pound of copper, $220 per ounce of gold, and $5 per ounce of silver. Equinox Gold to Restart Mining at Aurizona Piaba Pit; Expansion Plans Ongoing Equinox Gold Corp. ("Equinox Gold") expects to resume mining at its Aurizona Piaba pit in the fourth quarter of 2024, following remediation from a geotechnical event caused by persistent heavy rains earlier in the year. Mining has been paused at Piaba since March 2024 , while ore feed at Aurizona has relied on existing stockpiles and mining from the Tatajuba open pit. A revised mine plan incorporating the Tatajuba, Boa Esperança, and Piaba pits has been prepared, and Equinox Gold has concluded that the geotechnical event does not have a significant negative impact on the long-term economic performance of Aurizona. Despite weather challenges, exploration activities in 2024 have included over 6,500 metres of regional drilling at Aurizona, focused on high potential targets. In the first nine months of 2024, nearly 3,500 metres of drilling has focused on resource delineation of the western extension of the Tatajuba deposit. Expansion plans at Aurizona aim to extend the mine life beyond 10 years and increase annual gold production through the development of an underground mine that would operate concurrently with the open pits. Engineering studies for the underground mine beneath the Piaba pit are ongoing, with efforts focused on refining ventilation systems, access layouts, and ore extraction plans. Construction of a portal and underground decline is expected to begin in 2025, enabling underground drilling and bulk sampling and ultimately supporting production operations. For more information, visit www.equinoxgold.com and refer to the company's 2024 third quarter Management Discussion & Analysis. Sandstorm has a sliding scale NSR royalty on the Aurizona mine, including the Piaba, Tatajuba, and Boa Esperança pits. When gold prices are above $2,000 per ounce, Sandstorm's royalty is a 5% NSR. Chapada Optimization Plan Improves Project Cash Flows Following optimization efforts at Lundin Mining Corporation's ("Lundin Mining") Chapada mine in Brazil , mining costs have decreased by 46% compared to 2022. In addition to improved haulage cycle times, fleet availability, and blasting fragmentation, the stockpile feed levels were also optimized. A redesigned mining plan was implemented with a lower annual stripping requirement, reducing annual mining rates by 30 million tonnes. These changes are expected to streamline operations while maintaining output, further improving free cash flow generated from the mine. Lundin Mining is concluding a scoping study on the Sauva deposit, and an updated technical report for the Chapada mine is expected to be filed in 2025. For more information, visit www.lundinmining.com and refer to Lundin Mining's conference call held on November 7, 2024 , discussing the company's 2024 third quarter financial results. Sandstorm holds a copper stream on the Chapada mine, whereby Sandstorm has agreed to purchased, for ongoing per pound cash payments equal to 30% of the spot price of copper, 4.2% of the copper produced up to maximum of 3.9 million pounds ("Mlbs") annually until 39 Mlbs are delivered, then 3.0% of the copper until 50 Mlbs are delivered; then 1.5% of the copper for the life of mine. Updated PEA for High-Grade Coringa Gold Project Serabi Gold plc ("Serabi") has published an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Coringa gold project in Brazil , highlighting significant improvements compared to the 2019 study. Annual production is estimated at 28 thousand ounces ("koz") in 2025 then averaging 36 koz per year between 2026 and 2031 with an 11-year mine life until 2034. The updated PEA reflects an updated Mineral Resource Inventory at Coringa that includes Measured & Indicated Resources of 795 thousand tonnes ("kt") at 7.03 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold containing 179 koz gold and Inferred Resources are 1.45 million tonnes ("Mt") at 5.81 g/t gold containing 271 koz gold. The mine plan utilizes 81% of the total Measured & Indicated Resource inventory and 89% of Inferred Resources (3.16 g/t cut-off). The Coringa project has been in production since July 2022 as an underground operation using open stoping mining methods. Processing of Coringa ore is undertaken at Serabi's Palito Complex, utilizing existing process plant capacity. For more information, visit www.serabigold.com and refer to the press release dated October 21, 2024 . Sandstorm holds a 2.5% NSR royalty on the Coringa project. Notes 1. Drill hole EGD177 is the upper portion of "daughter" drill hole EGD177A, which was previously reported by Entrée Resources Ltd. on July 18, 2024. Qualified Person Imola Götz (M.Sc., P.Eng, F.E.C.), Sandstorm's Vice President, Mining & Engineering is a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Ms. Götz has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release. Contact Information For more information about Sandstorm Gold Royalties, please visit our website at www.sandstormgold.com or email us at info@sandstormgold.com . ABOUT SANDSTORM GOLD ROYALTIES Sandstorm is a precious metals-focused royalty company that provides upfront financing to mining companies and receives the right to a percentage of production from a mine, for the life of the mine. Sandstorm holds a portfolio of over 230 royalties, of which 41 of the underlying mines are producing. Sandstorm plans to grow and diversify its low-cost production profile through the acquisition of additional gold royalties. For more information visit: www.sandstormgold.com . CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS TO U.S. SECURITYHOLDERS The financial information included or incorporated by reference in this press release or the documents referenced herein has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, which differs from US generally accepted accounting principles ("US GAAP") in certain material respects, and thus are not directly comparable to financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP. This press release and the documents incorporated by reference herein, as applicable, have been prepared in accordance with Canadian standards for the reporting of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, which differ from the previous and current standards of the United States securities laws. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "inferred mineral resources,", "indicated mineral resources," "measured mineral resources" and "mineral resources" used or referenced herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, as applicable, are Canadian mineral disclosure terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 — Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") — CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (the "CIM Definition Standards"). For United States reporting purposes, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to modernize the mining property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which became effective February 25, 2019 . The SEC Modernization Rules more closely align the SEC's disclosure requirements and policies for mining properties with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101, and replace the historical property disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7. Issuers were required to comply with the SEC Modernization Rules in their first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021 . As a foreign private issuer that is eligible to file reports with the SEC pursuant to the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system, the Corporation is not required to provide disclosure on its mineral properties under the SEC Modernization Rules and will continue to provide disclosure under NI 43-101 and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, mineral reserve and mineral resource information contained or incorporated by reference herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by United States companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources." In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be "substantially similar" to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards that are required under NI 43-101. While the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", U.S. investors should not assume that all or any part of the mineralization in these categories will be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves without further work and analysis. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to its existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources, or inferred mineral resources that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable without further work and analysis. Further, "inferred mineral resources" have a greater amount of uncertainty and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, U.S. investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred mineral resources will be upgraded to a higher category without further work and analysis. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. While the above terms are "substantially similar" to CIM Definitions, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules or under the prior standards of SEC Industry Guide 7. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Sandstorm Gold Royalties. Forward-looking statements include the future price of gold, silver, copper, iron ore and other metals, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, realization of mineral reserve estimates, and the timing and amount of estimated future production. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans", or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of Sandstorm Gold Royalties to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Sandstorm Gold Royalties will operate in the future, including the receipt of all required approvals, the price of gold and copper and anticipated costs. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, failure to receive necessary approvals, changes in business plans and strategies, market conditions, share price, best use of available cash, gold and other commodity price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operational and development risks relating to the parties which produce the gold or other commodity the Company will purchase, regulatory restrictions, activities by governmental authorities (including changes in taxation), currency fluctuations, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions, the absence of control over mining operations from which the Company will purchase gold, other commodities or receive royalties from, and risks related to those mining operations, including risks related to international operations, government and environmental regulation, actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, risks in the marketability of minerals, fluctuations in the price of gold and other commodities, fluctuation in foreign exchange rates and interest rates, stock market volatility, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risks to Sandstorm" in the Company's annual report for the financial year ended December 31, 2023 and the section entitled "Risk Factors" contained in the Company's annual information form dated March 27, 2024 available at www.sedarplus.com . Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained or incorporated by reference, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandstorm-gold-royalties-provides-updates-on-producing-and-key-development-assets-302317866.html SOURCE Sandstorm Gold Ltd.
Friendly reminder |
The authenticity of this information has not been verified by this website and is for your reference only. Please do not reprint without permission. If authorized by this website, it should be used within the scope of authorization and marked with "Source: this website". |
Special attention |
Some articles on this website are reprinted from other media. The purpose of reprinting is to convey more industry information, which does not mean that this website agrees with their views and is responsible for their authenticity. Those who make comments on this website forum are responsible for their own content. This website has the right to reprint or quote on the website. The comments on the forum do not represent the views of this website. If you need to use the information provided by this website, please contact the original author. The copyright belongs to the original author. If you need to contact this website regarding copyright, please do so within 15 days. |