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It's hard to believe that the first GTA 6 trailer made its debut almost a year ago to the day. With a record-breaking number of views on YouTube, the trailer has proven to be extremely popular with fans, who have pored over every detail ahead of the game's autumn 2025 release date. However, after 12 months without any additional footage or information about Grand Theft Auto 6, fans are starting to wonder when exactly GTA 6 Trailer 2 will make an appearance. Based on the latest online activity from Rockstar Games , it looks like we may finally have our answer. As spotted by a user on Reddit , Rockstar updated the GTA 6 YouTube playlist on December 2. The playlist was previously updated following the release of Trailer 1, which has led to speculation that a second trailer could drop later this week. One theory is that GTA 6 Trailer 2 will make its debut on December 4, exactly a year after the release of the announcement trailer. Other fans believe Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2 will headline The Game Awards, which takes place on December 12, or December 13 for UK viewers. Needless to say, Daily Express will keep this article updated with all the latest leaks and announcements, so keep checking back for more information. In the meantime, check out GTA 6 Trailer 1 for the hundredth time to get a good look at what you're missing. GTA 6 has been in the news a lot lately, after winning the first of many awards at the Golden Joysticks. Accepting the award for most anticipated game, a Rockstar Games spokesperson told fans to expect "mind-blowing things" from GTA 6. "There’s an incredible amount of people doing amazing things on Grand Theft Auto 6, absolutely mind-blowing things," a spokesperson said. "It’s an honour to be able to come up here and accept this award on everyone’s behalf. I wish more of us could be here. Thank you very much, everybody, and yeah, more to come." Needless to say, the bold claim of "mind-blowing things" to come has left fans desperate to hear more about the upcoming game. Meanwhile, during a recent earnings call, Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two once again confirmed that GTA 6 will launch next autumn , and that it will come to Xbox Series S , despite concerns that it may be too underpowered.Jack Knox: Generosity of strangers renews our faith in fellow Victorians We also have different motivations for opening our wallets; for some it’s done with a resentful sense of duty, for others it’s done with joy, or gratitude. Jack Knox Dec 22, 2024 4:07 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Jack Knox. TIMES COLONIST Listen to this article 00:05:19 As we all know, Christmas sucks. Too much commercialization. Too much (or, rather, too little) money. Too much fruitcake (bleh!). Too many fist fights over the last parking space at the mall. Too many Saturday night office parties, followed by the Monday morning summons from HR. Too many craft fairs, whether they be the school-gym variety where you pay $8 for a set of homemade oven mitts knitted from flammable material, or the oh-so-twee affairs where they sell $40 quinoa-based fudge and where you have to avoid eye contact with the anxious-looking vendor desperate to sell his $800 blown-glass garden rakes, and where everybody makes a fuss when you quite justifiably start throwing elbows when it gets too crowded. Most of all: too much stress. This week, pollster Mario Conseco wrote in Business in Vancouver that three in 10 Canadians think this Christmas will be “more stressful than fun.” An Australian psychologist once compared Christmas stress to road rage, and Britain’s Daily Telegraph once reported that one in 20 Britons consider the day more traumatic than a burglary. Why all the pressure? Longtime TC readers will know that I blame Martha Stewart. Christmas was actually kind of fun up until the 1990s when Martha barged in and ruined things by making us feel like it was not only possible but mandatory to have a perfect Christmas, one where nobody gets drunk or burns the turkey or has a mismatched manger scene where one of the wise men is missing its head and baby Jesus has been replaced by a Luke Skywalker figurine. Eventually Martha was sent to jail for this (OK, technically the charges related to stock trading) but by then the damage was done. It’s another prison-based story that gives me pause, though. This one dates back five years, to the time the Times Colonist Christmas Fund received a cheque from a trust account maintained on behalf of inmates at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre — Wilkie, as it’s more commonly known. When we asked, the Public Safety Ministry confirmed that the donation came from an unidentified prisoner. What stood out was the amount of the cheque: $7. That’s a very specific number. It’s not easy to earn money when incarcerated. At the time of the inmate’s donation, the Public Safety Ministry said prisoners could get paid for certain work — cleaning or painting, for example — but that they generally earned only between $1.50 and $6.50 per shift, depending on how much responsibility, experience and skill was required. In other words, it could take a day, or even a few days, to earn $7. There’s a Bible story known as The Widow’s Mite in which Jesus, after watching a succession of rich people donate to the temple treasury, sees a woman add two small coins, or mites. He tells his disciples that, in fact, the poor widow had put in more than all the other donors put together, for while they had all made contributions from their surplus wealth, she had given all she had. For some people, seven bucks might as well be $700. We all have our preferred causes to support, and we all have a different capacity to support them. We also have different motivations for opening our wallets; for some it’s done with a resentful sense of duty, for others it’s done with joy, or gratitude. Last year the Christmas Fund received a donation from a 95-year-old Parksville woman whose contribution was a response to the help she received in 1965 after landing in Victoria as a single mother with little more than three mouths to feed. Another donation came in from a man who, 39 years ago, was helped by the Christmas Fund at a time when he was a struggling single father of two, living in the Cridge centre. “More than the extra food and toys it provided, the generosity of strangers renewed my faith in my fellow Victorians and mankind in general,” he wrote last year. “To me that was the real spirit of Christmas at work.” It turns out that Christmas doesn’t have to suck after all. HOW TO DONATE TO THE CHRISTMAS FUND • Go online to tcchristmasfund.com . That page is linked to ­CanadaHelps, which is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt. • Use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. • Cheques should be made out to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund. Drop them at the Times Colonist office in Vic West, 201-655 Tyee Road, Victoria. • Contact Maximum Express for free pickup and delivery of your cheque. Call dispatch at 250-721-3278 or email ­ [email protected] . The Times Colonist Christmas Fund 2024 fundraising campaign has received $871,518.25 as of Saturday. >>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected] See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More Local News Christmas display at Esquimalt home marks 30 years and attracts legions of fans Dec 22, 2024 5:44 AM How a Nanaimo man got a coveted jersey thanks to a trusting stranger Dec 22, 2024 2:48 AM Second body found after mudslide last weekend hits B.C. coastline Dec 21, 2024 10:32 PM Featured Flyer

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of those as young as 18. A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private consultations, said Wednesday that the outgoing Democratic administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 from the current age of 25 to expand the pool of fighting-age men available to help a badly outnumbered Ukraine in its nearly three-year-old war with Russia. The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine's situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight. Currently Ukraine is not mobilizing or training enough soldiers to replace its battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military, the official added. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. But with time running out, the Biden White House is also sharpening its viewpoint that Ukraine has the weaponry it needs and now must dramatically increase its troop levels if it's going to stay in the fight with Russia. White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett in a statement said the administration will continue sending Ukraine weaponry but believes “manpower is the most vital need" Ukraine has at the moment. “So, we’re also ready to ramp up our training capacity if they take appropriate steps to fill out their ranks,” Savett said. The Ukrainians have said they need about 160,000 additional troops to keep up with its battlefield needs, but the U.S. administration believes they probably will need more than that. More than 1 million Ukrainians are now in uniform, including the National Guard and other units. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been hearing concerns from allies in other Western capitals as well that Ukraine has a troop level problem and not an arms problem, according to European officials who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic conversations. The European allies have stressed that the lack of depth means that it may soon become untenable for Ukraine to continue to operate in Russia’s Kursk border region . The situation in Kursk has become further complicated by the arrival of thousands of North Korean troops , who have come to help Moscow try to claw back the land seized in a Ukrainian incursion this year. The stepped-up push on Ukraine to strengthen its fighting ranks comes as Ukraine braces for President-elect Donald Trump to take office on Jan. 20. The Republican said he would bring about a swift end to the war and has raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the vital U.S. military support for Ukraine. “There are no easy answers to Ukraine’s serious manpower shortage, but lowering the draft age would help,” said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "These are obviously difficult decisions for a government and society that has already endured so much due to Russia’s invasion.” Ukraine has taken steps to broaden the pool of draft-eligible men, but the efforts have only scratched the surface against a much larger Russian military. In April, Ukraine’s parliament passed a series of laws, including one lowering its draft-eligible age for men from 27 to 25, aimed at broadening the universe of men who could be called on to join the grinding war. Those laws also did away with some draft exemptions and created an online registry for recruits. They were expected to add about 50,000 troops, far short of what Zelenskyy said at the time was needed. Zelenskyy has consistently stated that he has no plans to lower the mobilization age. A senior Ukrainian official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ukraine does not have enough equipment to match the scale of its ongoing mobilization efforts. The official said Ukrainian officials see the push to the lower the draft age as part of an effort by some Western partners to deflect attention from their own delays in providing equipment or belated decisions. The official cited as an example the delay in giving Ukraine permission to use longer-range weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory. The Ukrainians do not see lowering the draft age to recruit more soldiers as a substitute for countering Russia’s advantage in equipment and weaponry, the official said. Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine throughout the war. Russia’s own problems with adequate troop levels and planning early in the war prevented Moscow from taking full advantage of its edge. But the tide has shifted and the U.S. says the Ukrainian shortage can no longer be overlooked. Some Ukrainians have expressed worry that further lowering the minimum conscription age and taking more young adults out of the workforce could backfire by further harming the war-ravaged economy. The senior Biden administration official added that the administration believes that Ukraine can also optimize its current force by more aggressively dealing with soldiers who desert or go absent without leave. AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller and AP writer Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv contributed to this report.Biden calls for Assad to be 'held accountable'You knew it was coming, didn’t you? Baseball’s reigning Evil Empire took the initiative this week, signing another high-profile starting pitcher and giving its fans something additional to be grateful for during Thanksgiving week (besides, of course, those shots of the Commissioner’s Trophy being shown off here, there and everywhere throughout Southern California). And after the bombshell announcement Tuesday night, that the Dodgers had signed Blake Snell , the howls could be heard throughout the land. The Dodgers are making a mockery of the sport. The rest of baseball can’t compete. They’re signing everybody! And how are the Cincinnatis and Pittsburghs and Colorados of the sport able to compete with an organization that not only brings in boatloads of money – and has created a second source of runaway revenue through its ties to Japan – but isn’t interested in hoarding it? Shouldn’t the next step be a salary cap to restrain this franchise’s runaway spending? Oh, stop it. Competitive balance is not an issue in baseball, period. Four different teams have won the last four World Series, and nine different fan bases have celebrated championships in the last 12 years. There hasn’t been a repeat champion in ... checks notes ... a quarter of a century. (That would be the New York Yankees, the first Evil Empire, in 1999-2000.) Meanwhile, Kansas City, Detroit and Baltimore have all risen from rebuilding to contention in the last couple of seasons. Milwaukee and Cleveland, both smaller markets, were legitimate threats as this past postseason began. And the Padres, long squeezed between Mexico to their south, the Imperial Valley to their east, the Pacific to their west and L.A. to their north, just might have been the second-best team in baseball in 2024 and, may we remind you, had the Dodgers by the neck going into Game 4 of their National League Division Series . Nor are they going away, even with some payroll retrenching in the wake of controlling owner Peter Seidler’s death. (But, nope, still no parade.) Most of the caterwauling, of course, comes from those whose favorite teams were either outbid or declined to spend. Trust me, no ownership in Major League Baseball can claim poverty, even with the cable TV issues that have scrambled some teams’ finances. Yes, big-market teams start with a financial advantage. Yes, Diamond Sports’ bankruptcy and the cord-cutting revolution have factored in. And yes, the Dodgers and Yankees have insulated themselves to a degree by owning their own cable networks. So, maybe, give them some credit for intelligence and foresight? Front Office Sports reported that deferrals on Snell’s reported five-year, $182 million deal, said to be $60 million, would push the Dodgers closer to the $1 billion mark in deferred money owed to five players. Shohei Ohtani’s whopping $680 million deferred on a $700 million contract signed last winter enabled the Dodgers to add additional pieces. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts also have chunks of deferred money in their contracts – as does, interestingly, Teoscar Hernández on his one-year 2024 deal with the Dodgers. That would make that contract even more of a bargain than we thought. And this is an undisputable fact: Salary caps and other payroll-limiting mechanisms put no limits on front office creativity and ingenuity. It’s been pretty well established that in Guggenheim Baseball’s 13-year ownership of the Dodgers, especially after Mark Walter’s organization corrected the problems of the Frank McCourt era and particularly after Friedman arrived from Tampa Bay in 2015, the Dodgers have a smart, savvy organization whose advantages go way beyond their cash on hand. (And yes, as I noted on social media Tuesday night, we do tease them about sometimes trying too hard to be the smartest guys in the room. But most of the time they are, anyway.) Assuming everyone stays healthy – and as we saw throughout baseball in 2024, that’s a tall ask – what will the Dodgers’ rotation look like in 2025? They’ll have left-hander Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who was one of the victims of a soft free agent market last spring and didn’t sign with the San Francisco Giants until March 19. He got off to a dreadful start as a result but was lights out from the start of July. In 14 starts he was 5-0 (and his team 12-2 in those starts), with a 1.23 ERA, an opponents’ batting average of .123, an 0.78 WHIP, five double-digit strikeout games and a 3.8-1 strikeout to walk ratio, and a complete-game no-hitter, an achievement for someone denigrated as a five-and-dive pitcher. Maybe those final three months spurred him to sign early this time. It’s almost certain the Dodgers will use a six-man rotation from the start of the season, and right now they have seven possibilities and who knows what they do from here. They’ll have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher. Tyler Glasnow, Snell’s former teammate in Tampa Bay, will be back, as will Tony Gonsolin in his return from Tommy John surgery. Dustin May, essentially inactive since May of 2023, will return, and Clayton Kershaw is expected to re-sign and has indicated he plans to retire a Dodger. Is there room for free agent Jack Flaherty, last season’s major trade deadline acquisition? Or fellow free agent Walker Buehler, who closed out Game 5 of the World Series against the Yankees, following a sometimes spotty comeback from injury? And the wild card might be Roki Sasaki, who will be posted by his Japanese team this winter. The Dodgers had long been considered the favorites to land him, and even Snell’s signing might not change that. Then again, the way the 2024 Dodgers went through pitchers because of injuries – 40 for the season, including 12 starting pitchers – shouldn’t they be tempted to grab every reasonably healthy arm they can and sort it out as they go along? But this is, and should be, the bottom line: Every fan in every sport wants the people running their favorite team to care as much about winning as they do. In a lot of cities, with a lot of teams, that’s really hard to envision. In Dodger Stadium, it’s not hard at all. And if they’re going to be the new Evil Empire, why not just lean into it and have Dieter Ruehle play “The Imperial March” (i.e., Darth Vader’s Theme) before every game? jalexander@scng.com

Whitt scores 14, Belmont beats Middle Tennessee 82-79

Beirut: Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumours that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country. The lightning rebel advance suggests that Assad’s government could fall within the next week, US and other Western officials said. A giant portrait of Syrian president Bashar Assad sets on a building, as empty streets seen in Damascus, Syria, on Saturday. Credit: AP Since the rebels’ sweep into Aleppo a week ago, government defences have crumbled at dizzying speed as insurgents seized a string of major cities and rose up in places where the rebellion had long seemed over. The twin threats to strategically vital Homs and the capital Damascus now pose an existential danger to the Assad dynasty’s five-decade reign over Syria and the continued influence there of its main regional backer Iran. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only four of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Homs, Latakia and Tartus. People arrive at the Jordanian side of the border as others wait in their cars, after a ban on crossings into Syria, on December 7, 2024 in Jaber, Jordan. Credit: Getty Images The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition”. Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people”. In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle [in Damascus] or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a years-long siege. The UN said it was moving non-critical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: Backed by Russia and Iran – both of which are bogged down in separate conflicts. Credit: Saudi Press Agency/AP Assad’s status Syria’s state media denied social media rumours that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the US should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a UN resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. A Syrian opposition fighter holds a rocket launcher in front of the provincial government office. Credit: AP Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. The insurgents’ march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hardline officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani. Credit: Al Jazeera Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began on November 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops had withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle loomed. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists”. The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area”, apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticised Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. AP, Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter .OCVarsity video: Steve Fryer and Dan Albano make their predictions for the CIF-SS football championships

Kuwait City: In a special gesture, Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah came to see off PM Modi at the airport Sunday evening as he wrapped up his historic two-day visit to the West Asian country and left for India. “Thank you Kuwait! This visit was historic and will greatly enhance our bilateral relations. I thank the Government and people of Kuwait for their warmth. I also thank the PM of Kuwait for the special gesture of coming to the airport for the see-off,” PM Modi posted on X just before his departure. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held back-to-back meetings with the country’s Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah besides holding bilateral discussions with the country’s PM Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. “Held fruitful discussions with HH Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Our talks covered the full range of India-Kuwait relations, including trade, commerce, people-to-people ties and more. Key MoUs and Agreements were also exchanged, which will add strength to bilateral relations,” said PM Modi. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders discussed a roadmap to strengthen the strategic partnership in areas including political, trade, investment, energy, defence, security, health, education, technology, cultural, and people-to-people ties. “They emphasised on deepening economic cooperation between the two countries. The Prime Minister invited a delegation comprising the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to visit India to look at new opportunities in the fields of energy, defence, medical devices, pharma, food parks, among others. The leaders also discussed cooperation in traditional medicine and agricultural research,” read a statement issued by the PMO after the meeting. “They welcomed the recent signing of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) under which new Joint Working Groups in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture have been set up in addition to the existing JWGs on Health, Manpower and Hydrocarbons,” it added. Both leaders also witnessed the signing and exchange of bilateral agreements and MoUs after the talks. It included an MoU on defence cooperation, cultural exchange programme, an executive programme on cooperation in the field of sports and the framework agreement on Kuwait joining the International Solar Alliance. In what was the first meeting between the two leaders, Prime Minister Modi met and the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held discussions at the Bayan Palace and re-affirmed their full commitment to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation while agreeing to elevate the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. The leaders recalled the strong historical and friendly ties between the two countries with PM Modi thanking the Amir for ensuring the well-being of over one million strong Indian community in Kuwait. The Amir also expressed appreciation for the contribution of the large and vibrant Indian community in Kuwait’s development. “Excellent meeting with His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, IT, fintech, infrastructure and security. In line with the close relations between our two countries, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic level and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish further in the future,” the Prime Minister said. The PM appreciated the new initiatives being undertaken by Kuwait to fulfill its Vision 2035 and congratulated the Amir for successfully holding the GCC Summit earlier this month. Reciprocating Prime Minister’s sentiments, the Amir expressed appreciation for India’s role as a valued partner in Kuwait and the Gulf region and looked forward to greater role and contribution of India towards realisation of Kuwait Vision 2035. The Amir of Kuwait also conferred upon Prime Minister Modi ‘The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer’, the highest national award of Kuwait. PM Modi dedicated the award to the long-standing friendship between India and Kuwait, to the Indian community in Kuwait and to the 1.4 billion people of India. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the conferment of the award – instituted in 1974 and conferred only on select global leaders – on the historic visit of a Prime Minister of India to Kuwait after 43 years added a “special meaning” to the occasion. PM Modi also met with Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait. Both leaders had also met on the margins of the UNGA session in September, earlier this year. “Prime Minister conveyed that India attaches utmost importance to its bilateral relations with Kuwait. The leaders acknowledged that bilateral relations were progressing well and welcomed their elevation to a Strategic Partnership. They emphasised on close coordination between both sides in the UN and other multilateral fora. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that India-GCC relations will be further strengthened under the Presidency of Kuwait,” said PM Modi.Ibnul Hasan Dhaka University's decision to restrict external vehicle access during specific hours has sparked widespread frustration among the city's residents as the new rules, limiting vehicle entry from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM on weekdays and from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM on weekends, coincide with peak traffic hours, amplifying Dhaka's already critical congestion issues. The recent decision of Dhaka University to restrict entry for external vehicles from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on workdays and from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays has raised a storm of frustration across Dhaka. While the university may have had security or logistical reasons for this restriction, the timing of this decision is problematic as it clashes with peak hours for traffic, when the public most urgently depends on these roads. This move does not only affect Dhaka universities’ students and faculty; it impacts daily commuters, emergency services, and local businesses, further exacerbating the already strained traffic conditions in the capital. The hours of the restriction fall within some of the busiest periods in Dhaka's daily traffic cycle. From 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on workdays, people are returning home from work, children are leaving schools, and many essential services operate. Similarly, the weekend restrictions from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. overlap with the time when families are heading out for errands or entertainment, adding an additional layer of congestion and inconvenience. The no-entry timing for vehicles during peak hours exacerbates the already critical traffic-jams that characterize Dhaka. It is bound to cause sullen bottlenecks in nearby areas, considering the DU roads are key transit routes for thousands of commuters every day, with few routes to divert. Closing this route during peak hours neglects the needs of smooth traffic flow for the general population of Dhaka. Dhaka is notorious for traffic gridlocks, and this is adding to it. The streets around DU are vital and connect major parts of the city, like business centers, hospitals, and educational institutions. It is blocking the access to thousands in critical times, which turns out to be a critical issue for people who depend on these routes to find their way across the jammed roads of Dhaka. This is leading to disgruntlement among the commoners. Also, restrictions that impact basic transport like buses and rickshaws mean disturbances to this essential manner of movement of people around Dhaka. The drivers in Dhaka-one of the world's most jammed cities-make difficult lives more unbearable for drivers in an effort to take their passengers where they are supposed to be taken to. The new rules also affect emergency vehicles, which may be caught up in traffic and hence reach hospitals or accident sites late, putting lives at risk. Several ambulances have been witnessed stuck in the traffic caused by these restrictions, further putting the lives of those in urgent need of medical attention in danger. This oversight could have serious consequences for individuals requiring immediate medical intervention, as timely response is critical in emergencies. The decision to close off public roads without consideration for the wide-ranging effects of such a decision demonstrates a serious lack of vision and inability to balance the needs within the university with those in the larger community. Such a decision reflects not only a lack of sensitivity on the part of the university administration but also a failure of values that a university of excellence, like DU, should be upholding-social responsibility, empathy, and collective thinking. One would have expected students of such a prestigious institution to have considered the public good and devise a more pragmatic solution, rather than resort to a move that would exacerbate an already problematic traffic situation. While it is clear that the university's administration has its reasons for tightening security or controlling traffic, the solution of restricting external vehicles at these times seems to be without much awareness of its effects on the general public. There are other ways of ensuring campus security and improving the university's internal logistics without causing huge disruption in the city's movement. DU could limit access to high-security zones - specific areas like dormitories, academic buildings, and faculty offices - without keeping the entire campus out of reach for all vehicles. These roads can be kept open for the general public since they are quite essential for the general traffic flow of the city. Similar to other major institutions worldwide, DU could have introduced technology like scanning devices or access-controlled gates for students and staff to enter restricted zones on campus, without disrupting public traffic flow. The university could have worked with city authorities to find a solution that balances security concerns with the needs of commuters. This could include establishing drop-off points or adjusting traffic signals to mitigate any adverse effects of the restrictions. While this might be within Dhaka University's mandate, either to improve security or streamline traffic within its campus, the timing is highly unfortunate for the general public on account of certain restrictions against the flow of traffic along public roads. The closing of such strategic routes, especially during rush hours of traffic, simply shows indifference to the welfare of society at large. Instead of blanket restrictions, DU could have implemented more targeted solutions that preserve the flow of traffic while addressing its own security needs. Dhaka's residents, who are already fighting daily traffic nightmares, deserved better than this ill-thought-out measure. Moreover, the delays brought about by these restrictions are not just an inconvenience; they are potentially life-threatening. Ambulances caught in the jam due to the closures vividly bring into focus that such decisions can have serious, even fatal consequences. This decision is certainly disappointing coming from the students of Dhaka University, which is regarded as one of the best educational institutions in Bangladesh. As a university that should set an example, it was crucial for them to consider the broader social impacts of their actions and come up with a more balanced solution. For the well-being of all people in Dhaka, it would be beneficial for the university to revisit its approach, ensuring that both campus security and public welfare are given the attention they deserve. The writer is a final-year law student at University of Asia Pacific, with an interest in labor rights and economic development.Cabinet decisions: DIGs Singh and Bohara promoted

Elections Alberta is prepping for byelection already affected by postal strike

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami probably was one win away from getting into the College Football Playoff. Iowa State definitely was one win away. Their consolation prize of sorts: playing one another. The Hurricanes and Cyclones — a meteorological matchup — have accepted bids to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, to be played Dec. 28 in Orlando, Florida. Iowa State (10-3) is looking for its first 11-win season in the program's 133-year history, and Miami (10-2) is seeking its first 11-win season since 2003. Miami's loss at Syracuse to close the regular season wound up being the game the Hurricanes could point to as the reason they missed out on the CFP. Iowa State could have played its way in and lost the Big 12 title game to CFP-bound Arizona State on Saturday. “I think everyone that doesn't get in feels disappointment,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “We feel the onus of just doing better. Just do better, go forward, have an opportunity to get better.” It's essentially the same task for both teams: regrouping after seeing the playoff slip away. “I think that’s what’s made Iowa State football really special is our ability to have great resiliency," Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. "And I know our kids are super-excited about the opportunity to finish off. Obviously (Saturday) was disappointing. But this group and this football team has the opportunity to just continue to fight.” A big question for Miami: whether quarterback Cam Ward will play. The likely Heisman Trophy finalist has thrown for 155 touchdown passes in his career at Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami. That’s tied for the most by anyone in Division I (FBS and FCS) history; Case Keenum threw 155 in his career at Houston. Many draft-bound players not in the playoff will be opting out of bowl games over the coming weeks. There's been no indication from Miami yet that Ward or any other draft-bound player has made a decision. “I think it’s important that our guys, anyone playing and closing out the season, understands the importance of that next step for a program like ours," Cristobal said. "And I think our guys do.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

In Jan. 2023, I wrote about my 10 top stocks to buy for the new year. I ended up pretty proud of my list because if you'd invested $1,000 in each of the 10 stocks the day the article was published, you'd have ended 2023 with $13,301, including dividends. If you'd instead put your $10,000 into an S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.25% ) index fund, you would've had just $11,900 at the end of the year. In other words, the total return of my stock picks beat the broad market by 74%. And last December, I updated my list of top 10 stocks for 2024 , which have again outperformed the market. With $10,000 invested equally across those 10 stocks at the beginning of the year, you'd have $14,281 as of the Dec. 5 market close. An equal investment in an S&P 500 index fund would be worth $12,890. That's a total return difference of 48%. That's an encouraging result given how strong stocks have been this year. When the market is down, it's much easier to beat. For example, when the S&P 500 lost 18% in 2022, 51% of U.S. equity managers underperformed the market. But through the first half of a bullish 2024, 57% of large-cap U.S. equity managers were underperforming the index, and 60% underperformed it last year when the index was up 24%. Let's take a closer look at how my picks are faring with about a month to go in 2024 and consider whether you should buy them for the coming year. Drumroll, please ... The top 10 stocks I chose for 2024 were Airbnb ( ABNB 0.44% ) , Amazon ( AMZN 2.94% ) , Costco Wholesale ( COST 1.05% ) , Global-e Online ( GLBE 1.94% ) , Lemonade ( LMND 2.22% ) , Lululemon Athletica ( LULU 15.89% ) , MercadoLibre ( MELI -1.90% ) , Nu Holdings ( NU 0.58% ) , SoFi Technologies ( SOFI 2.36% ) , and Visa ( V 0.62% ) . Here's how they are performing compared to the S&P 500 as of Dec. 5: Data by YCharts . Nine of my top 10 picks are up year to date. The lone exception, Lululemon, is experiencing some major challenges right now. Let's do a quick rundown on each of these stocks and their prospects for 2025. Airbnb: Flat After gaining 59% in 2023, Airbnb has been flat this year. Growth has slowed, but profitability has soared. It's looking more like a value stock right now, and it's building on its popular platform. Shares trade at only 22 times trailing-12-month free cash flow, and value investors should take a look. Amazon: Up 45% Amazon has launched powerful artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that are driving tremendous growth in its cloud computing segment, Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS is the leading global cloud services provider, and AI is bringing in new clients. It's also the largest e-commerce company in the U.S. with a wide lead. Amazon remains a top choice for almost any investor. Costco: Up 50% Costco is one of my favorite all-weather stocks, and it continues to climb despite reaching fresh all-time highs this year. It's reliable for strong performance under almost any macroeconomic conditions, and the market can't seem to get enough of it. If you have a long-term mindset, you can add some shares even now, but you might want to adopt a dollar-cost averaging strategy. Global-e Online: Up 34% Global-e is a small but growing e-commerce powerhouse that provides cross-border solutions for online retailers. It services A-list clients like Disney , LVMH , and Nordstrom , and it adds more customers every quarter. It boasts high growth, and it's getting closer to profitability too. That positions the company to extend its momentum into 2025. Lemonade: Up 185% Lemonade is the standout stock on this list, and you can see how one big winner can carry a portfolio. The insurance company entered 2024 down more than 90% from its all-time high as investors were frustrated with its progress toward profitability. It made great strides this year, and its AI algorithms are doing their job. Lemonade still has a tremendous opportunity. Lululemon: Down 33% Lululemon is a consumer favorite, but it made a few missteps this year in its product launches. That wasn't helped by a soft market in general for premium apparel, and Lululemon isn't the only activewear company struggling right now. However, at the current price, it trades at only 26 times trailing-12-month earnings, a discount to the S&P 500 average. There may be some more volatility in the near future, but long-term investors should view this as an opportunity to buy a leading consumer apparel brand on the dip. MercadoLibre: Up 26% MercadoLibre has been a top performer for a long time, but the stock fell earlier this year due to economic instability and new competition in some of its key markets. However, MercadoLibre continues to run an outstanding business that's highly profitable and still reporting high growth, and its opportunity across Latin America is enormous. Nu: Up 44% Nu is an all-digital bank headquartered in Brazil, and it's growing by leaps and bounds. It has a cross-selling strategy that's resulting in high engagement and rising average revenue per active customer. The company has 110 million global customers, and it's entering new markets that should fuel its gains through 2025 and beyond. SoFi: Up 57% SoFi is an all-digital bank in the U.S., and it's also demonstrating momentum as it captures market share and becomes sustainably profitable. It has reported positive net income in the past four quarters, and management expects that trend to continue. The business is successfully expanding into a full financial services app, adding to its core lending segment, and it has years of growth ahead of it. Visa: Up 20% Visa is an all-weather stock that grows when the economy does. It's slightly underperforming the market this year since the market's gains have been fueled by big tech stocks. But Visa has been a winning choice for years, and it's an excellent value pick. The best portfolio is diversified Ten stocks aren't enough for a diversified portfolio , and this list skews toward growth stocks. But if your research leads you to invest in a few of these companies and you round out your portfolio with additional stocks or even an exchange-traded fund for greater diversification, you can be well prepared for various market conditions. And it's important to remember that every year will look different -- some picks may be duds, while others surge. But these year-to-year swings become less important when you focus on buying quality stocks and holding them long term. This remains a winning strategy for building wealth in the stock market.

Alexander: Dodgers’ signing of Blake Snell creates the traditional uproarSANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Couchbase, Inc. (NASDAQ: BASE), the developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world, today announced financial results for its third quarter ended October 31, 2024. "I'm pleased with the continued operational progress of the entire Couchbase team," said Matt Cain, Chair, President and CEO of Couchbase. "We delivered top- and bottom-line results that exceeded our outlook, and we achieved another significant milestone with Capella, which now represents 15.1% of our ARR and one third of our customer base. I remain highly confident in our outlook and ability to achieve our objectives in fiscal 2025." Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights Recent Business Highlights Financial Outlook For the fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2025, Couchbase expects: Q4 FY2025 Outlook FY2025 Outlook Total Revenue $52.7-53.5 million $207.2-208.0 million Total ARR $236.5-239.5 million $236.5-239.5 million Non-GAAP Operating Loss $5.7-4.7 million $20.0-19.0 million The guidance provided above is based on several assumptions that are subject to change and many of which are outside our control. If actual results vary from these assumptions, our expectations may change. There can be no assurance that we will achieve these results. Couchbase is not able, at this time, to provide GAAP targets for operating loss for the fourth quarter or full year of fiscal 2025 because of the difficulty of estimating certain items excluded from non-GAAP operating loss that cannot be reasonably predicted, such as charges related to stock-based compensation expense. The effect of these excluded items may be significant. Conference Call Information Couchbase will host a live webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (or 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to discuss its financial results and business highlights. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 877-407-8029 from the United States, or +1 201-689-8029 from international locations. The live webcast and a webcast replay can be accessed from the investor relations page of Couchbase's website at investors.couchbase.com . About Couchbase As industries race to embrace AI, traditional database solutions fall short of rising demands for versatility, performance and affordability. Couchbase is seizing the opportunity to lead with Capella, the developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world. By uniting transactional, analytical, mobile and AI workloads into a seamless, fully-managed solution, Couchbase empowers developers and enterprises to build and scale applications with complete flexibility – delivering exceptional performance, scalability and cost-efficiency from cloud to edge and everything in between. Trusted by over 30% of the Fortune 100, Couchbase enables organizations to unlock innovation, accelerate AI transformation and redefine customer experiences wherever they happen. Discover why Couchbase is the foundation of critical everyday applications by visiting www.couchbase.com and following us on LinkedIn and X . Couchbase has used, and intends to continue using, its investor relations website and the corporate blog at blog.couchbase.com to disclose material non-public information and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website and the corporate blog in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to our financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, we believe certain non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance. We use certain non-GAAP financial measures, collectively, to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, may be helpful to investors because they provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance and meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our business, results of operations or outlook. Non-GAAP financial measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only, have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures (provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release), and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business. Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP net loss per share: We define these non-GAAP financial measures as their respective GAAP measures, excluding expenses related to stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions, restructuring charges and impairment of capitalized internal-use software. We use these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP measures to assess our performance, including in the preparation of our annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts, to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies and to communicate with our board of directors concerning our financial performance. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, we excluded the impairment of capitalized internal-use software, a non-cash operating expense, from our non-GAAP results as it is not reflective of ongoing operating results. This impairment charge related to certain previously capitalized internal-use software that we determined would no longer be placed into service. Prior period non-GAAP financial measures have not been adjusted to reflect this change as we did not incur impairment of capitalized internal-use software in any prior period presented. Free cash flow: We define free cash flow as cash used in operating activities less additions to property and equipment, which includes capitalized internal-use software costs. We believe free cash flow is a useful indicator of liquidity that provides our management, board of directors and investors with information about our future ability to generate or use cash to enhance the strength of our balance sheet and further invest in our business and pursue potential strategic initiatives. Please see the reconciliation tables at the end of this press release for the reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP results. Key Business Metrics We review a number of operating and financial metrics, including ARR, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans and make strategic decisions. We define ARR as of a given date as the annualized recurring revenue that we would contractually receive from our customers in the month ending 12 months following such date. Based on historical experience with customers, we assume all contracts will be renewed at the same levels unless we receive notification of non-renewal and are no longer in negotiations prior to the measurement date. For Capella products, ARR in a customer's initial year is calculated as the greater of: (i) initial year contract revenue as described above or (ii) annualized prior 90 days of actual consumption; and ARR for subsequent years is calculated with method (ii). ARR excludes services revenue. Prior to fiscal 2025, ARR excluded on-demand revenue and, for Capella products in a customer's initial year, ARR was calculated solely on the basis of initial year contract revenue. The reason for these changes is to better reflect ARR where usage rates or timing of purchases may be uneven and to better align with how ARR is used to measure the performance of the business. ARR for prior periods has not been adjusted to reflect this change as it is not material to any period previously presented. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue, and does not represent our revenue under GAAP on an annualized basis, as it is an operating metric that can be impacted by contract start and end dates and renewal dates. ARR is not intended to be a replacement for forecasts of revenue. Although we seek to increase ARR as part of our strategy of targeting large enterprise customers, this metric may fluctuate from period to period based on our ability to acquire new customers, expand within our existing customers and consumption dynamics. We believe that ARR is an important indicator of the growth and performance of our business. We also attempt to represent the changes in the underlying business operations by eliminating fluctuations caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates within the current period. We calculate constant currency growth rates by applying the applicable prior period exchange rates to current period results. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, quotations of management, the section titled "Financial Outlook" above and statements about the expected client demand for and benefits of our offerings, the impact of our recently-released and planned products and services and our market position, strategies and potential market opportunities. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "continue," "could," "potential," "remain," "may," "might," "will," "would" or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including factors beyond our control, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: our history of net losses and ability to achieve or maintain profitability in the future; our ability to continue to grow on pace with historical rates; our ability to manage our growth effectively; intense competition and our ability to compete effectively; cost-effectively acquiring new customers or obtaining renewals, upgrades or expansions from our existing customers; the market for our products and services being highly competitive and evolving, and our future success depending on the growth and expansion of this market; our ability to innovate in response to changing customer needs, new technologies or other market requirements, including new capabilities, programs and partnerships and their impact on our customers and our business; our limited operating history, which makes it difficult to predict our future results of operations; the significant fluctuation of our future results of operations and ability to meet the expectations of analysts or investors; our significant reliance on revenue from subscriptions, which may decline and, the recognition of a significant portion of revenue from subscriptions over the term of the relevant subscription period, which means downturns or upturns in sales are not immediately reflected in full in our results of operations; and the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic factors. Further information on risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasted results are included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that we may file from time to time, including those more fully described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024. Additional information will be made available in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which should be read in conjunction with this press release and the financial results included herein. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Couchbase, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue: License $ 4,343 $ 4,577 $ 16,444 $ 14,318 Support and other 44,955 39,420 131,185 109,175 Total subscription revenue 49,298 43,997 147,629 123,493 Services 2,330 1,816 6,915 6,455 Total revenue 51,628 45,813 154,544 129,948 Cost of revenue: Subscription(1) 4,866 3,549 13,278 11,067 Services(1) 1,690 1,562 5,423 5,875 Total cost of revenue 6,556 5,111 18,701 16,942 Gross profit 45,072 40,702 135,843 113,006 Operating expenses: Research and development(1) 17,486 15,903 52,703 47,578 Sales and marketing(1) 34,196 31,602 108,119 96,503 General and administrative(1) 12,624 10,739 37,843 30,823 Restructuring(1) — — — 46 Total operating expenses 64,306 58,244 198,665 174,950 Loss from operations (19,234) (17,542) (62,822) (61,944) Interest expense (17) — (46) (43) Other income, net 1,790 1,298 5,062 3,986 Loss before income taxes (17,461) (16,244) (57,806) (58,001) Provision for income taxes 691 11 1,236 780 Net loss $ (18,152) $ (16,255) $ (59,042) $ (58,781) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.35) $ (0.34) $ (1.16) $ (1.26) Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted 51,831 47,586 50,821 46,724 (1) Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows: Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cost of revenue—subscription $ 318 $ 130 $ 885 $ 559 Cost of revenue—services 104 119 354 413 Research and development 4,497 3,116 12,704 9,498 Sales and marketing 5,242 4,188 16,627 11,461 General and administrative 5,127 4,202 15,501 11,216 Restructuring — — — 1 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 15,288 $ 11,755 $ 46,071 $ 33,148 Couchbase, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (unaudited) As of October 31, 2024 As of January 31, 2024 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 33,031 $ 41,351 Short-term investments 108,908 112,281 Accounts receivable, net 28,514 44,848 Deferred commissions 13,297 15,421 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 10,551 10,385 Total current assets 194,301 224,286 Property and equipment, net 7,000 5,327 Operating lease right-of-use assets 5,497 4,848 Deferred commissions, noncurrent 14,485 11,400 Other assets 1,176 1,891 Total assets $ 222,459 $ 247,752 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 4,724 $ 4,865 Accrued compensation and benefits 12,323 18,116 Other accrued expenses 3,981 4,581 Operating lease liabilities 2,150 3,208 Deferred revenue 67,996 81,736 Total current liabilities 91,174 112,506 Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent 3,678 2,078 Deferred revenue, noncurrent 829 2,747 Total liabilities 95,681 117,331 Stockholders' equity Preferred stock — — Common stock — — Additional paid-in capital 676,360 621,024 Accumulated other comprehensive income 119 56 Accumulated deficit (549,701) (490,659) Total stockholders' equity 126,778 130,421 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 222,459 $ 247,752 Couchbase, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cash flows from operating activities Net loss $ (18,152) $ (16,255) $ (59,042) $ (58,781) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities Depreciation and amortization 757 399 1,520 2,034 Stock-based compensation, net of amounts capitalized 15,288 11,755 46,071 33,148 Amortization of deferred commissions 4,375 4,500 12,655 13,742 Non-cash lease expense 863 765 2,393 2,313 Foreign currency transaction losses (gains) (60) 484 231 649 Other (456) (804) (1,869) (2,580) Changes in operating assets and liabilities Accounts receivable 2,912 1,577 16,207 9,114 Deferred commissions (5,367) (4,746) (13,616) (13,892) Prepaid expenses and other assets (606) 955 (163) 837 Accounts payable (295) (10) (149) 1,735 Accrued compensation and benefits (1,799) (1,763) (5,790) (3,517) Other Accrued Expenses 632 (1,126) (475) (2,997) Operating lease liabilities (876) (838) (2,501) (2,561) Deferred revenue (14,111) (7,636) (15,658) 313 Net cash used in operating activities (16,895) (12,743) (20,186) (20,443) Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of short-term investments (37,809) (26,141) (75,614) (90,456) Maturities of short-term investments 23,000 41,854 81,144 111,974 Additions to property and equipment (583) (1,066) (2,645) (3,425) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (15,392) 14,647 2,885 18,093 Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from exercise of stock options 1,115 2,703 5,251 7,353 Proceeds from issuance of common stock under ESPP 1,720 1,153 3,515 2,000 Net cash provided by financing activities 2,835 3,856 8,766 9,353 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (124) (290) (328) (542) Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (29,576) 5,470 (8,863) 6,461 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period 62,607 41,980 41,894 40,989 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period $ 33,031 $ 47,450 $ 33,031 $ 47,450 Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash within the consolidated balance sheets to the amounts shown above: Cash and cash equivalents $ 33,031 $ 46,907 $ 33,031 $ 46,907 Restricted cash included in other assets — 543 — 543 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 33,031 $ 47,450 $ 33,031 $ 47,450 Couchbase, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP gross profit to non-GAAP gross profit: Total revenue $ 51,628 $ 45,813 $ 154,544 $ 129,948 Gross profit $ 45,072 $ 40,702 $ 135,843 $ 113,006 Add: Stock-based compensation expense 422 249 1,239 972 Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions 22 55 120 86 Non-GAAP gross profit $ 45,516 $ 41,006 $ 137,202 $ 114,064 Gross margin 87.3 % 88.8 % 87.9 % 87.0 % Non-GAAP gross margin 88.2 % 89.5 % 88.8 % 87.8 % Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP operating expenses to non-GAAP operating expenses: GAAP research and development $ 17,486 $ 15,903 $ 52,703 $ 47,578 Less: Stock-based compensation expense (4,497) (3,116) (12,704) (9,498) Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions (106) (199) (585) (430) Non-GAAP research and development $ 12,883 $ 12,588 $ 39,414 $ 37,650 GAAP sales and marketing $ 34,196 $ 31,602 $ 108,119 $ 96,503 Less: Stock-based compensation expense (5,242) (4,188) (16,627) (11,461) Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions (275) (327) (1,378) (777) Non-GAAP sales and marketing $ 28,679 $ 27,087 $ 90,114 $ 84,265 GAAP general and administrative $ 12,624 $ 10,739 $ 37,843 $ 30,823 Less: Stock-based compensation expense (5,127) (4,202) (15,501) (11,216) Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions (64) (176) (391) (264) Non-GAAP general and administrative $ 7,433 $ 6,361 $ 21,951 $ 19,343 Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP operating loss to non-GAAP operating loss: Total revenue $ 51,628 $ 45,813 $ 154,544 $ 129,948 Loss from operations $ (19,234) $ (17,542) $ (62,822) $ (61,944) Add: Stock-based compensation expense 15,288 11,755 46,071 33,147 Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions 467 757 2,474 1,557 Add: Restructuring(2) — — — 46 Non-GAAP operating loss $ (3,479) $ (5,030) $ (14,277) $ (27,194) Operating margin (37) % (38) % (41) % (48) % Non-GAAP operating margin (7) % (11) % (9) % (21) % Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP net loss to non-GAAP net loss: Net loss $ (18,152) $ (16,255) $ (59,042) $ (58,781) Add: Stock-based compensation expense 15,288 11,755 46,071 33,147 Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions 467 757 2,474 1,557 Add: Restructuring(2) — — — 46 Non-GAAP net loss $ (2,397) $ (3,743) $ (10,497) $ (24,031) GAAP net loss per share $ (0.35) $ (0.34) $ (1.16) $ (1.26) Non-GAAP net loss per share $ (0.05) $ (0.08) $ (0.21) $ (0.51) Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted 51,831 47,586 50,821 46,724 (2) For the nine months ended October 31, 2023, an immaterial amount of stock-based compensation expense related to restructuring charges was included in the restructuring expense line. The following table presents a reconciliation of free cash flow to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, for each of the periods indicated (in thousands, unaudited): Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Net cash used in operating activities $ (16,895) $ (12,743) $ (20,186) $ (20,443) Less: Additions to property and equipment (583) (1,066) (2,645) (3,425) Free cash flow $ (17,478) $ (13,809) $ (22,831) $ (23,868) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities $ (15,392) $ 14,647 $ 2,885 $ 18,093 Net cash provided by financing activities $ 2,835 $ 3,856 $ 8,766 $ 9,353 Couchbase, Inc. Key Business Metrics (in millions) (unaudited) As of Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, Oct. 31, Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, Oct. 31, 2023 2023 2023 2023 2024 2024 2024 2024 Annual Recurring Revenue $ 163.7 $ 172.2 $ 180.7 $ 188.7 $ 204.2 $ 207.7 $ 214.0 $ 220.3 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/couchbase-announces-third-quarter-fiscal-2025-financial-results-302321531.html SOURCE Couchbase, Inc. Copyright © 2024 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.St. Thomas defeats Montana 88-81 behind 22 points each from Kendall Blue and Nolan MinessaleCORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami probably was one win away from getting into the College Football Playoff. Iowa State definitely was one win away. Their consolation prize of sorts: playing one another. The Hurricanes and Cyclones — a meteorological matchup — have accepted bids to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, to be played Dec. 28 in Orlando, Florida. Iowa State (10-3) is looking for its first 11-win season in the program's 133-year history, and Miami (10-2) is seeking its first 11-win season since 2003. Miami's loss at Syracuse to close the regular season wound up being the game the Hurricanes could point to as the reason they missed out on the CFP. Iowa State could have played its way in and lost the Big 12 title game to CFP-bound Arizona State on Saturday. “I think everyone that doesn't get in feels disappointment,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “We feel the onus of just doing better. Just do better, go forward, have an opportunity to get better.” It's essentially the same task for both teams: regrouping after seeing the playoff slip away. “I think that’s what’s made Iowa State football really special is our ability to have great resiliency," Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. "And I know our kids are super-excited about the opportunity to finish off. Obviously (Saturday) was disappointing. But this group and this football team has the opportunity to just continue to fight.” A big question for Miami: whether quarterback Cam Ward will play. The likely Heisman Trophy finalist has thrown for 155 touchdown passes in his career at Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami. That’s tied for the most by anyone in Division I (FBS and FCS) history; Case Keenum threw 155 in his career at Houston. Many draft-bound players not in the playoff will be opting out of bowl games over the coming weeks. There's been no indication from Miami yet that Ward or any other draft-bound player has made a decision. “I think it’s important that our guys, anyone playing and closing out the season, understands the importance of that next step for a program like ours," Cristobal said. "And I think our guys do.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Ousted Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has arrived in Moscow with his family after being granted asylum by Russia. Tribune Online reports that the dramatic development comes after more than 13 years of civil war, which has reshaped the political landscape of the Middle East. According to Russian state media agency TASS, the move follows a dramatic turn of events in Syria, where rebel forces launched a significant offensive that culminated in the capture of Damascus and the withdrawal of government forces. The offensive, which began on November 27, saw opposition forces seize several major cities before advancing into the Syrian capital on Sunday morning. Assad’s departure was reportedly the result of intra-Syrian negotiations, during which he “resigned” before fleeing the country, TASS reported. Analysts suggested that Assad’s fall signals a major shift in the regional power dynamics. Long supported by key allies Iran and Russia, his regime’s collapse indicates diminishing influence for both nations. Their inability to intervene decisively, as they had in earlier phases of the conflict, has left them in weakened positions. US President-elect Donald Trump attributed Assad’s downfall to the waning commitment of his principal backers. Trump said, “His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.” He added that Russia’s focus on Ukraine and its struggling economy, alongside Iran’s preoccupations with Israel’s military actions, contributed to their reduced support. Meanwhile, TASS reported that Russian officials are now engaging with the rebel leadership. “Russia has always spoken in favour of a political settlement of the Syrian crisis. We insist that the UN-mediated talks be resumed,” the agency quoted a Kremlin source. The source also noted that rebel leaders have guaranteed the safety of Russian military and diplomatic missions in Syria. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the importance of supporting the Syrian people during this critical juncture. “The UN will work with the Syrian people to determine the country’s future,” he stated. ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel nowCalifornia lawmakers kicked off a special session of the state Legislature Monday. The reason? To fund a $25 million war chest for anticipated legal battles with incoming President Donald Trump’s administration. As nearly 30 new state lawmakers were sworn into office at the state Capitol in Sacramento, legislative leaders gaveled in a special session called by Gov. Gavin Newsom that’s geared toward protecting undocumented immigrants, reproductive rights, climate policy and more from Trump’s second administration. The regular, two-year legislative session also began Monday, but the special session will allow for a speedier lawmaking process. Newsom has requested the funding for the state Department of Justice and other agencies, which are expected to file a flurry of lawsuits challenging Trump policies — as California Democrats did during the president’s first term. The governor’s ask was introduced in bills Monday by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat who chairs the body’s budget committee. “We will work with the incoming administration and we want President Trump to succeed in serving all Americans,” Newsom said in a statement. “But when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action.” Newsom expects to sign the legislation before Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20, and top Democratic lawmakers are on board. They’ll do the bulk of that work in early January after a break, said Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Menlo Park Democrat. “Just like eight years ago, California must once again do everything we can to protect our 39 million residents and our economy,” he said in an email. “During both the special session and the regular session, we must double down on policies to defend reproductive freedom and autonomy, protect the environment, and invest in science and education.” Republicans, however, blasted the special session as a tone-deaf stunt to raise Newsom’s profile as a Trump foil. Politics observers say the Democratic governor almost surely will run for president in 2028, after his final term ends. “Instead of taking the hint that Californians are growing tired of Democrat incompetence, Newsom is doubling down on his extreme agenda and using his special session to ‘Trump-proof’ California with taxpayer dollars,” California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said in an email. “It’s clear that Gavin Newsom’s 2028 presidential run is now underway, and Californians are simply pawns in his game.” The $25 million set aside for litigation would be a tiny fraction of California’s $288 billion 2024-25 operating budget. But approving that budget required a series of measures to close a $27.6 billion deficit , including dipping into reserves. It was unclear Monday whether funding legal wars with Trump would come at the expense of other programs. On the campaign trail, Trump slammed California as a den of crime, rampant inflation and homelessness, while taking shots at the Golden State’s top Democrats. He also pledged to use the military to conduct mass deportations of immigrants without proper documentation, fueling anxieties of a “worst-case scenario” among Bay Area immigrant advocates . Democrats including U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta say they’ll staunchly defend immigrants and will not cooperate with deportations. Bonta also announced Monday that lawmakers are sponsoring bills to ensure Californians can access medication abortions and empowering the attorney general to seek fines from local governments that restrict abortion providers. “I want to make it unequivocally clear: California will remain a safe haven for reproductive rights and access to abortion care, no matter who is in the White House,” Bonta , a potential candidate to succeed Newsom , said in a statement. After Trump’s victory last month, Newsom and California Democrats quickly laid the groundwork to oppose the incoming Republican administration. It’s a reprise role. During Trump’s first term, California filed 122 lawsuits challenging his administration’s policies under Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra. That litigation cost the state $42 million, according to Newsom’s office, and netted some victories. In one case, California and New York successfully sued the U.S. Department of Energy in 2017 to allow energy efficiency standards to go into effect nationally, which were expected to save consumers $8.4 billion and prevent nearly 100 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Another victory won California $60 million in federal public safety grants, the governor’s office said. Once again, California’s stand-off with Trump is likely to be a major force in state politics for the next four years. But this time around, Newsom is stressing that he’s open to finding common ground with the former president. Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire say they’ll be mostly be focusing not on resisting Trump, but making California more affordable, CalMatters reported . In fact, Newsom and Rivas have made overtures to California voters since Republicans nationally swept the November elections, reclaiming the White House and Senate and holding the House of Representatives. He made gains throughout the state in part because of discontent over inflation and living costs. In response, Newsom is touring conservative counties to highlight an economic development plan and has said that Democrats need to focus more on the economy. A spokesperson for Rivas did not return a request for comment by press time. Nearly 30 new lawmakers were also sworn in at the state Capitol on Monday. The new legislature includes a record-breaking number of women — 59 of its 120 members, one seat shy of the same number as men . Democrats still have a complete control on state government, with supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature and holds on all executive seats.