ebos ph co ltd Assurant Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitorsWest Palm Beach (FL), Dec 1 (AP) President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former White House senior adviser to Trump who is married to Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man's wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the US attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump's transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner's offences "one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was US attorney." Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009. (AP) VN VN (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson is tapping a Biden Administration official to lead the state’s Department of Ecology and to keep Washington at the forefront of the nation’s fight against the damaging effects of climate change. Ferguson named Casey Sixkiller, regional administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, to guide the department responsible for carrying out the state’s ambitious climate policies enacted under outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee. “Casey has the ability to craft practical solutions to complex problems, which will be critical to getting big things done and moving our state forward,” Ferguson said in a statement. Also this week, Ferguson named Tim Lang, a senior assistant attorney general, as the next secretary of the Department of Corrections. Lang is the department’s chief legal counsel and a member of the agency’s executive strategy team. Lang, who has been with Ferguson throughout his tenure as attorney general, will succeed Secretary of Corrections Cheryl Strange. “His extensive background in legal matters concerning corrections, coupled with his understanding of the challenges facing our state’s facilities, makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Department of Corrections,” Ferguson said in a statement. With the two appointments, Ferguson has now chosen six department heads ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 15. President Joe Biden appointed Sixkiller in 2022 as the EPA administrator for Region 10, which covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and 271 tribal nations. He will succeed Laura Watson who will be chief deputy attorney general for the next attorney general, Nick Brown. Prior to the federal appointment, Sixkiller served as deputy mayor of Seattle and chief operating officer of King County. He is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Inslee praised the selection of Sixkiller. “I’ve known Casey for a long time. I have a huge respect for him personally. He’s done a great job for EPA and I’m happy he’s going to be able to carry on the great work at Ecology,” he said Wednesday. Sixkiller is the first person Ferguson has named to lead a department who is not currently working for the state. Ferguson has said he will re-appoint Marcus Glasper as director of the Department of Licensing and David Puente Jr. as director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Both men were named to their positions in 2023 by Inslee. Strange is delaying a planned retirement to serve as acting secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services in the next administration. She ran the agency from 2017 to 2021. Ferguson previously named K.D. Chapman-See as his director of the Office of Financial Management. She will be the point person helping him construct state spending plans under the threat of a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com . Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and X .ST counted at least 15 hair salons within 1km on the main stretch of Geylang Road alone, between Lorong 8 and Lorong 30. SINGAPORE - The signboard screams “Hair Studio” in neon lights, and the dimly lit shop has a row of barber chairs and large mirrors. But the twist is how the hair salon charges for its services – $40 for 30 minutes, and more if you want a massage thrown in. Dozens of hair salons have mushroomed all over Geylang in the past few months. The Straits Times counted at least 15 hair salons within 1km on the main stretch of Geylang Road alone, between Lorong 8 and Lorong 30. Across six visits by ST to the area between October and November, suspicions of vice in the establishments were strong. “Hairstylists” who wait outside their salons would offer hair washes and massages to men who walk by. After brief negotiations, men are led to the back of the salons, behind partitions or thin curtains. Some of the units operated during the day like legitimate salons, with stylists and barbers. Dozens of hair salons have mushroomed all over Geylang in the past few months. Some are a front for vice activities. The Straits Times observed a number of these suspicious places over six visits between October and November. An ST reporter visited one of the salons for a hair wash on Nov 25. The reporter was propositioned with additional massage services within two minutes of agreeing to a hair wash for $40. Once inside, a woman grabbed the reporter’s hand and placed it on her bosom. As she guided the reporter to lie down for the hair wash, a few other women started touching his legs and arms, hoping he would pay more for full-body massages. The services of another woman were offered for $40. Even after being repeatedly turned down, the women kept trying. One offered to provide an hour of company in a more private area, whispering in the reporter’s ear in Mandarin that she could do “whatever you like” during that time. She also said she could “look after” him. The salon the reporter patronised also brazenly touts its massage services on social media. In one TikTok video, it advertises a “12-hand massage“, which sees six women simultaneously massaging a male customer from head to toe. In another video, it brags that a customer had tipped staff $250 for a supposed haircut. The man in the video was bald. Employees in front of a beauty spa offering hair salon services, seen in Geylang Road on Nov 29. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR ST visited another hair salon during the day near Lorong 14. The place was empty, except for two women who nodded when asked if they were hairstylists. The reporter asked for a haircut, and was immediately pressured into booking both women for a massage at an “early early discount” of $70. The reporter was shown the back of the salon, where a thin curtain hid a massage bed. The offer was declined. Strict laws Hair salons are not supposed to provide full-body massage services unless explicitly approved to do so by the authorities. They are not classified as a massage establishment under the Massage Establishments Act. Under the same law, massage parlours and spas are governed by a strict licensing regime that adds controls on their operations and hours. Hair salons do not have such restrictions placed on them. The Act was passed in 2017 after police detected a 40 per cent increase in unlicensed massage establishments between 2013 and 2016. Many of these were found to be a front for vice activities. Employees waiting in front of a hair studio in Geylang Road on Nov 19. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Hair salons were deemed to be a lower risk because they did not typically offer full-body massages, and so were exempt from the massage establishment licensing regime. Among other things, the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department, which oversees the issuing of the massage establishment licence, requires that 80 per cent of employees in massage parlours and spas be certified in beauty therapy services. Employees must also wear uniforms and be decently dressed. There are no such requirements for hair salons. When the authorities began clamping down on errant massage parlours and spas, vice operators have in the past pivoted, registering their establishments as beauty salons, which are also exempt from having to obtain a massage establishment licence. ST previously reported about such beauty salons at Orchard Towers that offered sex and little else. The authorities quickly closed the gap. One of the largest operations in 2024 saw 102 investigated for their suspected involvement in vice activities following raids at 55 locations around Singapore, including massage parlours, beauty salons, hotels and residential units. It appears vice operators are now exploiting another gap. Ungoverned sector Mr Simon Lee, founder of the Hair and Cosmetology Association (Singapore), said he is aware that hair salons are popping up all over Geylang, with some operating as a front for vice activities. “These people are clearly just making the front look like a salon, but behind, it’s all hanky-panky,” he added. “We’ve seen a rising number of vice operators swinging to ungoverned sectors like hair salons. We’ve tried giving feedback to the authorities. “Many legitimate salons that used to be in Geylang have already moved out,” he said. He added that none of the new salons, which established themselves in the area over the past year, are among the association’s member base of over 300 salons and hairdressers. “Everyone in the industry knows what’s happening in Geylang and are staying away. If you’re a legitimate salon, you won’t be opening up there,” he said. The police told ST they did not detect any vice activities at hair salons during enforcement operations in 2023. But a spokesman added: “Any errant operator who uses a hair salon as a front for any illegal or unlicensed activities will be subject to enforcement action and dealt with under the relevant laws. “The police take a zero-tolerance approach towards such activities and will take firm action against those who blatantly disregard the law.” The police added that they will continue to partner the community and members of the public on the information submitted and will take appropriate action against any illegal activities detected. Mr Lee hopes the authorities can step in soon, even if it means scrutiny and licensing for all hair salons. “It may be painful for some salons in the short run, but in the long run, it’s good,” he said. “Because right now, our industry is being tarnished by these errant operators and there’s nothing much we can do.” Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now

Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha IBPC QATAR in collaboration with IGTD EXIM Chamber of Commerce under the initiative of the Embassy of India, hosted an India–Qatar B2B Business Meeting between Exporters and Importers of Seafood & their Value-Added Products on November at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Deputy Chief of Mission Sandeep Kumar was Chief Guest at the meeting with over 80 participants from India & Qatar forging new business partnerships. While actual numbers are still being worked out, the organizers stated that several new business deals were struck during the two-hour Meet. DCM Shri Sandeep Kumar stated that India is the largest exporter of spice and spice items. During 2023-24 the country exported spices worth US$ 4.46 billion & India is the third-largest fish and aquaculture producing country in the world and significantly contributing to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Shri Sandeep urged all delegates to take advantage of the Meet and explore opportunities for collaboration, cooperation, and establishing new partnerships, assuring Embassy’s full support to help expand bilateral economic ties between the two nations. KD Sushma was the Guest of Honour. She is the Founder & Director of Global Fortune. And Helping Start-ups and business to develop and grow their business worldwide. KD Sushma stated her organization is working with 20 countries, exporting more than 300 categories of products to Middle East, Americas, Asia and Europe. This growth is a testament to the dedication and hard work of exporters and the entire Agro-Food industries community. Deepak Pundir, Attache (Commerce) Embassy of India, coordinated the event between Indian delegates and Qatari Business Owners. IBPC VP Abdul Sathar recounted efforts and initiatives of business community to enhance bilateral trade and economic ties between India and Qatar by promoting Indian products at their retail outlets. We are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between India and Qatar. These are important milestones in history of our nation and history of relationship with Qatar. More information on this event can be found on ibpcqatar.com and IBPC Social Media Channels. Copy 01/12/2024 10The Federal Government and the state governors will next week take decisions on the creation of state. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, disclosed this to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Thursday after the National Economic Council. Diri revealed that the NEC gave Adamawa, Kebbi and Kwara states and the FCT one week (November 28) to submit their positions on the proposed creation of state police. He said by the time the NEC convened again next week a decision would be taken. “On the issue of state police today, when the decision was taken, even before it was, the three states in question, one of them (Adamawa) was represented by the Deputy Governor, had earlier made submissions that they presented their report. “So, that was why NEC could not come out immediately to say ‘A or B,’ but rather gave a timeline. And that timeline, as you can see, was very short: one week for them to go and do whatever they are doing so that decisions will be made by the next NEC meeting. And, from how they reacted, I’m sure that maybe we have some bureaucracy regarding the submission,” Diri said. On the one-week deadline given to the three defaulting states, he said, “The Council mandated these remaining states and the FCT to make their submissions within the next one week. “On the state police, Council was updated with the submission of the establishment of state police, and it was reported that 33 states have submitted their positions, while three states are yet to do so. “These three states are Adamawa, Kebbi and incidentally Kwara, which is the chairman of our forum, and the FCT are yet to submit their positions. “The Council mandated these remaining states and the FCT to make their submissions within the next one week and resolved to present a consolidated state’s position on the state police to the National Economic Council at our next meeting.” On February 15, 2024, the Federal Government, alongside the 36 states, began talks expected to culminate in the creation of state police. This formed part of agreements reached at an emergency meeting between President Bola Tinubu and state governors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Related News Atiku tackles Tinubu as Senate okays $2.2bn loan request Nigeria’ll continue to prioritise social investment, says Tinubu Tinubu determined to end insecurity in Southeast – Defence minister It followed the pockets of insecurity recorded nationwide, hikes in food prices and economic hardship. Addressing State House Correspondents afterwards, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the process was still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders. “The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police,” said Idris, adding that “this is still going to be further discussed.” He explained, “A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.” Two days earlier, the House of Representatives said it was considering a legislative bill titled, ‘A bill for an Act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of State Police and related matters.’ Following this agreement, the National Economic Council requested each state to submit detailed reports outlining their positions and plans for implementing state police. By March 2024, 16 states had submitted their reports, with the remaining 20 expected to do so by May. In April 2024, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum announced that the decisions of the remaining 20 governors were ready for submission to the NEC, indicating a unified commitment among the states to establish state police forces. Despite these, as of November 2024, the implementation of state police remains only in the planning stages as the FG and state authorities continue to debate on the constitutional amendments required to empower states to establish and manage their police forces. The debate for creating state police in Nigeria primarily stems from the centralised nature of the Nigerian Police Force, which many security pundits perceive as inadequate for addressing the unique security challenges across the country’s diverse regions. Proponents argue that the outfit would bring law enforcement closer to the communities they serve, enhance the effectiveness of policing, and allow for more localised control over security matters. However, opponents fear that state police could lead to the abuse of power, particularly in states with strong political control, potentially exacerbating regional tensions and undermining national unity.

How to Watch Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Games – Monday, November 25PRINCESS ANNE, Md. (AP) — Ketron Shaw scored 30 points to lead Maryland Eastern Shore past Bryn Athyn 91-65 on Saturday. Shaw also contributed seven rebounds and six assists for the Hawks (2-11), who ended a seven-game slide with the win. Chris Flippin added 22 points and five rebounds. Evan Johnson had 14 points. Isaac Marshall and Jalen Cary both scored 15 to lead the Lions. Jalen Parker had 14 points, two steals and two blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Asda shoppers race to buy new Christmas-themed mayonnaise flavour that is ‘perfect with turkey sandwiches’By Political Reporter- Local government Minister and Zanu PF Mashonaland East Chairman Daniel Garwe has attacked Vice President Constation Chiwenga and crashed his Presidential ambitions. Garwe Sunday addressed a meeting in Chivhu and told the gathering that the “ED2030” campaign is irreversible. The “2030 ED Vachitonga was adopted at the party conference after all our nine party provincial structures had endosed it. At the conference it was then present by the party’s secretary for legal affairs Cde Patrick Chinamasa. I want to tell you here that that resolution its possible and its irreversible,” Garewe told a district feedback meeting in Chihu’s Chikomba district. Two weeks ago, President Mnangagwa’s allies in his home province, the Midlands, also reignited the push to extend his term of office despite Mnangagwa having stated that he would step down in 2028. This renewed ambition for a term extension has rekindled tensions between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, following a temporary truce at the Zanu PF conference in Bulawayo in October.Editor’s Note: Get 5 Good Things in your inbox each week by subscribing to 5 Things right here . I’m not much of a hugger. Sure, I’ll bust out the warm fuzzies for relatives around the holidays but I’m not like, say, my best friend, who prefers her hugs to produce the bone-liquifying pressure of an industrial vise. My husband loves to tell the story of our first date, when he approached me with open arms and I maneuvered him into a firm, businesslike handshake. Touch is just not my love language! And if you’re also not a hugger, the holidays are a gauntlet of outstretched arms and sweatered bosoms and unfamiliar colognes. We’ll make it through together! I recently watched some interviews with the lead actresses of the new “Wicked” film (which is sooo so good), and each tends to clutch the other’s single beautifully taloned finger when things get deep. I do that too! It is emotionally supportive without being suffocating (literally or figuratively). Fingertip-to-fingertip touching is the new hugging, pass it on. Here’s all the good things that happened this week. 1. The Friendship Queen Diaries It’s like something out of a movie: Kennedy Johnson was 15 years old when she gave birth to a baby girl in a Detroit foster home for teen moms, in 1996. Now, she’s a queen in Ghana. Despite her challenging youth, Johnson made sure she and her daughter were well-traveled, and after discovering she had Nigerian and Ghanaian heritage, she founded a travel company to organize trips to West Africa for members of the diaspora. Her work attracted the attention of the Dakpema, a governing body in northern Ghana. She was blown away when they asked her to accept the title of “Zosimli Naa,” or “Friendship Queen.” The role of Friendship Queen comes with an elevated status and practical responsibilities to the community. Johnson works together with elders of the centuries-old Dagbon Kingdom, which comprises around five million people, to run positive initiatives in the city of Tamale, where she now lives. “We felt she was the right choice based on her qualities and her connection to both the Dagbon Kingdom and the diaspora,” said the Dakpema. “By having a Queen who embodies both our rich cultural heritage and strong ties to the world, we open the door to cultural exchange, investment and global awareness. 2. Fabric of rebirth The iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris is finally open to the public again after a devastating fire damaged it five years ago. As part of this rebirth, fashion designer and artist Jean-Charles de Castelbajac was asked to create new vestments, or special service garments, for the cathedral’s clergy. Vestments are an important part of a church’s identity and de Castelbajac said the theme for the new look was “noble simplicity.” The designer drew inspiration from Notre Dame’s stained glass and blonde stone, creating a look that he said speaks to tradition and innovation; old and new. The vision was “radiant with color, radiant of hope, radiant of faith,” de Castelbajac told CNN. You can see details of the vestments in the photo above, and learn more about de Castelbajac’s process in this video . 3. Music on the brain If you’ve ever shared your life with someone with dementia or another progressive neurological disease, you know music can be magic. Toronto-based company LUCID is combining facial mapping software, artificial intelligence, and music to create a therapy for older patients dealing with health challenges like Alzheimer’s, dementia and even depression and anxiety. The treatment involves measuring how a person’s brain reacts to music and combining that with facial mapping and artificial intelligence. Using this data, the technology can create specific playlists that hopefully can alleviate stress, restlessness, confusion and emotional discomfort in dementia patients. 4. I would swim 500 miles This whale puts The Proclaimers to shame! A male humpback whale has completed an extraordinary record-breaking migration , swimming more than 8,000 miles from South America to Africa. The humpback was first spotted off the coast of Colombia in 2013 and seen again a few years later not far from its original location. But in 2022, the whale was unexpectedly detected in the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar, off the coast of East Africa. The typical migration route for humpback whales can approach 5,000 miles in a single direction, making this one’s journey close to two times that of most whales. The discovery also marks the first documentation of an adult male humpback traveling between the Pacific and Indian oceans. 5. The power of good food Hadeel Al Motawa knows that food can be so much more than simple sustenance . She co-founded the award-winning restaurant Takya, located in the 600-year-old historic center of Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. Though the food has all the artfully prepared aura of a high-class restaurant, the menu is inspired by the traditional home cooking Al Motawa grew up with, and by her travels around Saudi Arabia and abroad. After seeing the deep connection between food and culture, Al Motawa wanted to “bring that same connection back home, to create a space where people could rediscover the beauty of Saudi cuisine.” Saudi Arabia itself is a country of great geographical, and thus culinary, diversity. For example, the Eastern Province is known for its seafood, such as Muhammar, a fried fish dish made with rice and sugar that was traditionally popular among sailors. In the country’s northern region, where temperatures are cooler and may drop below freezing during winter, traditional recipes focus on grains and meat, like the popular jareesh, a lamb stew made with wheat and yogurt. Is your mouth watering yet? Heroes among us Congratulations to our 2024 CNN Hero of the Year, Stephen Knight ! Knight’s nonprofit saves lives by providing foster care for dogs while their owners focus on addiction recovery. Online voters selected him from this year’s Top 5 CNN Heroes. “This means everything. I represent so much here. I represent the recovery community. The dog rescue community ... This is going to be able to take us to the next level,” Knight said after his big win. Listen in This week on the 5 Good Things podcast: A new, rare exhibit at a New York museum is bringing a 150-million-year-old dinosaur to life. Women will get the chance to play pro baseball again. Plus, a catastrophe on a couple’s wedding day turned into a beautiful memory. Click here to listen ! You gotta see this ... Remember the book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?” Well, this is kind of like that, except if you gave some rats a car. Spoiler: They love it. ( Click here to view ) May your days be filled with good things

SYM INVESTIGATION ALERT: Securities Fraud Investigation into Symbotic Inc. after Earnings are Delayed is Ongoing; Investors with Losses are Reminded to Contact BFA Law (NASDAQ: SYM)UBA SANI AND ICT-DRIVEN KNOWLEDGE

The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a dramatic 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers. The reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week, but got back to winning ways thanks to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After a late Chuba Hubbard touchdown and two-point conversion had made it 27-27, the Chiefs got the ball back with less than two minutes on the clock and a 33-yard run from Mahomes helped set up Spencer Shrader for a game-winning field goal. THE CHIEFS SURVIVE AGAIN. 🔥 Patrick Mahomes comes up CLUTCH with a 33-yard run late, before Spencer Shrader wins it as time expires! Get your action on ESPN! — ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) Mahomes finished the game with 269 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Noah Gray in the first half. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns as the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 to improve their record to 10-1, matching that of the Chiefs. David Montgomery also ran for a score before having to leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended a four-game losing streak with a 30-7 win over the New York Giants, who “mutually agreed” to terminate the contract of quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this week. Jones’ replacement Tommy DeVito was sacked four times while opposite number Baker Mayfield ran for a touchdown and completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 294 yards. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker also ran for touchdowns in a one-sided contest. The Dallas Cowboys ended their five-game losing streak with a remarkable 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders, with 30 points scored in the final three minutes. KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown looked to have sealed victory for the Cowboys, only for the Commanders to respond with a field goal before getting the ball back with 33 seconds remaining. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin sprinted 86 yards through the Dallas defence for a touchdown, only for Austin Seibert to miss the extra point. 99 YARDS TO THE 🏡 was gone!! 📺: on FOX📲: Stream on NFL+ — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) The Commanders tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes as the Miami Dolphins cruised to a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots, while the Tennessee Titans pulled off a surprise 32-27 victory at the Houston Texans. The Minnesota Vikings improved to 9-2 thanks to a 30-27 overtime win against the Chicago Bears, Parker Romo kicking the decisive field goal from 29 yards.NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 30 – Tech firm Zoho has entered into a strategic partnership with the Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC), the registry managing Kenya’s .ke domains, to offer enhanced value to local businesses. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Under the agreement, Zoho will provide wallet credits worth KSh 50,000 to individuals or organizations owning or purchasing a .ke domain, whether directly from KeNIC or through its registrars. The partnership also includes training programs to help .ke domain users leverage cloud technology for accelerated growth. Zoho Kenya Country Head Veerakumar Natarajan said the initiative supports Kenya’s push towards a digital-first economy by empowering local businesses to embrace digital transformation and e-commerce. “This initiative aligns with Zoho’s commitment to serve local communities as part of its transnational localism strategy of being locally rooted while staying globally connected,” he said. Andrew Lewela Mwanyota, CEO of KeNIC, emphasized that Zoho’s comprehensive portfolio will enable businesses to kickstart their digital journeys, harness automation, and gain real-time access to critical business data. “Through our partnership with Zoho, we provide access to over 55 products designed to meet virtually every business need, streamlining processes across departments on a unified platform,” Mwanyota said. Users of .ke domains will be able to utilize Zoho Wallet Credits to purchase Zoho’s suite of products, including Zoho One, an integrated platform of over 50 apps, and Zoho Workplace, a collaboration and productivity platform. Built on a unified technology stack, Zoho applications ensure seamless integration and data flow between tools, enhancing operational efficiency. Zoho also owns and operates its own data centers, ensuring robust customer data privacy and security, with all products offered at locally adapted pricing. This collaboration aims to bolster Kenyan businesses in their digital transformation journeys, driving growth and competitiveness. 0 SHARES Share Tweet

Priyanka likens PM’s speech to ‘double maths period’, says it ‘bored us’Trump’s latest tariff plan aims at multiple countries. What does it mean for the US?A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok's petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company's challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court's opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though its unclear whether the court will take up the case. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” Hughes said. Unless stopped, he argued the statute “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” Though the case is squarely in the court system, its also possible the two companies might be thrown some sort of a lifeline by President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the presidential campaign that he is now against such action. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect — a concern mirrored by the European Union on Friday as it scrutinizes the video-sharing app’s role in the Romanian elections. TikTok, which sued the government over the law in May, has long denied it could be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit in the U.S. They have also argued the law is predicated on future risks, which the Department of Justice has emphasized pointing in part to unspecified action it claims the two companies have taken in the past due to demands from the Chinese government. Friday’s ruling came after the appeals court panel, composed of two Republican and one Democrat appointed judges, heard oral arguments in September. In the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, the panel appeared to grapple with how TikTok’s foreign ownership affects its rights under the Constitution and how far the government could go to curtail potential influence from abroad on a foreign-owned platform. On Friday, all three of them denied TikTok’s petition. In the court's ruling, Ginsburg, a Republican appointee, rejected TikTok's main legal arguments against the law, including that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He also said the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to "suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. “Content on the platform could in principle remain unchanged after divestiture, and people in the United States would remain free to read and share as much PRC propaganda (or any other content) as they desire on TikTok or any other platform of their choosing,” Ginsburg wrote, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. Judge Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge on the court, issued a concurring opinion. TikTok’s lawsuit was consolidated with a second legal challenge brought by several content creators - for which the company is covering legal costs - as well as a third one filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Other organizations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, had also filed amicus briefs supporting TikTok. “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans’ access to information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization. “We hope that the appeals court’s ruling won’t be the last word.” Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers who had pushed for the legislation celebrated the court's ruling. "I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law, said “it's time for ByteDance to accept” the law. To assuage concerns about the company’s owners, TikTok says it has invested more than $2 billion to bolster protections around U.S. user data. The company has also argued the government’s broader concerns could have been resolved in a draft agreement it provided the Biden administration more than two years ago during talks between the two sides. It has blamed the government for walking away from further negotiations on the agreement, which the Justice Department argues is insufficient. Attorneys for the two companies have claimed it’s impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm - the platform’s secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divesture plan - would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in purchasing the platform. Both men said earlier this year that they were launching a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said unnamed participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital.

Need to reintroduce country's forgotten pride: RSS chief BhagwatWASHINGTON (AP) — Carmelo Pacheco's 18 points helped Mount St. Mary's defeat Howard 79-75 on Saturday. Pacheco shot 6 for 8 from beyond the arc for the Mountaineers (5-2). Dallas Hobbs shot 5 of 16 from the field, including 1 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 7 from the line to add 17 points. Terrell Ard Jr. had 16 points and shot 4 of 6 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Anwar Gill finished with 18 points for the Bison (3-5). Blake Harper added 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Howard. Joshua Strong also had 12 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press

Sometimes you have the perfect recipe in mind with all the ingredients ready to go. Other times, you find yourself staring into the fridge, racking your brain over how to turn what's inside into dinner. In a situation like this, a trip to the grocery store or a scroll through Pinterest for some inspo might feel like the best answer, but the truth is you probably already have everything you need to make a delicious and healthy soup from scratch. While many classic soups like broccoli cheddar or French onion have a set list of ingredients, you don't actually need to have a recipe to work from or adhere to any precise measurements. All you need to do is follow this formula and you can easily make soup with whatever's in your fridge. How to Make Homemade Soup Soup consists of four key elements: the base, aromatics, liquid, and mix-ins. As long as you have ingredients that fit into each of these categories, you can make a soup. It's best to add each component in stages rather than dumping them in all at once because it will ensure none of the ingredients get overcooked. The base of a soup is formed by a combination of fat, vegetables, and (optionally) starch. These ingredients create depth of flavor, forming a foundation of sweet and savory that other ingredients can easily build upon to round out the soup's overall flavor. To create the base, you'll first need to add the fat, which can be oil, butter, or even bacon. Next, add the vegetables, typically onion, celery, and carrots, or what's called a "mirepoix." Some also include peppers and tomatoes, but you can essentially use any vegetable that caramelizes well and has a relatively neutral flavor. The last component of the base is the starch, but that's only added if you want a thicker, heartier soup. The starch can be flour, potatoes, barley, or rice. While pasta is technically a starch too, it should be added later into the process because it cooks much faster. Aromatics are considered to be any ingredient that has a strong flavor and aroma, typically garlic, herbs, spices, and seasoning blends. The aromatics you choose establish the main flavor of the soup — whether you want it to be spicy, herbaceous, earthy. Soups that are popular in the fall, for example, often use warm spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom to give it that cozy, seasonal taste . If you're aiming for a more Italian-inspired flavor, you might use herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley. Some choose to add the aromatics towards the end of the cooking process, however when it comes to soup, adding them fairly early actually allows the flavors to fully develop and meld with the other ingredients in the soup. A soup really starts to come together once you add the liquid, which can be broth, stock, or water, as well as milk or cream if desired. Use water as the liquid in your soup if you want a lighter broth that lets the other ingredients shine, and use broth or stock if you want a richer broth with more layers of flavor. Broth and stock are similar, but stock is simmered longer, made with bones rather than meat, and is generally left unseasoned. It has a darker color, thicker consistency, and gelatinizes when cold. Broth is simmered for less time, uses the meat rather than the bones, and contains more seasoning, so if you want more control over the seasoning and salt levels in your soup, choose broth over stock. You can also add cream or milk at this stage to make your soup creamier, or blend it all up for a smoother consistency. After you customize it to your liking, taste test your soup and add salt if needed. The mix-ins add substance and texture to a soup. These include any proteins , pasta noodles, and vegetables of your choosing. You can really get creative with the mix-ins for a soup and use anything in your fridge. If you want to get rid of a leftover rotisserie chicken or find a way to use up the rest of your zucchini before it goes soft, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Just make sure to chop everything consistently so it cooks evenly. Once all the mix-ins are in, crank up the heat of your stove and once the liquid reaches a boil, bring down the temperature to a simmer and cover it with a lid. You'll know it's done cooking when the mix-ins are tender but not mushy. How to Make Soup Thicker If you've already added a starch to the base and realize your soup didn't turn out as thick as you hoped, the good news is there's an easy solution: All you have to do is take any refined starch — flour, cornstarch, or even instant mashed potatoes — and turn it into a slurry. To do this, add some of your soup broth into a small bowl, and whisk in the starch, gradually adding more of each as needed until it forms a thin pourable liquid you can mix into your soup. You may be tempted to just dump the starch into the pot, but this will create lumps of flour in your soup. Continue adding more slurry until you reach your desired consistency, but keep in mind, the more you add, the cloudier your soup will become. If you want to keep any cloudiness to a minimum, simply let the soup simmer longer so some of the liquid evaporates and naturally thickens it. How to Make Soup Clear Deciding early on in the cooking process whether you want your soup to be clear will save you from troubleshooting later. The key is to avoid adding any starches to the base and to strain out the aromatics and base ingredients once they've cooked in the broth. While taking these steps is the best case scenario, it isn't impossible to turn an already cloudy soup to a clear one. To do so, you'll need egg whites: After separating them from the yolks, whisk the egg whites until frothy and pour into the soup while simmering. They'll initially sink to the bottom before floating to the top to form what's called a "raft." As the egg whites cook, they'll also trap any tiny particles causing the soup to look cloudy, and then you'll be able to remove the raft all in one chunk. You can then strain the soup to clarify it even further. Is it Safe to Can Homemade Soup? Soup can be a convenient meal to pull together once you know the formula, but it'll spoil after three to four days . If you've made extra and want to keep enjoying it past this point, the best course of action is to freeze it, which would extend its lifespan to two to three months. Canning is also an option, however it's not always the safest choice. According to the USDA , only soups without any dairy, pasta, rice, flour, or thickener can be safely canned, as these ingredients can prevent heat from properly penetrating the soup, risking spoilage and bacterial growth. Even if you made a soup that was free of these ingredients, it still requires an actual pressure canner — rather than a boiling water bath — unless it contains a lot of high-acid ingredients like tomatoes or lemon juice, which are less prone to bacterial growth. If you're unsure whether your soup is safe for canning, freezing is a safer bet. Remember, you can always make another batch with a fresh set of ingredients using the same simple soup formula. 22 Cozy Slow-Cooker Casseroles That Make Life Easy Kalea Martín writes primarily about food and cooking for PS, but as a former figure skater and hockey player, she covers fitness, too. Prior to becoming a lifestyle writer, Kalea covered hotels, restaurants, and travel for Luxos Magazine in Milan and worked in marketing at HarperCollins Publishers.NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces an investigation into Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ: SYM) for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in Symbotic, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/symbotic-inc . Why Did Symbotic’s Stock Drop? Symbotic develops and operates robotics systems to automate and optimize warehouse and supply chain operations for major retailers and distributors. On November 27, 2024, Symbotic announced a delay in filing its Form 10-K for its fiscal year 2024 due to identified errors in revenue recognition and announced material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. Symbotic revealed that it discovered issues related to premature expense recognition and unbillable cost overruns, which affected system revenue recognition in multiple quarters of its fiscal year 2024. The company estimated a $30–$40 million reduction in system revenue, gross profit, and adjusted EBITDA for its fiscal year 2024 and reduced its revenue outlook for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 to $480–$500 million, from $495–$515 million, and adjusted EBITDA of $12–16 million, from $27–$31 million. This news caused the price of the company’s stock to decline over 36% during the course of trading on November 27, 2024. Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/symbotic-inc . What Can You Do? If you invested in Symbotic you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/symbotic-inc Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/symbotic-inc Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.