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True Value, a 75-year-old Chicago-based wholesaler of hardware and home improvement goods, has stores in Crown Point, Cedar Lake and Lowell. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, its longtime competitor Do It Best, which has three times the annual revenue, bid on it in a court-run auction. With the deal closing, Do It Best will gain True Value's 8,000 stores across the United States and more than 50 countries. It plans to operate True Value as a separate subsidiary. “This has been a challenging process,” Do It Best CEO Dan Starr said. “However, the shared commitment from our team and the True Value team has made today possible. We are now proud to be the world’s largest cooperative in our space, and that positions us to make a real difference for all our store owners.” True Value stores will stay independent while becoming part of the Do it Best network, a member-owned cooperative. It stocks hardware, lumber and building material, selling nearly $5 billion worth of products a year at thousands of locations across the United States and more than 50 countries around the world. “This is a generational opportunity that will shape the future of our cooperative and our industry,” said Starr. “We’re focused on taking our time to get it right.” It offers bubble tea in a variety of flavors including green tea, oolong tea, black tea, matcha tea and fresh fruit tea. The menu also includes rolled ice cream, coffee, frappes, yogurt, fresh milk and milk tea. Ice cream flavors include Nutella, Banana, Oreo, Fruit Lover and Summer Tango. Teas include Strawberry Oolong Tea, Crush Peach Black Tea, Peach Orange Lemongrass Black Tea, Tropical Fruit Green Tea, Tropical Fruit Oolong Tea, Honeydew Green Apple Oolong Tea, Grapefruit Jasmine Green Tea, Navel Orange Jasmine Green Tea, Kiwi Jasmine Green Tea, Happy Tea, Lychee Black Tea and Pomegranate Black Tea. Owner Bach “Andy” Pham bought the 10,000-square-foot building and opened The Boba Tea Cafe, B Nail Lounge and Viet-Ship. The latter allows people to go into the Boba Tea Cafe and ship money or packages to Vietnam. For more information, call 219-999-7997.NETCLASS TECHNOLOGY INC. Announces Closing of $9 Million Initial Public Offering

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• The long lines on election days across countries and continents suggest dynamic democracies. But despite the calendar aligning for a record-setting number of people worldwide eligible to vote this year, democracy itself is actually imperiled. That’s the clear conclusion from Freedom House, which said in its annual “ Freedom in the World ” report that “flawed elections and armed conflicts contributed to the 18th year of democratic decline.” The “breadth and depth of the deterioration was extensive,” the think tank reported, adding that “political rights and civil liberties were diminished in 52 countries, while only 21 countries saw improvements.” That analysis was amplified in a similarly grim report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which starkly stated that “conflict and polarization drive a new low for global democracy.” This dire data corresponds with, and may have been caused by, a commensurate retreat in media freedom, as evidenced by Reporters Without Borders’ annual World Press Freedom Index , which warned that “press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors — political authorities.” Indeed, if democracy were a stock, “it would have suffered something of a price correction over the last 20 years,” said Richard Haass , the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. Haass, a veteran envoy who served Republican and Democratic administrations, was speaking via video on Tuesday night at a Minnesota Peace Initiative forum called “The World Votes: Global Democracy at a Crossroads.” The event, held in Minneapolis at Norway House (fitting, considering Norway held the top spot in the World Press Freedom Index and along with fellow Scandinavian nations is ranked as the world’s most free by Freedom House), drew a capacity crowd with many more online to hear from Haass, me and three other panelists: Chad Vickery , vice president of global strategy and technical leadership at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems; Aram Gavoor , a former Justice Department official and current professor at the George Washington University Law School; and Thomas Hanson , diplomat-in-residence at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Haass cited several factors for his clear-eyed diagnosis of democracy, including technological transformations that have ushered in an unsettled media landscape. “We live in one of the odd moments in history where there’s never been greater access to information and never been greater access to disinformation,” Haass said, adding that citizens don’t know if information is “accurate, fully accurate, partially accurate or essentially inaccurate.” That’s to autocrats’ advantage, asserted Gavoor, who said that this country’s competitors “have sought to exploit the U.S. democratic system for quite some time.” The “age of technology, especially with social media,” he said, has “taken on a dramatically different dimension.” Mentioned as additional direct democratic threats were distributed denial-of-service attacks and “strategic foreign mis- and disinformation campaigns that oftentimes are quite opportunistic and play on various doubts in the minds of Americans.” Gavoor gave this good news, however: “The federal government has actually gotten quite adept and capable with regard to identifying foreign mis- and disinformation to the extent that there are significant bodies that exist to combat these things,” like the National Security Council and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. But the threat to democracy from domestic disinformation is an even greater challenge, Gavoor said. And, he added, wherever the disinformation originates, the objective is similar. “Keep in mind that the end goal is not just to disrupt an American election or to cause a particular candidate to be advantaged or not. The end goal is to undermine the entire system of American governance and the faith in American democracy and perhaps greater softening of the resolve to maintain a democracy.” Disinformation is just one component corroding democratic norms within some countries, said Vickery. “We’ve learned how autocracy works: First, you have to win an election by popular vote, usually running against the elites in your country.” Next, he said, “you change the election laws, you game the system to make sure you can win again and not be challenged again.” “But then the third thing is you need to harass civil society in many places” — places like Norway House, he said. “After that, you need to pack the courts with judges who are going to support you, and then you want to enrich your cronies with corruption and then you buy up newspapers and television and make this propaganda machine.” If the democracy-tending attendees at Norway House were any indication, that’s not about to happen here. Indeed, the citizen engagement on display was considered a model by moderator Janet Dolan, who co-created the Minnesota Peace Initiative with her husband, William Moore. The other panelists concurred on Dolan’s admiration, and that along with a free press, such civic involvement should be inviolate in this country and the others it tries to inspire toward a democratic form of government. But the beacon that former Foreign Service officers like Hanson projected and protected on behalf of this country may not shine as bright in recent years. “I think many people in the world perceive that the American model of democracy is less compelling than it was, and that makes our work globally much more challenging,” said Hanson, who added, “and we’re beginning to see other narratives of contestation on democracy and on elections.” Hanson, who will hold his highly anticipated and attended Global Minnesota “ 2025 U.S. Foreign Policy Update ” on Jan. 23, began by saying he was “struck by the dichotomy between an agreed ‘recession of democracy’ and an unprecedented number of elections” this year. “I think that shows how elections nowadays are being used to legitimize variants of democracy.” Many “managed democracies around the world hold elections if they predetermine who can participate. This is the case in Russia. This is the case in Pakistan.” And, he added, “I hate to say it, but at the local level in our own country our two parties go to great lengths to prevent any third-party candidate from participating, which is a minor example of what I’m describing.” According to Vickery, those democracies, however managed or free and fair, have had results that can be categorized as “change-of-status elections” like in the U.S., U.K., South Africa, North Macedonia, Botswana, Senegal and others. Next are elections “solidifying power,” such as in Indonesia and Mexico. And more hopefully, there are examples of “bounce-back” democracies that through elections or civic action have gone “in the right direction,” including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. While not as many will queue to choose their leaders next year, Vickery noted that there will be 102 elections in 68 nations affecting 1.2 billion citizens worldwide. So for many, 2025 will truly be an election year, even if globally it isn’t quite a year of elections like 2024. But democracy “is about more than voting,” said Haass. “We the citizens, we the people, have the obligation, and I would argue the self-interest, to exercise our democratic rights, to stay informed, to stay involved, and to make sure that those who are entrusted with outsized political power comport themselves and act consistent with the law, and act consistent with the norms that make our democracy what it is.” What it is can be credited in no small part to the kind of civil, civic engagement from groups like the Minnesota Peace Initiative and the involved, inspiring citizens attending Tuesday’s event.

US stocks surge to records, shrugging off upheaval in South Korea, FranceKyiv: Russia fired a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro on Thursday in response to the US and UK allowing Kyiv to strike Russian territory with advanced Western weapons , in a further escalation of the 33-month-old war. The weapon contained multiple independent warheads, a key design feature of many nuclear weapons. In this screen grab from a video provided by the Come Back Alive Foundation, lights are seen in the sky during a Russian attack on Dnipro, Ukraine. Credit: AP Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a televised address, said Moscow struck a Ukrainian military facility with a new ballistic missile known as Oreshnik (“the hazel”) and warned that more could follow. “A regional conflict in Ukraine previously provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character,” Putin said in an address to the nation carried by state television after 8pm Moscow time (0400 Friday AEDT). A US official said Washington was pre-notified by Russia shortly before its strike, while another said they had briefed Kyiv and other close allies in recent days to prepare for the possible use of such a weapon. Earlier on Thursday, Kyiv said that Russia had fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM ), a weapon designed for long-distance nuclear strikes and never before used in war, though US officials said it was an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that has a smaller range. Putin addresses the nation from the Kremlin in Moscow. Credit: AP Regardless of its classification, the latest strike highlighted rapidly rising tensions in the past several days. Ukraine fired US and British missiles at targets inside Russia this week despite warnings by Moscow that it would see such action as a major escalation. “Today, there was a new Russian missile. All the characteristics – speed, altitude – are (of an) intercontinental ballistic (missile). An expert investigation is currently under way,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video statement. Rescue workers put out a fire of a burning house damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. Credit: AP Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry urged the international community to react swiftly to the use of what it said was “the use by Russia of a new type of weaponry”. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia likely possesses a handful of the “experimental” IRBMs used in Thursday’s strike. Ukraine’s air force said the missile targeted Dnipro in central-eastern Ukraine and was fired from the Russian region of Astrakhan, more than 700 kilometres away. It did not specify what kind of warhead the missile was carrying, and there was no suggestion it was nuclear-armed. Intermediate-range ballistic missiles have a range of 3000 – 5500 kilometres. Loading “Whether it was an ICBM or an IRBM, the range isn’t the important factor,” said Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow at Oslo University specialising in missile technology and nuclear strategy. “The fact that it carried a MIRV-ed (Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle) payload is much more significant for signalling purposes and is the reason Russia opted for it. This payload is exclusively associated with nuclear-capable missiles.” Russia also fired a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles at Dnipro, targeting enterprises and critical infrastructure, six of which were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Dnipro was a missile-making centre in the Soviet era. Ukraine has expanded its military industry during the war but has kept its whereabouts secret. The air force did not say what the missile targeted or whether it had caused any damage, but regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said the attack damaged an industrial enterprise and set off fires the city. Two people were hurt. Ukrainska Pravda , a Kyiv-based media outlet, had cited anonymous sources saying the missile was an RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fuelled ICBM with a range of 5,800 kilometres, according to the Arms Control Association. A group of glowing projectiles could be seen plummeting to the ground from the night sky in a video published by Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian military charity. It said the video was of Dnipro overnight. The NATO military alliance did not respond to a request for comment. The US European Command said it had nothing on the reported use of an ICBM and referred questions to the US Department of Defence. Act of deterrence Loading Some military experts said the missile launch if confirmed, could be seen as an act of deterrence by Moscow following Kyiv’s strikes into Russia with Western weapons this week. Russian war correspondents on Telegram and an official speaking on condition of anonymity said Kyiv fired British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia’s Kursk region bordering Ukraine on Wednesday. Russia’s Defence Ministry, in its daily report of events over the previous 24 hours on Thursday, said air defences had shot down two British Storm Shadow cruise missiles but did not say where. Britain had previously let Ukraine use Storm Shadows only within Ukrainian territory. Ukraine also fired American ATACMS missiles into Russia on Tuesday after US President Joe Biden gave the all-clear to use such missiles in this way, two months before he leaves office and Donald Trump returns to the White House. Putin on Tuesday lowered Russia’s threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks. Trump has said he will end the war, without saying how, and has criticised billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine under Biden. The warring sides believe Trump is likely to push for peace talks – not known to have been held since the war’s earliest months – and are trying to attain strong positions before negotiations. Moscow has said the use of Western weapons to strike Russian territory far from the border would be a major escalation. Kyiv says it needs the capability to defend itself by hitting Russian bases used to support its forces in Ukraine. Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Russia Russia Ukraine Most Viewed in World Loading

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With 2025 fast approaching, we cast our gaze to Australia's rich resource sector and ponder which (ASX: XJO) shares we should buy and which ones we'll be better off leaving on the shelf for another year. To give us some better clarity on how some of Australia's biggest resource companies may perform in the year ahead, we turn to Bank of America's resource price forecasts from its latest 2025 global report. Let's start with the ASX 200 shares that could enjoy some sustaining tailwinds from rising resource prices in 2025. First up, we have stocks like ( ) and ( ). Both Northern Star and Evolution Mining have delivered strong gains this year, with Northern Star shares up 19.17% in 2024 and Evolution shares up 27.32%. Atop those capital gains, both ASX mining stocks also pay . Evolution Mining shares trade on a fully franked trailing dividend yield of 1.38%. And Northern Star shares trade on an unfranked trailing yield of 2.45%. This strong year to date performance from these ASX 200 shares has come amid a rising gold price. The yellow metal kicked off 2024 trading for US$2,042 per ounce before hitting highs of US$2,788 per ounce on 30 October. It's since come off the boil a tad, with that same ounce currently fetching US$2,623. And the year ahead could be another rewarding one for shareholders of top ASX mining stocks, with BofA forecasting that 2025 will see gold gain more than 14% from current levels. According to Francisco Blanch, head of commodities and derivatives research at BofA, "After facing headwinds early in the year, gold should peak at US$3,000 per ounce." Another ASX 200 resource share that could be set to outperform in 2025 is copper producer ( ). The Sandfire share price has also been a strong outperformer in 2024, up 38.81% year to date. While copper prices haven't seen quite the increase that we've witnessed with gold, the red metal is up 6% this calendar year and currently trades for US$9,075 per tonne. And with BofA forecasting another 17% in copper prices by the end of 2025 (courtesy of ), Sandfire shares also could continue their run higher next year. Having covered the potential ASX 200 share winners of 2025, I may wish to avoid oil-focused stocks. Both ( ) and ( ) already had a tough year in 2024 amid lacklustre oil prices. Brent crude oil briefly traded above US$91 per barrel in early April but has since slumped to US$72 per barrel. Along with the slide in oil prices, Woodside shares are down 22.54% year to date, and Santos shares are down 13.29%. However, shareholder pain has been eased somewhat by the dividends the ASX 200 shares delivered. Woodside trades on a fully franked trailing yield of 8.05%, while Santos trades on an unfranked trailing yield of 6.97%. But with BofA forecasting that the oil price will average only US$65 per barrel in 2025, both companies' share prices and dividends may come under further pressure in the new year.High-speed electric hydrofoiling boat to join Auckland's ferry fleet

Trump covers autism, border and drones in first post-election news conference