( MENAFN - UkrinForm) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a meeting with government officials on creating economic and social incentives for Ukrainians to work in Ukraine. The head of state said this in a video address to the nation, Ukrinform reports. "Today, much attention was also given to domestic issues – the decisions and innovations needed in the long term to ensure that Ukraine can bring back as many of our people as possible who left because of the war. We must create all the necessary economic and social incentives for Ukrainians to work in Ukraine, to work for Ukraine, and to build greater potential for Ukraine to compete equally on the global stage. The Ukrainian people have proven their courage and can demonstrate to the world their ability to recover and rebuild from the ruins," Zelensky said. He said that a meeting had been held on these issues with Deputy Prime Ministers Oleksiy Chernyshov, Mykhailo Fedorov, and Oleksii Kuleba, as well as with the team of the Office of the President of Ukraine. "We are also preparing for talks tomorrow with representatives of Ukrainian businesses – to discuss the systemic solutions needed now and in the future to give Ukraine greater confidence and a strong economic pulse," Zelensky said. On December 4, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to rename the Ministry for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine into the Ministry of National Unity of Ukraine. Oleksiy Chernyshov was appointed Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity. The new ministry will institutionally strengthen the policy towards Ukrainians who had to go abroad in different years. This was the task that Zelensky set when presenting an Internal Resilience Plan. In particular, the ministry will develop and implement programs to return Ukrainians from migration. The new deputy prime minister is expected to present a clear plan for the development of the ministry in the near future. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine MENAFN26122024000193011044ID1109033530 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. “The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more,” Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. “There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie,” said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction.” In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation , did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the “no-fault findings,” as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report , Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist “saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities.” But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's “decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable.” A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug “then entered the market through illegal channels,” he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles,” Li said. “The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice.” This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. “Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated,” he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. “It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. “Which clearly it has not.” AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-gamesLSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) leads his teammates onto the field before kickoff against Florida, Saturday, November 16, 2024, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save LSU and Oklahoma have met three times in their storied histories — but never in Tiger Stadium. That will change at 6 p.m. Saturday, when the Tigers (7-4) and Sooners (6-5) meet to wrap up their regular seasons. Because Oklahoma upset Alabama last week, both teams are bowl eligible, with hopes of ending their disappointing years on a positive note. Can LSU run the ball efficiently? It did last week, when a productive rushing attack keyed a bounce-back win over Vanderbilt. But Oklahoma's defense is a different challenge. The Sooners have one of the 20 best rushing defenses in the country. Follow along here for live updates and analysis from the final game before the Tigers begins their preparation for a bowl game and turn the page to an important offseason. Pregame Updates 4:40 p.m. — LSU left guard Garrett Dellinger (ankle) is out. He has not played since Oct. 26, when he suffered a high ankle sprain in the Tigers' loss to Texas A&M. LSU listed him as questionable this week on its availability report. 4:30 p.m. — Here's a pre-game read on LSU receiver CJ Daniels , who's inspired by his mom’s epilepsy fight and wants to spread awareness of the neurological disorder. Check it out here .
The billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”Soccer-FIFA overlooks own report advice on Qatar World Cup workers' compensationTravis Kelce has congratulated Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen on their engagement. The 35-year-old sports star - who has been dating Taylor Swift since 2023 - has taken to social media to offer his congratulations to Hailee and Josh, his NFL rival, after the loved-up couple announced their engagement. The celebrity duo shared their news via Instagram, posting a photo of Josh proposing to the 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' star by the oceanfront. In response to the post, Travis - who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL - simply said: "Congratulations!!! [applause emojis] (sic)" Josh recently inspired his Buffalo Bills team to victory over Travis' Chiefs. But that didn't stop the NFL star from offering his congratulations to Josh and Hailee. Meanwhile, the actress also has a long-standing relationship with Taylor, Travis' girlfriend. Hailee, 27, actually starred in the music video for Taylor's hit single 'Bad Blood' back in 2014, and she previously revealed that Taylor personally asked her to appear in the star-studded video, which also featured the likes of Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid and Zendaya. Speaking to USA Today in 2015, Hailee shared: "Taylor called me ... about the video, and she was like, ‘I’ll send you the treatment and it’ll explain it a lot better, [but] there’s going to be three of you!’ And I was like, ‘That’s going to be awesome. I have no idea what this is, but I obviously trust her and this is going to be amazing'. "She sets such an incredible example for everyone - let alone just me - that she’s such an inspiration. I really do look up to her as an artist and as a person."
Informal tallying of votes in count centres for Ireland’s General Election have suggested the potential for new breakthroughs and trouble for some established incumbents, after an exit poll put the three main parties nearly neck and neck. The tallies, carried out by party activists and volunteers as boxes opened at 9am, give a more localised sense of the potential result than Friday night’s exit poll. The largest opposition party Sinn Fein held 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of current coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively, according to the Ipsos B&A Exit Poll commissioned by RTE, The Irish Times, TG4 and Trinity College Dublin. With boxes now open, the votes must first be sorted before counting formally begins in a process which could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. It means the voting slips need to be counted several times, an undertaking which can last days. The inconclusive early indications have turned the focus of speculation to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. First counts which carry the potential for the election of new members of parliament, known as TDs in Ireland, are expected later on Saturday. Most of the leaders of the main parties, including Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, and Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald seem set to be reelected. However, Green leader Roderic O’Gorman, who is the head of the junior partner in the outgoing coalition, is in with a fight to hold on to his seat. He has conceded that a number of his colleagues will not retain their seats, amid the broader potential for a wipeout. That would be a repeat of history given the last time the Greens exited a coalition – in 2011, the party lost all six of its TDs. Mr O’Gorman, the outgoing integration minister, said on Saturday: “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day.” Catherine Martin, the Green party’s former deputy leader and outgoing media minister, is also at risk of failing to be reelected. The tallies suggest potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch, who is sitting on fourth in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central after the completion of the unofficial tallies there. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon has appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smallest parties. Leader Holly Cairns announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day. Elsewhere, Labour and Sinn Fein are eyeing potential gains. Despite the apparent rise of the Social Democrats, it initially appeared unlikely that only one smaller party would be needed to act as a kingmaker to seal a majority. It has turned eyes to the possibility that a coalition could potentially be formed with four parties or with the use of independents – considered by some to be a recipe for unstable governance. The leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have consistently ruled out entering into a coalition with Sinn Fein, citing substantial differences on policy. As such, the opposition party faces a much more challenging route to forming a government. However, long-held and ostensibly insurmountable political differences have eroded as recently as 2020, when the general election also delivered an inconclusive result. Then, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, two parties forged from opposing sides of Ireland’s Civil War of the 1920s, agreed to set aside almost a century of animosity and share power for the outgoing coalition, after similar pledges against forming coalitions had been made before the final results. In that election, Sinn Fein won the popular vote but a failure to run enough candidates meant it did not secure sufficient seats in the Dail to give it a realistic chance of forming a government. Sinn Fein’s director of elections said on Saturday that another Fine Gael and Fianna Fail government would be a “nightmare scenario”. Matt Carthy told RTE: “We will try and do everything in our power to create a government that doesn’t include Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.” The “encouraging” exit poll suggests Fine Gael has “held ground”, according to the party’s general secretary John Carroll. Before voting began, Fianna Fail deputy leader Jack Chambers said the race remained “too close to call”. Asked if there is now no difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, Mr Chambers told RTE radio that the parties had worked well together in government but added: “There were very clear differences in policies (during the campaign).” A key factor in determining the final result of any Irish election is the transfer of votes based on a voter’s preferences, a key part of PR-STV. It is through this system that candidates can still claim a seat after insufficient votes following a first count. More than 3.6 million people were registered to vote in the election to choose their representatives across 43 constituencies, in a campaign that has focused on the country’s housing crisis, the response to a dramatic increase in immigration, and economic management for the cost of living, as well as potential future trade shocks. There are a total of 174 seats in the country’s parliament to be filled, more than ever before. As the Ceann Comhairle, the speaker of the house, is automatically returned, 173 seats will be filled in the counting process.
Libyan Crown Prince Mohammed El Senussi Calls for Unity and Stability Amid Regional Upheaval
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Image via Timothy T. Ludwig/Getty Images The holiday season is here and quarterbacks of various teams are busy gifting luxurious gifts to the offense line of their teams. But in the case of Josh Allen, the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, the situation is different; a video posted by the Buffalo Bills shows that the Buffalo Bills’ offense line presented Josh with a silver necklace that has the word “MVP” and the number “17” embellished on it. While the race and competition between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson is intense to become the MVP of the 2024 NFL season, it seems like the Buffalo Bills have already declared Josh as the winner. Josh Allen Was Gifted A $50,000 Silver Necklace By The Baltimore Ravens’ Offense Line On the back of this silver chain, the names of the Buffalo Bills offense line is embellished and as per reports, the silver necklace is worth a whopping $50,000. This thoughtful gift presented by the Buffalo Bills’ offense line to Josh reminds the league about the bond and brotherhood amongst the Buffalo Bills’ offense line. Josh is having one of the best years of his life - he recently got engaged to his fiancee, actress Hailee Steinfeld and had one of the best seasons on the field. But he faces tough competition from Lamar Jackson, the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, who is also nominated to become the MVP of the 2024 National Football Season. Many experts and former NFL players have commented on this competition and both Josh and Lamar have gotten the same number of votes from people when voting for the winner of the 2024 NFL season’s MVP. Fans Are Divided At This Expensive Gift For Josh Allen However, this expensive gift to Josh by the Buffalo Bills’ has also divided the fans. Many think the Buffalo Bills have overexaggerated Josh’s performance and forgot to take into account how great Lamar Jackson, the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, has been this year. As soon as the video posted by the Buffalo Bills where Josh receives this $50,000 silver necklace from his teammates went viral, fans started trolling both Josh and the Buffalo Bills. Many fans commented about how the Buffalo Bills will become a laughing stock if Josh is unable to win the MVP of the 2024 NFL season. An user posted on X, “Now if he don’t win MVP I can’t even count how many times people going replay this video laughing.” Another user wrote, “New meme unlocked 😂 I’ll be back after mahomes win mvp” While fans have to wait for two more weeks to understand who wins the MVP if the 2024 NFL season, it seems like Lamar has a better chance. After winning last night’s match against the Houston Texans, the chances of either Lamar or Josh winning the title are pretty equal at this point. Also Read: "We got you": Travis Hunter receives unwavering support from Colorado Buffaloes and Coach Deion Sanders amidst hate
Hungary welcomes wanted Polish politicians
The Darnold-Jefferson connection is thriving for the surging VikingsTrump's tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump loved to use tariffs during his first presidency. But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy, even if their aftershocks were clear in specific industries. The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared. This time, though, his tariff threats might be different. The president-elect is talking about going much bigger — on a potential scale that creates more uncertainty about whether he’ll do what he says and what the consequences could be. His proposed tariffs against Canada and Mexico could blow up an existing trade deal. US consumer price increases accelerated last month with inflation pressures resilient WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer price increases accelerated last month, the latest sign that inflation’s steady decline over the past two years has stalled. According to the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, consumer prices rose 2.3% in October from a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That is up from just 2.1% in September, though it is still only modestly above the Fed’s 2% target. Trump fills out his economic team with two veterans of his first administration WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. Trump on Tuesday announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. US economy grows at 2.8% pace in third quarter on consumer spending, unchanged from first estimate WASHINGTON (AP) — The American economy expanded at a healthy 2.8% annual pace from July through September on strong consumer spending and a surge in exports, the government said Wednesday, leaving unchanged its initial estimate of third-quarter growth. The Commerce Department reported that growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the economy’s output of goods and services — slowed from the April-July rate of 3%. But the GDP report still showed that the American economy — the world’s largest — is proving surprisingly durable. Growth has topped 2% for eight of the last nine quarters. Trump’s latest tariff plan aims at multiple countries. What does it mean for the US? WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has identified what he sees as an all-purpose fix for what ails America: Slap huge new tariffs on foreign goods entering the United States. On Monday, Trump sent shockwaves across the nation’s northern and southern borders, vowing sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, as well as China, as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. Trump said he will impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. The UK will consult on sales targets for automakers during the transition to electric vehicles LONDON (AP) — Britain’s new Labour government will launch a consultation on sales targets set for auto manufacturers during the transition to electric vehicles. That's in the wake of the decision by Stellantis, the owner of Vauxhall, to close its van factory in southern England at the potential cost of 1,100 jobs. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told lawmakers Wednesday that the problems encountered by Stellantis in the transition to electric vehicles are not unique, adding that the government will do all it can to prevent the closure of the plant. Stellantis blamed its decision on the U.K.’s “stringent” zero-emission vehicle mandate that sets strict targets for manufacturers. After fast start, electric cars need a recharge as range limits, cost leave some drivers skeptical DETROIT (AP) — While sales of electric vehicles surge in China, the spread of more environmentally friendly vehicles is stumbling in the United States and Europe as carmakers and governments struggle to meet years-old promises about affordability and charging stations. And consumers worried more about price and practicality are holding back where first-adopter climate warriors once piled in. Range, charging infrastructure and higher prices are sore points among both electric car enthusiasts and skeptics in Europe and the U.S. China is the exception. Driven by government subsidies and mandates, vehicles with electric motors, including plug-in hybrids that combine electric and fossil fuel motors, topped 50% of sales in July. Stock market today: Wall Street wavers as Big Tech stocks fall NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered on Wall Street as losses for Big Tech companies offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 was down 0.5% in afternoon trading on Wednesday, even though more stocks were rising than falling within the index. Losses for Nvidia and Microsoft helped pull the index lower. Dell sank after reporting revenue that fell shy of forecasts, and HP fell after giving a weaker-than-expected outlook. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2% from its record high a day earlier. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.1%. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving. Average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the US slips to 6.81% The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased this week, though it remains near 7% after mostly rising in recent weeks. The rate slipped to 6.81% from 6.84% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.22%. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has been mostly rising since sliding to a two-year low of 6.08% in late September. Elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices have kept homeownership out of reach of many would-be homebuyers. U.S. home sales are on track for their worst year since 1995. Landmark fish and meat markets in London to close, ending 1,000 years of tradition LONDON (AP) — Two of London’s most famous markets — one selling fish, the other meat — are set to close in the coming years, bringing an end to traditions stretching back to medieval times. On Wednesday, The City of London Corporation, the governing body in the capital city’s historic hub, is set to present a bill to Parliament to bring an end to its responsibilities to operate the Billingsgate fish market and the Smithfield meat market, both of which have existed in some shape or form since the 11th century. That comes a day after the corporation decided not to relocate the markets to a new development just east of London in Dagenham.
Viral ‘Trump Dance’ Flash Mob Takes Over NYC’s MAGA BoroughRed baby elephants, Ranil as godfather and dangerous external liaisonsCanada's Trudeau Returns Home After Trump Meeting Without Assurances That Tariffs Are Off The TableFrom Tony Osauzo, Benin Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has declared that those who conjured election results and announced them on social media during the governorship election are the same people crying that the polls were rigged. He stated this while speaking at the Esan Central Local Government Council Secretariat in Irrua, the venue of the homecoming reception held in celebration of his victory by the Esan people of Edo Central. The governor said it is sad that criminals are crying today that they lost the election, adding that they will continue to lose, while they keep spending their money on fruitless ventures, wasting time, energy, and resources. “I thank Edo people for the overwhelming support given to our party during the September 21 governorship election in Edo State. I am happy for the resounding victory God gave us. “I thank President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of our party for not playing anti-party but standing firm for justice and equity to prevail, which led to the success and victory recorded by our party. “The people who wrote results and were announcing fake results on the internet are the same people crying today that somebody rigged the election. “It is sad to say that the criminals are crying today that they have lost and will continue to lose. They are spending money day and night and wasting their money and will wait in vain. “Edo people have spoken. They have chosen the path of development, peace, and unity. This is what Edo people have chosen, and that is how it will remain. “I want to thank Esan people for standing by me and ensuring a resounding victory. Thank you for the confidence reposed in me and thank you for your votes. This crowd has shown that you people voted for me. “I will not disappoint Edo people. I will not disappoint Esan people. I will do the right thing and allow justice to prevail. “I thank the traditional rulers in the entire Esan land, leaders of Esan land, party leaders, and all those who stood by me to become the Governor of Edo State, and above all, I give God the glory,” Governor Okpebholo said. Also speaking at the event, the Onojie of Uromi, His Royal Highness, Anselm Aidenojie II, said the people of Esan land are happy that their son is the Governor of the State. “We, the traditional rulers from Esan land, went round the State to appeal for support to produce the Governor, and today it is a reality. We thank the Oba of Benin Kingdom, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, and are grateful to all for the support. We believe that the Governor will deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Edo State.” On his part, the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emperor Jarret Tenebe, thanked Edo people for the mandate given to Governor Okpebholo, saying he has already hit the ground running since his inauguration. “We are happy to celebrate the victory God Almighty has given to us, and we thank Edo people for the mandate, as all can see that the Governor has hit the ground running. This is how it will be in the next eight years. In the last eight years, there was no governance. Governor Okpebholo has started from where Comrade Adams Oshiomhole stopped.” Dignitaries at the reception organised by the Esan people for the Governor were traditional rulers from Edo Central; Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Musa Ikhilor; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Gani Audu; members of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA); top government officials, party faithful, and others.