45 vipph

Over the past few years, women voters have emerged as one of the most influential demographics in Indian elections. No longer seen as passive participants, they are active decision-makers reshaping political campaigns. Politechnica, led by founders Chirag Choudhary and Ishan Rajput, has been at the forefront of this shift, crafting strategies that resonate with women’s needs and aspirations. The 2024 Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections exemplify this trend, where women-centric policies and targeted outreach became critical to electoral success. At Politechnica, we believe in our core values: Insight. Creativity. Impact. These values drive every campaign we design and execute. Women Voters as Game Changers With 46.6 million registered women voters in Maharashtra, their influence in this election cannot be overstated. Across urban and rural constituencies, women voters demanded solutions to long-standing issues like safety, healthcare, job creation, and education. The turnout figures reflect this growing enthusiasm—women voters are closing the gap with their male counterparts and, in some cases, even surpassing them. In Himachal Pradesh, Politechnica’s campaign strategy created history by securing a record voter turnout, where for the first time in the state’s Vidhan Sabha history, more women voters participated than men. This victory wasn’t just electoral; it highlighted how women are stepping up as key decision-makers in shaping the country’s political future. “As an organization, we firmly believe that empowering women is the cornerstone of meaningful societal change,” said Chirag Choudhary, co-founder of Politechnica. “When you uplift a woman, you strengthen a family; when you empower families, you transform villages; and when villages thrive, the nation prospers. Our campaigns focus on addressing the real issues women face, ensuring their voices drive progress and shape the future of our democracy.” From “Revdi” to Empowerment What was once dismissed as “revdi” or election freebies is now being reframed as tools of empowerment for women. Initiatives like the Ladki Bahina Yojana in Maharashtra and the Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh are not just about direct cash transfers—they represent a broader shift in how women’s issues are being prioritized in policy-making. While these schemes have received praise, their success varies across regions. In rural Maharashtra, women expressed gratitude for the ₹1,500 monthly aid. However, in urban areas, rising inflation dampened the scheme’s appeal, with many voters calling for systemic solutions rather than one-time assistance. This highlights the grey area in policy impact, with mixed outcomes depending on the demographic. Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide Women’s needs vary significantly between urban and rural areas. Urban women prioritize issues like air pollution, property taxes, and public transport, while rural women focus on water, healthcare, and education for their children. Politechnica’s strategies carefully balanced these diverse needs, helping candidates craft messages that addressed specific challenges. For instance, in constituencies with poor public transport infrastructure, Politechnica advised candidates to promise tangible improvements such as better bus stands and enhancing safety through solar streetlights. These measures resonated deeply with women, who have historically borne the brunt of inadequate infrastructure. Innovative Schemes to Empower Women In 2022, Politechnica took this trend a step further, crafting campaigns that addressed women’s key concerns at a deeper level. By focusing on real, actionable issues, we drove transformative change through: • Education for Children: Advocating better school infrastructure and financial aid to ensure every child, especially girls, gets quality education. • Youth Upskilling Programs: Training unemployed youth in market-ready skills to alleviate household anxieties and empower families. • Solar Street Lamps for Safety: Making public spaces safer for women in rural and urban areas with sustainable lighting solutions. • Mobile Ambulances: Addressing critical gaps in healthcare access by deploying mobile units, especially in remote areas where the nearest hospital is over 65 km away. Grassroots Outreach and Digital Engagement Politechnica’s women-centric campaigns utilized grassroots networks, self-help groups (SHGs), and local influencers to amplify messaging. Door-to-door campaigns addressing maternal health concerns and water accessibility struck a chord in rural areas, while targeted social media outreach on platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp engaged young, educated women voters in urban regions. Politechnica: Driving Change Across States Politechnica’s expertise in political consulting has led to impactful campaigns across six states, including Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The firm’s focus on understanding local demographics and crafting tailored strategies has made it a trusted name among political parties. Having worked with national and regional parties, several Ministries of states and the centre and Chief Ministers alike, Politechnica is now expanding further into the south and the north, with exciting projects lined up for the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections in Maharashtra, the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections, and the Bihar state elections scheduled for 2025. The Accountability Factor At Politechnica, we believe in impact-driven politics—a philosophy that prioritizes long-term solutions over quick fixes. We push our clients to embrace this approach, as it not only yields the highest returns for their political careers but also serves the greater good of the public they represent. By uplifting women and ensuring their concerns are addressed, Politechnica continues to shape campaigns that make a lasting impact.Pope Francis will visit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica in December, days after skipping the reopening of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral which was ravaged by a fire in 2019, the Vatican said Saturday. Francis, 87, declined an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Notre Dame reopening ceremony in Paris on December 7. He will however head to Corsica's capital Ajaccio for a conference on the Catholic faith in the Mediterranean one week later on December 15, the Vatican said. Some French bishops were "annoyed" by the pope's decision to stay away from the Notre Dame gala, according to one bishop speaking on condition of anonymity. But the head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort said: "The star of the Notre Dame reopening ceremony is Notre Dame itself." The pope had not wanted his presence to be a distraction from the essential point of the occasion, he added. "It's not a snub aimed at France," said another bishop. Francis's one-day trip to Corsica will be the first papal visit to the island, where 90 percent of its 350,000 population is Catholic, according to the local Church, and religious traditions remain deeply rooted. He will give two speeches, preside over a mass and meet Macron during his nine hours on the island, the Vatican said. "It is a historic event, we will give ourselves the extraordinary means to put on an exceptional welcome for the Holy Father," said Bishop of Ajaccio Francois-Xavier Bustillo said in a video posted on social media. Francis, who will celebrate his 88th birthday on December 17, has been to France twice since becoming head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013. He visited Strasbourg in 2014, where he addressed the European Parliament, and last year went to Marseille for a meeting of Mediterranean area bishops, where he met Macron. He has yet to make a state visit to France, one of Europe's main majority-Catholic countries. He is also yet to make state visits to Spain, the United Kingdom or Germany. The Argentine pontiff prefers visiting smaller or less established Catholic communities, from Malta to Mongolia. The Corsica visit was championed by the popular media-friendly Bustillo, who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023. "It will not be a state visit, but a pastoral visit. It will be a beautiful moment, a moment of hope and joy," he told AFP. In addition, the head of the Catholic Church is scheduled to be at the Vatican on December 7-8 for a service at which he will create 21 new cardinals. Rescheduling appointments over coming months would appear to be tricky, given the multitude of events due to take place in Rome in 2025, a Catholic jubilee year. Bustillo is one of the active cardinals Francis has appointed in the Mediterranean region, with the pope keen they "work together to meet the specific challenges of the area", a bishop told AFP on condition of anonymity. Those issues include migration, global warming and interreligious dialogue. Corsica will be the 47th overseas visit for Francis and his third this year, after a long tour of the Asia Pacific in early September and a trip to Belgium and Luxembourg the same month. cmk-bur/tw/jm

No. 2 Ohio State takes control in the 2nd half and runs over No. 5 Indiana 38-15

Srinagar, Nov 30: While expressing his deep concern over the growing unemployment crisis in J&K, Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday extended best wishes to the candidates appearing for the constable post exams. He also called for sincere efforts to create employment opportunities and implement a judicious reservation policy in J&K. Wrote on his X handle, “Yet another stark example of the alarming unemployment crisis in Jammu and Kashmir is that over 5.5 lakh applicants will compete for just 4,000 constable posts. The most disheartening aspect is the limited opportunities for candidates who do not fall under any reservation category.” “Creating employment opportunities and ensuring fairness in the reservation policy are critical issues that must be addressed beyond political and social ideologies, as well as religious and regional identities. On this matter, we must stand united to secure justice for our younger generation. My best wishes go out to the candidates appearing for the constable exams tomorrow, December 1,” he added.

Arizona AG sues Saudi firm over 'excessive' groundwater pumping, saying it's a public nuisance PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says she is suing a Saudi Arabian agribusiness over what she calls “excessive pumping” of groundwater. She alleges that the Fondomonte alfalfa farm in western Arizona is violating a public nuisance law even though the area has no groundwater pumping regulations. Mayes said Wednesday that Fondomonte's use of groundwater threatens the public health, safety and infrastructure of local communities in rural La Paz County. It's Arizona's latest action against foreign companies that use huge amounts of groundwater to grow thirsty forage crops for export. The Associated Press emailed Fondomonte seeking a response to the lawsuit. US inflation ticked up last month as some price pressures remain persistent WASHINGTON (AP) — Fueled by pricier used cars, hotel rooms and groceries, inflation in the United States moved slightly higher last month in the latest sign that some price pressures remain elevated. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, up from a yearly figure of 2.6% in October. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core prices increased 3.3%. Measured month to month, prices climbed 0.3% from October to November, the biggest such increase since April. Wednesday’s inflation figures are the final major piece of data Federal Reserve officials will consider before they meet next week to decide on interest rates. The November increase won’t likely be enough to discourage the officials from cutting their key rate by a quarter-point. Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history has crumbled. The two companies accusing each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through, and Albertsons pulled out of the $24.6 billion deal on Wednesday. The bitter breakup came the day after two judges — a federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington — issued injunctions to block the merger, saying it could reduce competition and harm consumers. Albertsons is now suing Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee, as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger says the claims are “baseless.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. Supreme Court allows investors' class action to proceed against microchip company Nvidia WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing a class-action lawsuit that accuses Nvidia of misleading investors about its past dependence on selling computer chips for the mining of volatile cryptocurrency to proceed. The court’s decision Wednesday comes the same week that China said it is investigating the the microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. The justices heard arguments four weeks ago in Nvidia’s bid to shut down the lawsuit, then decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place. They dismissed the company’s appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward. Apple's latest iPhones get the gift of more AI as holiday shopping season heats up SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is pumping more artificial intelligence into the latest iPhones during the holiday shopping season. It comes in the form of a free software update that includes a feature that enables users to create customized emojis within a matter of seconds. The Wednesday release of the iPhone’s upgraded operating system extends Apple’s expansion into AI months after rivals such as Samsung and Google began implanting the revolutionary on their devices. The update builds upon another one that came out in late October. The latest round of AI tricks includes “Genmojis,” Apple’s description of emojis that iPhone users will be able to ask the technology to create and then share. EU targets Russia's ghost fleet shipping oil in a new round of sanctions BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union envoys have agreed a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine. The EU's Hungarian presidency said Wednesday that the measures will target in particular a vast shadow fleet of ships that Moscow is exploiting to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and fuel. The sanctions are aimed at about 50 of what are routinely decrepit ships. The sanctions will hit more officials and entities alleged to be helping Russia to improve its military technology by evading export restrictions. EU foreign ministers are set to formally adopt the sanctions package on Monday. Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is promising expedited federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion. But like other Trump plans, the idea is likely to run into regulatory and legislative hurdles, including a landmark law that requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impact before deciding on major projects. Environmental groups called the plan a clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. The chief policy advocacy officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council says Trump should be careful what he wishes for. She said, "What if someone wants to build a waste incinerator next to Mar-a-Lago or a coal mine next to Bedminster golf course?” Trump says he'll name Andrew Ferguson head of FTC and Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has made another flurry of job announcements. He said Tuesday that he had selected Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Kimberly Guilfoyle as the ambassador to Greece and Tom Barrack as the ambassador to Turkey. Ferguson is already one of the FTC's five commissioners and will replace Lina Khan. She became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. Guilfoyle became engaged to Don Trump Jr. in 2020, adn Tom Barrack is a longtime friend who was also the former Trump inaugural chair. Bank of Canada cuts interest rate by half a percentage point, highlights risk of Trump's tariffs TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s central bank lowered its key interest rate by half a percentage point while highlighting the risk of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs on all Canadian products. The Bank of Canada’s decision marked the fifth consecutive reduction since June and brings the central bank’s key rate down to 3.25%. The central bank noted a number of risks to the economy, including U.S. tariffs. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs.BATAVIA — With the city needing to replace 3,800 water meters and upgrade to more efficient technology to accurately compute water usage by customers, City Council is considering borrowing $2.5 million for the project. “We’ve tried three years in a row for grant funds and were unsuccessful,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said during Monday’s Council session. “We’re at a critical point where the water meter readers, if they fail, we’ll be reading them by hand. We do need to move forward with this project. I think, at this point, I think we need to borrow the capital to be able to move forward with the project.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

IN FOCUS: Can China’s pension system survive the pressure of its ageing population?

Pep Guardiola cut a shocked figure when asked about Ilkay Gundogan's remark that Manchester City are 'over complicating' parts of their game. City suffered a second successive away defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday, falling to a 2-0 defeat to Juventus in Turin. Goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie sunk Man City to 22nd in the Champions League table, leaving them one point off the elimination zone with two games to go. Man City midfielder Gundogan spoke to TNT Sports after his side's seventh defeat in ten and admitted they were lacking in confidence. "It’s very disappointing," he said. "We had chances to score a few goals but at the moment it feels like every attack we concede is just so dangerous. "I don’t know, I have a feeling sometimes we are a bit careless with duels, instead of playing simple we over complicate things and we missed the right timing to release the ball. Just lose the ball and give them counter attacks. "We are built for possession, keep the ball, be strong, if you can’t do anything don't lose it. At the moment it’s not working out for us." He continued: "[Confidence] is a big part of it and obviously that's a mental issue as well. You can see that. We sometimes, one action we miss the ball, lose a duel and you see that we drop immediately, lose the rhythm, they are able to break our rhythm with the easiest of things. They don't even need to do much. "You have to do the simple things as good as possible. Work hard again, this is how you get confidence back, even in the game if you miss something, by doing small and simple things you get confidence back at the moment we are always doing the wrong things. "I feel like we know exactly what's going wrong. If you look at the most part of games even today we actually didn’t play bad, created chances, just missed to score, in these kind of games if you give away once chance it's not easy to bounce back. "We know what's going wrong it's just finding the switch to turn things around because even though we are not getting results, it doesn't feel like we are far off. "As long as we don't find that click it's going to be tough, the only thing right now we can do, every single player needs to question themselves, to do better, how the player can individually sacrifice more to contribute to the team so we can get collectively back on our way." But when his manager Guardiola came to analyse the game, he was visibly stunned by one of his star's comments. "We played good, really, really good," Guardiola said. "We missed the last part, the last action and we arrive, so. "We concede a few, some transition happened. I'm so proud of these players, they give everything and they tried and we live in this period and hopefully we can change the results. "I know it's difficult the result. It's difficult in the Champions League, in Europe, but we play very good." Asked about Gundogan's take on players over complicating things, Guardiola faced formed into a frown of confusion. Quizzed on whether it was a confidence issue for his players, he paused before asking her to clarify what his player said. After Gundogan's comment was repeated, Guardiola said: "No, no. We have done it today. Other days no, but today we have done it. "We have done really, really well. We didn't lose many balls that [would have] happened in the past. "We tried, we arrived in the positions but you know, Italian teams defend so deep and compact it's not easy. They're a master in these kinds of situations. "We played who we are, we miss the result, but the performance is there." Guardiola is now on his worst ever Champions League run. For the first time in his managerial career, Guardiola has failed to win three consecutive matches in the group and or league phase of the Champions League. He has instead seen out one draw and two losses. For the Citizens, meanwhile, it’s their longest such run since the 2014/15 campaign, which saw them draw two and win two. And that's not the only horror stat on the ever-growing list Guardiola's out of form side have endured. Man City face Manchester United on Sunday in the Premier League.NoneDevendra Fadnavis: The man behind the surge

NoneThen Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis.The board met Monday to certify the results of the 2024 election and released final vote totals for races around the state, including locking in several close legislative races. The results also reflected shifts in turnout and voting behavior. Illinois saw turnout dip in 2024 compared to recent presidential contests. About 5.7 million people participated in this year’s election, representing 70.42% of the state’s 8.1 million registered voters. That’s a decline from 2020, when 72.92% of voters participated in the largest turnout for a presidential election in Illinois since 1992, according to the board. This year’s turnout was the fourth lowest of the last 40 years, according to the board. Turnout was slightly below President-elect Donald Trump’s first victory in 2016, but higher than former President Barack Obama’s victory in 2012. Chicago Board of Election officials reported last month the city saw the second lowest turnout in a presidential race in 80 years. The lower turnout in the November election also followed low turnout in the March primary, which featured uncontested presidential primaries in Illinois after challengers dropped out of the race by the time it was Illinois’ turn to vote. Voting by mail also remained a popular option for many voters, with more than 1 million people casting their ballot in the mail. That’s down from more than 2 million people in 2020, but it represents the third consecutive statewide election in which more than 15% of voters used a mail-in ballot. A greater portion of the electorate cast early in-person ballots this year than ever before, however. Board of Elections data shows 34.65% of votes were cast in-person before Election Day this year, surpassing 2020’s record of 32.89%. This year’s election was the second time most voters did not vote on Election Day. Data shows 46.69% of ballots were cast on Election Day itself, compared to about two-thirds in recent years. Most voters during the pandemic election in 2020 also participated early, either in person or by mail, rather than on Election Day. In the presidential race, Harris received 3,062,863 votes in Illinois, or 54.37% of the vote, to receive Illinois’ 19 electoral votes. That’s 409,052 fewer votes than President Joe Biden received in 2020. Though Harris won Illinois’ electoral votes by nearly 11 points this year, Trump narrowed his margin of defeat in Illinois after losing the state in both 2016 and 2020 by about 17 points. Harris’ 10.9-point victory was the smallest margin of victory for a Democratic presidential candidate since John Kerry won Illinois in 2004 by about 11 points. Trump improved his margin in Illinois on his way to an Electoral College and national popular vote victory for the first time. He received 2,158 more votes in 2024 compared to 2020. Despite Trump’s loss in the state, Republicans said they still believe the election results show a mandate in Illinois for their policies. “I think the people of Illinois, and moreover, the people of this country, have seen what the Democrats have done, especially over the last several years and how woke it has become,” Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, said at a news conference in November. “This is a clear mandate to that ridiculousness that has been going on the last four years.” Further down the ballot, results certified Monday finalized many close races in the Illinois House. The chamber’s balance is unchanged by the election and Democrats will hold a 78-member supermajority when lawmakers are sworn in on Jan. 8. “Democrats won every seat in the General Assembly that it already had, and we won in races that I think people didn’t expect — county board races, taking control of the McLean County Board, for example, coroner races,” Gov. JB Pritzker said last month reacting to the election results. “People clearly bifurcated and made decisions different down the ballot than they did at the top of the ballot, so I’m proud of that. I think that’s a result of the policies Democrats have had in Illinois.” Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, officially eked out a 47-vote victory in the 52nd House District in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago in a race House Democrats spent millions hoping to flip. Rep. Amy Grant, R-Wheaton, won a fourth term in the 47th House District in DuPage County by 292 votes. And Rep. Brandun Schweizer, R-Danville, was reelected by 269 votes in the 104th House District in Champaign and Vermillion counties. U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, defeated former Winnebago County Republican judge Joe McGraw by 8.86 points in the 17th Congressional District, which was considered to be the state’s most competitive federal race. A majority of voters also supported three statewide advisory questions which asked about potential penalties for interfering with an election judge, a tax on millionaires to cover property tax relief and requiring insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization.

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:13 p.m. ESTPatterson Cos. Going Private in $4.1B Deal