starbet777 ph register ...See how we have revived the PH Refinery – Okocha Tony Okocha, the leader of opposition in Rivers State from the All Progressives Congress (APC), has vowed to unseat Gov Sim Fubara. He however said it would be in 2027 during members of the party on Saturday, November 30, 2024, that it would be in 2027. Okocha, regarded as FCT Minister’s point-man in Rivers politics and arrowhead in the war against Gov Sim Fubara described the Fubara administration as rudderless saying the new APC would begin to contest elections and win all governments in the state; local governments, House of Assembly, and the main prize, the governorship. Hopes of the political crisis in Rivers State to simmer down, however, may have been thrown overboard as the APC loyal to Wike has defied court orders to hold congress and elected the new leaders led by Okocha. A Port Harcourt High Court had ruled that the Okocha-led Caretaker Committee was illegal and sacked it, pronouncing the Emeka Beke-led elected executives the authentic APC in the state. Read also: Rivers crisis now in auto-pilot Two members of the party also secured another court order stopping the congresses of the party from holding. This order was being pushed by the Beke-led exco but the Okocha group fully backed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party went ahead to conduct the congresses ending with the state congress that has picked the chairman and other 28 positions, though the appeal is slated for Monday, December 2, 2024. The state congress where the election took place Saturday November 30, 2024, was graced by the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) with some persons from the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The congress and election were conducted by a national delegation led by Adoye Omale. Other notable officers and bigwigs of the party that graced the congress include the zonal chairman, Victor Giadom; the former senator, Magnus Abe; another senator, Wilson Ake; former ambassador Maureen Tamuno; and federal appointee Innocent Barikor. Speaking in appreciation, Okocha who has given Fubara nightmares, said he was prepared to deliver the party into government in 2027. “We will rout out this rudderless.” He said he was humbled by the size of crowd at the state secretariat and their self-sponsorship to the congress. Your APC will contest elections unlike before and win all elections this time. Just help us to snatch the governments from local to state. APC is on course.” He said Nigeria was on the move, pointing at the Port Harcourt Refinery as an example. He said the refinery has been revived and that soon, Warri and Kaduna ones will follow. The election was conducted on voice votes where every position went unposed. It is not clear whether the positioned were shared by the big wigs such as Abe and Giadom, other than to Wike.

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United States EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change came in at -4.237M, below expectations (-2M) in December 19GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The outgoing chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Dickon Mitchell, in his end of year statement, says the regional body has held true to the commitment to decisive leadership and collective action as intrinsic pillars to propel the prosperity and well-being of citizens of the region. Mitchell, who is also the prime minister of Grenada, noted that Caricom’s strong sense of community was especially evident during this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season, “when Caricom member states rallied to support those who were adversely affected by Hurricane Beryl and other weather systems”. Concerning Haiti, he said the leaders also focused on resuming functional governance and security in the French speaking Caricom member state, through engagement with Haiti’s political leadership and facilitation with political, religious, private sector and civil society stakeholders by the Caricom Eminent Persons Group (EPG). “These engagements with key Haitian stakeholders led to consensus on the formation and installation of a Haitian-owned and led Transitional Presidential Council; selection of a prime minister and a cabinet of ministers; and the arrival of the first troops of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission. The consensus remains very delicate and will require much effort in 2025.” He noted that this year, Antigua and Barbuda hosted the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from May 27-30, where a new ten-year programme of action, the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, was articulated. There were also key high-level international meetings to address the ongoing challenges of the impact of climate change. “On digital resilience, I was pleased to champion the Strategic Digital Resilience Framework 2030 at the July Meeting of Caricom Heads of Government. This was supported by existing plans for the Caricom Single ICT (information and communication technology) Space, including digital skills and artificial intelligence. Further bold and decisive action is particularly crucial as we prepare for 2025 and beyond, where the pace of regional and global change will demand a Caricom that is digitally capable and resilient.” In the area of food and nutrition security, the Grenadian Prime minister said a regional agricultural insurance product was launched to assist Caricom farmers. “We ensured the involvement of women and young people with Caricom BOOST, a two-year, $1.6 million project to enhance sustainable production, climate resilience, and profitability for women and youth farmer groups across ten Caricom member states; and with a Regional Youth in Agriculture Strategy focusing on education, capacity-building and market linkages.” “Allied to the objective of reducing our food import bills has been our effort to increase air and maritime connectivity to support, among other things, the regional transportation of food.” He noted that the Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) is now in force in almost all member states and there has been significant increase in regional airlift and connectivity. In addition, progress has been made on sea transportation following the announcement from Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago of a new ferry service. The outgoing chairman said that underpinning all these activities has been attention to health and well-being, human and cultural capital development, youth participation, empowerment and development, and crime prevention and justice reform. He said that key activity was the Second Regional Symposium on Crime and Violence, hosted by Barbados in Guyana in November, which advanced critical knowledge sharing on successful preventative interventions for crime and violence in the Caribbean. In the area of partnerships with third states, Mitchell pointed to the hosting of several successful high-level engagements to discuss cooperation including a Summit with the Republic of India, an engagement with Brazil, meetings with Canada and Japan, and representation in critical international fora such as the Fourth International SIDS Conference, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, COP29 in Azerbaijan, the United Nations Summit of the Future, and the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. “Through it all, our modus operandi has been to speak with one voice and to premise all our interactions on the vision of a Caribbean Community, which is truly “a community for all”. “I extend my sincere appreciation to my colleagues of the conference which now includes the new premier of Montserrat and the prime minister of Curaçao, the newest associate member of the community, for their unstinting support and commitment. Thanks are also due to public and private sector leaders of the community, representatives from labour and civil society, regional institutions, international development partners, my team in Grenada, and the secretary-general and staff of the Caricom Secretariat for their commitment to the vision of an integrated and thriving Caribbean Community.” Mitchell who is passing on the chairmanship to the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, said he has every confidence that “she will enjoy the same stellar support that I have received, and that under her astute leadership, our community will decisively further our integration goals”. “I wish for all Caricom a happy and meaningful holiday season, and peace and prosperity in 2025.”Directors of Maine School Administrative District 58 meet Thursday at Mt. Abram Regional High School in Salem. Among other issues, they agreed to set priorities for spending the remaining $160,000 from the Child Nutrition Program. The money must be spent by the end of the fiscal year June 30, 2025, Superintendent Laura Columbia said. Leo Goddard/Franklin Journal SALEM TOWNSHIP — Maine School Administrative District 58 directors agreed Thursday to set priorities for spending the remaining $160,000 from the Child Nutrition Program. The money must be spent by the end of the fiscal year June 30, 2025, Superintendent Laura Columbia said. Ideas shared at the meeting at Mt. Abram High School were were new tables, expanding menu options, increasing staff, training and uniform allowance. Joy York, head cook at the high school, who is in charge of staffing and compliance, said the kitchen at Phillips Elementary School failed inspection. Business Manager Jennifer Pooler said there are three refrigeration systems, including freezers, that continue to break down. York also said there are some great tables that are useful, but cannot be sanitized due to the porous wooden tops. Board members all agreed to make a priority list for spending the money. The board accepted a donation of a set of small drones for the Take Flight program requested by Day Mountain Middle School Principal Maggie Adams and Technology Director Hope Gould. The drones will be used indoors in teams to go along with science curriculum. There was concern about safety and inappropriate use. Superintendent Laura Columbia assured that the drones were very small, required coding to be used, and don’t have cameras attached. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous Next »

Acer M-Series Hybrid MiniLED TVs with 4K Resolution Debut in India with Competitive Pricing

Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there’s a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here’s a look at some of the most notable laws taking effect in various states: California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the artificial intelligence industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and to allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use. Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so. New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. But enforcement has been delayed due to a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February. A new Tennessee law also requires parental consent for minors to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge. Several new California measures aimed at combating political deep fakes are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create fabricated images or videos in political ads. In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents whose children change their gender identification at school. The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies, which were passed by several districts. Many states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest comes in the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible, co-payment or other cost-sharing requirement. A new Minnesota law prohibits guns with “binary triggers” that allow for more-rapid firing by causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released. In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards. Kentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use marijuana for medical purposes. To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana. Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases. The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour. Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. In Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the Legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe. In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the last 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years in prison if a driver using a cellphone causes an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law. Montana is the only state that hasn’t banned texting while driving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Tenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay tax on their monthly rent, thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizona’s nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation. Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs. Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is cutting individual income taxes by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child-care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward. An Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate. “I think it’s very important [for] people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens,” Young said. Lieb writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Fl a. ; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville; Randall Chase in Dover, Del . ; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, K y. ; Claire Rush in Portland, Ore . ; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, M o. ; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Ala . ; John Hanna in Topeka, Kan . ; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report .The deals went bad By Naira Eshaal There is an increase in the rise of electricity prices every day. There are many families who are looting and plundering the people day in and day out. The per unit price of an electric unit has exceeded Rs 70. The issue of electricity prices creates a panic in the hearts and minds of the people. There is more than 46000 MW electricity capacity in Pakistan. 28,811 MW electricity is generated from thermal sources while 10635 MW is produced from water sources, 1838 MW from wind. 360 MW from nuclear sources and 822 MW is produced from solar energy. Half of the electricity is produced by IPPs and according to some analysts these IPPs are the actual apple of discord. Some experts even draw an analogy of these plants with the East India Company. Just like East India Company had established its foothold in like manner, these proved to be the blood suckers for Pakistan’s economy. There are 42 IPPs in Pakistan. All these are thermal units. The first company was Hub Power Company. According to the agreement it was said that whether Pakistan buys electricity or not, as per power capacity of the plant the Government of Pakistan will pay to the owner as per the dollar rate. In the coming days whatever agreements were made with the IPPs, per-unit and capacity payment burden went on increasing. The circular debt exceeded Rs 2300 billion which is the result of the capacity payment to these power plants. Many families own these power plants. On one side is the fact that most of them have an involvement in politics and on the other side is the miserable condition of the masses of Pakistan. Machinery and fuels are getting expensive. 340 million units are provided free to the government and the government servants. Much of the electric theft is there. Many rich people and industrialists are involved in this. KESC is given a huge subsidy by the government. Often the people are protesting because of exorbitant electric prices. Industries are getting closed because of expensive electricity. Domestic use and industrial use of electricity has also seen a decline. The government is facing a great crisis in paying to these IPPs. According to 2023 reports Pakistan received at 0.87 percent of its electricity from solar power. Now it has been raised to two or three percent. The Coal project has been lingering on for 50 years. In such a situation it is no wonder that HUBCO has said that in Pakistan the use of electricity is getting less and less. According to HUBCO in 2023 electricity use saw a reduction to the tune of one sixth. Now HUBCO will make use of one fifth of its total capacity but it will get the payment to its maximum capacity as per agreement. There were wrong policies in Pakistan. No one thinks in the collective interest of Pakistan. Individual interests have been pervasive. The result is that such fallacious agreements are drafted which only benefit their owners and the loss is borne by the people. However, since these agreements are backed by sovereign guarantees, if the government finishes them then no international company will come to Pakistan in future and there will be a loss of credibility. In comparison to Vietnam and Bangladesh, in every plant in Pakistan there was over invoicing four times as compared to the wind plants there as regards their capacity. These plants mostly operated on thermal plants despite the fact that Pakistan had vast coal reserves. The diesel and imported coal on which these plants operated was also in dollars. It led to a strange vicious circle. Today it is known to everybody that the fuels these IPPs imported did not produce the electricity accoedingly. The maintenance and insurance has been borne by the government of Pakistan. These IPPs received huge subsidies and Rs 12.17 trillion tax relief was given to these plants. Keeping in view all these facts it is evident that these IPPs caused a colossal loss to the economy of Pakistan. The licenses in their agreement reveal that capacity payment is dependable. The government of Pakistan can audit this capacity. The plants which have been operative since 1994, their audit must be done. These power plants can be retired early also. The demand for electricity can be increased by installing more and more industry. Businesses are getting closed in our country because of the high dollar rate and tedious and prolonged procedures. The government should give people facilities to start their business and install production houses and factories. The question arises whether, of the five IPPs which are going to be closed, will there be some recovery of the money they received in the name of maintenance, purchase of fuel and tax relief. Or in the name of national interest will all be forgiven and forgotten? The writer is a freelance columnist Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );UCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC job

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — After losing to San Francisco in the playoffs three of the last five seasons, the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t mind seeing the 49ers get left out of the postseason entirely. The Packers (7-3) could damage San Francisco’s playoff hopes Sunday by beating the 49ers at Lambeau Field. San Francisco (5-5) dropped to .500 after losing at home to the Seattle Seahawks, though the 49ers remain just a game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week