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play blackjack online Sports, pop culture, and the weather: What’s next for betting markets after exploding in popularity during the 2024 electionBoxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.

Christmas celebrations turned tragic for the family of Singaporeans Edmund Ang, 72, and wife Catharine Ng, 70, who died in a car crash on Dec 22 morning on a highway towards Kuala Lumpur. The limousine taxi they were in crashed into the rear of a chemical trailer truck, killing both passengers and the driver upon impact, said the couple’s family members on Dec 28, the first day of the wake in Singapore. The couple’s youngest son, Mr Christopher Ang, 36, a lawyer, said it was a routine trip that his parents had taken many times before and “nothing out of the ordinary”. Mr Edmund Ang had retired after a long career in the information technology (IT) field, working at companies like IBM and Oracle, while Madam Ng was a housewife. The couple would fly to Kuala Lumpur International Airport and book a limousine taxi service at the airport. This time, they were on the way to spend the holiday with the family of Madam Ng’s nephew, who wanted to be known only as Mr Teo. When Mr Teo, 50, did not hear from the couple, he went to the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur on Dec 23 to check on them. The hotel had no record of them. When he called Mr Ang’s phone, a police inspector from Serdang police station picked up. Mr Teo was informed that his aunt and uncle were at a hospital, but later found out they had already died. He then had to give a police statement, identify the bodies and speak to the Singapore mission in Malaysia to start the process of repatriating the bodies. “It was a shock... It was supposed to have been a pleasant Christmas vacation, but it turned out very differently,” he said, adding that the authorities who assisted were “very responsive” and helpful. Mr Teo said the authorities are still investigating the accident, adding that forensics from the Malaysian police showed that the limousine taxi driver was travelling at high speed. The family will be informed of the outcome of the investigations in the next three to six months, he said. ‘Perfect parents’ The couple’s sons, Christopher and Michael, 38, a civil servant, cut short their overseas trips to rush back to Singapore when they heard the news. At the wake, which continues on Dec 29, white flowers and muted silver decor flanked the two coffins, while a display table with a thick photo album of the couple’s favourite photos was placed in front. Wreaths and condolence flower stands from friends and former colleagues spilt out of the room where the wake was held. The cremation ceremony will take place on Dec 30. Relatives of the couple spoke highly of them, with Christopher describing them as “perfect parents” who doted on them, and even more so after retirement. “My dad and mum gave us everything we wanted and always provided for us,” he said. Though his father travelled a lot for work, Christopher said he always made time for them when he was in Singapore. He described his mother as a diligent and “fantastic tutor” who guided him and his brother in English, mathematics and Chinese. He recalled a Sunday routine where they would always make time to eat a special meal out together, a routine that continued well after it started in their primary school days. “I want them to be known as the best and most loving parents, who were always there for us,” he said, on the verge of tears. Mr Michael Ang had planned to take his parents on a trip to Japan in the coming months. Mr Christopher Ang will join his brother on the trip instead, in honour of their parents. “Now since they are not here, I want to go with my brother,” Christopher said. Mr Teo recalled how his aunt, Madam Ng, took it upon herself to be his young son’s grandmother when Mr Teo’s own mother died in 2022. Like she had done with her own sons when they were young, Madam Ng tutored Mr Teo’s son too. Mr Jeff Wang, a former colleague of Mr Ang at Salesforce in its early days in 2006, described Mr Ang as a pioneer in IT leadership in Singapore, and an influential leader in the field. “I found Edmund to be a compassionate leader and mentor, always patient and willing to share his knowledge and wisdom,” said Mr Wang, who said he was shocked to hear of what happened. “I will miss him, and still appreciate all he did in helping to shape my own career and personal path after we met.”Year-Ender 2024: Haryana's Political Shifts, Sporting Triumphs And Farmers' Struggles Define A Pivotal YearThe Christmas period is not just a great time for stuffing your gob with Celebrations and trying to avoid getting sucked up in your dad’s rubbish bag, but also for playing games. As you wait for the Doctor Who Christmas Special or the release of the new Wallace and Gromit flick away from your treasured gaming hardware, you may want to try your hand at some cloud gaming, specifically NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW Ultimate. We’ve written before about how GeForce NOW and similar streaming services are becoming more important for devices such as the Steam Deck as AAA games become more intensive. Whether you’re on your phone with some handy-dandy controller doohickey, the aforementioned Steam handheld or even on your aging Xbox One console, GeForce NOW Ultimate offers a wealth of games to play, maxed out on an RTX 4080 with the entire roster of RTX technologies: DLSS 3, NVIDIA Reflex, with full Path Tracing and all the associated goodies. Unlike a puppy, GeForce NOW can be just for Christmas, with day passes available for gaming in a pinch. Without further ado, here are the best Nvidia GeForce NOW games to play over the Christmas break. 1) Indiana Jones and The Great Circle Obviously the cream of the crop, the winner of the VideoGamer 2024 Game Awards is a must-play game on GeForce NOW. While you can play the game via streaming on Xbox’s xCloud or Game Pass Cloud or whatever they’re calling it now, you’ll only be streaming the console version of the game. With GeForce NOW Ultimate, you can stream the PC version of the game with all the bells and whistles, in glorious 4K resolution. As a game with full Ray Tracing support multitudes better than the Series X’s still-gorgeous lighting, you can experience the best game of 2024 with the ultimate visuals available without a massive desktop taking up leg room as you play. As someone who shares a living room, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle has been a great experience via GeForce NOW Ultimate for when my partner takes over the TV for an entire day of Infinity Nikki . While she’s wishing upon a star, getting fashions from afar, I can simply chill out with my Steam Deck and continue thwacking Nazis with shovels in Gizeh. 2) Alan Wake 2 While over a year old now, Alan Wake 2 is another example of a brilliant game to play through GeForce NOW, and one I completed in its entirety through the service. Another game that looks great on console, but game-changingly better on PC , GeForce NOW Ultimate allows you to stream the entire game with full RTX Path Tracing—shadows, reflections, lighting, the entire thing—onto a device of your choosing. Outside of the recency bias of Indiana Jones, Alan Wake 2 is one of the best use cases for GeForce NOW Ultimate. If your PC buckles at the sight of full Path Tracing or if you just want to experience the pinnacle of NVIDIA hardware without buying thousands of pounds worth of hardware, Alan Wake 2 streamed on GeForce NOW Ultimate is one hell of a time. 3) Cyberpunk 2077 Another game with full RTX support, Cyberpunk 2077 runs and looks phenomenal via GeForce NOW Ultimate. This is another title that technically runs on older and more budget-friendly hardware, however players won’t get anywhere near as much from the game, and its first-person view means that an unstable framerate can cause some serious motion sickness. However, GeForce NOW Ultimate’s performance is, well, flawless. With DLSS Frame Generation and NVIDIA Reflex working tirelessly on the aforementioned RTX 4080 rig, even with full Path Tracing turned on, the game runs like a dream over cloud streaming, allowing you to explore Night City with some of the best visuals in the business. Now you can enjoy immaculate views of the obscenities that make this world the most immersive dystopia in gaming. For those looking to get the most bang for their buck with GeForce NOW Ultimate, is there anything better than a massive RPG that pushes even the most powerful PCs to their limits? I thought not. 4) Black Myth: Wukong An awesome hack-and-slash adventure from Chinese developer Game Science, Black Myth: Wukong is another game that slightly suffers on console but sings on PC. Renowned for its incredible graphics, cinema-esque 3D scenes, and being uber-demanding on hardware, Black Myth: Wukong isn’t one to play on your Nan’s 10 year old laptop. Well, that was until now! Wukong’s heavier, Souls-lite style of hack-and-slash combat is perfect for NVIDIA’s cloud streaming service, and the ability to crank the stunning visuals up to 4K resolution makes it a dream to play. It also helps that the game’s performance doesn’t skip a beat when supported by DLSS 3 and Reflex, running on NVIDIA’s latest RTX-powered hardware in the cloud. 5) Party Animals As much as I would happily spend the entire holiday locked into my favourite solo titles, Christmas is, after all, a time of year to spend with family and friends. That calls for the next best thing – get everyone involved in a hilarious couch co-op game! Party Animals is just that. This realistic physics-based party brawler sees up to 4 players take control of floppy animal characters to battle it out in suitably silly maps and modes, with crazy weapons and power ups to shake up the paw-to-paw combat. Join up with another player in ‘Team Score’ mode, or maybe jump into an every-animal-for-itself game of ‘Last Stand’ for the ultimate family bragging rights over Christmas Dinner. With GeForce NOW, you don’t even have to bring your personal PC or console home with you – just log in and play on any of your parents’ smart devices. One thing’s for sure: streaming Party Animals is sure to spice up your cozy Christmas evenings. Subscribe to GeForce NOW Ultimate in 2024 to get unlimited playtime for the entirety of 2025!

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- Signaling a new era of service to the congregation and the community with renewed commitment and the addition of beautifully renovated spaces - BERGAMO, Italy, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Dec. 24, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Nestled between Lake Como and Lake Iseo in the north of Italy, the city of Bergamo is an architectural gem of medieval charm and breathtaking beauty. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its landmarks take visitors on a journey through history, from the 12th-century Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore to the famous 16th-century walls that surround the upper city, through the museum that honors the beloved operas of Bergamo’s own Gaetano Donizetti, to today’s trendy bistros, bakeries and gelaterias. And in the heart of the city are the expanded new facilities of the Ideal Church of Scientology Mission of Bergamo . Scientology Missions form the vanguard of the Scientology religion, providing the full array of basic and introductory Scientology services and Scientology auditing (spiritual counseling). The Ideal Church of Scientology Mission in Bergamo is designed to serve as the physical embodiment of Scientology technology in helping all to attain spiritual freedom. It was a joyous Sunday afternoon, November 10, when community leaders and parishioners celebrated the anniversary and expansion of the Ideal Church of Scientology Mission of Bergamo. Those joining Mission Director Marta Riva for this milestone celebration included Ms. Nilupa Warnakulasooriya, Representative of the Sri Lanka North Italy Community; Mr. Franco Ravaglioli, Vice President of the Universal Peace Federation of Italy; Mr. Daniel Sigua, Founder and CEO of TCG News Italia; and Mr. Gabriele Riva, an intercultural advocate and a lieutenant of the Alpini, an elite mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army known for its volunteerism and humanitarian activities. Stepping to the podium, Ms. Warnakulasooriya thanked the mission for helping her achieve her humanitarian objectives. She spoke of her passion for ensuring Sri Lankan children living in Italy can adapt to the culture and thrive in their new home. Growing up in a foreign culture can be daunting. Children have to contend with customs and struggle with a new language, which can set them apart and create friction. When Ms. Warnakulasooriya discovered L. Ron Hubbard’s The Way to Happiness she found the practical skills and moral values that can prepare these youths to become the leaders of tomorrow . “L. Ron Hubbard provided a great gift by giving us The Way to Happiness ,” she said, “a gift that allows us to create harmony and respect among people of all races, religions, ages and genders.” Vice President of Universal Peace Federation of Italy Mr. Franco Ravaglioli believes in the unique and essential role religions play in promoting a world of lasting peace in which people of all nationalities, ethnicities and cultures can live together in harmony. “I appreciate the Scientologists I’ve come to know—they are open, willing to work together, and committed to creating real change. We will continue together on this path to create a better world,” he said, “for I believe that one day, we can achieve what Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard envisioned with the Aims of Scientology: ‘A world without insanity, without criminals and without war.’ In other words, a world of peace.” TCG News Italia CEO Mr. Daniel Sigua is dedicated to the human rights of the Latin American diaspora in Italy. “Today, we have a community that is more aware and educated about human rights, thanks to your Spanish-language resources and materials promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” He thanked the Church for its firm commitment to promoting values of unity and collaboration. “Thanks to your support, we will be able to carry out important initiatives for human rights and the growth of our community.” The final speaker, Lt. Riva, has long served in the Alpini’s legendary Giulia Mountain Brigade. “Those experiences—despite their hardships—have remained with me for a lifetime,” he said. “In the early 1980s, I was offered the opportunity to host 40 young university students from the Philippines who were touring around the world. In my small hamlet of about 1,000 people, convincing my fellow villagers to open their homes and hearts to strangers from a country so different from ours was a feat. But hospitality and generosity are values we lived by back then—values that, sadly, have faded over the years, even in my own little town.” Last winter, after the long interruption of the pandemic, the students from the Filipino choir reached out again, and Mr. Riva turned to the Scientology Mission of Bergamo. “It is thanks to all of you—your willingness, your help, and your incredible efficiency—that this choir was able to perform here in Bergamo. They sang in honor of the many families touched by the pandemic, families who have shown strength and resilience. This experience brought new life to my village. I want to express my deepest gratitude for the Church of Scientology’s invaluable role as a champion of ‘cooperation between different cultures for the common good.’” Mission director Marta Riva shared a brief history of her Mission, its services, and its humanitarian goals. “The 2020 pandemic was one of the hardest times our city ever experienced,” she said. “Our staff and parishioners immediately responded to help the many families affected by the tragedy. Today, our Scientology community has grown to such an extent that we needed to expand our premises, where we stand ready to serve not only Scientologists but all of Bergamo.” Visitors to the Ideal Bergamo Mission are welcome to tour the Public Information Display, featuring multimedia presentations of the basic beliefs and practices of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard. As an Ideal Church of Scientology Mission, Bergamo is equipped with every facility needed to provide the full array of introductory Scientology services. These include the popular Life Improvement Courses through which anyone may find workable solutions to common challenges of everyday life—such as how to improve a marriage, successfully raise children, increase personal motivation, and set and achieve goals. The Mission also offers seminars on a wide range of topics, including personal efficiency. The Hubbard Dianetics Seminar is based on Mr. Hubbard’s watershed work Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health , the bestselling book that reveals the source of one’s nightmares, unreasonable fears and irrational behavior—the reactive mind—and how to conquer it. Additionally, the Mission provides spiritual counseling, known as auditing , and the Purification Program , developed by Mr. Hubbard to free individuals from the mental and spiritual damage caused by drugs and toxins. November 10 also saw the Grand Opening of the new Ideal Church of Scientology Mission of McMinnville, Oregon, and the Ideal Scientology Mission of Chiayi, Taiwan. It was followed on November 16, with the Grand Opening of the Ideal Scientology Missions of Taichung, Taiwan, and Santo André, Brazil. The new Ideal Scientology Mission of Osaka, Japan, will open on November 30. Many more Ideal Scientology Missions are planned across North and South America, Europe and Asia in the coming year. The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. Mr. David Miscavige is the Scientology religion’s ecclesiastical leader . The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 countries. LEARN MORE: https://www.scientologynews.org/press-releases/ https://bergamasca.scientologymissions.org/ VIDEO: https://youtu.be/j-2euFXXbfc?si=rxRaPmCZR7EyCsLi PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/24-1224-s2p-COSBergamo-300dpi.jpg PHOTO CAPTION: Celebrating the anniversary and expansion of the Ideal Scientology Mission of Bergamo. TAGS: #IdealScientologyMission #Bergamo NEWS SOURCE: Church of Scientology International Keywords: Religion and Churches, Ideal Scientology Mission, BERGAMO, Italy This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Church of Scientology International) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire . Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P123038 APDF15TBLLI To view the original version, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/celebrating-the-25th-anniversary-and-the-expansion-of-the-ideal-scientology-mission-of-bergamo/ © 2024 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.ROSEN, NATIONAL TRIAL LAWYERS, Encourages Light & Wonder, Inc. Investors to Inquire About ...

India's former PM Manmohan Singh dies aged 92Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’