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Jacksonville defeats East Tennessee State 60-52OC Transpo well below punctuality targets on 'less frequent' routes
Congratulations are in order for Tallulah Willis , the youngest daughter of actors Bruce Willis and Demi Moore . On Monday, Tallulah Willis revealed on social media that she is engaged to musician Justin Acee. In an adorable Instagram post , Willis shared photos from the special moment, showing a close-up of a ring and the couple leaning in for a kiss. She also shared footage seemingly captured by her fiance as he documented the romantic, holiday-themed scenery from the engagement, complete with a candlelit pathway adorned with rose petals. Willis, who in recent years has launched a clothing line, captioned her post “everyday @justinacee,” tagging her beau. Older sister Rumer Willis celebrated the good news on her Instagram stories. “ Baby Sis is Engaged ,” the “Empire” actor wrote while reposting Monday’s announcement. Rumer Willis also showed love under her younger sister’s Instagram post, commenting: “The most beautiful love to witness and watch grow. I love you both so much. Justin I’m so lucky I get to call you my brother.” She added: “Baby Lula my gift my queen my heart is so full. Obsessed with you both.” Their middle sister, Scout Willis, joined in on her own Instagram stories, writing, “My angels are engagedddddddddddddd.” Like Tallulah Willis, Rumer and Scout Willis are the adult daughters of Bruce Willis and Moore, his ex-wife. Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone. Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. The “Die Hard” actor’s current wife, Emma Heming Willis , celebrated the engagement announcement as well, posting two heart emoji beneath it on Instagram. Bruce Willis tied the knot with the model in 2009. They share two children, girls Mabel and Evelyn. This week’s news comes after the family of the “Sixth Sense” star announced in 2022 that he was retiring from acting following an aphasia diagnosis. His family later said that the condition, which affects communication, had progressed to frontotemporal dementia . Related From Our PartnerNone
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The Galapagos debt-for-nature swap highlights the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth Sri Lanka unilaterally defaulted on its external debt in April 2022, exposing its long-standing economic and financial vulnerabilities and igniting a series of inter-related multiple economic crises—fiscal, debt, currency, inflation, and balance of payments—as well as a vast socio-political upheaval. The root cause of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis was a result of misuse of public funds by politicians on an unprecedented scale and large fiscal deficits, which were increasingly financed by unsustainable public debt, particularly foreign commercial borrowings. This carefully over time navigated Sri Lanka into a public debt crisis, international sovereign bond unsustainability, liquidity crisis, and a collapse in the exchange rate. These were the catalysts for Sri Lanka’s decision to a unilateral default on its external debt. A substantial reduction and reprofiling of debt through restructuring of both domestic and foreign debt to ensure debt sustainability is essential coupled with a meaningful fiscal policy reform anchored by revenue increases and expenditure rationalisation to reduce fiscal deficits. Deep growth-enhancing structural reforms are necessary for medium-term rescue and recovery and long-term growth and stability of Sri Lanka. Like Sri Lanka, Ecuador in South America was searching for an exit ramp for its Sovereign Bond situation. Instead of using conventional brick-and-mortar restructuring methods, they came up with an innovative Debt for Nature swap, repurchasing $ 1.6 billion worth of Ecuador’s outstanding bonds at approximately 40 cents on the dollar. Debt for Nature Swap will save Ecuador $ 1.1 billion in debt service repayments over the next several years, with $ 450 million invested in conservation and sustainable activities. This goes on to show that there could be multiple ways to restructure a country’s sovereign bonds and this is a valuable lesson for Sri Lanka. The Government of Ecuador (through the National Planning Secretariat, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of the Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition), with the support of the Green Climate Fund, has announced the launch of the “Sovereign Green Bonds Framework of Ecuador”. The document establishes guidelines, technical mechanisms, and instructions necessary to implement the core components of the Green Bond Framework. Projects funded by the issuance of these green bonds must meet eligibility criteria. Eligible projects include those focused on the development of renewable energy; sustainable agriculture, land use, and protected areas; sustainable and low-carbon transportation; and sustainable management of natural resources, among others. These programs and projects are expected to contribute to Ecuador’s transition towards sustainable development, based on low emissions and resilience to climate change. On 9 May 2023, Ecuador’s government successfully completed the Galapagos Debt for Nature swap, repurchasing $ 1.6 billion worth of Ecuador’s outstanding bonds at approximately 40 cents on the dollar. The operation will save Ecuador $ 1.1 billion in debt service repayments over the next 17 years, with $ 450 million invested in conservation and sustainable activities. Conservation investment will benefit the Galapagos National Park, the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and the new Hermandad Marine Reserve, which together total 198,000 square marine kilometres. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), with funding from the Latin American Development Bank (CAF), acted as a trusted advisory to the Ministry of Economy and Finance throughout the transaction by providing technical and financial advice. This was a significant milestone for Ecuador’s efforts to promote sustainable development and environmental conservation. GGGI’s financial and technical advice included advice on the structure the debt swap transaction in compliance with Ecuador’s regulations and policies; design Ecuador’s Sovereign Green Bond Framework and secure its positive Second Party Opinion; coordination on the negotiation and formalisation of conservation commitments and the establishment of the Galapagos Life Fund; securing third-party credit enhancement by developing policies, regulations and frameworks required by third-party guarantors; and build the technical capacity of government officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Finance and Economy on debt for nature swaps and other sustainable financial instruments key to the transaction under the framework of Ecuador. The Galapagos debt-for-nature swap highlights the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth. The swap not only contributed to environmental conservation but also helped Ecuador save over a billion dollars in interest payments. The Republic of Ecuador is now in the process of issuing its first Social Bond with the objective of diversifying its sources of funding for financing access to affordable and decent housing, thus reducing the housing deficit in the country. The proceeds from the bonds will be used to finance the public policy of affordable and decent housing through the provision of capital on appropriate terms for Social Interest Housing (or Vivienda de Interés Social, VIS) and Public Interest Housing (Vivienda de Interés Público, VIP). (The writer is former currency strategist, commodity futures trader, and technical analyst.)Karachi seminar reveals 85% of women workers facing harassment in Pakistan
We came across UK-based when its Cyber Recovery Orchestration achieved Veeam Ready Security status in November. This was followed by an email interview with marketing head Ben Hodge, which revealed some surprising points about the company’s relationship with Index Engines and Rubrik. Index Engines is the solution that Predatar’s capabilities get confused with the most, but they are actually tackling the problem of malware in backups differently. In my opinion, Predatar and Index Engines actually complement one another beautifully (not that anyone is using both as far as I am aware). Index Engines excels at scanning data on ingest detecting anomalies and identifying encrypted data that might slip past other tools. This gives customers peace of mind that only unencrypted data is vaulted, which is crucial for securing backups. Predatar is all about validating recoverability. It focuses on continuous recovery testing and deep malware scanning of the data that resides within backups (and snapshots). Predatar continually mounts and powers-up workloads to validate recoverability and then runs a malware scan using built-in XDR tools in a Predatar CleanRoom environment – Index Engines does not do this. The Predatar team claims to have found malware hidden in backups at 79 percent of the customers that use it, which goes to show that Predatar is solving a very real problem. In addition to validating the cleanliness and recoverability of data, Predatar also records recovery times, allowing users to validate their SLAs/RTOs. I think a lot of the confusion comes from the fact that Predatar also includes backup anomaly detection – but that is really secondary to our core proposition of recovery validation. Predatar uses the anomaly detection as just one mechanism to help prioritize which backups/snapshots to test next. So, to recap... Index Engines ensures clean, encryption-free vaulting, while we guarantee reliable and proven malware-free recovery. Rubrik, IBM, Veeam, and HPE have all acknowledged (not all of them publicly) that Predatar does something different to their own offerings, and for now at least they consider us to be partners rather than competitors. Rubrik, IBM, and HPE all participated in our recent Control24 user summit. As per the question above, I’ll focus on Rubrik specifically here. Rubrik has some fantastic tools to spot and track malware and signs of encryption in data. However, once Rubrik finds an issue, that’s were it stops. Rubrik doesn’t provide any automation to push suspect data to a cleanroom for testing, and Rubrik doesn’t have a way of doing recovery testing at scale. In the words of Rubrik, “Predatar picks up where Rubrik stops.” Not really. HPE has something called the Cyber Resilience Vault (Zerto is a component of it), but it’s missing a “Predatar-type” component that validates the recoverability and cleanliness of the data that is stored in it. HPE is offering a version of their Cyber Resilience Vault with Predatar incorporated into it. You can see Shariq Aqil, Global Field CTO at HPE explaining the solution (skip to 12:03). Step 1. The beginning: Predatar was originally designed as a tool to help the MSP scale up by automating repetitive maintenance tasks and reporting – thus meaning Silverstring could manage more customer’s backups without employing more people. Step 2. What the Crunchbase blurb is about: We realized that other MSPs (or resellers with an ambition to become MSPs) could benefit from Predatar in the same way Silverstring did. We went to market with Predatar as a tool for MSPs. Step 3. The cyber recovery piece; we continued to develop the platform with more features that MSPs would benefit from. This included automated recovery testing and later malware detection tools that would allow MSPs to guarantee the backups they were managing were recoverable and infection-free. The reaction to these new tools was huge. Interest in the new tools eclipsed the original reporting and management tools. Step 4. Marketing focus: Earlier this year we took the decision to focus solely on the cyber recovery proposition, which is applicable to MSPs and end users alike. Correct, Predatar and Silverstring are owned by Alistair. Predatar had no external funding.Former Boise State coach Chris Petersen still gets asked about the Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma on the first day of 2007. That game had everything. Underdog Boise State took a 28-10 lead over one of college football's blue bloods that was followed by a 25-point Sooners run capped by what could have been a back-breaking interception return for a touchdown with 1:02 left. Then the Broncos used three trick plays that remain sensations to not only force overtime but win 43-42. And then there was the marriage proposal by Boise State running back Ian Johnson — shortly after scoring the winning two-point play — to cheerleader Chrissy Popadics that was accepted on national TV. That game put Broncos football on the national map for most fans, but looking back 18 years later, Petersen sees it differently. "Everybody wants to talk about that Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game, which is great how it all worked out and all those things," Petersen said. "But we go back to play TCU (three years later) again on the big stage. It's not as flashy a game, but to me, that was an even better win." Going back to the Fiesta Bowl and winning, Petersen reasoned, showed the Broncos weren't a splash soon to fade away, that there was something longer lasting and more substantive happening on the famed blue turf. The winning has continued with few interruptions. No. 8 and third-seeded Boise State is preparing for another trip to the Fiesta Bowl, this time in a playoff quarterfinal against No. 5 and sixth-seeded Penn State on New Year's Eve. That success has continued through a series of coaches, though with a lot more of a common thread than readily apparent. Dirk Koetter was hired from Oregon, where Petersen was the wide receivers coach. Not only did Koetter bring Petersen with him to Oregon, Petersen introduced him to Dan Hawkins, who also was hired for the staff. So the transition from Koetter to Hawkins to Petersen ensured at least some level of consistency. Koetter and Hawkins engineered double-digit victory seasons five times over a six-year span that led to power-conference jobs. Koetter went to Arizona State after three seasons and Hawkins to Colorado after five. Then when Petersen became the coach after the 2005 season, he led Boise State to double-digit wins his first seven seasons and made bowls all eight years. He resisted the temptation to leave for a power-conference program until Washington lured him away toward the end of the 2013 season. Then former Boise State quarterback and offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin took over and posted five double-digit victory seasons over his first six years. After going 5-2 during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he left for Auburn. "They just needed consistency of leadership," said Koetter, who is back as Boise State's offensive coordinator. "This program had always won at the junior-college level, the Division II level, the I-AA (now FCS) level." But Koetter referred to "an unfortunate chain of events" that made Boise State a reclamation project when he took over in 1998. Coach Pokey Allen led Boise State to the Division I-AA national championship game in 1994, but was diagnosed with cancer two days later. He died on Dec. 30, 1996, at 53. Allen coached the final two games that season, Boise State's first in Division I-A (now FBS). Houston Nutt became the coach in 1997, went 4-7 and headed to Arkansas. Then Koetter took over. "One coach dies and the other wasn't the right fit for this program," Koetter said. "Was a really good coach, did a lot of good things, but just wasn't a good fit for here." But because of Boise State's success at the lower levels, Koetter said the program was set up for success. "As Boise State has risen up the conference food chain, they've pretty much always been at the top from a player talent standpoint," Koetter said. "So it was fairly clear if we got things headed in the right direction and did a good job recruiting, we would be able to win within our conference for sure." Success didn't take long. He went 6-5 in 1998 and then won 10 games each of the following two seasons. Hawkins built on that winning and Petersen took it to another level. But there is one season, really one game, no really one half that still bugs Petersen. He thought his best team was in 2010, one that entered that late-November game at Nevada ranked No. 3 and had a legitimate chance to play for the national championship. The Colin Kaepernick-led Wolf Pack won 34-31. "I think the best team that I might've been a part of as the head coach was the team that lost one game to Nevada," Petersen said. "That team, to me, played one poor half of football on offense the entire season. We were winning by a bunch at half (24-7) and we came out and did nothing on offense in the second half and still had a chance to win. "That team would've done some damage." There aren't any what-ifs with this season's Boise State team. The Broncos are in the field of the first 12-team playoff, representing the Group of Five as its highest-ranked conference champion. That got Boise State a bye into the quarterfinals. Spencer Danielson has restored the championship-level play after taking over as the interim coach late last season during a rare downturn that led to Andy Avalos' dismissal. Danielson received the job full time after leading Boise State to the Mountain West championship. Now the Broncos are 12-1 with their only defeat to top-ranked and No. 1 seed Oregon on a last-second field goal. Running back Ashton Jeanty also was the runner-up to the Heisman Trophy. "Boise State has been built on the backs of years and years of success way before I got here," Danielson said. "So even this season is not because of me. It's because the group of young men wanted to leave a legacy, be different. We haven't been to the Fiesta Bowl in a decade. They said in January, 'We're going to get that done.' They went to work." As was the case with Danielson, Petersen and Koetter said attracting top talent is the primary reason Boise State has succeeded all these years. Winning, obviously, is the driving force, and with more entry points to the playoffs, the Broncos could make opportunities to keep returning to the postseason a selling point. But there's also something about the blue carpet. Petersen said he didn't get what it was about when he arrived as an assistant coach, and there was some talk about replacing it with more conventional green grass. A poll in the Idaho Statesman was completely against that idea, and Petersen has come to appreciate what that field means to the program. "It's a cumulative period of time where young kids see big-time games when they're in seventh and eighth and ninth and 10th grade and go, 'Oh, I know that blue turf. I want to go there,'" Petersen said. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Sunday, December 15, 2024 As the global travel industry steadily moves into a post-pandemic era, business travel is surging back with renewed energy. However, the travel landscape has changed significantly, bringing new costs, challenges, and opportunities for companies and travel managers alike. The latest FCM Consulting Q3 2024 Business Travel Report sheds light on the state of corporate travel, revealing that while prices are rising, travel has also become more predictable. This predictability offers companies a chance to adopt proactive strategies, manage costs, and maximize the value of every business trip. Bonnie Smith, General Manager of FCM South Africa, underscores this dual reality. “Yes, travel is getting more expensive, but it’s also becoming more predictable,” she says, urging travel managers to seize the moment for smarter, data-driven travel planning. Her advice comes as corporate travel faces rising business class fares, increased hotel rates, and crowded flights across key global hubs like London, New York, and Dubai. The pandemic-induced lull in global travel has now given way to a travel surge. Airports, once eerily empty, are now bustling with travelers. Passenger demand grew by 8.6% in August 2024 compared to the previous year, leading to an 86.2% flight load factor — the percentage of available seats that are filled with passengers. Business travelers are feeling this pressure firsthand. Business class fares have seen a 6% to 8% increase from 2023, adding strain to corporate budgets. While economy fares have dipped by 1% to 4%, this offers little relief to companies that prioritize comfort, speed, and productivity for their executives. The days of “last-minute Larry” bookings are over, says Bonnie Smith. Companies delaying their bookings risk paying significantly higher prices. Strategic planners are urged to book early to avoid price hikes and secure seats on crowded flights. Last-minute bookings, especially to high-demand destinations like New York, London, and Dubai, will likely be met with sky-high ticket prices and limited seating options. Hotel rates have also surged, further adding to the cost burden on business travelers. According to the FCM report, the average price of a hotel room in Johannesburg jumped 14%, while the cost of a stay in New York City now averages $490 per night — a 15% increase. North America saw a 6.8% rise in hotel prices, while South America experienced a staggering 25.4% increase. Rates in Europe also climbed by 5.3%, reflecting the heightened demand for business travel accommodation. While the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia saw slight price declines, these regions remain competitive business destinations that require strategic planning. With soaring hotel bills, companies are being advised to reconsider their accommodation strategies. Business hotels located just outside major city centers often offer lower rates and better facilities for productivity. “Some of the best business hotels are just a short ride from the city center,” says Smith, emphasizing that location is not everything. To navigate these rising hotel rates, companies are encouraged to work with Travel Management Corporations (TMCs), which negotiate corporate rates with hotel chains and offer greater flexibility in booking terms. Travel Management Corporations (TMCs) will play a vital role in helping companies navigate the turbulent travel landscape of 2025. TMCs leverage their buying power to secure better rates on flights, hotels, and car rentals, offering flexibility and support when plans change. Bonnie Smith highlights the benefits of using a TMC: “We’re booking thousands of room nights and flights, which means better rates and more flexible terms for our clients.” By consolidating purchasing power, TMCs can negotiate exclusive corporate deals that individual companies could not secure on their own. Additionally, TMCs offer centralized booking systems, allowing companies to track travel expenses, monitor employee movements, and enforce company travel policies. This helps organizations optimize their travel budgets while enhancing employee safety and compliance. Despite rising costs, 2025 offers an unprecedented opportunity for companies to be more strategic with travel. Booking ahead and locking in rates for flights and hotels will be essential for cost control. Early bookings not only secure lower rates but also guarantee better availability of business class seats and preferred hotel rooms. Companies that invest in travel technology and data analytics can gain a competitive edge. By tracking pricing trends and forecasting demand, travel managers can make better-informed decisions. The rise of predictive travel technology allows companies to anticipate price hikes and secure bookings at the right time. According to FCM, proactive planning could become the key to thriving in the 2025 corporate travel space. The “early bird” approach has never been more relevant. Booking flights, hotels, and car rentals months in advance will no longer be a suggestion — it will be a necessity. There is, however, a glimmer of hope. Airlines have announced plans to expand seat availability by 1.8% globally and by 2.1% in Africa in the first half of 2025. While this increase will create more flight options, it does not necessarily mean cheaper fares. As demand for face-to-face meetings remains high, ticket prices are expected to stay elevated. To take advantage of new route announcements, travel managers are encouraged to maintain close relationships with airline representatives or collaborate with their TMCs. Airlines often bundle new routes with promotional rates or corporate deals, providing companies with a chance to lock in early-bird discounts. The companies that succeed in 2025’s travel landscape won’t be the ones with the biggest budgets — they’ll be the ones with the smartest strategies. Proactive planning, early bookings, and the support of TMCs will be essential. By locking in rates early, tracking data trends, and leveraging TMC-negotiated deals, companies can minimize costs while maximizing the value of each business trip. Savvy companies will also diversify their accommodation choices, booking hotels outside city centers or selecting properties with better facilities for productivity. The ability to adapt and stay ahead of changing trends will define success in 2025. Business travel in 2025 will be shaped by rising costs, but also by newfound predictability. Companies that adopt strategic planning, leverage TMCs, and use predictive travel tools will be better positioned to control costs and enhance value. With early bookings, smarter accommodation choices, and greater access to predictive pricing data, companies can turn the challenges of 2025 into a competitive advantage. From crowded airports and pricier hotels to smarter booking strategies, the future of business travel belongs to the well-prepared. As airlines expand seat capacity and TMCs offer better rates, companies have every reason to plan ahead and travel smarter. The early bird truly gets the window seat — and the savings. Read Travel Industry News in 104 different regional platforms Get our daily dose of news, by subscribing to our newsletters. Subscribe here . Watch Travel And Tour World Interviews here . 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