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blackjack offline Somersworth's painted plows spread salt and holiday cheerOTTAWA — Canada will beef up its border security in time for the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Tuesday as he appeared at a House of Commons committee. LeBlanc couldn't provide specifics on the number of extra "boots on the ground," but said the government is finalizing a plan based on advice received from the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency, and that he is now working with Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to fund it. "We haven't made, as a government, those final decisions," LeBlanc told the committee, in response to questions from Conservative MP Raquel Dancho. "There will be additional resources. Human and equipment. We will be making announcements in terms of procurement and personnel before (Jan. 20)," he said, referencing Trump's inauguration date. Last week, Trump threatened Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on all imports if Canada didn't do more to stem the passage of migrants and illegal drugs across the border. If enacted the move could critically damage Canada's economy, with more than 70 per cent of Canadian exports bound for the United States. On Friday, LeBlanc and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Florida to dine with Trump and some of his cabinet nominees at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida where they informally discussed trade and border security among other topics. Trudeau met with opposition leaders in his office on Parliament Hill on Tuesday to brief them on the situation as it stands now. An official in Trudeau's office said during the meeting Trudeau stressed the importance of not negotiating against Canada in public, and asked party leaders to state repeatedly and publicly that tariffs will raise the cost of living on both sides of the border. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who attended the meeting, said at an afternoon news conference that unity is key among premiers and federal party leaders, because successfully beating back the tariffs is "not going to happen by accident." "All of us should be putting country before party," she said. Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet said the meeting was cordial, discussions rational and constructive, and said having more of those meetings would be helpful in having a consistent approach on U.S. policy — amid a looming Canadian election. "If that tone that was used in that type of meeting could show up in Parliament, people would have more confidence in us and take us more seriously," Blanchet told reporters, in French. In English he said he was willing to wait for the government's finalized plan for the border before commenting on it, adding he's trying not to turn the issue into a partisan fight. "The parts of (the plan) are exactly what we asked for a long time ago. We asked for more people at the border and ports of entry," Blanchet said. "This is what they seem to be doing with closer collaboration with U.S. authorities. We don't have the details, we don't have the numbers. But we know about the intention, which by itself is the beginning of a good thing." Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre emerged from the meeting appearing to heed Trudeau's call to stress the impact the tariffs could have on the U.S. economy. "It should be obvious and easy to make these arguments to the Americans, because they would be doing enormous damage to their own economy," Poilievre told reporters. But he was also highly critical of Trudeau for enacting policies that Poilievre said put Canada into the position it is in now. He said his demands are for Trudeau to fix the "disorder" at the border and the immigration system, as well as reverse economic damages he says were caused by the carbon price and an emissions cap on oil and gas production. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said Trudeau told the party leaders that it would be helpful if they "didn't amplify the kind of messaging and language that the Trump administration is using to attack Canada." "When you sit around a table, there's the sense that we're all here with a shared view and goals that we share as Canadians," May told reporters. "That said, there were differences in responses as we went around afterwards how much we were willing to say 'yes, we will do whatever we can as opposition party leaders to avoid giving the Trump administration any sound bites that sound like Canadians agree with Trump.'" In a post on Truth Social Nov. 30, Trump called his meeting with Trudeau productive particularly about the drug crisis, but made no mention of whether it had moved the needle for him on tariffs. On Tuesday he posted an illustration of him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag and the caption "O Canada" without any further explanation. Earlier Tuesday at the public safety committee, RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said the RCMP did not have intelligence about where people might try to cross the U.S. border, which would inform where to deploy additional officers and how many. He said the challenging part is it's only a crime once people or drugs actually cross into the U.S. "There's collaboration (with U.S. Customs and Border Protection). But I think it's really important to identify those hot areas based on the position that the U.S. will take." Speaking to reporters outside the committee, Duheme said protecting the border is a shared responsibility between both countries and there are problems going both ways. "You heard fentanyl, you heard firearms are coming up from the south. So it's a shared responsibility," he said. The flow of illegal firearms is a topic LeBlanc and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised with Trump at their dinner Friday night. "The prime minister did say, when they were talking about their concerns around fentanyl and precursor chemicals and drugs, that we have for a long time worried about illegal firearms smuggled into Canada," LeBlanc told the committee. "We made that point to (Trump) that that was something we wanted to do in partnership with them." LeBlanc also told reporters on Monday that his department is mulling over expanding the CBSA's mandate to include border patrol between ports of entry. Right now, that responsibility falls on the RCMP. But LeBlanc said such a move would require a legislative change that would take some time to enact. "We’re always looking at good ideas and we’re not dismissing this one, but it’s not a priority for us in terms of arriving at the conclusion we want," LeBlanc said. Speaking to reporters following the leaders meeting with Trudeau, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said it's a change he would support. "Let's protect our borders, keep us safe, and also help in the fight against these tariffs," Singh said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024 . -with files from David Baxter. Nick Murray, The Canadian PressNone

BBC Question Time audience member enrages farmers by saying he wants to play 'the world's smallest violin' for those hit by Keir Starmer's inheritance tax grab Do YOU know the audience member? Email emily.davies@mailonline.co.uk By EMILY JANE DAVIES Published: 19:33 GMT, 22 November 2024 | Updated: 19:38 GMT, 22 November 2024 e-mail 56 View comments A BBC Question Time audience member has enraged farmers after saying he wants to play 'the world's smallest violin' for those hit by Keir Starmer 's inheritance tax. The Prime Minister is facing a growing backlash from farmers, celebrities and his own MPs over Labour's decision to impose 20 per cent inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1million . More than 10,000 farmers and high-profile supporters including Jeremy Clarkson and Lord Lloyd Webber descended on Westminster to protest against the controversial policy on Tuesday. A man in the audience of the BBC Question Time debate programme told the panel of political figures: 'I keep hearing this term cash-poor and asset-rich. 'My maths isn't great but for £400,000 worth of inheritance tax, you have a £5million estate. 'I'm afraid you are gonna have to find me the world's smallest violin to tell me that you don't pay tax on an estate that you're passing down to your children of £5million. It sounds crazy to me.' Furious farmers took to X to slam the comments, with one saying: 'I hope you find the world's smallest violin when there's a food shortage.' It comes just days after the BBC's 'truth checking' unit was under scrutiny for quietly deleting a statement backing ministers' claims in their tax-grab battle with farmers . A BBC Question Time audience member has enraged farmers after saying he wants to play 'the world's smallest violin' for those hit by Keir Starmer 's inheritance tax Speaking at the G20 summit in Brazil, Sir Keir Starmer repeated his claim that the 'vast majority' of farmers would be unaffected by the tax raid Jeremy Clarkson said farmers had received a 'kick in the nuts and a light hammer blow to the back of the head' BBC Verify, a service set up to root out 'misinformation', wrote that the government's figures were 'likely' to be right concerning the number of farms affected by the inheritance tax raid. But on the day under-fire Sir Keir Starmer trumpeted the BBC's finding, triggering a political row about bias, the corporation quietly removed it from its website. According to the BBC, the change was made before Mr Starmer spoke. There have been dramatically conflicting estimates about how many farms will be dragged into the tax changes announced in the Budget. Ministers insist the reforms will only affect about 500 estates a year. But the Country Land and Business Association claimed 70,000 farms face being snared by the new regime with 'devastating' consequences for farming families. Speaking to reporters at the G20 summit in Rio on Tuesday, the Prime Minister insisted 'the vast majority' of farmers would be unaffected, telling reporters: 'All of you can check out what that means in terms of the impact - I think the BBC has already done it. 'It means the vast majority of farms are unaffected by this and I think it's just important we keep making that clear.' Clarkson holding a sign reading 'With our farmers' at the November 19 rally Demonstrators tuck into M&S sandwiches at the farmers' rally in Whitehallin November 19 A furious Jeremy Clarkson has begged the government to 'be big' and admit they had made a mistake as he addressed a mass protest of more than 13,000 farmers and their supporters in London. Farmers and their supporters from as far away as Northumberland made their way to the centre of the rainy capital earlier this week, with many arriving in large coaches wearing tweed jackets. The 64-year-old, who is recovering from a life-saving heart operation, attended the event alongside his Clarkson's Farm co-stars Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland, theatre legend Andrew Lloyd-Webber and dozens of MPs including Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage. Giving a speech after the main rally, Mr Clarkson confessed he was 'off my t***' on codeine and paracetamol, before describing how he had come to understand that farming was 'unbelievably difficult, dangerous and cold'. Farmers faced costs, pressure from environmentalists and regulations, and 'we have all these complications and costs, and there's very little money in it as you know - and then we got the Budget', he said, to boos from the crowd. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was among those present at the farmer rally in Westminster Farmers left large piles of vegetables outside Downing Street in protest The TV star continued: 'I know a lot of people across the country in all walks of life took a bit of a kick on the shin with that Budget. You lot got a knee in the nuts and a hammer blow to the back of the head.' 'For the sake of everybody here, and for all the farmers stuck at home paralysed by a fog of despair over what's been foisted on them, I beg of the Government to be big and accept this was rushed through, it wasn't thought out and it was a mistake. That's the big thing to do, and back down.' Earlier, Mr Clarkson - who runs Diddly Squat farm in Chipping Norton - became exasperated with Victoria Derbyshire during an interview on Whitehall. The argument began when Ms Derbyshire had asked him whether he was there for himself rather than British farmers, asking him: 'So it's not about you, your farm and to avoid inheritance attack?'. A clearly taken aback Mr Clarkson immediately rolled his eyes and said: 'Classic BBC there. Classic'. Ms Derbyshire shot back: 'Is it?', referring to an article in the Sunday Times where he wrote about the tax benefits of buying a farm. Mr Clarkson then tacitly accused of her of giving an opinion, disputing her claim that it was a 'fact' that he bought his Oxfordshire farm for tax purposes, explaining it was because he loved country sports such as shooting. He continued: 'Typical BBC. You people', and would later say to the crowd around them: 'Are you listening to this?' when Ms Derbyshire repeated Ms Reeves' claims that the inheritance tax raised would 'raise money for public services'. Children on toy tractors led a small march in central London on November19 Vast crowds gather to watch Clarkson and other supporters give speeches at the protest Mr Clarkson also hit out at the BBC during his speech, branding the broadcaster 'the mouthpiece of this infernal Government'. Shortly after arriving at the rally, Mr Clarkson joked he was in London to do 'a bit of Christmas shopping' before saying: 'I'm here to support the farmers, it's that simple, because they need all the help they can get really, even from me.' Asked about his comments in an interview with the Times in 2021 that avoiding inheritance tax was 'the critical thing' in his decision to buy land, he said: 'That's actually quite funny because the real reason I bought the farm was because I wanted to shoot, so I thought if I told a bunch of people that I bought a farm so I could shoot pheasants it might look bad. 'So, I thought I better come up with another excuse, so I said inheritance tax. I actually didn't know about inheritance tax until after I bought it. I didn't mind, obviously, but the real reason I bought it is because I wanted to shoot.' Jeremy Clarkson Labour Keir Starmer London Share or comment on this article: BBC Question Time audience member enrages farmers by saying he wants to play 'the world's smallest violin' for those hit by Keir Starmer's inheritance tax grab e-mail Add commentFirefighters are battling a blaze at Manor Social Club. Distressing images so the City Road establishment is on fire. Sheffield Online state: “Manor Social Club on fire. “Emergency services are dealing with a fire on City Road at the Manor Social club. We are currently establishing further details. We will bring you all the latest updates in this live blog. So, take a scroll below to find our further about this breaking Sheffield news. Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here. Key Events Traffic diverted 19:47 What we know so far 19:37 We've seen reports of traffic being diverted away from the scene while the emergency services get the fire under the control. Those intending to travel around the area are encouraged to plan an alternative route. Share Comments Lots of people have taken to social media passing on their well-wishes and hoping nobody is hurt. Tim N Alyson Mortimer, on Facebook , stated the iconic building, which looks to be severely damaged, is ‘a great loss to Sheffield. Share Comments Reports of a fire at Manor Social Club came in around 30-minutes-ago. We understand firefighters are currently at the scene battling the blaze. We are working to bring you further details. Share Comments

LODI, Calif., Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (OTCQX: FMCB ) announced today that Deborah Skinner, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, will be retiring effective December 31, 2024, after 24 years with Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California. The Company previously announced her intention to retire back on September 9, 2024. Ms. Skinner will remain with the Company through year-end to assist with the transition. "On behalf of the entire team at FMCB and the Board of Directors, I want to thank Debbie for her leadership and dedication to our company,” said Kent A. Steinwert, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of FMCB. "During her time with the Company, Debbie has been vital to the development and successful execution of our business operations and strategy. I also want to personally thank Debbie for being a trusted advisor to me and true business partner to our management team. We all wish her a happy and well-deserved retirement.” The Company also announced that Troy D. Harper will join the Company as its Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer effective December 9, 2024. Mr. Harper brings over 30 years of operational expertise in financial services to FMCB, including more than 20 years in commercial and retail banking. Prior to joining FMCB, he was Executive Vice President, Chief Information & Operations Officer for HomeStreet Bank, where he led deposit, loan, and treasury management operations, IT, corporate real estate, and security. His career experience includes additional banking and operational roles at the FDIC, Pierce Commercial Bank, CGI Group, and Deloitte Consulting. He received a B.S. in finance and accounting management from Northeastern University. Mr. Harper will work closely with Ms. Skinner until her retirement at year-end to ensure a seamless transition. "As we continue to expand our organization, it's important that we add highly accomplished, talented, and experienced people to our executive leadership team. Troy brings a depth and breadth of operations and IT experience to the Company that will enrich the management team, while enabling us to execute successfully on our objectives in 2025 and beyond,” stated Mr. Steinwert. About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, trades on the OTCQX under the symbol FMCB, and is the parent company of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, also known as F&M Bank. Founded in 1916, F&M Bank is a locally owned and operated community bank, which proudly serves California through 33 convenient locations. F&M Bank is financially strong, with $5.4 billion in assets, and is consistently recognized as one of the nation's safest banks by national bank rating firms. The Bank has maintained a 5-Star rating from BauerFinancial for 34 consecutive years, longer than any other commercial bank in the State of California. Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has paid dividends for 89 consecutive years and has increased dividends for 59 consecutive years. As a result, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp is a member of a select group of only 56 publicly traded companies referred to as "Dividend Kings,” and is ranked 17 th in that group based on consecutive years of dividend increases. A "Dividend King” is a stock with 50 or more consecutive years of dividend increase. In August 2024, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp was named by Bank Director's Magazine as the #2 best performing bank in the nation across all asset categories in their annual "Ranking Banking” study of the top performing banks for 2023. Last year the Bank was named by Bank Director's Magazine as the #1 best performing bank in the nation across all asset categories in their annual "Ranking Banking” study of the top performing banks for 2022. In April 2024, F&M Bank was ranked 6 th on Forbes Magazine's list of "America's Best Banks" in 2023. Forbes' annual "America's Best Banks” list looks at ten metrics measuring growth, credit quality, profitability, and capital for the 2023 calendar year, as well as stock performance in the 12 months through March 18, 2024. In December 2023, F&M Bank was ranked 4 th on S&P Global Market Intelligence's "Top 50 List of Best-Performing Community Banks” in the US with assets between $3.0 billion and $10.0 billion for 2023. S&P Global Market Intelligence ranks financial institutions based on several key factors including financial returns, growth, and balance sheet risk profile. In October 2021, F&M Bank was named the "Best Community Bank in California” by Newsweek magazine. Newsweek's ranking recognizes those financial institutions that best serve their customers' needs in each state. This recognition speaks to the superior customer service the F&M Bank team members provide to its clients. F&M Bank is the 15 th largest bank lender to agriculture in the United States. F&M Bank operates in the mid-Central Valley of California, including Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, and Merced counties and the east region of the San Francisco Bay Area, including Napa, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. F&M Bank was inducted into the National Agriculture Science Center's "Ag Hall of Fame” at the end of 2021 for providing resources, financial advice, guidance, and support to the agribusiness communities as well as to students in the next generation of agribusiness workforce. F&M Bank is dedicated to helping California remain the premier agricultural region in the world and will continue to work with the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and processors. F&M Bank remains committed to servicing the needs of agribusiness in California as has been the case since its founding over 108 years ago. F&M Bank offers a full complement of loan, deposit, equipment leasing and treasury management products to businesses, as well as a full suite of consumer banking products. The FDIC awarded F&M Bank the highest possible rating of "Outstanding" in their last Community Reinvestment Act ("CRA”) evaluation. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are based on management's current expectations regarding the Company's financial performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include the words "believe,” "expect,” "intend,” "estimate” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will,” "would,” "should,” "could” or "may.” Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding management team changes and their anticipated impact on the Company, and the Company's expansion and its ability to execute on strategic objectives. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control, and which could cause future events or results to be materially different from those stated or implied in this document. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to the risk factors and other important factors detailed in the Company's Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs, and various other securities law filings made periodically by the Company, copies of which are available from the Company's website. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. For more information about Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and F&M Bank, visit fmbonline.com. Investor Relations Contact Farmers & Merchants Bancorp Bart R. Olson Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Phone: 209-367-2485 [email protected]

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In view of scientific evidence that has been presented by experts on the damage that is occurring on the environment, it seems solving environmental problems requires something more than science. Science helps people create different kinds of gadgets, new devices and technologies that would enable communities to achieve a more low-impact lifestyle. However, implementing scientific solutions now goes beyond what scientists would look for. Politics is now stepping in the field of science. The world is not short of engineering solutions. What the world is short of is the commitment to solve environmental problems. There is no agreement on the nature of environmental problems. Governments cannot agree on which problem should be solved first, who should shoulder the responsibility and pay the cost. To highlight how important and serious the climate change is one has to realise that the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the BRICS+ coalition, the Organisation of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) are talking about it. Developed nations pledged in 2009 to send US$100 billion annually to developing countries struggling with the consequences of more severe climate change-driven disasters by 2020. The developing world is facing the disheartening fact that, despite years of promises of climate assistance, funds are still not arriving quickly enough to meet the growing challenges posed by climate change. Last week, at the COP29 meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh's leader Muhammad Yunus slammed rich countries responsible for decades of carbon emissions for not being willing to pay their fair share. The focus at this year's COP29 meeting was on setting new financial goals to help developing countries cope with the effects of climate change. Large economies in the world, have made promises that are yet to be firmly fulfilled. Many nations are still years away from providing money or are years behind schedule because of political disputes, administrative bottlenecks, and discussions about new regulations to speed up help from private donors and development banks. Climate change and the environment are becoming issues highlighting at best the politics of representations. If there is a commitment to solve the environmental problems, it is important to have the concrete representation of the challenge. Thus, the failure to meet the commitments that were made 15 years ago in pursuit for sustainable economic growth, developed countries are being empirical that they are not committed to proposals to reduce gas emissions from their economic dependent industries. These delays have had significant consequences on the development aspirations of growth, sustainable development, peace and security because of floods, droughts and high temperatures. Ahead of the Baku meeting, an independent group of scientists monitoring climate change said that there had been no progress on lowering the forecast for global warming for a third year in a row. Climate change debates are scientific. One of the reasons there is a dragging of dealing with the issues is that there is no consensus on how the world should move forward. It therefore calls for a better understanding about where nations, private donors, multinational corporations and people disagree with each other. Climate change and environmental problems are after all problems related to mankind because humans are the troublemakers. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Climate Governance Zimbabwe Submit By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. _ready.push(function($) {if ( ! loadjs.isDefined( 'newsletter-signup-assets' ) ) { loadjs( ["https://cdn01.allafrica.com/static/js/jquery/jquery.serialize-object.min.js?v=2024110900","https://cdn05.allafrica.com/static/js/newsletter-signup.min.js?v=2024110900","https://cdn05.allafrica.com/static/css/newsletter-signup.min.css?v=2024110900"], 'newsletter-signup-assets', { async: true, });} // the newsletter widget calls storageAllowed(), which is imported with // the cmp bundle. passing an array of bundle names to loadjs triggers // the callback only after all of the listed bundles have fired. loadjs.ready( [ 'cmp', 'js-cookie', 'events', 'newsletter-signup-assets' ], function() { $('.newsletter-signup.inread.collapse.w-background.w-background-color.blue').newsletterInRead({ maxShowCount: 10, maxCloseCount: 3, maxSuccessCount: 1, }); }); }); If people cannot come up with a consensus among themselves, it will be difficult for the environment to be improved even with brilliant technical solutions available. At the same time, without understanding how serious the problem the world is facing is, without understanding how much damage that is being done to the environment, there is no motivation to make changes and reduce the carbon footprint. Climate change is a proper global problem. No one country, no political or economic sector is going to be left unaffected by the impacts of climate change. It is particularly useful for people, developed and developing nations, and inter-governmental and multilateral institutions to unlock the current political complexity surrounding decision-making on climate change responses. It is key to have a common agenda and deal with climate change. Read the original article on The Herald .

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DASANI has removed one of its most criticized ingredients, aiming to improve the taste of what has long been dubbed "the nation's most disgusting water." But while some are celebrating the change, many shoppers are still saying "we're not drinking that." The brand, known for its salty and metallic flavor, has finally eliminated the controversial addition of salt. Shopper Jared Guynes took to social media to share a photo of the new Dasani bottles featuring a detachable label that reads, "now without salt". Celebrating the change, he wrote: "After decades, Dasani has finally done something about their gravel-tasting aquarium water! "They changed the flavor! No more salt! Read more money stories "The nation's most disgusting water might finally be drinkable!" However, the response from many consumers has been less than enthusiastic. "I'm still not drinking it," one user commented. Another shared: "I thought I was the only one who hated Dasani." Most read in Money Many complained about the water's texture, with one user stating: "Still too thick for my taste." Another quipped: "Ocean water still tastes better." The bitterness toward Dasani has a long history. Much of the criticism stems from its unique flavor, which is largely the result of the minerals added during the purification process. Unlike natural spring water, which derives its taste from its source, Dasani’s water comes from municipal sources (tap water), which is purified and then treated with minerals for taste. One of the key minerals in the process has been potassium chloride, a salt compound. Potassium chloride is commonly added to water to enhance flavor. But in the case of Dasani it has often been perceived by drinkers as adding an unpleasant salty or metallic aftertaste. This addition was not a mistake but part of the brand's strategy to make the water taste more "pure," but it may have backfired, creating an off-putting taste for many consumers. It comes as shoppers at Trader Joe's are reeling after learning that a beloved holiday favourite will no longer be gracing the store's shelves. The Gingerbread Coffee, renowned for its cozy blend of medium-dark roast coffee has been discontinued — a decision that caught not just customers but also staff off guard. Read More on The US Sun Meanwhile, McDonald's launched a new frappe flavor inspired by an iconic Latin dessert. The Dulce de Leche Frappe is now available nationwide for sweet tooths to indulge in.None

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NonePresident of theRepublic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree amendingthe "Rules for the Storage, Placement, and Management of CurrencyFunds of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan" (SOFAZ),originally approved by the President's decree on June 19, 2001, reports. The new decree outlines significant changes regarding SOFAZ'sinvestment portfolio. The portfolio, divided according to thefund's investment policy, may now include various assets, suchas: - money market instruments with an investment-grade creditrating (from Standard & Poor's, Fitch, or Moody's) and deposits incentral (national) banks; - debt obligations with an investment-grade credit rating; - stocks; - real estate, including infrastructure; - equity interests in alternative investment funds; - gold bars (gold) meeting the standards set by the LondonBullion Market Association; - debt instruments with non-investment-grade ratings or moneymarket instruments, provided that the total value of the investmentportfolio does not exceed five percent, including up to one percentrated at least "B-" (Standard & Poor's, Fitch) or "B3" (Moody's),with the remaining portion rated at least "BB-" (Standard & Poor's,Fitch) or "Ba3" (Moody's).I'm A Celebrity star Richard Coles shares heartbreaking tribute to late partner five years on from death

Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughingWATERTOWN, Mass., Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tectonic Therapeutic, Inc. (NASDAQ: TECX) ("Tectonic”) a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of therapeutic proteins and antibodies that modulate the activity of G-protein coupled receptors ("GPCRs”), today announced it will host a virtual key opinion leader (KOL) event on Thursday, December 12, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET. To register, click here . Key opinion leaders will include John R. Teerlink, MD, FHFSA (University of California San Francisco) and Raymond L. Benza, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), who will discuss the unmet medical need and current treatment landscape for patients with Group 2 Pulmonary Hypertension due to Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (Group 2 PH-HFpEF). The event will focus on Tectonic's lead program, TX45, an investigational Fc-relaxin fusion protein with optimized pharmacokinetics and biophysical properties that activates the RXFP1 receptor, the GPCR target of the hormone relaxin. TX45 is being evaluated in patients with Group 2 PH-HFpEF in an ongoing Phase 1b hemodynamic proof-of-concept study and a Phase 2 clinical proof-of-concept study. A live question and answer session will follow the formal presentations. About the Key Opinion Leaders: Professor John R. Teerlink, MD, FACC, FAHA, FESC, FHFA, FHFSA, FRCP (London) Professor Teerlink is Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). After graduating from Swarthmore College with a Religion major, he received an MD from Harvard Medical School and completed his Internal Medicine residency and Cardiovascular Medicine fellowship at UCSF, as well as post-doctoral fellowships in Cardiovascular pharmacology (Hoffman-LaRoche; Basel, Switzerland), echocardiography (UCSF) and heart failure (UCSF-affiliated hospital). He is actively involved in the design and execution of many heart failure clinical trials, serving on endpoint, data monitoring, steering and executive committees for numerous international studies investigating a variety of new pharmacologic therapies, as well as stem cell and gene therapies, diagnostic modalities and other devices. He was the lead clinical investigator for the serelaxin development program, serving as Principal Investigator for Pre-RELAX-AHF, RELAX-AHF, RELAX-AHF-2 and RELAX-Repeat, and as a steering committee member for RELAX-AHF-Asia. Dr. Teerlink has served on the US FDA Cardiovascular and Renal Drug Advisory Committee, as well as on other FDA drug, device, diagnostics, and vaccine panels and serves as a consultant on pre-clinical and clinical development programs in multiple areas of cardiology, as well as in non-cardiovascular indications. Dr. Teerlink was a founding physician member of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses and is a Past President of the Heart Failure Society of America. He was an Associate Editor for the Journal of Cardiac Failure, Guest Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor for JACC: Heart Failure, and is a clinical scholar presenting many lectures and over 300 publications, including a chapter on Acute Heart Failure in Braunwald's Heart Disease textbook. He was profiled in The Lancet as an internationally recognized leader in heart failure. Raymond L. Benza, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP Dr. Benza is a Professor and System Director of Pulmonary Hypertension at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology, the American College of Chest Physicians and the American College of Cardiology. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine with certification in the subspecialties of cardiovascular diseases and advanced heart failure and transplantation. Dr. Benza currently holds administrative positions in the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute and the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation and is the former treasurer of that society. He served on President Barak Obama's Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation (ACOT) in the Health Resources and Services Administration for 4 years and was knighted in 2015 by his Royal Highness Vittorio Emanuele of Italy for his philanthropic work in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and was admitted to the Association of University Cardiologists. He sits on multiple journal editorial committees and is the Steering Committee Chair for several industry trials in PAH. His primary clinical interests are the evaluation and treatment of advanced congestive heart failure, cardiac transplantation, and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). He participates in major clinical studies of new therapies for the treatment of heart failure, mechanical support, and pulmonary hypertension. Dr. Benza is a funded investigator for the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association for his work in pulmonary arterial hypertension focusing on risk stratification, pharmacogenomics and new device therapies for this disease state. About TX45, a long-acting Fc-relaxin fusion protein TX45 is an investigational Fc-relaxin fusion protein with optimized pharmacokinetics and biophysical properties that activates the RXFP1 receptor, the G-protein coupled receptor target of the hormone relaxin. Relaxin is an endogenous protein, expressed at low levels in both men and women that is a pulmonary and systemic vasodilator with lusitropic, anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activity. In normal human physiology, relaxin is upregulated during pregnancy where it exerts vasodilative effects, reduces systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance and increases cardiac output to accommodate the increased demand for oxygen and nutrients from the developing fetus. Relaxin also exerts anti-fibrotic effects on pelvic ligaments to facilitate delivery of the baby. About Group 2 Pulmonary Hypertension in HFpEF The World Health Organization has defined five groups of pulmonary hypertension ("PH”). Tectonic is focused on the Group 2 subtype, a condition that develops due to left-sided heart disease, specifically pulmonary hypertension secondary to left heart failure with preserved ejection fraction ("PH-HFpEF”). In patients with PH-HFpEF, chronic heart failure leads to increased blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, exerting severe strain on the right side of the heart, which adapts poorly to the increased pressure. This increased pulmonary pressure gradually causes worsening exercise capacity, shortness of breath and right-sided heart failure which can lead to death. Although several Group 1 PH (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, PAH) medications have been explored in Group 2 PH, to date, no medications have been approved for its treatment. About Tectonic Tectonic is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of therapeutic proteins and antibodies that modulate the activity of G-protein coupled receptors ("GPCRs”). Leveraging its proprietary technology platform called GEODeTM (GPCRs Engineered for Optimal Discovery), Tectonic is focused on developing biologic medicines that overcome the existing challenges of GPCR-targeted drug discovery and harness the human body to modify the course of disease. Tectonic focuses on areas of significant unmet medical need, often where therapeutic options are poor or nonexistent, as these are areas where new medicines have the potential to improve patient quality of life. Tectonic is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.tectonictx.com and follow on LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the "safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this press release other than statements of historical facts are "forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as "aims,” "anticipates,” "believes,” "could,” "estimates,” "expects,” "forecasts,” "goal,” "intends,” "may,” "plans,” "possible,” "potential,” "seeks,” "will” and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding: the design, objectives, initiation, timing, progress and results of clinical trials of Tectonic's product candidates, including the ongoing Phase 1b and Phase 2 clinical trials for TX45 in Group 2 PH-HFpEF; and the potential properties and benefits of TX45. These forward-looking statements are based on Tectonic's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties that could cause Tectonic's clinical development programs, future results or performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors may cause differences between current expectations and actual results, including: the potential that success in preclinical testing and earlier clinical trials does not ensure that later clinical trials will generate the same results or otherwise provide adequate data to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of a product candidate; the impacts of macroeconomic conditions, including the conflict in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, heightened inflation and uncertain credit and financial markets, on Tectonic's business, clinical trials and financial position; unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during preclinical studies or clinical trials; clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected; Tectonic's ability to realize the benefits of its collaborations and license agreements; changes in expected or existing competition; changes in the regulatory environment; the uncertainties and timing of the regulatory approval process; and unexpected litigation or other disputes. Other factors that may cause Tectonic's actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are identified under the heading "Risk Factors” in Tectonic's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 12, 2024, and in other filings that Tectonic makes and will make with the SEC in the future. Tectonic expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. For more information, please visit www.tectonictx.com and follow on LinkedIn . Source: Tectonic Therapeutic CONTACT: Contacts: Investors: Dan Ferry LifeSci Advisors (617) 430-7576 [email protected] Media: Kathryn Morris The Yates Network (914) 204-6412 [email protected]

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