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Liberal Senator Alex Antic has delivered a petition with more than 30,000 signatures against the Misinformation and Disinformation bill to Communications Minister Michelle Rowland. The bill, due to be debated in the Senate next weekend, would give the government the power to fine social media companies for spreading misinformation and disinformation online. Accompanied by Michael Shellenberger, Chair of Politics, Censorship, and Free Speech at the University of Austin’s Centre for Bureaucratic Reform, Senator Antic expressed gratitude to those who supported the petition. The Senator added, “We hope that it’s dead on arrival” to the Senate, before reflecting “We’ve still got some work to do.” Independent and minor party Senators including Jacqui Lambie, Lidia Thorpe, Fatima Payman, David Van, Malcolm Roberts, and others, alongside the Coalition, have voiced objections. In a recent speech to the Senate on Nov. 19, Independent Senator David Van joined other independent Senators who have spoken out against the bill to criticise the bill. “Our role in this place is not merely to pass or reject laws but to improve them and ensure they strengthen our way of life, including our freedoms.” Liberal Senator Dean Smith also noted the legislation threatens to “undermine the democratic culture that has been a cornerstone of Australian society. “While misinformation and disinformation are genuine challenges in our digital age, the solution cannot be one that gives excessive power to the government, stifles open debate and compromises freedom of speech,” he said. “Australians have every reason to be alarmed. As a nation that has consistently ranked among the top democracies in the world, we have now slipped to 14th place under the Albanese government’s watch.” One Nation Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts plan to move a motion to remove the Bill from the Senate legislative agenda. Serious harm includes content that harms public health, the integrity of an Australian electoral process, or the vilification of a group in Australian society. Further, it includes imminent harm to the Australian economy, damage to critical infrastructure, disruption of emergency services, and intentionally inflicted physical industry. Australia’s media watchdog the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would have the power to hold digital platforms accountable for information spread on their platforms. These powers would include imposing fines through injunctions and civil penalties, making rules, and issuing formal warnings and remedial directions against social media platforms.The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Defensive tackle Payton Page shook his head when asked how far his freshman self, the one who weighed over 400 pounds when he came to Clemson, might have run on an interception. “About two yards,” he said, “he wouldn’t have made it far at all.” The slimmer, 315-pound Page, now a senior, took it 57 yards for a touchdown Saturday as the 17th-ranked Tigers routed the Citadel 51-14. Page lunged leftward to catch the ball, saw the open field and began the steady churn to the end zone. “I looked forward and seen I had like 60 more yards to go,” said Page, who was honored in pregame on Senior Day. “I feel like all the work I put in shows,” said Page, who’s started all 11 games this season. “I felt I read that screen pretty good and I made that play.” The pick-6 was the first touchdown by a Clemson defensive lineman since 2019 when Logan Rudolph returned a fumble 39 yards for a TD in a win over Boston College. “When you get a chance to see one of those plays, you better enjoy it,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. It was part of a 35-0 first half for Clemson (9-2), which held on to feint hopes of reaching the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and the College Football Playoff. RELATED COVERAGE Auburn wins 43-41, four-OT thriller over playoff hopeful No. 15 Texas A&M Arnold, Robinson run for more than 100 yards as Oklahoma stuns No. 7 Alabama 24-3 No. 22 Iowa State keeps Big 12 title, CFP hopes alive with 31-28 win over Utah Quarterback Cade Klubnik threw for 198 yards and three TDs while reserve running back Jay Haynes scored twice on the ground as the Tigers moved to 39-0 all-time against FCS opponents. Clemson, which finished ACC play at 7-1 with last week’s 24-20 win at Pittsburgh, needs No. 11 Miami to lose at Syracuse next week to play for a league crown for the eighth time in 10 seasons. Clemson cranked it up early in this one, looking a lot like the offense that averaged better than 48 points during a six-game win streak earlier this season instead of the one that had not surpassed 24 points in any of its past three contests. Page wasn’t the only defender to score. Clemson’s All-American senior linebacker Barrett Carter, playing his next-to-last home game, had a 4-yard TD run to end the scoring. “I told coach Swinney a while ago when I decided to come back, I needed an offensive touchdown,” said Carter, who played tailback in high school. “It was so surreal.” And Page was a part of Carter’s score, too, as he led the way in blocking out of the backfield. “I blocked pretty good on that one, too.” The Citadel (5-7), of the FCS Southern Conference, went on to its 19th straight loss to Clemson since 1932. Haynes got the bulk of the work after starter Phil Mafah achieved his 1,000-yard rushing season with three first-quarter runs. Haynes had scoring runs of 70 and 9 yards. The takeaway The Citadel: The Bulldogs are the leaders among FCS teams in victories over FBS opponents with nine since the college football split into Division I and Division I-AA in 1978. They couldn’t stay competitive, but did roll up a season-high 288 yards rushing and scored a touchdown against Clemson for the first time in the past four games in the series. Clemson: The Tigers reached nine wins in a season for the 14th straight time. Only Alabama, which entered the season with 16 straight nine-win seasons, had a longer current streak. Shortening things Officials asked Citadel coach Maurice Drayton after halftime if he wanted to shorten the second half to 10-minute quarters with the Bulldogs trailing 35-0. “Why,” Drayton asked. “We’re here to compete.” The Bulldogs actually outscored the Tigers 7-6 in the fourth quarter. Drayton said that will be something for his team to build on in the offseason. Klubnik’s place Klubnik has 29 touchdown throws this season and 50 in his career, joining Tajh Boyd (107 total), Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence (90 each) as Clemson passers to reach that many during their time with the Tigers. Up next The Citadel’s season is complete. Clemson closes the regular season with its rivalry game with South Carolina on Saturday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

At least one Mega Millions player has plenty of dough to ring in the New Year after drawing the winning number. After three months without anyone winning the top prize in the lottery, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night, according to the Mega Millions website. The California Lottery said the winning ticket was sold at Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) on Rhonda Road in Cottonwood, about 150 miles north of Sacramento. The winning ticket matched the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and the gold Mega Ball 6. Ishar Gill, a son of the store owner, said the winning ticket was “a blessing” for the small rural town of roughly 6,000 people. The identity of the winner or winners was not immediately known. “We don’t have the slightest clue of who may have won it or who may have sold it,” Gill told The Associated Press. “But congratulations to the winner.” The total amount of the Mega Millions jackpot would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $549.7 million. Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continued to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grew. Until Friday, the last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was Sept. 10. The largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot ticket worth $1.6 billion was sold in Florida in August 2023. Two prizes for its compatriot Powerball lottery have been larger. Mega Millions and Powerball are sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is sold in Puerto Rico. Mega Millions ticket prices are set to rise from $2 to $5 in April. The increase will be one of many changes that officials say will result in improved jackpot odds, more frequent giant prizes and even larger payouts.

TORONTO, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Base Carbon Inc. (Cboe CA: BCBN) (OTCQX: BCBNF) with operations through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Base Carbon Capital Partners Corp. (together, with affiliates, “Base Carbon”, or the “Company”), is pleased to announce the Company will host an investor update call on Monday, December 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (EST). The management team will provide a business update and respond to investor questions via Zoom Webinar. Registration instructions are published below. The Company invites current and prospective shareholders to attend this business update call and Q&A session. DATE: Monday, December 16, 2024 TIME: 11:00 a.m. EST LOCATION: Zoom Webinar. To receive the meeting link and passcode, please register here . QUESTIONS: Please submit questions ahead of time to: investorrelations@basecarbon.com . About Base Carbon Base Carbon is a financier of projects involved primarily in the global voluntary carbon markets. We endeavor to be the preferred carbon project partner in providing capital and management resources to carbon removal and abatement projects globally and, where appropriate, will utilize technologies within the evolving environmental industries to enhance efficiencies, commercial credibility, and trading transparency. For more information, please visit www.basecarbon.com . Media and Investor Inquiries Base Carbon Inc. Investor Relations Tel: +1 647 952 3979 E-mail: investorrelations@basecarbon.com Media Inquiries E-mail: media@basecarbon.comRussian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people. The plane was flying on Wednesday from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, when it turned toward Kazakhstan and crashed while making an attempt to land. There were 29 survivors. In an official statement Saturday, the Kremlin said air defense systems were firing near Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone strike as the plane attempted to land, but stopped short of saying one of these hit the plane. RELATED STORY | Plane crash in Brazil kills all 61 aboard, airline says According to a Kremlin readout of the call, Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.” On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon. Friday’s assessments by Rashan Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby echoed those made by outside aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. Neither Kirby or the Azerbaijani minister directly addressed the statements blaming air defenses. Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny. RELATED STORY | Dashcam video shows plane trying to land on Colorado interstate before crashing, injuring 2

NoneEAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The game had suddenly gone sideways for the Minnesota Vikings , their 11-point lead on the Chicago Bears having evaporated in the closing seconds. They straightened it out in overtime, no sweat, because Sam Darnold simply hasn't been fazed. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

Justin Herbert threw three touchdowns as the Los Angeles Chargers booked their place in the NFL playoffs with a blowout 40-7 win at the New England Patriots on Saturday. The Patriots, who suffered a sixth straight loss, were booed off the field by the remaining fans at Gillette Stadium as they fell to 3-13 on the season. But for the Chargers it was a job well done as the confident Herbert ensured a second post-season place in three seasons with another accomplished quarterback display. Herbert completed 28 of 38 passes and threw for 281 yards against a Patriots defense that caused few issues against the passing game. The Chargers took the lead late in the first quarter thanks to a beautiful 23-yard Herbert pass, superbly caught by the diving Derius Davis. After a Cameron Dicker field goal early in the second, Herbert found rookie receiver Ladd McConkey at the back of the end-zone with a pinpoint pass to make it 17-0. Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye had been forced out of the game in the first quarter after suffering a hit to the head by Cam Hart when running down the sideline. But Maye, who had been cleared to return for the second quarter, showed he was in good shape with a fine 36-yard touchdown pass to DeMario Douglas to give the Patriots some hope. But the Chargers ran away with the game with Herbert again connecting with McConkey, this time with a 40-yard pass down the middle and a two-yard rush from J.K Dobbins in the fourth completed the rout. Herbert's performance meant he set a new record for the most passing yards in the first five years of an NFL career -- passing Peyton Manning's tally of 20,618 yards. But the quarterback, who has yet to win a playoff game, was quick to give credit for his achievement to his team-mates. "It says so much about the guys we had catching those passes and a great offensive line giving me the time to get the ball off and (the defense) getting me the ball back," he said. "I couldn't have done it without them," he added. The Denver Broncos can clinch a place in the playoffs when they face the Bengals in Cincinnati later on Saturday. sev/nfSeveral suitors have emerged to be the successor to Mayor Valérie Plante. Luc Rabouin, the mayor of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough and chair of the city's executive committee, said Thursday he wanted to be mayor and was going to run for the leadership of Projet Montréal, Plante's political party. That position is up for grabs after Plante announced that she will not seek another mandate as Montreal's mayor. Podcast Why is Valérie Plante not running again as mayor? Rabouin said that, as mayor, he would focus on the environment and housing, two areas Plante prioritized during her tenure as mayor. But Rabouin isn't the only person vying for the job. Luc Rabouin, head of the city's executive committee, left, speaks at Montreal City Hall with Mayor Valérie Plante. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada) The former president of Projet Montréal, Guedwig Bernier also said he would run for party leader. In an interview with CBC News on Thursday, Bernier said he wanted the city to continue on its current path, but to spend money more efficiently. Asked if he was the best person to guide the city along that path, he said he had a business background and knew how to mine the proper expertise. "Am I the best person? I'll tell you that I'm able to surround myself well," he said. "I'm not a showman. I won't say I'm the best, but I'm able to get the right people around me to get those things done." Guedwig Bernier joined Projet Montréal in 2018, attracted by its vision for a greener city. (Julien Acosta) Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, the mayor of the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, also said last week that she was weighing a run for Projet Montréal leadership. Hopefuls have until Jan. 31, 2025, to be official leadership candidates. To do so, they must secure signatures from 200 of the party's members from at least seven boroughs, with a minimum of 10 signatures from each of those boroughs. The leadership race will end on March 15, when the party will announce the results of its internal vote. So far, only Bernier has filed the necessary documents. Gracia Kasoki Katahwa has indicated she is considering running to be Projet Montréal's next leader. (CBC) The municipal election will take place on Nov. 2, 2025. Frédéric Bérard, a lawyer and political commentator, said that though the municipal race is in its early stage, the vote will likely come down to a referendum on Plante, and whether the city should continue on its current path: emphasizing spending on bike paths, pedestrianization and green space, for example. Ensemble Montréal, the Opposition at city hall, does not yet have a leader who will run for mayor in the November election. "People will have to decide if they want to keep going with Valerie Plante's agenda, in a way, because each and every candidate for Projet Montreal are from the team already," Bérard said. He added that he expects some big names to enter the race in the coming months.

Israel launches new strikes on Lebanon as leaders draw closer to ceasefire with Hezbollah

Ravens' running game was crucial in a big win over the Chargers, especially on 4th downCryptsoft Pty Ltd. has added support for CockroachDB in the latest release of KMIP Server SDKs

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — President-elect Donald Trump on Friday nominated Dr. Marty Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration , selecting a surgeon and author who gained national attention for opposing vaccine mandates and some other public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic . Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, is the latest in a string of Trump nominees who have declared the U.S. health system “broken," vowing a shakeup. As part of a flurry of nominations late Friday night, Trump also tapped doctor and former Republican Rep. Dave Weldon of Florida to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat, meanwhile, is set to be the nation's next surgeon general. Some of Makary's views align closely with the man who is poised to be his boss — prominent environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump put forward as the next U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary. In books and articles, Makary has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators, points that Kennedy has also harped on for years. Trump said Makary, trained as a surgeon and cancer specialist, “will restore FDA to the gold standard of scientific research, and cut the bureaucratic red tape at the agency to make sure Americans get the medical cures and treatments they deserve.” Headquartered in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington, the 18,000 employees of the FDA are responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs , vaccines and medical devices as well as a swath of other consumer goods, including food , cosmetics and vaping products . Altogether those products represent an estimated 20% of U.S. consumer spending annually, or $2.6 trillion. Makary gained prominence on Fox News and other conservative outlets for his contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic. He questioned the need for masking and, though not opposed to the COVID-19 vaccine, had concerns about booster vaccinations in young children. He was part of a vocal group of physicians calling for greater emphasis on herd immunity to stop the virus, or the idea that mass infections would quickly lead to population-level protection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that COVID-19 vaccinations prevented more than 686,000 U.S. deaths in 2020 and 2021 alone. While children faced much lower rates of hospitalization and death from the virus, medical societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that vaccinations significantly reduced severe disease in the age group. Makary has lamented how drugmakers used misleading data to urge doctors to prescribe OxyContin and other opioids as low-risk, non-addictive pain relievers. That marketing was permitted under FDA-approved labeling from the 1990s, suggesting the drugs were safe for common ailments like back pain. In more recent years, the FDA has come under fire for approving drugs for Alzheimer's , ALS and other conditions based on incomplete data that failed to show meaningful benefits for patients. A push toward greater scrutiny of drug safety and effectiveness would be a major reversal at FDA, which for decades has focused on speedier drug approvals . That trend has been fueled by industry lobbying and fees paid by drugmakers to help the FDA hire additional reviewers. Kennedy has proposed ending those payments, which would require billions in new funding from the federal budget. Other administration priorities would likely run into similar roadblocks. For instance, Kennedy wants to bar drugmakers from advertising on TV , a multibillion-dollar market that supports many TV and cable networks. The Supreme Court and other conservative judges would likely overturn such a ban on First Amendment grounds that protect commercial speech, experts note. Less is known about Trump's pick for the Atlanta-based CDC, which develops vaccines and monitors for infectious disease outbreaks. Weldon is a staunch, self-described “pro-life” Republican. Legislation he introduced more than 20 years ago outlawed human cloning. He also brokered a deal with lawmakers to bar patents on human organisms, including genetically engineered embryos. Weldon also advocated against the removal of the feeding tube for Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman whose family battle over her vegetative state turned into a national debate. Weldon's nomination is likely to placate some anti-abortion advocates, who have been concerned about Trump's nomination of Kennedy, a longtime Democrat and proponent of abortion rights, as the nation's top health official. Weldon retired from his congressional seat in 2008, after 14 years in public office. Earlier this year, he lost in a GOP primary for a seat in the Florida Legislature. If he's confirmed, he'll be in charge of more than 13,000 employees and nearly 13,000 other contract workers. Nesheiwat, meanwhile, will oversee 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members if the Republican-controlled Senate approves her nomination as the surgeon general. She is a medical director for an urgent care company in New York. She appears regularly on Fox News and has expressed frequent support for Trump, sharing photos of them together on her social media pages. Surgeons general also have the power to issue advisories, warning of public health threats in the U.S. Those advisories can influence how the government, public and medical community respond to health crises in the country. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Buffett refines fortune plans, donates more shares

Kaduna state Governor Uba Sani has revealed that 65,848 women out of 70,051 beneficiaries have gained from the state’s Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme, a core component of its social investment programs. The governor made the disclosure during the ongoing Women Economic Empowerment Summit, where he also launched the Kaduna State Women Economic Empowerment Policy alongside the Women Peace and Security Action Plan. Highlighting his administration’s commitment to empowering women, Governor Sani noted that the revitalization of the agricultural sector has significantly benefited women farmers. “We distributed 240,000 bags of fertilizer free to 120,000 smallholder farmers, with women playing a critical role in this sector,” he said. In addition, the Governor underscored the Kaduna State Women Economic Empowerment Fund (KADSWEF), which has provided financial resources to 10,786 women this year alone, with plans to expand its reach further. He emphasised that investing in women is essential for the state’s economic growth, saying, “When women succeed, we all succeed.” Meanwhile, the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) has emphasised the critical link between women’s economic empowerment and the prevention of gender-based violence. Speaking at the event, dRPC’s Director of Partnerships and Communications, Hassan Aliyu Karofi, urged state governments to domesticate the National Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy, describing it as a key strategy to reduce women’s vulnerability and strengthen their resilience. Karofi lauded Kaduna State for leading the way in domesticating the WEE policy, describing it as a transformative step toward creating safer communities. “The intersectionality between WEE policy implementation and the prevention of gender-based violence is key to protecting women and girls while improving their economic status,” he stated. According to him, the dRPC is supporting eight states in domesticating the WEE policy, with 11 more states set to join the process next month. This movement, Karofi explained, represents a nationwide effort to transform the lives of Nigerian women and address root causes of violence against them. Meanwhile, Governor Sani, who was honored as the “Champion of Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment,” reiterated his administration’s dedication to fostering inclusive growth and empowering women across Kaduna state.