5 hand signals
5 hand signals
Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha The Honours Programme, Deanship of General Studies at Qatar University (QU) hosted a ceremony to honour its 2023-2024 graduates. Dr. Saba Mansoor Qadi, Dean of General Studies at QU; Dr. Yousri Marzouki, director of the Honours Programme; members of the programme’s Council; graduates; faculty members; and students attended the event. In her speech, Dr. Saba Qadi, Dean of General Studies at QU, highlighted the significance of the Honours Programme under the Deanship of General Studies as one of QU’s leading initiatives. She noted that the programme supports the university’s strategy for excellence in education. To this end, the Deanship of General Studies has overseen the launch of a developmental plan for the programme since Spring 2021, in alignment with the vision of QU and Qatar National Vision 2030. Dr. Saba Qadi stated, “The plan has focused on QU’s pillars of excellence in education, which emphasize learner-centred education, transformative and progressive learning models, experiential learning, reliance on scientific research, enhancing students’ digital skills, and strengthening their competencies to embody QU’s graduate attributes.” She further emphasized that the programme’s current vision is centred on providing the ideal model for achieving excellence at QU through its outstanding and diverse educational content, as well as its innovative initiatives that prepare students to become future leaders. Dr. Yousri Marzouki, director of the Honours Programme, expressed his joy at the success of the students graduating under the programme’s new plan for the academic year 2023–2024. He remarked, “The graduation of this cohort is a significant achievement. Today, we celebrate the graduation of 60 students—12 male and 48 female—demonstrating our commitment to providing an inclusive, pioneering, and diverse educational environment.” Dr. Marzouki explained that the programme aims to provide ambitious students with a rich, interdisciplinary academic experience centred on self-directed learning. The programme offers opportunities to participate in innovative scientific, social, and training workshops that equip students to effect meaningful societal changes after graduation. Commenting on the restructuring of the programme’s council, Dr. Marzouki noted, “Since Winter 2022, we have restructured the Council’s workflow and defined its roles, establishing it as the primary link between the programme and all colleges and departments at QU. We are confident in the continued collaboration and partnership with council members to achieve the programme’s goals, thereby advancing QU’s objectives. ” Al-Dana Mohammed Al-Sulaiti, one of the programme’s graduates and a budget analyst at Qatar Energy, expressed her pride in her academic journey at QU. She described her experience in the Honours Programme as pivotal in shaping her personality and developing her skills. Al-Sulaiti encouraged students to seize such opportunities, stating, “Every student has the potential to excel, and these programmes open up vast opportunities for development.” She described the day as a long-awaited moment after four years of dedicated work at QU, calling it a milestone in her journey. Copy 03/12/2024 10
D'Angelo Russell Is Reportedly Excited After Lakers Traded Him To NetsShares of Omnicom Group ($OMC) fell more than 9% on Monday afternoon after the advertising company announced the acquisition of Interpublic Group of Companies ($IPG), lifting retail sentiment. Under the stock-for-stock deal, valued at $13 billion, Interpublic shareholders are set to receive 0.344 Omnicom shares for each share of Interpublic common stock they own. Omnicom shareholders will own 60.6% of the combined company, while Interpublic shareholders will own 39.4% on a fully diluted basis. The companies said in a statement that the deal is expected to generate annual cost synergies of $750 million. The statement added that both Omnicom and Interpublic will maintain their current quarterly dividends through the deal's closing. Retail sentiment on the two stocks turned ‘extremely bullish’ but some users were concerned about regulatory blocks that may hinder the deal. “This strategic acquisition creates significant value for both sets of shareholders by combining world-class, highly complementary data and technology platforms enabling new offerings to better serve our clients and drive growth,” John Wren, Omnicom’s chairman & CEO, said in a statement. Philippe Krakowsky, Interpublic’s CEO, added the two companies have “highly complementary offerings, geographic presence and cultures.” “This combination represents a tremendous strategic opportunity for our stakeholders amplifying our investments in platform capabilities and talent as part of a more expansive network,” he said. Interpublic shares were down slightly (0.88%) in afternoon trade on Monday after rising earlier in the day. The combined companies will have 2023 revenues of $25.6 billion, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) of $3.9 billion, and free cash flow of $3.3 billion. PJT Partners is the financial advisor to Omnicom; Latham & Watkins is the legal advisor to Omnicom; Morgan Stanley is the financial advisor to Interpublic on the transaction. Omnicom stock is up 6% year-to-date.
UN nuclear watchdog board passes resolution chiding IranAn Irish civil jury has found that UFC superstar Conor McGregor is liable of sexually assaulting a woman in a Dublin hotel room in December 2018. McGregor was ordered by the High Court in Dublin to pay the victim 248,000 euros (NZ$443,000). No criminal charges came from the incident which allegedly occurred after the two met at a Christmas party in Dublin. The woman said McGregor forced her onto a bed and choked her. A paramedic treating the woman's injuries the following morning testified that he had never seen such intense bruising on a victim, reported BBC News. The woman said she then let McGregor do what he wanted to because she feared for her life and that she would not see her daughter again. "He let me go and I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," the woman said in court. She alleged that McGregor put her in a choke hold multiple times and later said, "Now you know how I felt in the Octagon where I tapped out three times," in reference to a UFC bout in which he had to admit defeat. McGregor has denied the accusations, saying that the two had consensual sex. He said in court of the chokehold allegation, "It is a full-blown lie among many lies. How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for just over six hours before deciding against McGregor's version of events. The woman reported the incident to the police at the time, but prosecutors declined to bring charges, citing insufficient evidence and an unlikely chance at a conviction. After the verdict, McGregor did not speak to reporters but posted on social media that he will appeal the decision. "The judge's instruction and the modest award was given for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DDP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide," he posted. McGregor, 36, and his longtime fiancee, Dee Devlin, have four children. McGregor has not fought in UFC since sustaining a broken leg during a July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. The Ireland native is a former featherweight and lightweight champion with a record of 22-6, including 19 wins by knockout. - Field Level MediaVANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV: TBRD, OTCQX: THBRF) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”) wishes to provide an update to shareholders on the impact of the strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on the Company’s ability to comply with its obligations to deliver to shareholders its financial statements and related disclosure and proxy-related materials in respect of the Company’s annual general and special meeting of shareholders scheduled to be held virtually on December 12, 2024 at 9:00 am PST (the “Meeting”). As a result of the strike, and pursuant to CSA Coordinated Blanket Order 51-931 Temporary Exemption from requirements in National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Requirements and National Instrument 54-101 Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer to send certain proxy-related materials during a postal strike (the “Blanket Order”), the Company is advising shareholders that: For information on Thunderbird and to subscribe to the Company’s investor list for news updates, go to www.thunderbird.tv . ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates award-winning scripted, unscripted, and animated programming for the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as Canadian and international broadcasters. The Company develops, produces, and distributes animated, factual, and scripted content through its various content arms, including Thunderbird Kids and Family (Atomic Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media) and Thunderbird Scripted. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella include Mermicorno: Starfall, Super Team Canada, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell, Kim’s Convenience, Boot Camp, and Sidelined: The QB and Me . Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands manage global media and consumer products rights, respectively, for the Company and select third parties. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit: www.thunderbird.tv . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Thunderbird’s public communications may include written, or oral “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements or information may be identified by words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “intend”, or similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the ongoing Canada Post strike, the upcoming annual general and special meeting of shareholders of the Company, items to be voted upon by the shareholders attending such meeting, and delivery of materials to shareholders following resumption of regular postal service. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; product capability and acceptance; and other factors set out in the “Risk and Uncertainty” section of the Company’s MD&A dated June 30, 2024. The foregoing is not an exhaustive list. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to Thunderbird or that management believes to be less significant may also adversely affect the Company. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this document represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof, and therefore such information should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Readers are therefore cautioned that the foregoing lists of important factors are not exhaustive, and they should not unduly rely on the forward-looking statements included in this news release. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Thunderbird has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209645003/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Contacts: Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital +1 905 326 1888 ext 1 glen@bristolir.comMedia Relations Contact: Lana Castleman, Director, Marketing & Communications 416-219-3769 lcastleman@thunderbird.tvCorporate Communications Julia Smith, Finch Media Julia@finchmedia.net KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: LICENSING (ENTERTAINMENT) COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT TV AND RADIO SOURCE: Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 05:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209645003/en
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano threw for two touchdowns and the Huskies' defense overwhelmed North Carolina for a 27-14 victory in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday in Boston. Mel Brown ran for 96 yards and the Huskies (9-4) reached the nine-win level for the third time in program history. It was a miserable day for the Tar Heels (6-7), who are in transition as they await Bill Belichick, who now takes over as head coach. Freddie Kitchens served as interim coach on Saturday following Mack Brown's departure at the end of the regular season and had praise for his team despite the loss. "I commend them for everything they've done the last three weeks. We didn't really catch any breaks today," Kitchens told reporters after the game. "You've got to make your own breaks sometimes. These guys just kept fighting." North Carolina's Chris Culliver returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and backup quarterback Michael Merdinger threw for 86 yards. Six of the team's 10 first downs came in the final 11 minutes. Fagnano finished 16-for-23 for 151 yards for the Huskies, who were limited to a field goal in the second half after rolling up a 24-7 halftime lead. North Carolina lost starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell to an apparent shoulder injury on the team's second offensive series. The Tar Heels, who were without running back Omarion Hampton (going into NFL draft), didn't pick up a first down until less than 30 seconds remained in the first half, and that was followed by an interception. UConn's first points came on Chris Freeman's 32-yard field goal. Then, with 3:45 left in the quarter, Fagnano connected with Skyler Bell on a 38-yard touchdown. The Huskies led 10-0 before Culliver's ensuing kickoff return, the only glitch for UConn in the first quarter. Fifty seconds into the second quarter, Fagnano hit Alex Honig with a pass for a 4-yard touchdown. The final first-half touchdown came on running back Cam Edwards' leap into the end zone to complete a fourth-and-2 snap. That capped a 14-play drive that consumed almost six minutes. "I feel like a proud father towards this team," UConn head coach Jim Mora said. "We ran for 210 yards. That's how you win a football game." North Carolina, which lost its fifth consecutive bowl outing, was credited with 1 rushing yard in the first half. The Tar Heels drove 98 yards on eight plays to score on running back Caleb Hood's 17-yard pass to John Copenhaver with 6:46 left in the game. Hood rushed for a team-high 78 yards. UConn had gone 0-3 against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, but it had no trouble in snapping that streak against the Tar Heels. --Field Level Media
The College Football Playoff selection committee enters its final two weeks of deliberation with a host of consequential decisions thrust on the 13 members. (1) Who are the final at-large selections into the field? (2) Which teams receive a first-round game at home? (3) Which four conference champions receive a first-round bye? The first two are causing plenty of angst. But it is the third stress point that, perhaps, offers the most intriguing debate. The five highest-ranked conference champions earn a bid into the 12-team field, and the top four champions are seeded Nos. 1-4 and receive a bye into the quarterfinals. Many presumed that the champions of the four power leagues would annually get those first-round byes. The CFP selection committee’s last rankings paint a different picture. In , Boise State (10-1) was ahead of all Big 12 teams, paving the way for the Broncos to receive the No. 4 seed and the first-round bye in a Group of Five-over-Power Four leap. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said such a decision would be the wrong one. “Based on where we sit today, I see no rationale for the Big 12’s champion not getting a first-round bye,” Yormark told Yahoo Sports. “The winner of our championship should receive a bye. I have a lot of trust in the selection committee and I’m sure they’ll see it that way. Just look at the data. The data doesn’t lie. From a strength-of-schedule standpoint, all four of our schools at the top of the standings are ranked ahead of Boise State.” At the center of the debate is a comparison not only of the individual teams but of the two leagues. The argument is fascinating in an era of college football where the power leagues continue to separate themselves from the five others: the Mountain West, Sun Belt, Conference USA, American and Mid-American. Yormark is loaded with Big 12 data points. His league has 42 wins over teams with a winning record. The Mountain West has 11 (five of those from Boise and UNLV). Nine Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. The Mountain West has five. Boise’s strength of schedule is ranked 81st, 12 spots behind the worst of the Big 12’s top four teams (Iowa State at 69). The two leagues have actually met on the field eight times this season. The Big 12 is 6-2 with an average margin of victory of more than three touchdowns. UNLV holds both of the Mountain West wins (at Houston and Kansas). “Arizona State defeated Wyoming by 41 points. BYU beat them by 20. Boise struggled against Wyoming in a four-point win,” Yormark said. “There is no rationale for us not getting the bye.” In an interview Monday with Yahoo Sports, Boise State coach Spencer Danielson isn’t looking that far ahead — a message he hammers home to his team. "We still have two more games to even continue this conversation,” he said. "That’s where I am with it. We’ve been playing playoff football since the Oregon game. I believe in our schedule. We’ve played well. We played well against Orgon. Are we suited for a bye? That’s up to the committee." Seven of Boise State’s 10 wins have come by at least two scores, including a 21-point victory over a Washington State team that beat Texas Tech by three touchdowns in Week 2 of the season. But Boise State’s strongest arguments are, perhaps, its one loss and its best player. The Broncos led No. 1 Oregon for much of their game on Sept. 7, eventually losing on a last-second field goal. Boise State has the nation’s leading rusher, Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty, who has run for nearly 600 yards more than the next best rusher. "There have been multiple teams in the rankings that are no longer in the rankings because they got caught up in this stuff,” Danielson said. “It’s hard for me to lobby on things with two games left. You control what you can control." Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez declined comment aside from gesturing to similar data points for the Broncos, most notably that three-point loss in Eugene. The CFP selection committee meets again early this week before its rankings are revealed Tuesday night on ESPN. Over the weekend, the . Boise State, ranked No. 12 last week, survived that scare from Wyoming. In the , Arizona State was the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 14. Boise was No. 11. “What's going on right now isn't fair to the Big 12,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman told reporters on Monday. “Other teams can lose in other leagues and it’s ‘That league is really good!’ We lose in this league and it’s ‘This league stinks!’ I don’t understand that. As a conference, we need to get together and figure some things out. For a bunch of teams to be 9-2 and we can’t get any (benefits) in the College Football Playoff, then we need to cancel one of these (conference) games and then go to eight games.” The decision from the selection committee related to the first-round bye is not insignificant. The fourth highest-ranked conference champion, the No. 4 seed in the bracket, gets an additional week to rest. The team would play the No. 5-12 seed winner in a bowl site quarterfinal matchup. The fifth highest-ranked conference champion, at least according to how the rankings project, is likely to be seeded No. 12. That means playing a first-round game at the No. 5 seed on the road. The No. 5 seed, for now, projects to be the Big Ten championship game loser, likely Oregon or Ohio State, the two top-ranked teams in the nation. Before any decision from the committee, though, the remaining schedules must be played out. Boise State hosts Oregon State (5-6) and then meets Colorado State or UNLV in the Mountain West championship game, played in Boise. The Big 12, meanwhile, is a lot less certain. Billed as having the most parity of any power league, the 16-team conference is certainly delivering. , with four of them in the best position. BYU (9-2), Iowa State (9-2), Arizona State (9-2) and Colorado (8-3) are tied at 6-2 in the conference atop the standings. All four are favored to win their regular season finale, a result that would put Arizona State and Iowa State in the title game. “I said in July we have great depth and parity and I thought it would play out and it has,” Yormark said. “I said that the month of November would be magical and it has. It’s been made-for-TV viewing.” The debate over the CFP’s final first-round bye is an extension of a long-running tussle between the power leagues and those from the lower-resourced level of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The gaps between the two continue to grow, both from decisions made by power leaders and from the courts. The decisions have accelerated the concept of schools directly compensating athletes — a much more difficult endeavor for Group of Five programs. Their budgets are normally fractions of those schools in power conferences that reap more lucrative television contracts and generate more internal revenue through donations and ticket sales. In fact, the Group of Five is having its most difficulty winning games against the power leagues this season, according to data from ESPN. Group of Five programs - including independents UMass and UConn, as well as Oregon State and Washington State — are 8-87 against power teams. The winning percentage of .084 is believed to be the worst in modern history. The decision to incorporate a fifth conference champion into the field — assuring a Group of Five spot — is a subject that has drawn heated debate and scrutiny over the years from leaders of the power leagues. Craig Thompson, the former Mountain West commissioner, was part of a four-man working group that originally created the current 12-team format. He was the only representative from the G5 ranks. “What’s happening with Boise State possibly getting a bye is not surprising,” Thompson said in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports. “The Group of Five champion, if they have a big year, gets rewarded in the system.” The five auto-bids and the first-round byes were not designated to specific conferences to avoid the scrutiny of congressional lawmakers, who, in the past, skewered the old BCS concept for creating a caste system. This past spring, CFP leaders — the 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director — re-evaluated the format when they agreed on a new six-year extension that begins with the 2026 playoff. They didn’t settle on a format, instead only agreeing to protections that guarantee (1) the five highest-ranked champions an automatic berth, (2) the field to be 12 or 14 teams in size and (3) Notre Dame to receive an at-large bid if it is ranked inside the top 12 or 14, depending on the field size. During discussions, debate raged over whether to keep the Group of Five’s access spot. Speaking to Yahoo Sports from her conference football media days in July, Nevarez said that power conference leaders “threatened” to remove the G5’s bid in the spring. But, “to their credit, it never came off the table.”
