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p777 slot The arrests in Azerbaijan of several journalists, including staff at the independent Meydan TV, have been condemned by the international community, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Azerbaijani authorities have detained Meydan TV's editor-in-chief, Aynur Elgunash, and four of her reporters. Also being held are freelancer Ramin Jabrailzada, who is known as Deko, and Ulvi Tahirov, deputy director of the Baku School of Journalism. All are charged with smuggling foreign currency and have been ordered to be held for four months in pre-trial detention. The journalists denied the charges and said the criminal case is a result of their journalism work. During the arrests, others were briefly detained and later released, according to local reports. Journalist Ahmad Mukhtar was placed in administrative detention on charges of petty hooliganism and disobedience to the police. Blinken in a statement called on Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release the journalists who he said were "arrested for their work on human rights." The media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, known as RSF, described the arrests as part of a strategy to silence critics of President Ilham Aliyev's administration. VOA reached out to authorities, but the calls went unanswered. Jeanne Cavelier, who heads RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk, said the government has resumed its crackdown against journalists in the aftermath of COP29, the annual U.N. climate change conference that Azerbaijan hosted. The Meydan TV arrests again prove the regime's "willingness to shamelessly target the individuals who dare to keep Azerbaijani citizens informed," Cavelier said in a statement. She added that Azerbaijan has detained 13 other journalists in the past year. RSF "calls on the international community not to turn a blind eye to these grave, systematic violations of fundamental rights," said Cavelier. Meydan TV in a statement described the arrests and questioning of its team as illegal. "Since the day we began our activities, our journalists have been arrested, they and their families have been subjected to harassment, and they have been subjected to various pressures and threats. Journalists who cooperate with us have been illegally banned from leaving the country," the statement said. Bahruz Maharramov, a member of the Azerbaijani parliament, questioned the criticism of the arrests. "If there are real suspicions based on valid, irrefutable evidence, why should any person's profession prevent those suspicions from being investigated?" he said. "Why should we remain silent about the illegal actions of a mercenary network like Meydan TV, just because they are journalists? Where is the legality, where is the equality?" he told VOA. Regular pressure Meydan TV was founded in 2013 as an impartial and objective media organization. It has regularly faced pressure from the authorities, and in 2017 access to its website was blocked in the country. The network's social media accounts have been hacked multiple times and their contents deleted. Orkhan Mammad, an editor at Meydan TV, said that some of those detained were subjected to violence and that the authorities tried to forcefully extract statements from them. "Ramin Deko had bruises under his eyes. He was left without a lawyer for a long time. When Aynur Elgunash's house was searched, she was pinned against the wall, hit in the kidney region, and her computer was seized," he said. The lawyer for Tahirov, Bahruz Bayramov, told VOA that the assistant director of the Baku School of Journalism has no connection with Meydan TV. "They were just family friends with Aynur Elgunash. A large amount of money was seized during a search at Tahirov's house. However, Tahirov stated that the money belonged to his wife," Bayramov said. The money found was from her salary, the lawyer said. Zibeyda Sadigova, who is representing another of the journalists, Natig Javadli, said that there was no basis for the arrest. "We were not provided with the decision and protocols regarding the search of his home, so we were unable to review them. Natig said that his computers and phones were confiscated, but no money was found in the house," Sadigova said. The lawyer said that Javadli has been in journalism for 30 years and that the arrest is related to that work. "They seized his passwords without a court order. He was subjected to psychological pressure," the lawyer told VOA. Lawyers representing the journalists have filed an appeal against the pre-trial detention. Media crackdown More than 20 journalists and media workers have been arrested in Azerbaijan since late 2023 on allegations of smuggling and other crimes. Among those affected are journalists from Abzas Media, known for its corruption investigations, and the independent media outlet Toplum TV. The editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, Sevinj Vagifgizi, was among the Anti-Corruption Champions honored by Blinken on Monday. "Vagifgizi has devoted more than a decade in exposing government abuses. She's also the one awardee who is not with us this afternoon," Blinken said during a ceremony. He noted that Vagifgizi had returned to Azerbaijan in November 2023, "knowing that she might be arrested on arrival." More than a year later, said Blinken, "she remains in detention." Azerbaijan's government has rejected international criticism of the arrests, calling it an "interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs and the independence of the judiciary." Officials say that fundamental rights, as well as media freedom, are guaranteed. Local human rights organizations estimate that there are more than 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. The country ranks 164th out of 180 on the RSF's World Press Freedom Index, where 1 reflects the best environment for media. Ulviyya Guliyeva contributed to this report.

(Reuters) – Salesforce raised its forecast for fiscal 2025 revenue on Tuesday, anticipating robust spending on its enterprise cloud portfolio as it bets on strong adoption of its new Agentforce technology. The company now expects revenue between $37.8 billion and $38 billion, compared with its prior forecast range of $37.7 billion to $38 billion. (Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Montana families deemed eligible to receive the state’s child care subsidy for low-income earners will now automatically qualify for a separate program that provides nutritional and breastfeeding support to caretakers of young children. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services announced Friday that Best Beginnings scholarship recipients will no longer have to prove separate eligibility for the Women, Infants and Children nutritional program. Participants in either program must earn a household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty line, currently $47,767 annually for . WIC enrollees must be pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding or have a child younger than 5. “Both of these programs serve many of the same families, so as a way to improve customer service we made the decision to streamline the eligibility process for families,” said Lacy Little, Montana WIC program director, in an emailed statement. “This will make it easier for families to gain access to the nutritional food and support the WIC program provides.” This change comes in the wake of and its handling of the Medicaid redetermination process that led to over 115,000 people being disenrolled from the joint federal-state health insurance program. During the unwinding period, droves of people said they didn’t receive re-enrollment information in a timely fashion or at the correct mailing address. DPHHS reported some of the longest help line wait times in the country, and many people couldn’t access in-person support in their local communities partly due to the closure of 19 public assistance offices in 2017. More than 60 organizations that serve a wide variety of vulnerable families and children across the state in June, calling on him to improve access to public benefits by allocating funding to DPHHS specifically to hire more staff and modernize systems. WIC offers a spate of resources for families and pregnant or postpartum women including special food packages, peer counseling, lactation experts, baby food, breastfeeding support and pumps, access to trained staff and more. Roughly 13,400 women, infants, and children are enrolled in Montana, but that accounts for just 55% of eligible families, according to the state health agency. DPHHS hopes that more closely linking child care with WIC will spur enrollment. Lawmakers expanded the Best Beginnings program in 2023 to make more families eligible. The Legislature passed a bill that increased the income threshold to the 185% of the federal poverty line mark. Families who make closer to that line pay higher co-pays than those who earn less. Some Democrats in the state Legislature as well as child care advocates have said they in the upcoming session, noting that families in more expensive areas such as Gallatin County earn above the current income threshold but still not enough to pay for child care. Providers say they can’t reduce their fees because of rising costs such as rent and the need to pay wages that will attract workers in these pricey communities. Gianforte’s budget proposal does not fund a larger Best Beginnings program. To enroll in WIC or learn more about the benefits it offers, families can visit , contact their local WIC clinic or visit The state office may be reached at 1-800-433-4298 or emailed at Carly Graf is the State Bureau health care reporter for Lee Montana. Eligibility for many state programs depends on annual household income. The threshold for Best Beginnings, WIC and others is To determine that income based on family size, visit here: Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. State Bureau Health Care Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.B.C. aims to hang onto 'Hollywood north' title by boosting film and TV tax incentivesOlmsted County set to fund temporary seating for third year at Graham Park

The British Columbia government is increasing tax incentives for both local and international film and TV projects in an effort to attract more major productions to the province. Premier David Eby said the tax credit for international projects made in B.C. will jump from 28 to 36 per cent, and an incentive for Canadian-content productions will increase from 35 to 36 per cent. There's also a special bonus to attract blockbuster productions with budgets of $200 million. Speaking on Thursday at the Martini Town studio, a New-York-themed backlot in Langley, B.C., Eby said tax incentives are the province's "competitive advantage" and increasing them will help the industry that has been battered by the pandemic, labour disruptions and changes to industry practices. "This is a sector that's taken some hits. The decision by major studios to ... reduce some of their budgets on production, the impact of labour disruptions, other jurisdictions competing with British Columbia for these productions with significant subsidies for the industry, means that we need to respond," Eby said, the Manhattan street scene behind him decorated for Christmas. "We need to make sure that we continue to be competitive." Government numbers show the film industry generated $2.7 billion in GDP in 2022 — roughly one per cent of provincial GDP — and $2 billion in 2023, a year affected by strike action and a decrease in global production A government statement says the incentives begin with productions that have principal photography starting Jan. 1, 2025, and projects with costs of greater than $200 million in B.C. will receive a two per cent bonus. Gemma Martini, chair of industry organization Screen BC and CEO of Martini Film Studios, told the news conference that it has been a "tumultuous" year for film and television, which supports tens of thousands of jobs. "It is clear that British Columbia is a well respected and preferred global production partner, but we must be able to compete at the bottom line," she said. "We expect, we know, our government's announcement will put B.C. back in the game to earn our true 'Hollywood north' reputation." Foreign film and TV work makes up an average of 80 per cent of total production spending in B.C., and the government says maintaining strong international relationships is critical for the industry to continue to thrive. The government says it also intends to restore regional and distant-location tax credits that were cut last year for companies with a brick-and-mortar presence outside of Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Whistler and Squamish. Eby first promised to increase the tax credits as part of his election campaign earlier this year. Just days after the new B.C. cabinet was announced in November, a delegation that included Finance Minister Brenda Bailey and Arts and Culture Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert travelled to California to pitch B.C.'s film and TV industry. Chandra Herbert told the news conference that during the trip they met industry representatives who are now looking at B.C. "in a bigger way" because of the new incentives. He said the additional two per cent bonus for productions over $200 million is a way to encourage larger productions to come and stay in B.C. "This is a way of making sure that the workers in this industry, and the companies, know that we're here for them for the long term. You can make these investments long term. You can grow the industry today, tomorrow and into the years ahead," he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. Ashley Joannou, The Canadian PressCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR's “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don't have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. "Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.” AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

49ers claim RB Israel Abanikanda off waivers from JetsGovt hopes to conclude negotiations for wage increase for other unionised workers – JagdeoPRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MISTRAS Group, Inc. (NYSE: MG)—a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions—today announced that the Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Natalia Shuman as MISTRAS Group’s new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2025. Ms. Shuman brings over two decades of leadership experience to MISTRAS Group, having held executive roles at prominent global organizations in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) industry. Most recently, as Group Executive Vice President and Group Operating Council Member for Eurofins Scientific, she led over 12,000 employees, driving growth strategies, operational excellence, and strategic value creation. Known for scaling billion-dollar enterprises through organic growth and M&A, Ms. Shuman has a proven track record of fostering strong teams and delivering innovative, value-driven solutions. Building on a Strong Foundation Ms. Shuman succeeds Manuel (Manny) N. Stamatakis as the CEO, who has been serving as both Interim CEO and the Executive Chairman of the Board since October 2023. Mr. Stamatakis will continue in the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, providing strategic oversight and support to the CEO and the Company’s leadership team. The Board of Directors extends its gratitude to Mr. Stamatakis for his exemplary service as Interim CEO during a pivotal time for the Company, helping to advance key initiatives and positioning MISTRAS Group for future growth. Mr. Stamatakis expressed the Board’s confidence, stating: "Today's announcement is the result of a deliberate, rigorous search to find the right leader to continue MISTRAS Group’s pursuit of profitable growth and sustainable improvement in shareholder value. Natalia’s extensive experience, proven leadership, and fresh perspective make her the ideal choice to guide MISTRAS toward achieving its strategic goals and unlocking its full potential.” “I’m honored to join MISTRAS Group to lead the Company into its next phase of growth,” said Ms. Shuman. “Working alongside Manny, the Board of Directors, and the leadership team, I am committed to building on the strong foundation established and driving meaningful value for all our stakeholders." Leadership Excellence in TIC and Across Global Industries A global business leader with extensive experience across diverse industries and cultural landscapes, Ms. Shuman has demonstrated a strong ability to achieve results in business-to-business services, spanning manufacturing, energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, industrial services, and construction. As North American CEO for Bureau Veritas, Ms. Shuman oversaw 7,000 employees across 130 offices and laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. She spearheaded a period of significant growth and transformation, steering the company to a diversified, more resilient business model. She also championed a unified “one company” culture, elevating brand recognition in North America. Before joining Bureau Veritas, Ms. Shuman led international business operations at Kelly Services, a global staffing and human resources outsourcing company. She is also recognized as a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion, receiving accolades from several prominent organizations. Ms. Shuman earned a dual Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia Business School and London Business School. About MISTRAS Group, Inc. - One Source for Asset Protection Solutions ® MISTRAS Group, Inc. (NYSE: MG) is a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions, helping to maximize the safety and operational uptime for civilization’s most critical industrial and civil assets. Backed by an innovative, data-driven asset protection portfolio, proprietary technologies, strong commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, and a decades-long legacy of industry leadership, MISTRAS leads clients in the oil and gas, aerospace and defense, renewable and nonrenewable power, civil infrastructure, and manufacturing industries towards achieving operational and environmental excellence. By supporting these organizations that help fuel our vehicles and power our society; inspecting components that are trusted for commercial, defense, and space craft; building real-time monitoring equipment to enable safe travel across bridges; and helping to propel sustainability, MISTRAS helps the world at large. MISTRAS enhances value for its clients by integrating asset protection throughout supply chains and centralizing integrity data through a suite of Industrial IoT-connected digital software and monitoring solutions. The company’s core capabilities also include non-destructive testing field and in-line inspections enhanced by advanced robotics, laboratory quality control and assurance testing, sensing technologies and NDT equipment, asset and mechanical integrity engineering services, and light mechanical maintenance and access services. For more information about how MISTRAS helps protect civilization’s critical infrastructure and the environment, visit https://www.mistrasgroup.com/. Contact: Nestor S. Makarigakis Group Vice President, Marketing and Communications MISTRAS Group, Inc. marcom@mistrasgroup.com +1 (609) 716-4000 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a06ebcd-e31e-4295-892e-c6b91f4b67fb

Marcus Smart scores 18 points, hits clinching free throws in Grizzlies' 115-110 win over Kings