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NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski scored 14 points apiece, and Ustby added 14 rebounds to lead No. 16 North Carolina to a 53-36 victory over Villanova in a semifinal game at the Women’s Battle 4 Atlantis on Sunday. The Tar Heels (5-1) play Indiana in the championship game on Monday. The Hoosiers upset No. 18 Baylor 73-65 in Sunday’s first semifinal. Ustby made 6 of 8 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer for North Carolina on the way to her first double-double of the season. Donarski hit 6 of 10 shots with a pair of 3-pointers. Maddie Webber led the Wildcats (4-2) with 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Lara Edmanson pitched in with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Tar Heels held Villonova’s leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe to two points after she came in averaging 16.6 per game. Bascoe missed all seven of her shots — three from distance — and made 2 of 4 at the free-throw line. Ustby had seven points and Donarski scored five to guide the Tar Heels to a 17-7 lead after one quarter. Donarski scored five more in the third quarter to help North Carolina turn a 30-18 lead at halftime into a 44-23 advantage heading to the final period. North Carolina shot 40% from the floor, made 5 of 17 from beyond the arc (29.4%) and 4 of 6 at the foul line. Villanova shot 23.5% overall but made 5 of 18 from distance (27.8%) and 7 of 10 free throws. The Tar Heels scored 15 points off of 21 Villanova turnovers. They turned it over 14 times but it led to only three points for the Wildcats. North Carolina outscored Villanova 30-14 in the paint and never trailed. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP women’s college basketball: and

MILAN, Italy (AP) — Atalanta went to the top of Serie A when Ademola Lookman scored with three minutes remaining to beat AC Milan 2-1 on Friday. Atalanta’s ninth win in a row was a fitting gift to coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who was awarded the coach of the month award earlier in the day for guiding his team to a perfect record in November. Charles De Ketelaere put the home side ahead with a towering header after 11 minutes only for Milan to level 11 minutes later. Theo Hernández released Rafael Leão on the right wing and his inviting cross was converted by Álvaro Morata. Milan, which lost Christian Pulišić to a knock before halftime, looked set to end Atalanta’s impressive run but Lookman nipped in at the back post to nod home a corner in the dying moments. Atalanta has 34 points, two more than Napoli, which has a game in hand against Lazio on Sunday. Milan was in seventh place. Serie A champion Inter defeated Parma 3-1 and extended the Milan club’s unbeaten run to 13 games. Federico Dimarco put the home side ahead five minutes before halftime when he worked a neat one-two with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and fired a low shot past Zion Suzuki. Nicolò Barella made it two eight minutes into the second half when he finished a fast counterattack with aplomb. Marcos Thuram's 10th goal of the season made it 3-0 in the 66th. A Matteo Darmian own goal gave some late consolation for Parma. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

TikTok's future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible US banWASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. "While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition," Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. "There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump's DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Trump, in a social media post, said: "I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!" He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matthew Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump's Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn't think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They're grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives," Leppard said Thursday of his clients. "They're hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved." Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department's investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz's political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week that he did not intend to take the oath of office. There are plans for a special election in Florida for his seat. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a "positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz "put country first and I am pleased with his decision." Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was "disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run." Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hopes Trump will pick someone "equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ." Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. "The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared," Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. _____ Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Google, already facing a possible breakup of the company , is fighting to beat back another attack by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging monopolistic conduct, this time over technology that puts in front of consumers. The Justice Department and Google made closing arguments Monday in a trial alleging Google’s advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, will decide the case and is expected to issue a written ruling by the end of the year. If Brinkema finds Google has engaged in illegal, monopolistic conduct, she will then hold further hearings to explore what remedies should be imposed. The Justice Department, along with a coalition of states, has already said it believes Google should be forced to sell off parts of its ad tech business, which generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the Mountain View, California-based company. After roughly a month of trial testimony earlier this year, the same. During three hours of arguments Monday, Brinkema, who sometimes tips her hand during legal arguments, did little to indicate how she might rule. She did, though, question the applicability of a key antitrust case Google cites in its defense. The Justice Department contends Google built and maintained a monopoly in “open-web display advertising,” essentially the rectangular ads that appear on the top and right-hand side of the page when one browses websites. Google dominates all facets of the market. A technology called DoubleClick is used pervasively by news sites and other online publishers, while Google Ads maintains a cache of advertisers large and small looking to place their ads on the right webpage in front of the right consumer. In between is another Google product, AdExchange, that conducts nearly instantaneous auctions matching advertisers to publishers. In court papers, Justice Department lawyers say Google “is more concerned with acquiring and preserving its trifecta of monopolies than serving its own publisher and advertiser customers or winning on the merits.” As a result, content providers and news organizations have never been able to generate the online revenue they should due to Google’s excessive fees for brokering transactions between advertisers and publishers, the government says. Google argues on a narrow niche of online advertising. If one looks more broadly at online advertising to include social media, streaming TV services, and app-based advertising, Google says it controls as little as 10% of the market, a share that is dwindling as it faces increased and evolving competition. Google alleges in court papers that the government’s lawsuit “boil(s) down to the persistent complaints of a handful of Google’s rivals and several mammoth publishers.” Google also says it has invested billions in technology that facilitates the efficient match of advertisers to interested consumers and it should not be forced to share its technology and success with competitors. “Requiring a company to do further engineering work to make its technology and customers accessible by all of its competitors on their preferred terms has never been compelled by U.S. antitrust law,” the company wrote. Brinkema, during Monday’s arguments, also sought clarity on Google’s market share, a number the two sides dispute, depending on how broadly the market is defined. Historically, courts have been unwilling to declare an illegal monopoly in markets in which a company holds less than a 70% market share. Google says that when online display advertising is viewed as a whole, it holds only a 10% market share, and dwindling. The Justice Department contends, though, that when focusing on open-web display advertising, Google controls 91% of the market for publisher ad servers and 87% of the market for advertiser ad networks. Google says that the “open web display advertising” market is gerrymandered by the Justice Department to make Google look bad, and that nobody in the industry looks at that category of ads without considering the ability of advertisers to switch to other forms of advertising, like in mobile apps. The Justice Department also contends that the public is harmed by the excessive rates Google charges to facilitate ad purchases, saying the company takes 36 cents on the dollar when it facilitates the transaction end to end. Google says its “take rate” has dropped to 31% and continues to decrease, and it says that rate is lower than that of its competitors. “When you have an integrated system, one of the benefits is lower prices,” Google lawyer Karen Dunn said Monday. The Virginia case is separate from an ongoing lawsuit brought against Google in the District of Columbia over its namesake search engine. In that case, the judge determined it constitutes an illegal monopoly but has not decided what remedy to impose. The Justice Department said last week it will seek to force Google to , among a host of other penalties. Google has said the department’s request is overkill and unhinged from legitimate regulation. In Monday’s arguments, Justice Department lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum cited the search engine case when he highlighted an email from a Google executive, David Rosenblatt, who said in a 2009 email that Google’s goal was to “do to display what Google did to search,” which Teitelbaum said showed the company’s intent to achieve market dominance. “Google did not achieve its trifecta of monopolies by accident,” Teitelbaum said. Matthew Barakat, The Associated Press

One person is notably absent from “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey,” a new Netflix docuseries investigating the still-unsolved murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey in 1996. Burke Ramsey, older brother of JonBenét Ramsey, declined to sit for an interview in the series, nearly three decades after his sister was found dead on Dec. 26, 1996 in their childhood home in Boulder, Colorado. “Citing his treatment by the media and online websleuths, Burke Ramsey declined our request for an interview,” a card at the end of the third and final episode reads. Director Joe Berlinger tells TODAY.com that Burke Ramsey, now 37, is “doing fine” and explained why he did not interview him for the series. “We tried to gain access through our relationship with John Ramsey and through (his) son, John Andrew Ramsey,” Berlinger says. Both John Ramsey, Burke Ramsey’s father , and John Andrew Ramsey, Burke Ramsey’s half brother, are featured in the documentary. “But we didn’t want to pressure Burke and he didn’t want to talk to us, and he just didn’t want to participate. So we respected that," Berlinger says. Interest in Burke Ramsey’s life has remained high as true crime aficionados investigate the murder on their own time, though no one has been charged with wrongdoing in connection with the death of JonBenét Ramsey. Burke Ramsey was cleared as a suspect in 2008 The Boulder District Attorney’s Office confirmed in 2008 that it had cleared Burke Ramsey, as well as his parents John and Patsy Ramsey , of having any involvement in the murder of JonBenét Ramsey, NBC News reported . DNA testing conducted in 2008 on a piece of the 6-year-old's clothing found DNA that matched previous DNA tested on her underwear in 1997, then-Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy wrote in the letter addressed to John Ramsey. “The match of male DNA on two separate items of clothing worn by the victim at the time of the murder makes it clear to us that an unknown male handled these items,” Lacy said. “To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry.” Burke Ramsey spoke to NBC affiliate KUSA-TV of Denver after the letter was released. “I think the people that are in charge of the investigation are focused on that, and that gives me a lot of comfort,” he said. “Certainly we are grateful that they acknowledged that we, based on that, certainly could not have been involved.” “But the most important thing is that we now have very, very solid evidence — and that’s always been my hope, at least in the recent past — that would lead us to the killer eventually,” he added. Burke Ramsey was on ‘Dr. Phil’ 20 years after his sister’s murder Burke Ramsey appeared on "Dr. Phil" in 2016, his first public sit-down interview since the crime occurred in 1996, and explained why he decided to speak out two decades later. “I want to honor her memory by doing this interview,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to forget.” In the three-part special, Burke Ramsey spoke with Dr. Phil McGraw and addressed the rumors that he and his family were involved in the murder. “It blows my mind. What more evidence do you need that we didn’t do it?” he said. “You won’t find any evidence because that’s not what happened,” he added. At one point during the interview, McGraw presented Burke Ramsey with a copy of the ransom note found in their home on Dec. 26, 1996. "I never really looked at it closely, 'cause I'll see it and kinda get taken aback and it's not something I really want to look at a lot, you know?" he said. He added that he didn't think it was his mother's handwriting because it was "too sloppy," and told a story about his mother making him rewrite things to have better handwriting. Burke Ramsey sued CBS News in 2016 In 2016, CBS aired a two-part special that presented a theory that Burke Ramsey killed his sister. The special speculated that he could have killed JonBenét because she ate some of his snack. Burke Ramsey sued CBS, the producers and the hosts of the special later that year for $750 million, according to the Associated Press , alleging that they conspired to defame him for publicity and profit. Attorneys for Burke Ramsey alleged in the lawsuit that CBS conducted a "sham investigation" of the murder with "the preconceived the story line" that he killed his sister and conspired with his parents to cover it up, according to the Associated Press. “The accusation that Burke Ramsey killed his sister was based on a compilation of lies, half-truths, manufactured information, and the intentional omission and avoidance of truthful information about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey,” attorneys wrote in the suit. CBS declined to comment to the Associated Press when the lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit was settled in 2019 after CBS and the producers agreed to pay an undisclosed sum, according to court documents. Where is Burke Ramsey now? Burke Ramsey, now 37, lives in Michigan and appears to work in technology management, according to public records.-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email All the mountains of stuff that we ship across the oceans comes at a price: whale blood. A recent study in the journal Science calculates just how much, reporting that — thanks to the near-total disappearance of commercial whaling — accidental ship collisions are now the leading cause of unnatural large whale deaths worldwide . Few measures have been taken to mitigate the risk, according to the report, whose authors found that while global shipping overlaps with 92% of whale ranges, fewer than 7% of the hot spots with the greatest collision risk contain any management strategies to minimize their occurrence. The scientists mapped and quantified movement for four globally distributed large whale species — the blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales — based on 435,000 locations and then related the data to global shipping activity. Those whales share an increasingly busy ocean with shippers, whose vessels travel the equivalent of more than 4,600 times the distance to the Moon and back each year, the scientists estimated. With the ships and other human activity come risk factors and stressors like noise , pollution and now fatal meetings between the behemoths of steel and nature. Related Cetacean conversation: AI could let us talk to whales. Experts question if that's a good idea Climate change is likely to exacerbate the problem, the report noted, with melting arctic sea ice expected to draw ships further into previously unpassable areas, putting them on a collision course with whales migrating to cooler waters abundant with food. Thankfully, this problem is easily handled, such as by adding interventions to slow ship speeds or rerouting shipping lanes out of known migration and feeding areas over as little as 2.6% of the Earth's oceanic surface area, for instance, "would be sufficient to reduce risk in all ship-strike risk hotspots," the report said. Technological advancements could also help reduce collision risk. The study highlighted automatic identification system data and species distribution modeling in particular as useful tools that can aid ships in predicting the heavy presence of whales and avoiding those areas. And it would benefit us, too, to stop wantonly crushing cetaceans with our boats. These great oceanic mammals have long been described as "ecosystem engineers" who stabilize marine food webs by consuming massive amounts of food, enhance the growth of phytoplankton that collectively capture 37 billion tons of CO2 per year and cycle nutrients to the deep sea when they die. Moreover, whales embody immense cultural value to many peoples , often as protectors of community and the reincarnated spirits of deceased ancestors. "Changes in ocean ecosystems caused by the loss of historic whale populations have been hard to reverse," the report concluded. "Ship-strike risk is a ubiquitous yet solvable conservation challenge for large whales, and our results can provide a foundation for expanded management measures to protect these ocean giants." Read more about marine life An expert explains why killer whales keep attacking boats Ancient filter-feeding reptile had a freaky similarity with modern whales Every breath you take: The economic case for marine life MORE FROM Nicholas Liu Advertisement:

Royce Global Trust, Inc. (NYSE-RGT) declares Year-end Common Stock Distribution of $0.47 Per ShareNo. 3 Penn State eyes second Big Ten championship under James FranklinBy KELVIN CHAN LONDON (AP) — After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is a garble that can’t be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won’t be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here’s a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you’re an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there’s a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption on all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent, or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal’s encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp , so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger , which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels” but contrary to popular perception, it doesn’t turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in France . Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

Central Connecticut State defeats Binghamton 64-56

The two-day ninth Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia (IFFSA) will kick off today at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand. An annual event, it brings about speakers from across the region. Delegates and speakers from overseas will include attendees from India, Pakistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Bangladesh and South Africa. The Chief Guest of the Forum at Shangri-La, Colombo will be the Maldives former Finance Minister Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq whilst the conference will be chaired by Prof. Dr Aishath Muneeza, from INCIEF, Malaysia, who has been chairing the event since its very inception, almost a decade ago. The keynote address will be delivered by renowned practitioner and academic from Pakistan Dr Irum Saba, which is the most advanced market in South Asia in the IBF field. The speakers and panellists at the event will not just focus on the technical aspects of Islamic Banking but also encompass contemporary topics such as Artificial Intelligence. The speakers will include CEOs of banks, international scholars from multiple countries, ‘C’ level executives from NBFIs, insurance companies, technology firms, audit and advisory firms et al, providing those attending with a multitude of perspectives to an industry that is growing at a significant pace. The main conference will be followed by an event hosted by Adl Capital on the opportunities that Islamic Finance offers, with a focus on the domestic market. Attendance for this event is by invitation and prior registration. The two-day program will conclude with the IFFSA Awards at the Cinnamon Lakeside, to be held on 26 November, with institutions across the region vying for accolades in one of the most anticipated events in the IBF calendar. It will recognise financial institutions as well as clients, especially those that have excelled in areas such as ESG and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Fundação Getulio Vargas of Brazil, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance private sector development in fertiliser production, hybrid seed technology, and agricultural finance. The MoU was signed on behalf of the government by the Permanent Secretary of FMAFS, Mr Temitope Fashedemi, and the President of FGV, Prof Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal, at FGV Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. “Under the MOU, private-sector projects on fertiliser production, hybrid seed technology, and agricultural financing are projected to attract $4.3bn in private-sector investment,” the State House Director of Information and Publicity, Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye, revealed in a statement Sunday. The statement is titled, ‘Nigeria, Brazil sign MOU to boost agribusiness in 774 Local Government Areas.’ Oladunjoye said the agreement marks a new phase of strategic collaboration between Nigeria and FGV, the Green Imperative Project lead implementer, one of the largest international agricultural technology transfer initiatives. “Conceived in 2018, GIP is a $1.2bn cooperative effort between Brazil and Nigeria, designed to modernise Nigeria’s agricultural sector through Brazilian expertise in tropical agriculture. Related News Seadogs warn of debt crisis as Nigeria seeks $2.2bn loan Nigeria, two others lead countries with health, care visa Tinubu, wife return to Abuja after G20 Summit in Brazil⁣ “Since the MoU was conceived in 2018, both parties have engaged in many meaningful discussions to advance its design and implementation. “The project, supported by Deutsche Bank, aims to deliver transformative agricultural technologies and knowledge transfer over its 10-year duration,” he stated. Accordingly, over the next five years, the project will identify and support one agribusiness in Nigeria’s 774 local government areas with technical and financial resources, driving sustainable development and economic growth. “This partnership paves the way for Brazil to engage with Nigeria’s dynamic and rapidly growing agricultural sector. “Together with FGV, we are poised to unlock the potential of private sector investment in key areas critical to our food security,” Fashedemi said at the signing ceremony. Senior members of Nigeria’s presidency, officials of FMAFS, and FGV’s leadership attended the signing ceremony.Romania's pro-European Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was leading in the first round of presidential elections Sunday according to exit polls, with the far right not yet assured of a place in the second round, despite a breakthrough in support. With 25 percent of the vote according to two exit polls, Ciolacu appeared to be well ahead of far-right challengers looking to capitalise on this EU member's concerns about inflation and the war in neighbouring Ukraine. The same exit polls gave second place to centre-right former journalist turned small-town mayor Elena Lasconi at 18 percent, with two far-right candidates scoring 15 and 16 percent. In the absence of an outright winner in the first round -- scoring more than 50 percent -- the top two candidates go through to a second-round run-off in the poor NATO member on December 8. Ciolacu, a Social Democrat, is leading a field of 13 contenders in the race to take over from President Klaus Iohannis in the largely ceremonial post. He welcomed the exit polls putting him in the lead, but said all the votes would have to be counted before he knew who he would face in the second round. Lasconi too, was cautious. "The scores are very tight, it's not yet time to celebrate," said the 52-year-old politician. Far-right leader George Simion, 38, who some had forecast might take second place, is for the moment in fourth. Exit polls put him just behind the 62-year-old pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu. But Simion said Sunday evening: "We'll see the results of the ballot boxes at 11:00 pm (2100 GMT)." Ciolacu's party has shaped Romania's politics for more than three decades, and as he voted Sunday he promised stability and a "decent" standard of living. But political analyst Cristian Parvulescu told AFP: "The far right is by far the big winner of this election." Simion saw his popularity surge by tapping into voter anger over record inflation while promising more affordable housing. Looking for a new election breakthrough for European far-right parties, Simion warned of possible "fraud" and "foreign interference" when voting. But he added: "I am happy that we are giving Romanians hope and the prospect of a better future." The stakes are high for Romania, which has a 650-kilometre (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has become more important since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022. The Black Sea nation now plays a "vital strategic role" for NATO -- as it is a base for more than 5,000 soldiers -- and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said. Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election has further "complicated" Romania's choice, political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP. Known for his fiery speeches, Simion is a Trump fan who sometimes dons a red cap in appreciation of his idol. Simion opposes sending military aid to Ukraine, wants a "more patriotic Romania" and frequently lashes out against what he calls the "greedy corrupt bubble" running the European Union. Having campaigned hard to win over Romania's large diaspora working abroad, he said the country had only "minions and cowards as leaders". Pirvulescu predicted that if Simion reached the second round his AUR party would get a boost in the December parliamentary election. "Romanian democracy is in danger for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989," he said. "I'm really afraid we'll end up with Simion in the second round," 36-year-old IT worker Oana Diaconu told AFP, expressing concern about the far-right leader's unpredictable nature and attacks on the European Union. The campaign was marked by controversy and personal attacks, with Simion facing accusations of meeting with Russian spies -- a claim he has denied. Ciolacu has been criticised for his use of private jets. Some observers had tipped Lasconi, now mayor of the small town of Campulung and head of a centre-right opposition party, as a surprise package. Sunday's exit polls appeared to suggest they were right. During campaigning, she had said she wanted a future "where no one has to pack their suitcases and leave" the country and for "institutions that work". bur/js-jj/ Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.Samsung 2024 holiday gift ideas: Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ is the perfect family tablet

Second Cup Canada is moving to shut down a franchisee’s cafés located in Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital after they claim the franchisee was filmed on Saturday afternoon apparently chanting the “Final Solution is coming your way” referencing Nazi Germany’s slaughter of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust. Footage that appears to have been recorded at a Friday anti-NATO protest also shows a woman performing the Nazi salute. Second Cup Canada president Peter Mammas told Global News the company verified the woman in the video is Mai Abdulhadi, who owns two Second Cup locations inside the hospital. “We spoke to a lot of employees and they confirmed to us that, yes, it was her in the videos,” Mammas said in a phone interview, saying that employees who work at Abdulhadi’s cafés and Second Cup Canada employees who visit the sites confirmed it was her. Global News has not independently verified the identity of the woman in the video. Global News made several attempts to contact Abdulhadi but did not receive a response by deadline. The Integrated University Health and Social Service Centres (CIUSSS), Quebec’s health care provider, said it was made aware of a video containing “antisemitic (sic) and hateful messaging” on social media. “This video is related to a franchisee of Second Cup, one of the private tenants operating within the Jewish General Hospital,” the statement said. “We fully support Second Cup’s decision to take swift and decisive action in this matter by shutting down the franchisee’s cafes and terminating their lease agreement.” Second Cup issued a statement outlining its actions on Saturday evening and spoke to Global News on Sunday. Mammas said the company has the right to protect the brand and protect other franchisees and brand values. He told Global News Second Cup Canada’s lawyers would contact Abdulhadi’s legal representatives on Monday. Montreal police told Global News they’re not aware of any case opened at the hate crimes unit. Montreal Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos told Global News that he was glad to see “there are corporations like the parent company of Second Cup that has the... fortitude and integrity to stand up for what’s right.” Anti-NATO protests in Montreal continued Saturday after a violent demonstration on Friday, where two groups met up and some participants smashed windows and burned cars. Police arrested three people and have promised more arrests to come. Multiple social media posts appear to show one person burning an effigy with “(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu to The Hague” written on it. Canadian politicians condemned the violence and anti-Semitism. “The voices of anti-Semitism, of hate, of violence, Nazi salutes, calling death to Jews, it’s deplorable. It’s unacceptable. It has to stop,” Housakos said, speaking of some of the sentiments expressed over the past few days in Montreal.

Patrick Mahomes: Bryce Young 'Played His Tail Off' in Chiefs Win vs. Panthers

Hilton Grand Vacations executive sells $2.08 million in stockWe're in the back-half of the NFL season as we enter the beloved Thanksgiving Week of games, and the playoff picture is starting to become more and more clear. While teams like the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles should feel solid in their postseason standings, there are other teams on the bubble who are fighting for their playoff lives each and every week. One of those teams has caught the eye of notorious podcaster Bill Simmons, the owner of The Ringer. On his show this Sunday with 'Cousin Sal' Iacono, Simmons declared that there is a rookie QB in the AFC that is making waves, and he wouldn't want to bet against him in the postseason if they ended up making it that far. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images) That rookie QB is Bo Nix, who has the Denver Broncos sitting at 7-5 after an impressive win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon. "I feel like I've watched a lot of the Broncos because they have these afternoon games on the West Coast, and first of all, Nix has gotten night-and-day better from that Jets game where he threw for 60 yards," Simmons said. "It's like a different human being." Over the last two months, Nix has come into his own as a rookie passer, racking up 19 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions in the past 10 weeks. While he was the last of six QBs to be drafted in the first round back in April, it's becoming apparent that the former Oregon Duck is playing just as well, if not better than any rookie in this QB class. More than just his play, though, it's the demeanor of Nix that grabbed Simmons' eye. "He's kind of a bad-ass, like he talks (expletive,)" Simmons said. "They had that replay today and he was just screaming at the defensive lineman for the other team. Granted, he's like a 30-year-old rookie — he's like Scott Bakula in 'Unnecessary Roughness' — but he doesn't carry himself like a rookie." Bo Nix isn’t afraid of ANYBODY 😳 The Broncos have themselves a LEADER. pic.twitter.com/JiremLwV9q While the Broncos had a slow start to the season, they've come on strong as of late and are making a real push to get into the postseason. At the moment, they currently sit in 7th place in the AFC, but have a good schedule moving forward, with games against the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and a Kansas City Chiefs team that could potentially be resting starters in Week 18. "I don't know, I can see them in the playoffs," Simmons said. "And if they were in the playoffs, I wouldn't be like 'Oh I can't wait to bet against Denver.' I think they're pretty frisky." Related: Colin Cowherd Makes Bold 5-Word Statement About Broncos QB Bo Nix

Lusail International Circuit to host F2 showdownIn a bid to provide job opportunities under the Renewed Hope initiative, 4,876 people have been targeted to benefit in Kano courtesy of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Kano Friday, the Director General of the NDE, Mr. Silas A. Agara, said the current initiative had been designed to ensure that a total of 93,731 unskilled and unemployed persons benefitted across the country. He stated that inclusiveness had been a cardinal consideration, adding that the Directorate had ensured that a minimum of 10 persons from each of the 8,809 wards in the country were recruited to benefit from the programme. The DG, who was represented by the NDE state coordinator in Kano, Malam Saad Yarima Iya, said the Directorate under his leadership had ensured the adoption of cutting edge technology in the design and execution of the programme. In his remarks, Iya said the job creation initiative of the Directorate which was in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Ahmed Tinubu’s administration would also provide start-up capital equipment and working tools at the end of the training.

Why SiriusXM Pivoted Away From Its Streaming AppAFP – Romanians voted yesterday in the first round of a presidential election amid a surge in inflation that could favour far-right leader George Simion. The vote kicks off two weeks of elections in the poor North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member country, including a parliamentary vote and a December 8 presidential run-off. Social democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is leading a field of 13 contenders in the race to take over from President Klaus Iohannis in the largely ceremonial post. Ciolacu has about 25 per cent support in opinion polls, followed by AUR leader Simion on 15 to 19 per cent. Ciolacu, whose Social Democratic Party (PSD) has shaped the country’s politics for more than three decades, promised stability and a “decent” standard of living as he voted Sunday. Simion, 38, has seen his popularity surge by tapping into voter anger over record inflation – 10 per cent last year and 5.5 per cent predicted for 2024 – while promising more affordable housing. Looking for a new election breakthrough for European far-right parties, he warned of possible “fraud” and “foreign interference” when voting. But he added: “I am happy that we are giving Romanians hope and the prospect of a better future.” Simion is targeting people like Rodica, a 69-year-old who was among the first to vote in Bucharest’s chilly sunshine. The pensioner, who would not give a family name, was afraid of the neighbouring war and wanted “better living conditions and peace”. The Black Sea nation now plays a “vital strategic role” for NATO – as it is a base for more than 5,000 soldiers – and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said. Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election has further “complicated” Romania’s choice, political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP . Known for his fiery speeches, Simion is a Trump fan who sometimes dons a red cap in appreciation of his idol.

Boomers show it's never too late to give backAs the record-shattering Eras Tour comes to an end, Taylor Swift is apparently sharing mementos with friends and family, including Kansas City Chiefs heiress Ava Hunt. Hunt, 19, posted an Instagram Story on Monday, December 2, in which she showcased a special gift she received from the "Cruel Summer" singer, 34. Swift, who is in a relationship with Chiefs player Travis Kelce , sent Hunt a care package with a sweet note, which the Southern Methodist University student was happy to share. "Oh hi!" wrote the singer. "As we conclude the wildest, most extraordinary adventure of my LIFE, The Eras Tour, I wanted to share with a few friends my memories from it. The friendship bracelets, the traditions, the backstage secrets, the costumes, The world travels, the rain shows and sunsets." Hunt quickly cut away from the note to reveal the gift, which was a copy of The Official Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Book . Swift also explained what made her proudest about her tour, which was groundbreaking in both its scope and the money it generating. "What truly made this tour what it became," she wrote, "was the passion, joy, unbridled emotion, and love the fans showed us every night. I hope you'll enjoy this journey through the memories of my proudest moments: The Eras Tour. Love, Taylor." Swift is a frequent guest at Chiefs' games due to her relationship with Kelce, 34. Mecole Hardman's fiancée Chariah Gordon even posted a picture of the "Fearless" songstress holding the couple's baby on Instagram, and she has been spotted hanging out with several other wives and girlfriends of the players. The Swift and Kelce families reportedly spent Thanksgiving together this year, marking an important milestone for the two families. Hunt and Swift appear to have first met in December of 2023, when Hunt posted a photo of the two on Instagram with the caption, "Enchanted to meet you @taylorswift ♥️." Hunt's older sister, Gracie Hunt, also received an Eras Tour book gift, which she posted to her Instagram Story on Monday as well.