Culture Management Group Reveals Lineup and Programming for Culture Beach Jam 2024 in AccraThe Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the recent workers’ appreciation rally held in support of Governor Ademola Adeleke, questioning its purpose and dismissing it as a publicity stunt. The rally, organised by Osun State workers under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was held to appreciate the governor’s approval of a new minimum wage of ₦75,558.24 for workers and ₦25,000 for pensioners. Speaking during the event on Monday, Governor Adeleke declared himself a “Talk and Do Governor,” reiterating his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promises, with workers’ welfare as a top priority. In a statement issued by its Director of Media and Information, Mr Kola Olabisi, the APC accused Governor Adeleke of seeking “cheap political popularity” through the rally. The party criticised the administration for allegedly sponsoring the event, claiming it lacked authenticity as no worker had yet received the promised minimum wage. Olabisi described the rally as “a superfluous theatrical show” and questioned why the appreciation did not originate directly from the workers. He said: “It is absurd that the state government under Governor Adeleke would stoop to sponsoring a civil servants’ rally, all in the name of announcing a minimum wage that has not yet been implemented. This is nothing but an attempt to fraudulently curry non-existent political popularity.” The APC also raised concerns about other unresolved issues in the state, including the alleged encroachment on the Ido-Osun Airport land by Adeleke Secondary School, a property linked to the governor’s family. The appreciation rally, held at the Government Secretariat in Osogbo, attracted a large turnout of workers who sang and danced while awaiting Governor Adeleke’s arrival. “We are here today to show appreciation for the kindness of Governor Ademola Adeleke in approving a minimum wage of ₦75,558.24. We, as workers, pledge to ensure quality service delivery for the benefit of Osun State.” In his speech, Governor Adeleke reaffirmed his commitment to workers’ welfare, stating, “They call me the Talk and Do Governor. During my campaign, I made workers’ happiness my priority. It’s a sin for someone to work and not get paid. Even with limited resources, I’ll continue to prioritise your welfare.” The governor also hinted at plans to improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), promising that these efforts would benefit the workforce. The APC, however, accused Governor Adeleke of neglecting pressing issues such as resolving the Ido-Osun Airport relocation crisis and addressing allegations of favouritism in the extension of the Head of Service’s tenure. The party argued that the rally was a distraction from these critical matters, warning: “If Governor Adeleke thinks this sycophantic rally will earn him political leverage beyond 2026, he is wasting his time and daydreaming.”

The Leading Caster Wheel Manufacturer Revolutionizing Mobility Solutions

Utah woman who overcame substance abuse pardoned by President BidenMacron names ally Bayrou as new PM as he aims to restore political stability

Police arrested a 26-year-old man on Monday in the Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after they say a Pennsylvania McDonald's worker alerted authorities to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. The suspect, identified by police as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, had a gun believed to be the one used in Wednesday’s attack on Brian Thompson , as well as writings expressing anger at corporate America, police said. Here are some of the latest developments in the ongoing investigation: Where was the man captured? Mangione was taken into custody at around 9:15 a.m. after police received a tip that he was eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh, police said. People are also reading... Mangione was being held in Pennsylvania on gun charges and will eventually be extradited to New York to face charges in connection with Thompson’s death, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. What evidence did police find? In addition to a three-page, handwritten document that suggests he harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” Kenny said Mangione also had a ghost gun , a type of weapon that can be assembled at home and is difficult to trace. Officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. Officers also found a suppressor, “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” the commissioner said. He had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, Tisch said. What do we know about Mangione? Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and that his last known address is in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mangione, who was valedictorian of his Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts also suggest that he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. Some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent people, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have had children attend the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things,” according to a post on the school website. He praised their collective inventiveness and pioneering mindset. Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. A swarm of reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. Luigi Mangione is one of 37 grandchildren of Nick Mangione, according to his obituary. Luigi Mangione's grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes ranging from Catholic organizations to colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione. A spokesman for the lawmaker's office confirmed the relationship Monday. The shooting and a quick escape Police said the person who killed Thompson left a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side at 5:41 a.m. on Wednesday. Just 11 minutes later, he was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, wearing a distinctive backpack. At 6:44 a.m., he shot Thompson at a side entrance to the hotel, fled on foot, then climbed aboard a bicycle and within four minutes had entered Central Park. Another security camera recorded the gunman leaving the park near the American Museum of Natural History at 6:56 a.m. still on the bicycle but without the backpack. After getting in a taxi, he headed north to a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge, arriving at around 7:30 a.m. From there, the trail of video evidence runs cold. Police have not located video of the suspected shooter exiting the building, leading them to believe he likely took a bus out of town. Police said they are still investigating the path the suspect took to Pennsylvania. “This just happened this morning," Kenny said. "We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore and Cedar Attanasio in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.Bills' letdowns on defense, special teams and clock management in loss to Rams are all too familiar ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. John Wawrow, The Associated Press Dec 9, 2024 2:30 PM Dec 9, 2024 2:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — There’s plenty of concern and second-guessing to unpack from how the Bills unraveled on defense, special teams and clock management in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams to wonder whether it was premature labeling Buffalo as Super Bowl contenders only a week earlier. But first, the good news. There’s very little wrong with Buffalo’s Josh Allen-led offense after the quarterback strengthened his NFL MVP case. A week after a four-TD performance that included the statistical anomaly of him scoring two touchdowns on the same play in a 35-10 win over San Francisco, Allen became the NFL’s first player to throw and rush for three scores apiece in 44-42 loss to Los Angeles on Sunday . That Allen's latest superhuman-like effort ended in defeat is what’s troubling for the five-time defending AFC East champions (10-3) in their bid to dispel questions of finding ways to fall short in the playoffs in each of the past five years. Buffalo’s defense had few answers in stopping the Rams’ dynamic attack while allowing a season-high 457 yards. Worse still, the Bills allowed Los Angeles to go 11 of 15 on third down for a 73.3 conversion percentage — the third highest allowed by Buffalo and worst since allowing Miami's 75% conversion rate in 1986. If that’s not bad enough, the Bills lost for the first time in 39 games in which they scored at least 42 points, while becoming the NFL’s second team to lose when scoring 42 or more and not committing a turnover. Special teams didn’t help. Aside from allowing a blocked punt to be returned for a touchdown, the Bills couldn’t muster an attempt to block the Rams’ final punt from midfield with 7 seconds left because they only had nine players on the field. As coach Sean McDermott concluded after finally addressing reporters more than an hour after the game ended: “I thought we lost two of the three phases today.” He failed to mention yet another clock management misstep. Rather than have Allen spike the ball to stop the clock after a failed quarterback keeper from the Rams 1 with 62 seconds remaining, McDermott called timeout. That left Buffalo with two timeouts and essentially relying on the slim chances of recovering an onside kick after Allen scored on his next attempt. McDermott defended his decision by saying he feared too much time would elapse before the Bills aligned for another snap. And yet, it would not have matched the 45 seconds the Rams ran off on their final possession after Buffalo used its final two timeouts. Together, these are the types of miscues that have haunted the Bills in their recent playoff losses. The bright side is the loss to the Rams didn’t end the Bills’ season, though they fell two games behind Kansas City (12-1) in the race for the AFC’s top seed . And perhaps, the loss can be chalked up to a team riding a little too high off a playoff-clinching win and having to travel across the country to face a Rams team in the thick of its divisional race. If that’s so, the Bills have a chance to address their flaws — and doubters — by how they respond in what still stands as a juicy showdown at the NFC-leading Detroit Lions (12-1) on Sunday. “They’re the top dog in football right now,” Allen said, looking ahead to Detroit. “We have to have a good week, learn from this one, and put it behind us.” What’s working Scoring. The Bills topped 30 points for a team-record seventh consecutive game and ninth time this season. Buffalo entered the day ranked second in the NFL averaging 30.5 points per outing, behind Detroit (32.1). What needs help Run defense. Though the Rams averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, they stuck with it in finishing with 137 yards, helping them enjoy a 17-minute edge in time of possession. Stock up Allen. If not for him, the Bills wouldn't have been in position to nearly overcome a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit. His 424 yards (342 passing and 82 rushing) accounted for all but 21 yards of Buffalo's total offense. Stock down With so many options, perhaps the focus falls on special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley. This is the second time in 13 months special teams personnel management became an issue. Buffalo was flagged for having too many men as time expired, providing Wil Lutz a second chance to hit a decisive field goal in sealing Denver's 24-22 win last season . Injuries Starting CB Rasul Douglas was sidelined by a knee injury. ... DE Casey Toohill injured his ribs. Key number 80-1-1 — The Bills' record when scoring 38 or more points, including a 38-38 tie with Denver in 1960. Next steps Facing Detroit represents Buffalo's final major test before closing the season with two games against New England and hosting the New York Jets. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl John Wawrow, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans Dec 9, 2024 2:57 PM Cardinals' sudden 3-game tailspin has turned their once solid playoff hopes into a long shot Dec 9, 2024 2:52 PM The 49ers' playoff hopes are still teetering even after get-right game against the Bears Dec 9, 2024 2:49 PM

Lina Hurtig’s late poke-in ensured Arsenal secured a spot in the Champions League knockout stage with two group games remaining, a 1-0 win over Juventus enough to put them clear at the expense of the Italian club. The Gunners needed a win to ensure progression to the quarter-finals after Bayern Munich’s 1-1 draw with Valerenga in Norway. Instead of the Group C standings being finely poised, Hurtig’s goal gave them the breathing room they so desperately wanted before they face Bayern at Meadow Park to very likely decide who tops the group. “It’s the ultimate end to a very busy and intense block we have had,” said interim manager Renée Slegers. “It means a lot. All of the players totally deserve it. It gives us some breathing space in the last two games as well.” Slegers’s side were unchanged from the team that earned a comfortable 3-0 win over Tottenham at the weekend, Katie McCabe pushing forward when the Gunners were in possession leaving Leah Williamson, Steph Catley and Emily Fox to operate as a back three. It has been a successful play for Arsenal in recent weeks, the extra attacking player helping them pick open stubborn defences, but Juventus had done their homework and frustrated them for 89 minutes. There was no room for complacency despite the 4-0 defeat of Juventus in the reverse fixture the preceding week. It would be unfair to suggest that scoreline flattered Arsenal, but the game in Biella was far from easy. It took the Gunners until the 75th minute to get their second and put the game to bed, with Slegers saying that had taken a lot out of them “physically and psychologically”. At a bitterly cold Emirates Stadium, there was frustration as congestion getting into the ground meant that some fans missed the first 15 minutes and arrived to find their seats taken. The club had to open another block in the lower tier to find space for them. It was not ideal, but is ultimately a teething problem as the club balances the varying crowd sizes for women’s fixtures at the ground and the right levels of staffing required. are all but through to the Women's Champions League quarter-finals after a 4-1 win over in Vienna. Two goals from Kika Nazareth, plus strikes from Vicky López and Alexia Putellas, ensured a dominant victory for the visitors, though the Austrian side nabbed a consolation via Valentina Mädl. While Hammarby could still technically progress from Group D despite their 2-1 defeat to the frontrunners, Manchester City, they would need to beat Barça 10-0, having lost 9-0 in Catalonia in October. Elsewhere, in Group C, were held to a 1-1 draw by after Elise Thorsnes's late equaliser cancelled out Jovana Damnjanovic's opener. The result represents a window of opportunity for Arsenal after their 1-0 win over Juventus. While Bayern still top the group, their lead has been cut to one point with two games left to play including, in December, a trip to Meadow Park. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it, they didn’t miss much. Arsenal have scored 19 goals in six games since Jonas Eidevall departed and Slegers was appointed as interim manager, prior to the visit of Juventus, but against the Italian club it was 24 minutes before the home team had their first convincing chance, Frida Maanum firing over from a tight angle. Other moments of note? Arsenal centre-back Leah Williamson taking a goal kick ahead of keeper Daphne van Domselaar. That was about it. Arsenal had dominated possession, having over 75% of the ball, but had just the one shot to show for it from the first half. After the break, the story was similar, the home team struggling to break through the organised defensive line of the Italian side. They would go agonisingly close just before the hour mark in quick succession. First, when Katie McCabe’s backheel found Caldentey and the Spaniard played it centrally to an unmarked Maanum, but she put her effort wide of the near post, the fans’ half-celebrations quelled as the ball hit the electronic hoardings. Then, when a goalmouth scramble saw Foord have a shot blocked on the line. Despite visibly tiring, the visiting team sensed they could snatch more than a point and Van Domselaar would be called into action for the first time with 15 minutes remaining, getting down to push away Arianna Caruso’s low effort towards the far corner. Substitute Hurtig twice had the vocal 9,963 crowd gasping, the second of her two headers flying over the bar from the six-yard line with the goal gaping and the keeper nowhere. It felt like the odds were against them, but the Swede would be Arsenal’s saviour, poking fellow sub Stina Blackstenius’s cross off the foot of a defender and in, before she could clear, in the 89th minute to seal victory. There was relief in the celebrations. Slegers’ record remains close to unblemished, with six wins and a draw from seven matches. The Renéessance continues. “It’s surreal to be honest,” said the manager. “I never felt we would get into this situation. We have done really well but I was part of Jonas [Eidevall’s] staff and there was so much that was built during his time. I don’t want to separate that. There is so much we are still building on. It’s surreal in so many ways but we are very happy.”

The Los Angeles Lakers’ most recent 107-98 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night improved their record to 13-11 as they hold onto the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Los Angeles’ future Hall-of-Fame duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been pulling out all the stops to keep the team afloat, with Davis scoring 27.5 points on a remarkable 61.0% true shooting percentage and James contributing 23.0 points and dishing 9.1 assists. While the pair of NBA 75th Anniversary Team members have been producing at a spectacular rate, the team as a collective has struggled on both ends of the floor. Their No. 26 ranked 117.0 defensive rating specifically calls for a drastic change, and the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka may be tempted to remedy the issue by contacting the New Orleans Pelicans to inquire about their gifted perimeter defender. The 26-year-old Herb Jones is already an All-Defensive First Team selection and fifth-place finisher in Defensive Player of the Year voting as he enters his fourth NBA season. Coming off of his incredible 2023-24 season, the Lakers have been named as the leading suitor to acquire Jones in recent reports . “While Davis is an incredible defensive player...the nine-time NBA All-Star needs some help,” shared Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Hanna Wednesday. “Fortunately, there is a player who would be a great addition to help the Lakers out on defense, and it looks like they're a frontrunner to land him.” “According to a report from Bovada ( per NBACentral ) the Lakers are one of the favorite NBA franchises to land forward Herb Jones in a potential trade.” While he had been contributing to previous iterations of Pelicans teams that were somewhat competitive, the franchise currently resides at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 5-21 record through 26 games. Jones has contributed 10.3 points and a career-high 1.8 steals to the injury-riddled Pelicans, and their wasted season has turned the defensive prodigy into a likely trade candidate. The potential acquisition of Jones for Los Angeles would immediately help the team climb the defensive rating ladder towards the conclusion of the season, as the pairing of Jones on the perimeter and Davis protecting the paint would be an unstoppable defensive formula. To acquire Jones, Los Angeles would likely ship out names like Gabe Vincent or D’Angelo Russell paired with a young prospect like Max Christie and first-round draft compensation. More NBA: Bronny James coverage by NBA facing backlash after Lakers rookie goes off

A new venture aiming to connect AI services across platforms could transform everyday commerce by letting virtual shopping agents compare prices, schedule deliveries and handle customer service across multiple retailers and websites. The vision of /dev/agents, which just landed $56 million in funding at a $500 million valuation, points to a future where artificial intelligence (AI) helpers could independently manage tasks from restocking office supplies to scheduling home repairs — provided the startup succeeds in its ambitious goal of creating an operating system that lets different companies’ AI agents work together like apps on a smartphone. While tech giants like Microsoft and OpenAI are already rolling out specialized AI agents for tasks like healthcare scheduling and marketing, the lack of a common framework has limited their ability to coordinate across services. “If the system is open and allows seamless integration of tools, it could drive down costs by reducing duplication of effort and making it easier for businesses to adopt AI,” Kevin Baragona , founder of DeepAI , told PYMNTS. “For example, instead of paying for multiple disconnected AI services, businesses could manage everything under one unified platform. But if it becomes a closed ecosystem controlled by a few players, they might charge premium prices, locking smaller businesses out. It really hinges on whether it’s built to serve the whole industry or just the creators’ bottom line.” The startup, led by former Google VP David Singleton and other Android veterans, wants to create a foundation to let AI agents talk to each other. Right now, AI assistants from different companies work in isolation — imagine if apps on your phone couldn’t share information or work together. The operating system /dev/agents plans to build would work like Android does for mobile apps, providing the basic rules and tools that let different AI services coordinate their actions. For instance, if you’re shopping online, one company’s AI assistant could smoothly connect with others, handling shipping, customer service and payments across different stores. The hefty $56 million in startup funding suggests investors see this as a crucial piece of infrastructure for AI’s future. The AI Agent Surge Interest in AI agents is booming. OpenAI revealed “Operator,” an AI agent launching in January to tackle complex tasks. Microsoft’s Ignite 2024 showcased agents for automating customer returns and shipping. Anthropic debuted the Model Context Protocol, linking AI assistants to live data. Samsung is integrating ChatGPT into Galaxy devices, enhancing AI capabilities. Andrew Brooks , who runs the AI platform Contextual.io , told PYMNTS that AI agents are crossing a major threshold — moving beyond giving recommendations to making real-world decisions. His examples paint the picture: Instead of flagging angry customers for human review, AI agents can now read the situation across emails and chats and issue refunds directly. In warehouses, they don’t just predict inventory shortages — they place the orders themselves. The shift marks a fundamental change from AI that merely suggests solutions to systems that can independently execute complex business tasks. “A specific live example for our clients is an AI Agent that can automatically approve pricing based on a prediction of wage rates in a given location,” he said. “This spans local job data and a Salesforce quotation process. Because these AI Agents are automating actions that would otherwise at least require a human, the impact is a reduction in staff required to perform the same decision-making process. Note that it is less about the action itself (approving a quote is a simple step) but rather about advanced decision-making incorporating multiple data sources that are being eliminated.” As AI takes over more complex decisions, the debate shifts to who will shape how these tools work together. According to Andrey Meshcheryakov of consulting firm Recombinators , it will likely come down to one key question: Will major tech companies dominate the development of AI operating systems, or will open-source initiatives take the lead? He suggests that Big Tech firms could set the standards and use their vast resources and existing ecosystems to lock users into proprietary systems — much like how OpenAI has focused on consumer products. “However, open systems, like the microagent projects, could push for decentralized, collaborative frameworks,” he said. “The balance will hinge on market demand for openness versus convenience and the willingness of smaller players to rally around open standards.”

What comes next for President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks?The author of the seminal book about loneliness explains what we’re getting wrong