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fruit roulette One of the key pillars of China's economic strategy is stability. By implementing prudent macroeconomic policies, promoting structural reforms, and enhancing financial regulation, China has been able to maintain a stable economic environment conducive to sustainable growth. This commitment to stability has not only helped cushion the impact of external shocks but has also laid a solid foundation for future development.Gift-giving for birdwatchers has changed so much over the last few years. It wasn’t long ago that a good field guide was the ideal gift for the birder on your list. The only question was which field guide to get. Sibley, Peterson, Audubon? The field guide debate was always fun to watch from the sidelines as birders extolled the virtues of their favorite. Can it fit in your back pocket? Are they photos or drawings? Does it show the various plumages? Now, physical field guides have all but been replaced by digital ones on the phone. It happened in the blink of an eye. One year, birders are flipping through the pages of a book trying to confirm a species; the next, they are scrolling through their phones. As an old newspaperman, I am very slow to adapt and accept many new technologies, especially ones that threaten to replace traditional media. But, I have to admit, the new field guides on the phone are far superior. That’s up for debate, of course, but that’s my take these days. I do still enjoy flipping through a field guide in book form when I’m reading for pleasure or killing time. When I’m lying in bed before sleep, I will take flipping through pages to scrolling on a screen any day. (Or should that be night?) But in the field, the phone field guides are the go-to choice. You can find the bird in question faster as you don’t have to look at the index and then thumb through to find the pages. With a phone, just open the app, type in a few letters in the search bar and click on your bird. With a phone, you get multiple photos of the bird in all the various plumages: male, female, immature, seasonal. The description is right below the photos. Most field guide apps also have the various songs and calls of the bird in question. Click a button and hear what a white-eyed vireo sounds like. That makes identification in the field so much easier to be able to see photos of the bird and hear actual audio of the bird. Due to the obvious limitations of a book field guide, you get only a description of the song or call or a rough translation of what it sounds like in English. Some field guides even put in histograms, which I could never interpret anyway. Phone field guides also allow users to keep a record of the birds they see and save the lists for future reference. Of course, that existed long before field guide apps, as people simply wrote down the birds they saw in a notebook and referred to the notebook when necessary or just for fun. To me, that’s still the better way to do it. There’s something more gratifying about writing down your list of birds, rather than typing into a phone or computer. All this is not to say field guides are no longer good Christmas gifts. They are. They just aren’t as good as phone apps while in the field. Everything else that makes field guides great still holds true. And there’s a strong argument that can be made that field guide books are indeed better in the field because the photos or drawings can highlight distinctive field marks. There are many other gifts to consider getting for your birdwatcher. Binoculars, spotting scopes, bird feeders (or houses or baths), apparel, decoys, art, bird books, and just about anything you can imagine that features birds as the motif. This can include ornaments, card decks, bedding, shower curtains, pajamas, hats, magnets, coffee mugs, and the list goes on. Like I said, just about anything you can imagine. Feel free to contact me via the email below if you have any questions about your last-minute birding gifts. Have a great holiday season, everyone. I hope it’s your best one yet.Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections

As the countdown to the event begins, anticipation is reaching a fever pitch as gamers eagerly await the chance to win one of the coveted PS5 consoles. With its groundbreaking graphics, lightning-fast load times, and innovative DualSense controller, the PS5 has quickly become one of the most sought-after gaming consoles on the market, offering players a truly next-gen gaming experience.The Most Anticipated Books of 2025

High school sports roundup: Basketball and bowling updatesThe benefits of standardized data formats and exchanges in financial services are myriad. Banks are moving toward the ISO 20022 financial messaging standard, tied to Swift, which noted that the open standard can be used for all types of financial transactions, including cross-border fund flows. The messaging formats support the inexorable global movement toward real-time payment, with 68% of businesses telling PYMNTS that they plan to adopt instant payments in the next two years via the RTP® Network or FedNow® Service . Certain verticals are outpacing that overall percentage in terms of intent: 81% of companies in consumer and retails plan to harness instant payments, followed by 75% in hospitality and leisure, and 70% in healthcare. But the banks’ shift has some challenges in place, as legacy messaging formats still must be transitioned and translated into ISO 20022, and batch processes that have been around for decades must be moved to real-time status. A few deadlines are nearing in the upcoming year: In March, Federal Reserve banks in the United States will have to implement the standard for the Fedwire Funds Service. By November, financial institutions (FIs) will have to be ISO 20022-compliant as they look to send and receive payments internationally. But recent stats by Deutsche Bank state that only about 27% of banks are fully compliant with, and have adopted, the standard. End of the Coexistence As PYMNTS reported last week, more than 1 million ISO 20022-formatted messages are already being sent over the Swift network every day. These messages are being sent to 220 countries and territories around the world, Swift said in a Wednesday (Dec. 11) news release. November 2025 will mark the end of what’s known as the “coexistence” period between MT messaging, which can be termed legacy messaging, and ISO 20022. In documentation available on sites such as the Faster Payments Council, the newer messaging formats are noted to have unique data fields, as well as a growing number of data points that can be transmitted between FIs. PYMNTS has noted in past coverage that the implementation deadlines had been delayed. But for the banks that are eyeing the span of about 11 months to get ready for the end of the aforementioned co-existence, enlisting the aid of outside providers to ensure compliance is part of a forward-thinking strategy. In one example, Finastra said in May that it completed testing and certification through the Federal Reserve for ISO 20022, becoming one of the first vendors in the industry to complete the process for multiple solutions. It had certified Payments To Go, Global PAYplus, PAYplus USA and PAYplus Connect, offering multiple solutions for FIs to meet the standards for FedWire. As PYMNTS reported last month , Volante Technologies has expanded the capabilities of its Volante Payments Platform by adding Volante Intelligence, which enables FIs to address the challenges posed ISO 20022. The company said in May that it achieved Fedwire Funds Service certification for the ISO 20022 messaging capabilities of its wire payment processing solutions. Meanwhile, payment solutions firm Finzly said in October that its platform enables FIs’ ISO 20022 readiness for Swift and Fedwire, with the option to send messages in custom formats or ISO 20022, along with operational readiness testing.U.S. manufacturing contracted at a moderate pace in November, with orders growing for the first time in eight months and factories facing significantly lower prices for inputs. The improvement reported by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Monday tracked similar increases in other sentiment surveys, which have risen on hopes of more business-friendly policies from the incoming Trump administration. Still, manufacturing is not out of the woods yet. ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee Chair Timothy Fiore noted that “production execution eased in November,” consistent with demand sluggishness and weak backlogs, and that suppliers continue to have capacity, with lead times improving but some product shortages reappearing. “It is worth noting that in the aftermath of the 2016 election, the ISM index rose for four straight months, as business optimism swelled,” said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at Santander U.S. Capital Markets. “I would not be surprised to see a similar dynamic this time, though in the current case, the underlying fundamentals for the factory sector have been tepid at best for a while.” The ISM said its manufacturing PMI increased to a five-month high of 48.4 from 46.5 in October, which was the lowest level since July 2023. A PMI reading below 50 indicates contraction in the manufacturing sector, which accounts for 10.3% of the economy. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a PMI of 47.5. November marked the eighth straight month that the PMI stayed below the 50 threshold, but above the 42.5 level that the ISM says over time generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. The share of industries reporting a composite PMI calculation at or below 45%, viewed as a good barometer of overall manufacturing weakness, rose to 48% from 46% in October. Only three industries, including computer and electronic as well as electrical equipment, appliances and components reported growth. Among the 11 industries reporting contraction were transportation equipment, machinery, miscellaneous manufacturing, chemical products and primary metals. Comments from manufacturers were mostly downbeat. Makers of transportation equipment reported that business remains slow, and anticipated the first half of 2025 will be similar. Some machinery manufacturers said “a general construction slowdown in the fourth quarter has created a surplus of finished goods, creating the need for an extra two weeks of shutdown over the Christmas holiday period.” Fabricated metal products makers said customers were destocking and appear uncertain about near-term demand, adding the preliminary forecast for 2025 is down significantly. Miscellaneous manufacturers worried about potential increased tariffs on imports from China, noting the “cost and capacity of U.S. manufacturing is a concern.” President-elect Donald Trump said last week he would impose a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, on his first day in office. Some companies in the primary metal industry, however, said they had seen an uptick in customers wanting to reshore their businesses after the election. Inflation remained a concern for manufacturers of food, beverage & tobacco products. Makers of computer and electronic products reported pent-up buying, but complained that “competition for qualified technical labor is a constraint on operational throughput.” U.S. stocks were trading higher. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury yields rose. The PMI has suggested manufacturing remains stuck in deep recession following hefty interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve in 2022 and 2023. It has, however, not been all doom and gloom. Business spending on equipment has notched two consecutive quarters of strong growth, reflecting in part an artificial intelligence boom and demand for commercial aircraft. The U.S. central bank started easing monetary policy in September, and a third rate cut is expected this month. The ISM survey’s forward-looking new orders sub-index increased to 50.4, expanding for the first time since March, from 47.1 in October. The production index was, however, little changed at depressed levels. Its measure of prices paid by manufacturers dropped to 50.3 from 54.8 in October. That suggests goods prices have room to fall, though higher tariffs could see a reversal. The survey’s gauge of supplier deliveries dropped to 48.7 from 52.0 in October. A reading above 50 indicates slower deliveries. Factory employment continued to improve, though remaining at subdued levels, with the manufacturing employment measure climbing to 48.1 from 44.4 in October. That is consistent with an anticipated acceleration in nonfarm payrolls growth in November, after a strike by factory workers at Boeing and another aerospace company tanked manufacturing employment in October. Job growth in October was also restrained by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Labor Department’s strike report last Friday confirmed the 38,000 aerospace employees returned to work in late October and early November. Early results of a Reuters survey of economists estimated payrolls increasing by 195,000 jobs in November after rising by 12,000 in October, the fewest since December 2020. The closely watched employment report is due to be released on Friday. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)Dr. Zhang emphasized the need for science communicators to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public, making complex concepts understandable and relevant to everyday life. Through her work, she strives to break down complicated scientific theories and discoveries into bite-sized, engaging pieces that anyone can understand and appreciate.

ChatGPT’s second birthday: What will gen AI (and the world) look like in another 2 years?Overall, the new tax reform on water resource fees in Shandong Province represents a significant step forward in promoting water conservation and providing policy incentives for better water management practices. By introducing a tiered pricing system, offering financial incentives for water-saving technologies, and reinvesting revenues into water management initiatives, the government is taking proactive measures to address water scarcity issues and promote more sustainable use of water resources. It is hoped that these reforms will not only benefit the environment and local communities in Shandong Province but also serve as a model for other regions facing similar water challenges to follow suit and implement similar measures.Preview: Arouca vs. Santa Clara - prediction, team news, lineupsIn recent months, law enforcement agencies have issued warnings about a new scam targeting unsuspecting individuals through the use of empty packages delivered to their homes. The scam, known as the "empty package scam," involves recipients receiving a seemingly empty parcel with a message claiming they have won a prize or lottery. In reality, these packages are designed to trick recipients into revealing personal information or sending money to fraudsters.

49ers' Brock Purdy won't face Packers, status for Bills game 'up in the air'Pere Guardiola's revelation about the light-hearted exchange with his brother sheds light on the human side of football's most celebrated figures. Behind the tactics, trophies, and triumphs lies a sense of camaraderie and playful banter that transcends the boundaries of competition. The Guardiola brothers exemplify the importance of maintaining a sense of humor and perspective, even in the face of intense pressure and scrutiny.

Cultural orientation is another important component of the adaptation process. Understanding and respecting the local customs, traditions, and social norms can help young players avoid misunderstandings and navigate cultural differences more smoothly. Cultural awareness training, cross-cultural workshops, and mentorship programs can provide valuable insights and support to help players adjust and thrive in their new surroundings.