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With Mahayuti returning to power with a thumping majority by winning 235 out of 288 seats and reducing opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi to just 50 seats, it looked like the coming five years would see a clear dominance of the ruling parties. Things, however, may not be quite so simple. Two incidents in the past week have indicated that the political drama in Maharashtra may continue in the days to come. Last Tuesday, during the winter session of state legislature, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray called on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. They had rarely met since October-November 2019 when the Shiv Sena and BJP parted ways. The courtesy meeting lasted just 10 minutes but it indicated that the old allies turned foes are warming up to each other. Those who were present at the chief minister’s office in Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur say they could sense positive vibes as the two leaders chatted. The next day, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar met prime minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and invited him for Marathi Sahitya Sammelan that is being held in Delhi in February. Pawar has taken the responsibility of organising the Sahitya Sammelan, a Marathi literary meet that happens every year. Modi has accepted the invitation to be the chief guest for the Sammelan. Both the meetings have led to much speculation in the state’s political circles. Senior BJP leaders say both the leaders are trying to keep their flock together and hence making overtures to Fadnavis and Modi so that possible defectors from their parties do not shift to Mahayuti. Thackeray and Pawar have 17 MPs between them and their support could be useful in Lok Sabha, they add. On the other hand, Shiv Sena leaders suspect Fadnavis has softened to Thackeray to keep Eknath Shinde in check. A Thackeray faction leader said there is a possibility that the government will agree to give the post of leader of opposition in the assembly to Shiv Sena (UBT) though, as per the norm, no opposition party has got the required seats to get the post. No prizes for guessing who will be the target of the opposition leader. Like any good script, Maharashtra politics never fails to keep people guessing. Full ministers, half portfolios Following the portfolio allocation, several Mahayuti ministers are disappointed. A senior minister in BJP was confident that he would get revenue or cooperation but he got a relatively insignificant portfolio. An ambitious BJP minister was sure he would get a key department to head but what he got has left him wondering what exactly he is supposed to do with it. A Shiv Sena minister who was considered to be close to Shinde and was in controversy over the way he handled his department in previous government is completely disappointed with his new responsibility. Several ministers have been given departments that are often clubbed with other departments. Soil and water conservation (given to Sanjay Rathod), information technology and cultural affairs (Ashish Shelar), tourism and mining (Shambhuraj Desai), employment guarantee scheme and salt pan land development (Bharat Gogawale), relief and rehabilitation (Makrand Jadhav), fisheries and ports (Nitesh Rane) and marketing and protocol (Jaykumar Raval) are such departments but they will now be separate portfolios. Personal staff of ministers The first major activity that begins after the new ministers take charge in any government is the lobbying of officers interested in joining ministerial offices as private secretaries (PS) and personal assistants (PA) of ministers. Several such officers manage to continue with ministers even if governments change. For the ministers, the advantage is that these officers know the functioning of the government and many of them also know how certain vested interests are handled. These officers are mostly picked from various government departments or corporations on deputation. This cycle was first broken by Fadnavis when he became chief minister in 2014. He directed that no ministers should hire personal staff who had worked with any minister in past 10 years. The idea was to avoid the staff that had worked with Congress-NCP ministers in previous governments. Since 2019, this diktat was overlooked during the MVA and later Shinde-led government. In his second stint too, Fadnavis is keen to monitor what kind of personal staff is hired by his ministers. All ministers have been instructed to submit a list of staff they want to appoint to the chief minister’s office. If objections are raised, those officers can’t be appointed, the ministers have been told. Coincidence In an interesting co-incidence, two first-time ministers have been given portfolios that their fathers too had when they became ministers. Narayan Rane’s first portfolio in Shiv Sena-BJP government (1995-99) was animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries. Now his son Nitesh has got fisheries department. Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam first became minister of state in the Sena-BJP government and had food and civil supplies as one of his portfolios. His son Yogesh also has the same portfolio as a junior minister.kawbet casino live 。

Read the full transcript: President-elect Donald Trump interviewed by "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker

PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral , its air thick with the smell of incense, hosted its first Mass on Sunday since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcended religious significance to become a powerful symbol of Paris’ resilience. Beneath the glow of traditional chandeliers and modern spotlights, which illuminated its intricately carved stonework , the cathedral emerged reborn, its grandeur restored after five years of reconstruction. For Catholics, it marks the revival of the city’s spiritual heart, a place where faith has been nurtured for centuries. For the world, it signals the rebirth of one of global heritage’s most famous landmarks. The event was both solemn and historic. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the morning Mass, including the consecration of a new bronze altar. The liturgy was attended by 2,500 people, including French President Emmanuel Macron — enjoying a brief respite from France’s political tumult and economic troubles — clergy, dignitaries and a few lucky members of the general public who stood in long lines to enter. Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part, along with one priest from each of the 113 parishes in the Paris diocese, accompanied by worshippers from these communities. Macron, in line with France’s strict division of state and church, did not take communion. Notre Dame’s journey from ruin to resurrection was defined by extraordinary craftsmanship, nearly $1 billion in global donations and a collective, unyielding determination to rebuild. After the Mass, faithful attendees, priests, nuns, and other guests lingered in the cathedral, their awe evident. Many took pictures and selfies in front of the altar, the baptistery, and vibrant rose windows, their joy mingling with reverence. Others knelt to pray at chapels dedicated to saints, savoring a spiritual intimacy many had not experienced since the fire. Later Sunday, the cathedral opened its doors to members of the public who secured reservations last week for the first fully public Mass. The Associated Press learned that tickets for this service were claimed within 25 minutes, underscoring Notre Dame’s enduring appeal. What’s more extraordinary is that this is taking place in a country with a strong emphasis on secularism and a low rate of church attendance. Public viewing areas along the Seine on Sunday morning drew hundreds of people who wished to witness the historic moment from afar, although their numbers were likely subdued by rainy and miserably cold weather conditions. Retired engineer Claude Lancrenon, watching from a viewing area, expressed both awe and disappointment. “There is so much security,” he said, gesturing toward the barriers. “Yesterday, that seemed appropriate. But today, I had hoped it would be more open so we could approach the cathedral. I still hope we’ll be able to get closer.” Tight security — akin to that of the Paris Olympic Games — reflected the importance of the occasion, ensuring the safety of dignitaries and the public alike. Nathalie Martino, a retired event organizer visiting Paris, recalled the anguish of watching the cathedral burn. “I cried so much that day,” she said. “And now, here I am. I had to come. It was something I needed to do.” Sunday’s Masses follow Saturday evening’s ceremonies in which Ulrich symbolically reopened the cathedral’s massive wooden doors by striking them three times with a crosier crafted from charred beams salvaged from the fire. As the doors swung open, choirs filled the air with song and the cathedral’s great organ — silent since the fire — resounded with majestic melodies. Inside, the restoration reveals a cathedral transformed with now-gleaming limestone walls cleaned of centuries of grime. The restored stained-glass windows project dazzling patterns of color across the nave. “No one alive has seen the cathedral like this,” said the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Notre Dame’s rector. “It is more than restored — it is reborn.” The consecration of the new altar was a pivotal moment in Notre Dame’s return to full liturgical life. The altar houses relics of five saints tied to Paris, including St. Catherine Labouré and St. Charles de Foucauld, continuing a centuries-old tradition of embedding sacred artifacts at the heart of worship spaces. The consecration, involving holy water, chrism oil, incense and prayer, transforms the altar into a sacred centerpiece of the cathedral. That was the most moving moment of the day for Marie Capucine, 37, a consecrated virgin representing her Parisian parish of Saint Germain des Prés at the reopening. She recalled the day the fire raged, and the ‘’communion in prayer all over the world’’ for the cathedral to be saved. “That shows that the Church gathers, no matter whether people are believers or not, it says something to the world, something beautiful,” she concluded. The reopening of Notre Dame is also a moment of cultural and national unity. Macron, who vowed to restore the cathedral within five years after the fire, called the project “a jolt of hope” for France, a nation often divided by political crises. The Sunday Masses underscore Notre Dame’s dual role as a place of worship and a symbol of communal resilience. They also ensure that members of the broader Catholic community can partake in the cathedral’s spiritual revival. The path to restoration was fraught with challenges. Lead contamination forced work to pause, and the COVID-19 pandemic added delays. Yet the project, overseen by architect Philippe Villeneuve, has been hailed as a triumph of human ingenuity and collective resolve. Cutting-edge fire prevention systems, including thermal cameras and a misting system, have been installed to safeguard the cathedral’s future. Villeneuve described the effort as “restoring not just a building but the soul of a nation,” emphasizing the personal and national significance of the work. With its spire once again piercing the Parisian sky, Notre Dame is poised to reclaim its role as a global beacon of faith and art. The cathedral, which previously welcomed 12 million annual visitors, is expected to draw 15 million in its new chapter. This monumental revival is not confined to a single day. Ulrich has announced an “octave” of celebrations — eight days of special religious services, each with its own theme, running through Dec. 15. These daily liturgies, open to diverse groups from local parishioners to international pilgrims, emphasize Notre Dame’s role as a unifying spiritual hub. John Leicester, Yesica Brumec and Bela Szandelszky in Paris contributed. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through The AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.Ryder Novock notches hat trick, as Country Day gets past Ike, 5-2, thanks to second-period flurryTelecom troubles

Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris has opted out of the remainder of the 2024 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft, according to a report by 247Sports.com . The 6-foot-1 sixth-year senior from Chicago has recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups in 10 games for the Hawkeyes this season. That includes a pick-6 in a 38-21 win over Troy earlier this season. Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays at Maryland on Saturday before closing out its regular season at home against Nebraska on Nov. 29. The Hawkeyes are already bowl eligible, so Harris is likely opting out of three games in total. After missing the entire 2022 season due to an ankle injury, Harris was suspended for two games of the following season for his involvement in the gambling investigation into Iowa athletics. He later emerged as the Hawkeyes' top cornerback, earning the team's comeback player of the year award after compiling 42 tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups. Harris will finish his college career with 105 tackles and eight interceptions. --Field Level MediaWood Packaging Market Growth and Future Outlook Industry Insights: Market Size, Share, and Growth Forecast 2024 - 2031

A battle for election transparency is being waged across Pennsylvania’s court system. Against a backdrop of the “stop the steal” movement and persistent accusations of a broken electoral system, an unlikely alliance of GOP lawyers and grassroots democracy advocates is pushing to open elections to greater public scrutiny. Their goal: to allow anyone to review the millions of ballots cast by mail and in person, as long as voters cannot be identified. “It’s transparency. It’s election integrity,” Thomas Breth, a Butler County lawyer who has done extensive work for Republican causes and is involved in several ongoing appellate cases, told TribLive. “It gives the public confidence to know elections are being conducted competently and fairly.” Susannah Goodman, the director of election security with Common Cause, a nonpartisan pro-democracy group, said her organization supports publication of cast-vote records and ballot images “In general, we really support transparency and the ability to observe and follow along with post-election audits,” she said. On Tuesday, the Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of two Allegheny County residents who sought to obtain digital copies of mail-in ballots cast in the 2020 general election. The county elections office had denied the request, finding that the images are considered “contents of ballot boxes” and therefore not viewable under Pennsylvania’s election code. Commonwealth Court, however, took the opposite view, basing its rationale on the same election code. The court cited a section of the code that reads: “All official mail-in ballots, files, applications for ballots, and envelopes on which the executed declarations appear, and all information and lists are designated and declared to be public records and shall be safely kept for a period of two years, except that no proof of identification shall be made public ...” The state objects Fighting against full transparency is Pennsylvania’s top elections official, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt. In a friend-of-the-court brief in the Allegheny County case, the state’s Office of General Counsel argued that completed mail-in and absentee ballots should not be subject to the state’s Right-to-Know law. Commonwealth Court, the state’s lawyers argued, got it wrong in ruling that the ballots are subject to review. “The impact of that decision causes a real threat that mail-in and absentee voters in smaller precincts will need to sacrifice their right to cast a secret ballot in exchange for choosing to vote in a certain manner,” the state wrote. In the 2024 primary, the secretary argued that in smaller precincts, anyone looking to identify a voter could do so in more than 1,400 instances. “Disclosure of this information, then, not only violates these voters’ constitutionally guaranteed right of secrecy, but also could certainly chill citizens from exercising their right to vote in this manner in the future,” they wrote. The secretary further argued that it is “unreasonable” that the Legislature sought to treat mail-in ballots “somehow less deserving of secrecy” than those cast in person. The Pennsylvania Department of State did not make anyone available for an interview . Goodman of Common Cause agrees that ballot secrecy is paramount. “We really need to have the secret ballot so people aren’t bullied, harassed, threatened with job loss or coerced,” she said. “It means people really vote their conscience.” Goodman believes there are ways to ensure anonymity, including redacting identifying information or combining smaller precincts into larger ones. “A remedy has to be engineered so you can publish them and not be able to trace them back to the voter.” As for whether ballots are subject to open-records laws, the American Civil Liberties Union says they are. Marian Schneider, an ACLU attorney who has a case on mail-in ballots pending with Commonwealth Court, said the state election code makes it clear they are public records. Once the ballots are taken out of their outer envelopes, Schneider said, there’s no way to track them back to the voter. “Those secrecy concerns can be addressed,” she said. Schneider believes the reason the Legislature treated mail-in ballots differently in the election code is because there is already public scrutiny of in-person voting, including through the use of judges of elections and poll workers. “There are procedural safeguards there to prevent any shenanigans,” Schneider said. The ACLU believes all ballots should be made public. “There need to be other procedural safeguards to ensure the integrity of the election,” Schneider said. “The answer to people who express skepticism or distrust in elections is not less transparency. It’s more transparency.” Wanting scrutiny, she said, isn’t about believing anything nefarious is happening. “There are valid reasons to check on the work.” Transparency elsewhere According to The Elections Transparency Project, Humboldt County, California, began digitally scanning ballots for public review in June 2008. Following the 2008 presidential election, it found “significant errors” that led to the results — and voting equipment — being decertified. Since then, according to its website, a group of citizen volunteers works with the county elections department to scan the ballots and make them publicly accessible. As they are audited, each ballot is imprinted with a unique number that allows it to be matched with an individual ballot “so that anyone can count the votes cast.” Scanning the ballots, the website says, is more practical than providing public access to thousands or millions of ballots. “We believe it has helped the citizens of Humboldt County maintain high confidence that the elections office results accurately reflect the cast ballots,” the website says. And in Boise, Idaho, the elections office this year for the first time is publishing all 271,186 ballots cast in the general election on an interactive website using the Ballot Verifier program. According to its website, the program “ensures transparency and accountability in the voting process.” Users can view cast ballots, sort them by precinct, contest or candidate. In Pennsylvania, according to Common Cause, there have not yet been efforts like those to scan all ballots and put them online to allow public scrutiny. But the outcome of the current slate of cases at — or being considered by — the state Supreme Court could change that. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has ruled in at least two cases that scanned images of mail-in ballots are public records, and a third case on that same issue is pending. One of those cases, out of Erie County, is pending acceptance by the state Supreme Court. That court also has agreed to hear a case on whether the reports from in-person voting machines are public record. Another case, addressing whether digital images of cast, in-person ballots are public, was accepted by the court but is currently on hold. Jessica Goughnour, the office manager for the Westmoreland County elections department, said taking such a step to scan every ballot and put it online seems unnecessary. “We’re very transparent in our county,” she said. “Our numbers would match without ever seeing a ballot.” Moving forward Breth, the lawyer involved in several of the appellate cases, said a growing number of states are opening their ballots to public scrutiny. “It doesn’t in any way jeopardize the privacy of the ballot,” Breth said. He called that argument “a red herring.” By allowing ballots to be scrutinized, Breth said, it also allows scholars and politicians to see data and trends at a granular level. “It has a wide variety of uses. All of this, with today’s technology, ought to be available to the public.” Breth said he believes there’s bipartisan support for transparency. “It gives the public confidence,” he said. “The public can make their own minds up.” Schmidt, Breth said, is wrong on the issue. “Saying ‘just trust us’ isn’t how we operate as a society or as a country,” Breth said. Goodman, of Common Cause, said she is not at all surprised there is bipartisan support for increased ballot transparency. She said it started in 2004 when Democrat John Kerry lost to Republican George W. Bush and Democrats questioned the election results, pushing for audits and paper ballots. The same thing happened in 2020, she added, only that time it was Republicans with concerns. “There’s always going to be some way to cast doubt on an election outcome. Transparency is a value that takes hold across the board,” Goodman said. “The point of paper ballot audits and transparency is to convince the losers they lost so we can move forward.”

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Supermarkets start yellow-tagging items on Christmas Eve, but there are specific times when you'll see items reduced. That's according to vouchercodes.co.uk which has listed every major UK supermarket and the predicted times they will slash the prices of their stock. Voucher Codes says Christmas Eve is actually the best day to bag a bargain in the supermarket in the run up to Christmas - so disorganisation could actually work in your favour. It says items such as perishables and festive-themed food will be all for the taking, as bosses aim to catch the eye of last minute dashers. Anita Naik, savings expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk , says: "Timing is everything when it comes to bagging these unbelievable deals. Shop at the right moment, and you can save a fortune, enjoy luxury products for less, and stop good food from going to waste." Lidl Lidl are predicted to reduce prices between 4pm and 5pm on Christmas Eve. Lidl’s yellow sticker markdowns usually happen in two waves: one early in the morning when stores open at 8am, and another in the evening before closing. For the deepest discounts, plan your Christmas Eve visit around 5pm. Anita says: "Staff at Lidl have been known to apply extra reductions between 4pm and 5pm, just before doors close at 6pm." Aldi Aldi are set to slash prices at 5pm - but shoppers will have just one hour to make the most of these deals, as the shop shuts at 6pm and is understandably closed on Christmas Day. Anita says staff will roll out two markdowns on the day. She added: "Aldi also has a two-round system for markdowns - first thing in the morning (from 8am) and again later in the evening. However, unlike Lidl, Aldi uses red stickers to highlight its discounted products. Head there by 5pm on Christmas Eve for the best bargains before stores close at 6pm. "Red-sticker items are scattered across the store, so keep your eyes peeled. From meat to packaged goods, Aldi tends to mark down items by up to 75% on their final day of sale." Asda Asda will start reducing items at 6pm - and shoppers will have until 10pm to make the most of those. Anita says: "Asda’s reductions follow a three-tier system: the first in the morning, a second midday, and a final round of markdowns around 7pm. On Christmas Eve, plan your shop for 6pm to catch the best deals, especially on fresh fruit and veg, which can drop as low as 10p." M&S M&S will be one of the early birds, slashing prices from 3pm and its stores are set to remain open until 4pm. Anita says: "M&S keeps it simple but strategic, with stores reducing items about an hour before closing. On Christmas Eve, that means arriving at 3pm to snag the best bargains before stores close at 4pm. If you can’t make it earlier, some M&S stores often apply last-minute reductions in the final 30 minutes before closing time. If you’re willing to risk it all, here is when you’ll find the mega bargains." Tesco Tesco staff will start yellow-tagging from 6pm to 7pm - but you'll need to be quick as most stores shut at 7pm. According to Anita’s research, Tesco’s yellow stickers roll out in three waves - around 10am, 2pm, and 7pm. For the biggest bargains, head to Tesco an hour before closing. Depending on your local store, on Christmas Eve, this will be 6pm or 7pm. Morrisons Morrisons will start reducing items from 3pm with stores shutting at 4pm. Anita says: "Morrisons usually applies its first reductions as soon as stores open, and saves a final further markdown for the evening. With Christmas Eve hours closing at 4pm, the best deals are likely to pop up around 3pm." Sainsbury's Sainsbury's will start knocking money off produce at 6pm with just an hour left until closing at 7pm. Anita says: "At Sainsbury’s, yellow stickers appear around 2pm and again at 6pm. With stores closing at 7pm on Christmas Eve, arriving at 6pm will give you the best chance to bag festive treats for less."Change In Ownership Coming For Bills

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ITC’s GTEX Project in Sri Lanka, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), held a training-of-trainers session followed by a training workshop on Circular Economy Business Models for the Textile and Clothing (T&C) industry from 16 to 19 December. This workshop, attended by over 60 participants, is designed to provide an in-depth introduction to textile circularity across two days. It begins by explaining the core concepts, principles and components essential for designing for circularity in the textile and clothing industry. Next, it explores how to maximise the efficiency of reverse logistics in the fields of textile reuse and recycling, with a particular focus on textile value chains. In the second day, the workshop takes a “deep dive” into the textile recycling value chain, examining the various technologies, procedures, and quality requirements to make textile recycling a valuable business prospect. Eventually, the workshop concludes with a look at textile recycling business models, discussing the main challenges to value creation for industry stakeholders. Together, these insights equip companies as well as the T&C-related support ecosystem in Sri Lanka with a comprehensive understanding to implement circular business models, enabling them to navigate the textile industry’s shift toward sustainability and gaining a competitive edge on international markets. The workshop was preceded by an intensive two-day training-of-trainers, attended by 19 Sri Lankan academics, textile industry professionals and government officials to scale knowledge and circular practices. As a result, the skills required to teach the training workshop on Circular Economy Business Models for the Textile and Clothing Industry have been embedded within Sri Lanka, ensuring its perennity and setting the stage for several future sessions to be planned and implemented locally, throughout 2025 and beyond. GTEX Sri Lanka expects to train about 500 industries professional and T&C-students in 2025 on this new key aspect of the T&C value chain. The GTEX/MENATEX program phase II is a technical assistance program that will support the T&C sector in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia as well as Sri Lanka to increase its export competitiveness by focusing on sustainability and circularity aspects as key competitiveness drivers. In order to comply with increasing sustainability requirements imposed by governments as well as international buyers, a transformational change of the industry is required. In order to achieve this, while fostering the sector’s potential for job creation and poverty reduction through export expansion, the program works directly with enterprises as well as with the institutional ecosystem in the partner countries. Recognising the critical need for sustainable and inclusive practices, the program aims to drive systematic change within the industry, aligning with the mission of advancing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). GTEX very closely collaborates with key institutions that support the sector in Sri Lanka such as EDB, JAAF, the Central Environmental Authority, SLITA, Moratuwa University, National Cleaner Production Centre and others. This is a five-year program that includes Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Sri Lanka. GTEX2 will support SME companies in T&C industry to improve their operational capacities, including social norms and environmental sustainability, add value to existing products and services and expand exports to traditional and new markets. EDB in collaboration with Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO) conducted a comprehensive market research study for value added textile products of Sri Lanka for selected EU countries. Findings of the market study was disseminated to the apparel industry by publishing in the EDB website, circulating among industry and conducting webinars in collaboration with SIPPO. With the success of this market research, Switzerland Government included Sri Lanka for the second phase of Global Textile and Clothing program (GTEX2). First phase of Global Textile and Clothing (GTEX 1) has been carried out in Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Kyryzstan and Tajikistan. The second phase of the program will be carried out in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan and Sri Lanka. In this regard, EDB signed a project agreement with SECO to implement the GTEX2 in Sri Lanka from 2024 to 2027 for the benefit of the Sri Lankan apparel sector. The main stakeholders of the GTEX2 Sri Lanka program are EDB and the JAAF. The Swiss Government will fund towards this program and International Trade Centre (ITC) will provide the technical assistance.Center State Conference selects tennis all-stars