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When Jane Devasahayam was born 86 years ago to Chinese parents, she was considered "suay" (unlucky) as her mother had died during childbirth. Her father, a farmer in Johor Bahru, gave her away to an Indian family shortly after. “The day I arrived at my new family’s home, my adopted father won the lottery,” Madam Jane told tabla! “So I also grew up with the nickname Pakiam, which means good fortune in Tamil.” Inspired by the anecdote and the tales of other Chinese children who were adopted and raised by Indian parents in Singapore pre-1960s, Madam Jane’s daughter, sociologist Theresa Devasahayam, embarked on a trail to document the lived experiences of 14 such women. Her book, entitled Little Drops: Cherished Children Of Singapore’s Past, was published on Feb 20, and documents anecdotes on Singapore’s history with cross-cultural adoption. Though she said it’s difficult to ascertain how many such adoptions took place between the 1930s and 1960s, Dr Theresa estimated the number to be in the thousands. Courts to get more power over child welfare in divorce cases “I wanted to pass on these lived experiences to the younger generation, many of whom may not know that this phenomenon of cross-cultural adoption had once been relatively common in Singapore,” she said. Madam Jane shared some of the challenges she faced growing up, such as when she would ask her adoptive mother of her origin. “I asked her, ‘how come I am so fair-skinned?’ My mother would jokingly reply that it was because I fell into a tub of milk,” she reminisced with a laugh. Madam Jane never picked up the Chinese language. In school, she learnt English and Malay, and even Latin. She learnt to speak Tamil on her own. When she was a young adult, her mother eventually told her the truth about her adoption. She then tried to seek out her birth family – but her efforts were unsuccessful. Despite that, she looks back on her life with gratitude towards her adoptive parents. Madam Saraswathi Nagalingam, also documented in the book, learnt of her true origins when she was 12. The 75-year-old’s foster parents were originally from India and settled in Singapore during the 1940s. “I do not know exactly at which age I was given away,” Madam Saraswathi said. “But I did see photographs of myself aged possibly two or three, with my adoptive parents, so I am guessing that I was adopted before that”. She remembers that although she was not treated any differently at school, there were some students who used to insist she was Chinese, which would make her cry. “I used to dislike how I looked. To comfort me, my mother would tell me that my skin would eventually be like hers as I grew older,” she said. As a form of protection, her mother made her wear a pottu (little black dot) on her forehead during the 1964 race riot between the Chinese and Malays. “This proved tricky, as I was attending a Methodist school, which at the time, discouraged Indian students from wearing the pottu. Once I removed the pottu and my mother found out. She was so upset with me that I never dared again to remove it. From that day, I realised the extent of her love for me,” Madam Sarawathi said. She also recalled a Chinese woman who used to turn up at her house occasionally when she was a child – only to be shooed away by her parents. She inferred that the woman was her birth mother, but never dared to ask her foster mum about it. When she turned 12, she discovered she was Chinese by birth from her birth certificate. “My adoptive mother insisted there was a mistake in the birth certificate. I was old enough to know the truth, but I loved her too much to ever bring the matter up again,” she said. Years later, when she was married, her husband once suggested she put an advertisement in the Chinese newspapers to locate her birth family. “I told him, you find that out if you want, but I am not interested. As far as I am concerned, I already have a family of my own,” she said. stateless Growing up in the kampung of Aljunied, Madam Thangah Koh was treated as an Indian in school and by her neighbours, who were predominantly Malay. The 72-year-old, whose foster father was a kacang putih seller, recalled the time she was left confused after being refused a pink identification card (IC). Instead, at the age of 14, she was given a blue IC, and told by a government official that she was Chinese. “The officer asked me if I was Chinese. I said, no! But he insisted that I was, showing my original Chinese name in my birth certificate. It was only then that I noticed my Chinese name for the first time,” Madam Thangah said. She was told that unless she could locate her birth parents, she could not be issued a pink IC. Eventually, Madam Thangah and her foster mother did find her birth family – at a flat in MacPherson. “My birth family were all in tears when they first saw me. Yet, strangely, I did not feel anything. Eventually I found out that another sister of mine was adopted by a Malay family,” she said. Today, as it was then, Madam Thangah expressed her pride in identifying as a Tamil woman: “I love my language, culture, customs and religion. To me, Tamil means beauty.” Those in the Tamil community who have attended Tamil literary events might find Madam Manoranjitham Param a familiar face. The 76-year-old, who is well versed in Tamil literature, is a regular at such events, where she stands out for her appearance. Madam Mano was adopted by a couple who had lost a child after he drowned in a river in Bukit Timah in the 1950s. Though they had two other sons, they adopted Madam Mano and her sister, who were four and three respectively at the time. “My adopted mother, who was grieving the loss of her son, gradually became herself again after she adopted us,” said Madam Mano, whose birth mother died shortly after her younger sister was born. Her father, she said, often encouraged her to study instead of doing household chores. “I became studious. In school I was always the top student in Tamil,” she said. She recalled how her Tamil teacher Mr Chelliah would praise her and scold “some lazy boys” in his class, saying “a Chinese girl can do so much better than you”. This prompted some teasing and name calling. “And then I would go to the teacher and say, please stop praising me.” Currently, the Ministry of Social and Family Development governs matters of adoption in Singapore. Hence, these stories of adoption, mostly during the early years of Singapore’s independence, provide a glimpse into yesteryear Singapore, said Dr Theresa, who has worked in gender studies for more than 25 years. “These stories are very much part of our past. Without knowing about these stories, we will never be able to truly understand ourselves and what we are capable of as a people,” she said. “And because they are a crucial part of our collective memory, it’s important to document them.”

Manmohan Singh: India's 'Reforms' Man And Politician With A DifferenceOpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship'

Even before Trump is inaugurated, the USA and China are beginning a trade war Even though Donald Trump has not yet taken office, the USA and Chins are getting ready for a trade war. China’s reaction seems to have come because Mr Trump has been threatening to slap tariffs on Chinese imports, which he has doubled down on by his threat to BRICS nations to impose tariffs on them if they tried to develop an alternative joint currency to replace the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Publicly, Chinese leaders have said that a trade war would suit no one, but they have been preparing for such a clash. Of course, such a clash will not help the world. If China has become the ‘workshop of the world’, the USA is its largest customer. Mr Trump has a choice: engage in full-fledged trade war, or back off, and just take token steps to satisfy his base. China exports to the USA because its consumers find Chinese manufactures good enough and cheap enough to buy. If US manufacturers produced goods cheaper and better than Chinese, they would sell. The last time, as President, Mr Trump ended the trade war when China agreed to buy more soybeans to serve as cattle feed. This time, one of the cards China looks likely to play is to buy more US oil and LNG. Trade in hydrocarbons is bad for the environment, but Mr Trump is one of the climate change deniers. However, he might want to rethink a strategy which involves selling more primary products. Chinese manufacturers want to have access to technologically sophisticated products, such as computer chips. It is not as if China is worse at producing commodities than the USA. However, Mr Trump should realize that China is already ahead in such key fields of the future, such as green energy and electric vehicles, and an exchange would be fruitful. He must also avoid driving China to seek advanced technology from Europe, as it has bfgun to do. Pakistan must tread carefully. While it is hardly an economic powerhouse, its economic ties to China are greater than the USA. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s decision-makers tend to think in purely geopolitical terms, and make decisions accordingly.Pakistan must think in this case with its pocketbook, and keep a weather eye open for how the USA will bring India into play against China on the economic front. In his last term, Trump din’t make nice to India for nothing. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels' strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country's borders . It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped Syrian President Bashar Assad retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia , Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control. The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Robert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance. Here's a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting: Assad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that's killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements. The roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo. Coming after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria's warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said. Ford said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other. The U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization. Abu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida's Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria's war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria's opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad's brutal rule untainted by violent extremism. Golani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women. Golani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory, and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years. By 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory, and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said. At the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East. Aleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions. In 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year. The Russian military's entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held. This year, Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.

Russell on pole in Qatar after stewards demote VerstappenAs the leaves fall, the heat goes on, the temperatures drop and the sweaters and jackets are pulled from storage, it’s also a great time to think about making a pot of soup. Soup is one of the best comfort foods, perfect for those New England fall and winter days. Whether you fancy clam or corn chowder, a roasted butternut squash soup, a classic Italian sausage orzo or something unique like lasagna soup, there’s a special place in everyone’s heart for that big pot on the stove. We have found five recipes that are sure to make your mouth water. No matter what soup preference you may have, you’ll find something to cook for the whole family. This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients Noodles: Soup Base: Cheese Mixture: Garnish: Directions This recipe is by juliasalbum.com . Ingredients Directions This recipe is by Allrecipes.com . Ingredients DirectionsMan arraigned on murder charges in NYC subway death fanned flames with a shirt, prosecutors say

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A former publicist for actor Justin Baldoni alleges that his current publicity team conspired to harm her and steal her clients, in conjunction with their efforts to allegedly launch a “smear campaign” against his “It Ends With Us” co-star, Blake Lively. In a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court on Tuesday, Stephanie Jones and her agency Jonesworks accuse Baldoni’s publicist Jennifer Abel of breach of contract, claiming she violated her employment terms by setting up a competing firm and stealing documents and clients out from under Jones. It also accuses Abel of defamation, according to a copy of the suit . Jones’ suit, which was first reported by The New York Times, comes days after a separate complaint filed by Lively with the California Civil Rights Department against some of the same defendants, alleging Baldoni sexually harassed her on set and then engaged in a retaliatory campaign facilitated by Abel and crisis communications representative Melissa Nathan. Nathan is also named as a defendant in Jones’ complaint, along with Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios. Lively’s allegations have sent shock waves across the industry. Her complaint has also put the role that crisis PR firms play in the spotlight, with many online reexamining some of the negative headlines surrounding Lively during the promotional tour for “It Ends With Us.” Jones represented Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios from 2017 to August of this year. Abel worked for Jonesworks from 2020 to August. Several of Abel’s text messages and emails, which the suit said were obtained via a subpoena of Jonesworks, were cited heavily in Lively’s complaint. The film “It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of the popular Colleen Hoover novel, was released in theaters in August. Lively portrays heroine Lily Bloom, while Baldoni plays her abusive romantic partner, Ryle Kincaid. Baldoni also adapted and directed the project. According to Jones’ suit, in August Baldoni “began to fear that the increased attention being paid to him and the Film would cause reports of allegations about his on-set misbehavior to come out.” Nathan and Abel subsequently began “to formulate a no-holds-barred strategy to discredit and suppress any potential revelations about Baldoni’s on-set behavior” without Jones’ knowledge or approval, the suit alleges. “Behind Jones’s back, they secretly coordinated with Baldoni and Wayfarer to implement an aggressive media smear campaign against Baldoni’s film co-star, and then used the crisis as an opportunity to drive a wedge between Jones and Baldoni, and to publicly pin blame for this smear campaign on Jones — when Jones had no knowledge or involvement in it,” the lawsuit states. Abel and Nathan “leveraged their teams to create and perpetuate negative content about Lively on social media platforms such as Reddit and TikTok,” according to the suit. “At the same time as Abel and Nathan were working to protect Baldoni from negative press attention, they were actively working their media contacts to plant negative stories about Jones and Jonesworks,” Jones’ suit states. They used “more than a dozen fake social media accounts and dark web accounts that defamed Jones and Jonesworks.” Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, Wayfarer, Abel and Nathan, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about Jones’ suit on Tuesday. In a previous response to Lively’s complaint, Freedman wrote that Nathan’s company, The Agency Group PR, “operated as any crisis management firm would when hired by a client experiencing threats by two extremely powerful people with unlimited resources,” referring to Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. Freedman also referred to Lively’s claims as “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” In her suit, Jones cited some text messages she said she obtained from Abel’s work phone after terminating Abel in August. Some of the texts Jones included in her own suit were previously unpublished, including one allegedly sent by Abel that called Baldoni “unlikeable and unrealistic as a leading man.” “I can’t stand him. He’s so pompous. A men’s retreat during release, is he crazy?!” one of the texts from Abel’s phone said. “He doesn’t need a retreat. He needs to be humbled.” In the wake of on-set demands from Lively asking Baldoni and Wayfarer CEO Jamey Heath to stop certain behaviors , including entering her trailer while she was in a state of undress and adding unscripted sexual scenes into the film, Jones alleged that she had originally planned to counter the emerging media narrative around tensions between the stars with “a positive press strategy.” Instead, Jones alleges that Abel and Nathan implemented “an aggressive media smear campaign” against her and Lively at the same time on behalf of Baldoni and Wayfarer, amid their own plans to establish a competing PR business. Jones’ “lawsuit seeks to finally put a stop to their continued misconduct and to compensate Jones and Jonesworks for the damage Defendants’ conduct and scheme has inflicted,” it states. She is requesting a jury trial. In the days since Lively’s complaint was filed, many in Hollywood — including the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio behind “It Ends With Us” — have issued their support for Lively. Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency WME. He has not publicly addressed Lively’s complaint or Jones’ lawsuit.

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 p.m.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi . Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on the social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.LOS ANGELES, Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Electrokinetics Corp. (NASDAQ: CRKN) ("Crown" or the "Company”), a leading provider of innovative technology infrastructure solutions that benefit communities and the environment, today provided a letter to shareholders from its CEO and Chairman, Doug Croxall. Dear Fellow Shareholders, As 2024 comes to a close, I want to reflect on Crown’s accomplishments this year and share our vision for the year ahead. It has been a transformative year for Crown, as we have evolved into a rapidly growing public conglomerate with three diversified divisions: Smart Windows, Fiber Optics, and Water Solutions. This year, we made significant operational progress, achieving key milestones that position Crown for continued growth and success. We expanded our presence across eight U.S. states and two countries, building a robust platform to address critical infrastructure and technology challenges. We are on track to deliver $20 million in revenue for 2024, which is all the more impressive given it was primarily generated in the final three quarters. This achievement reflects our progress and the strong demand for our innovative technology infrastructure solutions. Financially, we are well-positioned to achieve profitability in the first half of 2025, even as we continue to invest strategically in our growth plans. Crown has actively raised capital recently to execute those expansion plans and will close the year with record levels of cash in hand and minimal debt. This achievement reflects our disciplined approach to building a healthy balance sheet and implementing the structure required to support both near-term objectives and long-term expansion. We share in your frustration that our market value, trading at approximately our current cash value, does not yet reflect either Crown’s recent achievements or its immense future potential. However, we remain confident that this disparity will correct itself as we build a company that delivers meaningful impact, sustainable growth, and shareholder value. To ensure we maintain our listing status, we have filed our appeal with NASDAQ and expect to go before the hearing committee likely in early February. We will provide timely updates as they become available to Crown. In preparation, we have filed a Proxy Statement ahead of the Special Meeting on January 14th and are requesting approval to execute a reverse stock split to maintain bid-price compliance. We strongly urge our shareholders to favorably vote their approximately 64 million voting shares, and to provide Crown with the flexibility and financial strength needed to continue delivering against our growth plans. 2024 Division Highlights Smart Windows Fiber Optics Water Solutions Slant Wells Lead Pipes: Element 82 & PE Pipelines 2025 Outlook As we look ahead to 2025, Crown is stronger, more focused, and better positioned than ever to capitalize on new opportunities. With momentum across our three divisions, we are committed to achieving profitability in the first half of 2025, expanding our footprint to meet increasing demand, and delivering innovative infrastructure solutions that address critical challenges. Our team of industry experts, with a desire to change the status quo through innovation, is growing rapidly. As we scale, we are actively refining our business processes to align with our growing operations while maintaining agility and focus. Looking ahead, we provided full year 2025 revenue guidance between $30 million and $35 million, underscoring the expected strength of our business to come. To our shareholders, thank you for your trust and confidence as we continue to execute our vision. While our stock price does not yet reflect the intrinsic value of Crown, we remain focused on building a company that delivers meaningful impact, sustainable growth, and shareholder value. Approving the proposed reverse stock split is a critical step in strengthening our position to meet listing requirements, attract new investors, and enhance financial flexibility. Your support is vital to driving Crown’s long-term success and unlocking its full potential. We’re excited for 2025 and look forward to updating you on our progress regularly. Sincerely, Doug Croxall CEO and Chairman, Crown Special Meeting of Stockholders The Company will host a Special Meeting of Stockholders on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Holders of record of Crown’s Common Stock as of the close of business on December 16, 2024, will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting. Additional information regarding the Special Meeting, including how to vote, are available via proxy materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and can be found at https://ir.crownek.com/sec-filings . About Crown Crown (Nasdaq: CRKN) is an innovative infrastructure solutions provider dedicated to benefiting communities and the environment. Comprised of three business divisions, Smart Windows, Fiber Optics, and Water Solutions, Crown is developing and delivering cutting edge solutions that are challenging the status quo and redefining industry standards. For more information, please visit www.crownek.com . Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may be "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) regarding future events or Crown’s future financial performance that involve certain contingencies and uncertainties, including those discussed in Crown’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and subsequent reports Crown files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, in the sections entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” . Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that express our intentions, beliefs, expectations, strategies, predictions, or any other statements relating to our future activities or other future events or conditions. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and are likely to, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Crown Electrokinetic Corporation undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release. This press release does not constitute a public offer of any securities for sale. Any securities offered privately will not be or have not been registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. For more information, please contact: Investor Relations ir@crownek.com Public Relations pr@crownek.comI wanted to write in concerning not using rugs and towels at animal shelters. I have to wonder what sort of “shelter” is being offered to dogs and cats where it gets so cold and wet that the cloth can freeze. Not to mention the possibility of the poor animal freezing to death! Are they saying these indoor animals are being kept outside? Or are their facilities not being properly heated and dry? This is shocking to me! I hope they can explain themselves. — Frank, the letter was referring to feral cats and other outdoor animals. Shelter cats and dogs usually have a better situation than those that are born wild or mistreated by their owners. In my opinion, no animal should be kept outside in the winter if they have owners with a warm house. Sadly, there are too many abandoned cats and dogs that have no one to look after them, making their existence difficult and their lives short. Straw is the best solution to helping these animals stay warm, provided that there is plenty of straw to snuggle in for warmth inside of some type of enclosure. There are a variety of such houses for animals online, and most aren’t expensive. — I often use paper-towel rolls and toilet-paper rolls to keep artificial flower stems together. I also cut them lengthwise to put on gift-wrapping paper rolls. If the paper roll is too thin to keep a cardboard roll on, then I use a rubber band to secure the roll. Your readers have given me so much I can use. I thank you and thank them, too. — Jackie, I like your cardboard roll ideas. Lately, I’ve received several letters stating that readers use the cardboard roll in paper towels and toilet paper to start a fire in their fireplace. Some also use a toilet roll of cardboard to gather a number of loose cords together. Others use a paper-towel roll to wrap tree lights around when putting them into storage. All of these are great ideas, as well. — Our glass pie plates wouldn’t get clean, so my husband had the successful idea to use a ceramic cooktop cleaner! The pie plates are sparkling now! — My mom was never really happy with any gift I gave her. Since she relied on Social Security, money was tight, so I started to give her a goody box. I usually used an empty paper box and filled it with toiletries and products that I knew she used. I also included postage stamps and gift cards for car washes. She would love her goody box and looked forward to it every year. One year, my aunt was visiting from the old country at Christmas, so I made up a smaller box for her. I found out that she loved a certain brand of canned corn, so I included six cans. She was over the moon! It was also easy for me, as I would add things to the box all year long, making it easier on my time and budget. — Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to . Get local news delivered to your inbox!WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman's Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union's executive vice president. Recommended Videos “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump posted. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to “supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace – from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products.” “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November's election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. Instead, Trump said that ports and shipping companies should eschew “machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.” “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump posted. “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!” ___

Baltimore (8-5) at New York Giants (2-11) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 16. Against the spread: Ravens 6-6-1; Giants 4-9. Series record: Ravens lead 5-3. Last meeting: Giants beat the Ravens 24-20 on Oct. 16, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. Last week: Ravens had a bye; Giants lost to Saints 14-11. Ravens: overall (1), rush (2), pass (5), scoring (3) Ravens defense: overall (22), rush (1), pass (32), scoring (23) Giants offense: overall (26), rush (15), pass (28), scoring (32) Giants defense: overall (16), rush (29), pass (6), scoring (T14) Turnover differential: Raven plus-2; Giants minus-8. Ravens player to watch K Justin Tucker is having the worst season of his outstanding career, and the potentially windy conditions in East Rutherford could post another challenge for him. Baltimore would love to see some signs that he's rounding into form as the playoffs draw closer. Giants player to watch QB Tommy DeVito. He is probably going to get his second start of the season with Drew Lock in a walking boot. The New Jersey product didn't do much in a 30-7 loss to Tampa Bay in his first start. He was 21 of 31 for 189 yards and no touchdowns. Key matchup Playing without Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence and fellow defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, the young line held its own against Alvin Kamara and the Saints last week, limiting the team to 92 yards rushing on 33 carries. Slowing down the league's No. 1 offense and No. 2 running game led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will be a lot tougher. Key injuries Ravens: WR Rashod Bateman (knee) practiced this week, and Balticmore is generally pretty healthy following its open date. NT Michael Pierce (calf) and LB Kyle Van Noy (hamstring/neck) practiced as well. Giants: CB Deonte Banks (ribs), ILB Bobby Okereke (back), Nunez-Roches (shoulder-neck), T Chris Hubbard (knee), CB Dru Phillips (shoulder), LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) all missed last week and could be out again. ... QB Drew Lock (heel), LG Jon Runyan Jr. (ankle) and CB Tre Hawkins (back) were hurt in the game. Hawkins and S Tyler Nubin (ankle) were placed on injured reserve. Runyan is week to week. Lock is unlikely. T Evan Neal (hip-ankle), T Josh Ezeudu (knee), S Dane Belton (knee), WR Malik Nabers (hip), DL Jordon Riley (knee) are on the injury report. Series notes The Giants have won the past three games, including the most recent one in Brian Daboll's first season as coach. The Ravens won the biggest game, beating New York 34-7 in the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 28, 2001. Stats and stuff The Ravens are coming off a bye week. ... Baltimore averages an NFL-leading 422.5 yards of offense. ... Jackson has had an NFL-best eight games of two or more touchdown passes and no interceptions. He's had no picks in 6 of 7 road games this season. ... WR Zay Flowers leads the team with 74 catches. ... Mark Andrews is tied for second among NFL tight ends with seven touchdown receptions. ... LB Roquan Smith aims for his fourth game in a row with at least 11 tackles. He is tied for fifth in the league with 121 tackles. ... LB Kyle Van Noy recovered a fumble for touchdown in his only game against the Giants. ... LB Odafe Oweh has had a sack in his past two road games. ... Nabers leads the Giants with 80 catches, 819 yards and three touchdown receptions. Fellow rookie RB Tyrone Tracy leads the team with 664 yards rushing and five TDs. ... WR Wan’Dale Robinson is second behind Nabers with 67 catches. The Giants are the only team with two players with at least 67 receptions. ... The Giants have an NFL-low eight touchdown receptions. ... Nubin led all rookies with 97 tackles before going on IR. ... Hawkins had an interception last week, the Giants' first since the season opener. ... OLB Brian Burns had a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble against the Saints. .... ILB Micah McFadden had a team-high 11 tackles, including five for losses last week. He is the fifth player in the past five seasons with five TFLs in one game. ... OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux had sack and two TFLs last week. Fantasy tip Ravens RB Derrick Henry. He rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns in only road game against the Giants. He is tied for the NFL lead with 15 overall TDs, 13 rushing. The 30-year-old is second in the league with 1,407 yards rushing and 1,532 yards from scrimmage. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Only 60-70 Maoists active in Odisha, most of them from Andhra, Chhattisgarh: BSF officer PTI Updated: November 30th, 2024, 22:14 IST in Metro , Top Stories 0 Representational image Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Linkedin Bhubaneswar: Maoist activities have come down substantially in Odisha over the last few years, and only 60-70 members of the proscribed organisation are active in the state, a senior BSF officer said Saturday. Addressing a press conference ahead of the BSF Raising Day on December 1, BSF IG (Frontier HQ – Special Ops) CD Aggarwal said most of the active Maoists in Odisha belong to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Also Read Odisha: Media persons receive threat mail amid conference of top cops 4 hours ago ISL 2024-25: Odisha FC to take on Bengaluru FC at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium Sunday 4 hours ago “Only seven of them are from Odisha and they are not in any leadership roles,” he said. According to the Union Home Ministry, seven districts – Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, and Rayagada, have been categorised as Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected but Maoist activities are mostly confined to the Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) region, he said. “While significant progress has been made, challenges remain, particularly in the dense forests of Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Boudh where IED threats persist. Additionally, the socio-economic impact of Naxal-linked narcotics trafficking, especially Ganja cultivation, poses new hurdles,” Aggarwal said. He said BSF was first deployed in Odisha in 2010 when Naxal violence was at its peak. “The BSF has conducted anti-Maoist operations in some of the most treacherous terrains and neutralised 250-300 Naxalites, recovered arms and explosives and facilitated the surrender of hard-core cadres,” he said. “In 2024, three dreaded Naxalites were neutralised and 24 hardcore cadres surrendered. Besides, 34 IEDs, 117 grenades, and a large cache of arms and ammunition were seized in the state,” he added. Aggarwal said one of the most significant achievements for the force was transforming the erstwhile cut-off area into ‘Swabhiman Anchal’. “The BSF is committed to eradicating Naxalism from Odisha by March 2026, with enhanced coordination with Odisha Police and intelligence agencies, deployment of advanced technologies like drones and satellite surveillance and strengthening community engagement,” he said. Fourteen BSF personnel gave their lives while combating Maoists in Odisha since 2010, he said. PTI Tags: BSF Maoist Odisha Share Tweet Send Share Suggest A Correction Enter your email to get our daily news in your inbox. Leave this field empty if you're human:MSA Safety to Present at the William Blair Public Safety Technology Virtual Conference

DELAND, Fla. (AP) — Jayden Brewer had 20 points in Florida International's 81-72 victory against Stetson on Saturday night. Brewer had five rebounds for the Panthers (4-6). Asim Jones scored 12 points while shooting 2 of 5 from the field and 8 for 10 from the line. Vianney Salatchoum shot 5 of 8 from the field and 1 for 3 from the line to finish with 11 points, while adding six rebounds. Jordan Wood led the Hatters (1-9) in scoring, finishing with 25 points and three blocks. Josh Massey added 13 points and six rebounds for Stetson. Mehki had 13 points and two steals. The loss is the ninth straight for the Hatters. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a message late on Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the Uvda investigative programme into Sara Netanyahu. The programme uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organise protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs Netanyahu by name and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies”. It is the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus, highlighted by the PM’s ongoing corruption trial. Mr Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favours with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.

Giants face challenge in hosting Ravens, trying to end 8-game skidNone