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Dozens protest deaths at St. Louis jail. Some say it needs to close.Longest-lived US president was always happy to speak his mind
CoBank Releases 2025 Year Ahead Report – Forces That Will Shape the U.S. Rural Economy
Tech slump slays Santa rally, weak yen lifts Japan stocks higherImage credit: Canva Elon Musk wants Mars to be renamed as " New World ". The SpaceX and Tesla CEO shared this idea while drawing a parallel to the historical naming of America. In a post on social media platform X (earlier Twitter), the world’s richest man shared his idea and a photo of the Red planet’s Gale Crater captured by the Curiosity rover. Previously, Musk has shared his vision to transform Mars into a self-sufficient backup planet for humans and make our species a multi-planetary one. Take a look at the new post here Sharing the post, Musk wrote: “Mars will be called the “New World”, just as America was in past centuries. Such an inspiring adventure!” The post has received over 55 million views and over 1.3 lakh likes. Musk’s vision of Mars colonisation Earlier this month, Musk addressed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson's critique of his Mars colonisation plans. Defending his concept on X, the billionaire highlighted the importance of creating a self-sustaining human settlement on Mars, viewing it as critical for humanity's long-term survival. Musk’s remarks followed Tyson’s dismissal of Mars colonisation concepts during a discussion on Bill Maher’s talk show, where the scientist argued that the initiative lacks tangible returns on investment and suggested that resources would be better directed toward addressing urgent issues on Earth. Responding to the criticism, Musk wrote that establishing a significant human presence on Mars could protect the species from existential threats on Earth and ensure the continuity of humans. Musk-led SpaceX continues to develop technologies aimed at transporting humans to Mars and supporting the infrastructure for such a settlement. Earlier this month, researchers at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad discovered evidence of the possible existence of ancient microbial life on Mars. Their study, published in JGR Planet, highlights chloride-rich depressions in the Terra Sirenum region, which likely experienced repeated wetting and drying cycles, making them potentially habitable.
Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100
EXCLUSIVE I've travelled the world with my family of six and saved £41,000 on accommodation over the years thanks to secret holiday hack Fionnuala Brennan has travelled to 87 destinations over ten years READ MORE: My six nights in the Loire... for the price of a bottle of Sancerre: Here's how the home-swap market can be an absolute bargain By ALANAH KHOSLA Published: 10:49 EST, 27 December 2024 | Updated: 10:55 EST, 27 December 2024 e-mail 14 shares 1 View comments A mother-of-four has revealed how she has saved an estimated €50,000 (£41,487) pounds while travelling the world over a period of 16 years with her family. Fionnuala Brennan, 53, from Tramore, Ireland, has managed to holiday around the globe, including in America, Australia, and Italy , by exchanging her home. The 53-year-old, a lecturer at Southeast Technological University in Waterford, has completed 87 exchanges since starting, saving her thousands of pounds. Fionnuala's preferred platform, HomeExchange, works in two ways: the Classic Exchange, where two families swap homes, either simultaneously or on different dates. Or tourists can use 'guest points', which means they can stay in a home without giving their own abode up, and earn points at a different time by letting people stay at their property. Despite Fionnuala hearing about the platform from a friend when she was 30, she didn't use the website until after she had her fourth child in 2008, which made travelling via hotels too expensive. 'With four kids, we felt it was just too expensive to go anywhere, so we decided to give it a go,' she told Femail. Now, the mother-of-four has made lasting memories with her husband and children around the globe and even favours it over other travelling arrangements due to the authentic experience it provides. Fionnuala Brennan (pictured centre right), 53, from Tramore, Ireland, and her family (pictured) have travelled around the globe via HomeExchange The mother-of-four, who is a university lecturer, first decided to travel via HomeExchange to save money Fionnuala and her family's first HomeExchange holiday was in France: 'We flew to Nantes and stayed in the Vendee in a little seaside town. 'We live in a little seaside town in Ireland - so, we were swapping an Irish seaside town for a French one and our own family home for a family home in France, which was perfect. 'They had young children like ours. Their house was full of Lego and all the toys; the kids had a really great time. 'It was a very easy holiday, and they were very relaxed, with a garden and swings, slides, and we were within walking distance to the beach.' 'When we started doing it in 2008, it was all direct exchanges. So that's more challenging because you need to find somebody interested in coming to the southeast of Ireland, and that's what we did for the first number of years.' 'We were doing European exchanges for the first few years, and it was mainly French families who were on the Home Exchange website and then we started going to different places. After having four children together, staying in hotels when on holiday became too expensive for Fionnuala and her husband Fionnuala believes that travelling with HomeExchange can offer a more authentic way to experience a foreign country The family have enjoyed trips across the globe together, including in America, Australia, France, Italy 'We went to America, Australia, Spain, Italy, and other European destinations. So those were direct home exchanges...and we often swapped cars as well. 'Of course, because we have four kids, we needed a seven-seater car and often swapped with similarly sized families and that worked well.' By saving on accommodation, Fionnuala and her family can splash out on other parts of the holiday, such as airport transfers to make the route as easy as possible for her family. But while holidaying in a hotel typically takes a small amount of preparation, arranging a home exchange can take a little while longer. Fionnuala explained: 'So we would get our house ready, and there's always work to do in that, getting things fixed and doing all the repairs, cleaning up, and leaving the place lovely and neat and tidy. 'So that's a challenge and perhaps not everybody's on for doing that before they go on their holidays, but I will say there is huge pleasure in coming back into your home and everything's fixed and working and in great shape.' She added: 'We've never had one where anybody left the house in a worse condition than they got it. 'They leave it just as clean and tidy as we left it and often in better condition, so that has never been a concern. There's a huge amount of trust in it because you're in their home while they're in yours.' Without HomeExchange, Fionnuala and her family would not have been able to experience as many countries The houses Fionnuala and her family visit are often equipped with bikes and toys for the children While the family saves money by exchanging their home, the biggest benefit for Fionnuala is the authentic experience. She explained: 'I was in Estonia, in Tallinn, a beautiful city, for a work conference, and I didn't want to stay in a hotel. Read More My six nights in the Loire... for the price of a bottle of Sancerre: Here's how the home-swap market can be an absolute bargain 'I was there for the week, and I stayed in a little studio apartment beside a family home. 'I was able to have coffee in the garden and the family was there and it just felt safe and comfortable and it was a much more authentic experience than staying in a hotel. She added: 'I was with Estonian people and [I had] a great sense of comfort. You feel like you're traveling and getting to know somewhere else in a real way.' The mother-of-four said that exchanging homes is also often a sociable way to travel, saying: 'Often people will let their neighbours know that you're coming or their relations will drop in and check in that you're OK. 'There's a great sense of community... you get to know different people and how they live and it's a really positive thing.' Elsewhere, the family have enjoyed trip in Rome, France, America, Malaga, Lucca, Lake Como, Cadiz, and Venice to name few. Fionnuala warned that holidaying via exchanging homes might not be suitable for those who are super house proud The mother-of-four said that HomeExchange can be a good route when travelling with children because people's homes are typically more equipped than hotels A highlight for her children was spending Christmas in Sydney in a home exchange, with a family who spent the 25th December in Ireland. Fionnuala's top tips for holidaymakers interested in HomeExchange.... Be honest about your home and expectations for the holiday: 'It's not like you're trying to sell it...all everybody wants is a functioning comfortable home.' Tidy the house before an exchange : 'Have it tidy, organised, clean, [with] fresh sheets, fresh towels. She added: 'You do want to prepare it and have it nice for visitors that are coming.' Try something new : 'I would say give it a go... there's an exchange for everybody, [whether] you live in a little studio apartment or you live in a big detached house with a garden, there's somebody out there who is interested in coming to where you are Advertisement While it's hard for Fionnuala to give an exact breakdown of how much she's saved in total, in the past one year alone, she's saved £6,700. 'While I'm estimating the cost of what we might have gone for otherwise, the quality of accommodation we stayed at with the swaps was much better than the hostels, Airbnbs or whatever we might have opted for, and a few of the trips would not have happened if we had to pay for accommodation. 'So, how I would put it is that we travel like people who are much better off than we are. 'We manage to travel and stay in beautiful places, beautiful homes in beautiful locations and we do that regularly. 'So, to put a number on it, it's difficult, but over the 16 years you can be sure that we have saved more than €50,000 no doubt.' While she still stays in the occasional hotel or Airbnb, Fionnuala finds home comforts are often unbeatable. 'There's great comfort in staying in a home that just has everything in it. If you cut your finger, you're going to find the first aid kit or you're going to find the parasol for when it's a hot day.' However, the mother-of-four warned that home exchange might not be for everybody. She said: 'I've recommended it to lots of friends and it hasn't worked for everybody. 'It does work for most people, [but] it's not inclined to work if people are very precious about their house, and it makes them uncomfortable to have strangers stay in their home. 'So, I think if you feel like that, then don't, don't put yourself through it,' she said. How does HomeExchange work? How do I get started? 1. Create your listing and fill out your profile Introduce yourself and pick you ideal destinations Promote your home by adding photographs Add your availability 2. Look for homes in destinations that interest you and send exchange requests 3. Become a member and finalise the exchange The membership costs $220 (£173.99) for a year of unlimited exchanges What kinds of exchange holidays can I do? The Classic Exchange Here, two families exchange each other's homes, either simultaneously or on different dates Exchange with GuestPoints If you find a member with an available home, but they don't want to stay at your home in return, you can offer them GuestPoints that they can use to go and stay at another member's home in a destination of their choice An example on HomeExchange reads: 'You and your family go on a six night vacation to France and stay at another member's home for 100 guest points per night. 'You would give your host 600 guest points for this vacation. Your host can use these 600 GPs to organize their vacation. ' Source - HomeExchange Advertisement Italy France Share or comment on this article: I've travelled the world with my family of six and saved £41,000 on accommodation over the years thanks to secret holiday hack e-mail 14 shares Add commentNone
Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections
12 Dec 2024 Revealed: The cycle of homelessness, hospital admission and discharge Victoria Macdonald Health and Social Care Editor NHS England is warning of a “tidal wave of flu hitting hospitals” after the number of beds occupied by patients with flu increased by 70% in a week. It was also the busiest November on record for accident and emergency. Hospital bosses are desperate to free up beds, but some are occupied by homeless people, who can’t be discharged without somewhere safe to go. Share on Facebook Share Share on Twitter Tweet Share on WhatsApp Send Share on WhatsApp Send Share on WhatsApp Email Load more share optionsPollard Banknote: A Winning Ticket At 11x Forward Earnings
Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took pot-shots at former prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush among others. His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit. Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford. Serving as 39th US president from 1977 to 1981, he sought to make government “competent and compassionate” but was ousted by the unstoppable Hollywood appeal of a certain Ronald Reagan. A skilled sportsman, Mr Carter left his home of Plains, Georgia, to join the US Navy, returning later to run his family’s peanut business. A stint in the Georgia senate lit the touchpaper on his political career and he rose to the top of the Democratic movement. But he will also be remembered for a bizarre encounter with a deeply disgruntled opponent. The president was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip near his home town in 1979 when his craft was attacked by a furious swamp rabbit which reportedly swam up to the boat hissing wildly. The press had a field day, with one paper bearing the headline President Attacked By Rabbit. Away from encounters with belligerent bunnies, Mr Carter’s willingness to address politically uncomfortable topics did not diminish with age. He recently said that he would be willing to travel to North Korea for peace talks on behalf of US President Donald Trump. He also famously mounted a ferocious and personal attack on Tony Blair over the Iraq war, weeks before the prime minister left office in June 2007. Mr Carter, who had already denounced George W Bush’s presidency as “the worst in history”, used an interview on BBC radio to condemn Mr Blair for his tight relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. Asked how he would characterise Mr Blair’s relationship with Mr Bush, Mr Carter replied: “Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.” Mr Carter was also voluble over the Rhodesia crisis, which was about to end during his presidency. His support for Robert Mugabe at the time generated widespread criticism. He was said to have ignored the warnings of many prominent Zimbabweans, black and white, about what sort of leader Mugabe would be. This was seen by Mr Carter’s critics as “deserving a prominent place among the outrages of the Carter years”. Mr Carter has since said he and his administration had spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than on the Middle East. He admitted he had supported two revolutionaries in Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and with hindsight said later that Mugabe had been “a good leader gone bad”, having at first been “a very enlightened president”. One US commentator wrote: “History will not look kindly on those in the West who insisted on bringing the avowed Marxist Mugabe into the government. “In particular, the Jimmy Carter foreign policy... bears some responsibility for the fate of a small African country with scant connection to American national interests.” In recent years Mr Carter developed a reputation as an international peace negotiator. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives, and his promotion of economic and social programmes. Mr Carter was dispatched to North Korea in August 2008 to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labour after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. He successfully secured the release of Mr Gomes. In 2010 he returned to the White House to greet President Barack Obama and discuss international affairs amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Proving politics runs in the family, in 2013 his grandson Jason, a state senator, announced his bid to become governor in Georgia, where his famous grandfather governed before becoming president. He eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Fears that Mr Carter’s health was deteriorating were sparked in 2015 when he cut short an election observation visit in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”. It would have been Mr Carter’s 39th trip to personally observe an international election. Three months later, on August 12, he revealed he had cancer which had been diagnosed after he underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. Mr Obama was among the well-wishers hoping for Mr Carter’s full recovery after it was confirmed the cancer had spread widely. Melanoma had been found in his brain and liver, and Mr Carter underwent immunotherapy and radiation therapy, before announcing in March the following year that he no longer needed any treatment. In 2017, Mr Carter was taken to hospital as a precaution, after he became dehydrated at a home-building project in Canada. He was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions in 2019 having had a series of falls, suffering a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, as well as a stint to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Mr Carter spent much of the coronavirus pandemic largely at his home in Georgia, and did not attend Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, but extended his “best wishes”. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Mr Carter during his term as US president, died in November 2023. She had been living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Mr Carter said in a statement following her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL - an indoor golf league set to launch next month - has secured two major TV deals. Sky Sports will be the exclusive broadcast partner for TGL's first two seasons, holding the rights for the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. ESPN will hold the broadcast rights for the United States. TGL, established by Woods and McIlroy's company TMRW Sports, is a six-team league featuring 24 of the PGA Tour's top stars. The league's inaugural event will take place at its custom-built SoFi Center arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on January 8. LIV Golf makes three new signings for 2025 as breakaway league welcomes fresh faces Bryson DeChambeau teases role in Happy Gilmore 2 after Adam Sandler's Netflix trailer drop "TGL is such an exciting and innovative new format that both existing and new golf fans can enjoy, and we're delighted to be part of the TGL journey from the start, bringing fans even closer to some of the greatest golf stars," Sky Sports' director of golf Jason Wessely said. "We're looking forward to working with TGL to make the tournament a truly entertaining viewing experience and are delighted to welcome TGL to Sky Sports, the home of golf." Mike McCarley, CEO of TMRW Sports, added: "As the media home of golf in the U.K. and Ireland, Sky Sports is the ideal home for TGL to reach fans who are accustomed to turning to Sky to find the best golfers in the world on Sky Sports platforms across Europe. "With five TGL golfers across four teams from the U.K. and Ireland, golf fans will have local players to watch and new teams to follow in this fast-paced version of golf that is rooted in the traditions the game." Wyndham Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, shared his awe with Mirror Sport about the innovative TGL golf league. "It was crazy," he admitted regarding his introduction to the SoFi Center's immersive experience. "To see it in person is so different than seeing it on a phone or via social media. I walked in, they kind of did a simulated walk-up song, you walk through the tunnel, they're explaining what it's going to be like and then you walk out and you look. "The best example I could give you is I felt like an NBA player or an NFL player walking out in the stadium for the first time, and everyone's looking at you, and you're just center stage. And then obviously seeing the massive simulator and the green and it's amazing." The competition boasts larger-than-life simulators and a short-game zone known as the "GreenZone" for an engaging spin on traditional golf. Fans are set for Monday and Tuesday night action from January to March as three-man teams vie over 15 holes, starting with alternate shot triples play followed by singles matches in the final stretch.Google renews push into mixed reality headgear
Mariah Carey fans break into physical fight throwing punches and drinks at Baltimore concert
EXCLUSIVE I've travelled the world with my family of six and saved £41,000 on accommodation over the years thanks to secret holiday hack Fionnuala Brennan has travelled to 87 destinations over ten years READ MORE: My six nights in the Loire... for the price of a bottle of Sancerre: Here's how the home-swap market can be an absolute bargain By ALANAH KHOSLA Published: 10:49 EST, 27 December 2024 | Updated: 10:55 EST, 27 December 2024 e-mail 14 shares 1 View comments A mother-of-four has revealed how she has saved an estimated €50,000 (£41,487) pounds while travelling the world over a period of 16 years with her family. Fionnuala Brennan, 53, from Tramore, Ireland, has managed to holiday around the globe, including in America, Australia, and Italy , by exchanging her home. The 53-year-old, a lecturer at Southeast Technological University in Waterford, has completed 87 exchanges since starting, saving her thousands of pounds. Fionnuala's preferred platform, HomeExchange, works in two ways: the Classic Exchange, where two families swap homes, either simultaneously or on different dates. Or tourists can use 'guest points', which means they can stay in a home without giving their own abode up, and earn points at a different time by letting people stay at their property. Despite Fionnuala hearing about the platform from a friend when she was 30, she didn't use the website until after she had her fourth child in 2008, which made travelling via hotels too expensive. 'With four kids, we felt it was just too expensive to go anywhere, so we decided to give it a go,' she told Femail. Now, the mother-of-four has made lasting memories with her husband and children around the globe and even favours it over other travelling arrangements due to the authentic experience it provides. Fionnuala Brennan (pictured centre right), 53, from Tramore, Ireland, and her family (pictured) have travelled around the globe via HomeExchange The mother-of-four, who is a university lecturer, first decided to travel via HomeExchange to save money Fionnuala and her family's first HomeExchange holiday was in France: 'We flew to Nantes and stayed in the Vendee in a little seaside town. 'We live in a little seaside town in Ireland - so, we were swapping an Irish seaside town for a French one and our own family home for a family home in France, which was perfect. 'They had young children like ours. Their house was full of Lego and all the toys; the kids had a really great time. 'It was a very easy holiday, and they were very relaxed, with a garden and swings, slides, and we were within walking distance to the beach.' 'When we started doing it in 2008, it was all direct exchanges. So that's more challenging because you need to find somebody interested in coming to the southeast of Ireland, and that's what we did for the first number of years.' 'We were doing European exchanges for the first few years, and it was mainly French families who were on the Home Exchange website and then we started going to different places. After having four children together, staying in hotels when on holiday became too expensive for Fionnuala and her husband Fionnuala believes that travelling with HomeExchange can offer a more authentic way to experience a foreign country The family have enjoyed trips across the globe together, including in America, Australia, France, Italy 'We went to America, Australia, Spain, Italy, and other European destinations. So those were direct home exchanges...and we often swapped cars as well. 'Of course, because we have four kids, we needed a seven-seater car and often swapped with similarly sized families and that worked well.' By saving on accommodation, Fionnuala and her family can splash out on other parts of the holiday, such as airport transfers to make the route as easy as possible for her family. But while holidaying in a hotel typically takes a small amount of preparation, arranging a home exchange can take a little while longer. Fionnuala explained: 'So we would get our house ready, and there's always work to do in that, getting things fixed and doing all the repairs, cleaning up, and leaving the place lovely and neat and tidy. 'So that's a challenge and perhaps not everybody's on for doing that before they go on their holidays, but I will say there is huge pleasure in coming back into your home and everything's fixed and working and in great shape.' She added: 'We've never had one where anybody left the house in a worse condition than they got it. 'They leave it just as clean and tidy as we left it and often in better condition, so that has never been a concern. There's a huge amount of trust in it because you're in their home while they're in yours.' Without HomeExchange, Fionnuala and her family would not have been able to experience as many countries The houses Fionnuala and her family visit are often equipped with bikes and toys for the children While the family saves money by exchanging their home, the biggest benefit for Fionnuala is the authentic experience. She explained: 'I was in Estonia, in Tallinn, a beautiful city, for a work conference, and I didn't want to stay in a hotel. Read More My six nights in the Loire... for the price of a bottle of Sancerre: Here's how the home-swap market can be an absolute bargain 'I was there for the week, and I stayed in a little studio apartment beside a family home. 'I was able to have coffee in the garden and the family was there and it just felt safe and comfortable and it was a much more authentic experience than staying in a hotel. She added: 'I was with Estonian people and [I had] a great sense of comfort. You feel like you're traveling and getting to know somewhere else in a real way.' The mother-of-four said that exchanging homes is also often a sociable way to travel, saying: 'Often people will let their neighbours know that you're coming or their relations will drop in and check in that you're OK. 'There's a great sense of community... you get to know different people and how they live and it's a really positive thing.' Elsewhere, the family have enjoyed trip in Rome, France, America, Malaga, Lucca, Lake Como, Cadiz, and Venice to name few. Fionnuala warned that holidaying via exchanging homes might not be suitable for those who are super house proud The mother-of-four said that HomeExchange can be a good route when travelling with children because people's homes are typically more equipped than hotels A highlight for her children was spending Christmas in Sydney in a home exchange, with a family who spent the 25th December in Ireland. Fionnuala's top tips for holidaymakers interested in HomeExchange.... Be honest about your home and expectations for the holiday: 'It's not like you're trying to sell it...all everybody wants is a functioning comfortable home.' Tidy the house before an exchange : 'Have it tidy, organised, clean, [with] fresh sheets, fresh towels. She added: 'You do want to prepare it and have it nice for visitors that are coming.' Try something new : 'I would say give it a go... there's an exchange for everybody, [whether] you live in a little studio apartment or you live in a big detached house with a garden, there's somebody out there who is interested in coming to where you are Advertisement While it's hard for Fionnuala to give an exact breakdown of how much she's saved in total, in the past one year alone, she's saved £6,700. 'While I'm estimating the cost of what we might have gone for otherwise, the quality of accommodation we stayed at with the swaps was much better than the hostels, Airbnbs or whatever we might have opted for, and a few of the trips would not have happened if we had to pay for accommodation. 'So, how I would put it is that we travel like people who are much better off than we are. 'We manage to travel and stay in beautiful places, beautiful homes in beautiful locations and we do that regularly. 'So, to put a number on it, it's difficult, but over the 16 years you can be sure that we have saved more than €50,000 no doubt.' While she still stays in the occasional hotel or Airbnb, Fionnuala finds home comforts are often unbeatable. 'There's great comfort in staying in a home that just has everything in it. If you cut your finger, you're going to find the first aid kit or you're going to find the parasol for when it's a hot day.' However, the mother-of-four warned that home exchange might not be for everybody. She said: 'I've recommended it to lots of friends and it hasn't worked for everybody. 'It does work for most people, [but] it's not inclined to work if people are very precious about their house, and it makes them uncomfortable to have strangers stay in their home. 'So, I think if you feel like that, then don't, don't put yourself through it,' she said. How does HomeExchange work? How do I get started? 1. Create your listing and fill out your profile Introduce yourself and pick you ideal destinations Promote your home by adding photographs Add your availability 2. Look for homes in destinations that interest you and send exchange requests 3. Become a member and finalise the exchange The membership costs $220 (£173.99) for a year of unlimited exchanges What kinds of exchange holidays can I do? The Classic Exchange Here, two families exchange each other's homes, either simultaneously or on different dates Exchange with GuestPoints If you find a member with an available home, but they don't want to stay at your home in return, you can offer them GuestPoints that they can use to go and stay at another member's home in a destination of their choice An example on HomeExchange reads: 'You and your family go on a six night vacation to France and stay at another member's home for 100 guest points per night. 'You would give your host 600 guest points for this vacation. Your host can use these 600 GPs to organize their vacation. ' Source - HomeExchange Advertisement Italy France Share or comment on this article: I've travelled the world with my family of six and saved £41,000 on accommodation over the years thanks to secret holiday hack e-mail 14 shares Add comment
My Top Dow Dividend Stock to Buy Before the End of the Year (and It's Not Even Close)NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell in morning trading Friday as Wall Street closes out a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 fell 1.4%, with more than 80% of stocks in the benchmark index losing ground. Still, the index is managing to hold onto a modest gain for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 402 points, or 0.9%, to 42,945 as of 10:41 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite fell 2%. Both the Dow and the Nasdaq are also holding on to weekly gains. Technology stocks were the biggest drag on the market Friday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia slumped 3.2%. Its enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes. Other Big Tech stocks losing ground included Microsoft, with a 2.2% decline. A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 2.2% and Best Buy slipped 1.9%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. Energy was the only sector within the S&P 500 rising. It gained 0.5% as crude oil prices rose 0.8%. Investors don't have much in the way of corporate or economic updates to review as the market moves closer to another standout annual finish. The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. Markets in Europe gained ground. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury remained at 4.59% from late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury slipped to 4.32% from 4.33% late Thursday. Wall Street will have more economic updates to look forward to next week, including reports on pending home sales and home prices. There will also be reports on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.
