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India News Live Today December 25, 2024: Delhi election: Congress names 26 more candidates in 2nd list, Farhad Suri faces Manish Sisodia in JangpuraSwiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger dies in avalanche, aged 26

I tested all the supermarket Christmas desserts – the cut-price winner is a great swap for Xmas puddingHealthcare stocks fall as lawmakers push for bill to break up drug middlemen - Reuters

So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Decked up your house, shopped enough and more for the family, sent invitations to friends for a sumptuous meal, laid out plans for merrymaking? Have you had the time to think about the ones who cannot afford to do all that? ’Tis the time to be jolly all right, but to care for the less privileged would make your Christmas just right. The popular festival falls in the northern hemisphere winter, which gives us the scope to reach out to those who are left in the cold, literally as well as figuratively. It enhances the spirit of giving to touch a life and perhaps make a huge difference. Charity tops the list in terms of contentment. Nothing beats the joy of brightening up someone's mood and making one smile. Little gestures of generosity help a great deal in achieving an enormous sense of satisfaction. That would mean you radiated brighter than that decorative star in your balcony, and were a fairy, just like the lights that glitter on your Christmas tree. Be someone’s Santa, especially this festive season. As Christians around the world celebrate the birth of ‘Prince of Peace’ Jesus Christ, peace is what the world desperately needs right now with nations raging against another — causing a ripple effect around Earth — in these troubled times. Congregations in packed churches would pray for the same today even as they reflect on reported outrage against Christ’s followers in scattered pockets of our great nation. Against this backdrop, it is heartening to note the changing political equation with the PM making the push to reach out to Christians across the country. It came as a shock then that Mr Modi’s outreach was seen by some as a way of the influential clergy of the Catholic Church to engage with power and thus legitimising in a way the persecution of Christians that continues to an alarming degree in some parts of the country where the push for Hindutva comes into conflict with the desire of the minority to live in peace and prosper along with the majority community. The minority must be seen and heard too. Mr Modi has made a move in this direction and has sent out an uplifting message of inclusiveness on that front. There’s still a long way to go, but a steady start has been made in earnest. It should finish well. That should warm the hearts of many this Christmas and with the New Year around the corner, we could turn the page. Indeed, the page must turn in a country where the situation with the minorities of two major religions is not as ideal as it should be. In fact, the larger Muslim community could be facing the same kind of persecution as the Christians through targeted violence, harassment and arrests and even ostracisation wherever majoritarianism prevails, according to citizens concerned by what they see as the domination of a few religious nationalist groups. The RSS chief’s recent statement regarding the need to stop the hunt for the ruins of a temple under every ancient mosque is significant. There is a need to stop the divisiveness that comes with such delving into history.A new department for Rock Island County will be moving into a former automotive repair shop. The newly created Fleet Management Department will be based in the building that housed the Ace Muffler Clinic for 55 years, a news release said. Ace Muffler closed in July of 2023. The county purchased the building for $550,000 in July of 2024, according to the Rock Island County assessor's website . Located at 1429 Fourth Ave., the building sits at the foot of the Centennial Bridge and across the street from the Rock Island County office building. The Fleet Service Center will provide maintenance oversight and routine service of the county's 175 vehicles from numerous offices and departments. Routine maintenance will include oil changes, tire rotation and replacement, alignment and brakes. People are also reading... "Centralized fleet management will ensure that county vehicles are routinely maintained, providing for efficiencies and longevity of the fleet," County Administrator Jim Grafton said. A fleet manager has been hired and additional personnel is expected to be hired in the next few weeks, the release said. Vehicle service is planned to start in January. The former Ace Muffler Clinic in Rock Island will house the Rock Island County Fleet Management Department. Hutchinson Engineering was hired to assist in establishing the new department. Hutchinson has consulted with other local governments, such as Scott County and the city of East Moline, to establish their own fleet management programs. "As we continuously seek ways to improve, Rock Island County is embracing a recognized best practice for local governments — consolidated fleet management," County Board Chairman Richard "Quijas" Brunk said. Drivers have been warned that they could risk serious engine damage if they fail to check their antifreeze levels during winter. Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms unveils the plaque signifying the rededication of Rock Island City Hall on Monday after the completion of a $2.25 million renovation project that included a complete remodel of city council chambers. While taking up carpets during the renovation, workers found terrazzo marble that was kept in place for the flooring to preserve the history of the building. In the city council chambers, a drop ceiling that kept hidden the original 1940s art deco ceiling and the original light fixtures was removed. The original ceiling was painted, and the original light fixtures now use LED lights which brightens the chambers. From left to right are Andrew Dasso, owner of Streamline Architects; Second Ward Ald. Randy Hurt; First Ward Ald. Moses Robinson Jr.; Fourth Ward Ald. Jenni Swanson; Adam Hass, vice president of Valley Construction; Craig DeVrieze, executive director of Illowa Construction Labor & Management Council; Mayor Mike Thoms; former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert; Fifth Ward Ald. Dylan Parker; Sixth Ward Ald. Mark Poulos; Seventh Ward Ald. Bill Healy. The renovations were paid for with $2 million in ARPA funds and $250,000 from a surplus in the city's general fund. The offices of Community and Economic Development were part of the 2.25 million renovations of Rock Island City Hall. The terrazzo marble floors had been covered by carpet. To preserve the history of the building the floors were kept. Rock Island City Hall was built in 1940. This was the first renovation of the building in more than 84 years. Photos of the mayors of Rock Island hang on the wall inside Rock Island City Hall. Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms, left, and architect Andrew Dasso, right, show the new board room that sits behind city council chambers during an open house on Monday. The chambers had enough space for the builders to make a board room while at the same time only slightly lessening the city council chambers space. Old photos found around Rock Island City Hall are used to decorate the new board room that now sits behind city council chambers. This one is of the Rock Island County Courthouse. Old photos found around Rock Island City Hall are used to decorate the new board room that now sits behind city council chambers. Old photos found around Rock Island City Hall are used to decorate the new board room that now sits behind city council chambers. This one is of the Centennial Bridge, known early on as the Galbraith Bridge, and now call the Stanley Talbot Memorial (Centennial) Bridge. Tim Bain, Rock Island Information Technology Director, works with Sixth Ward Alderman Mark Poulos in the renovated city council chambers on Monday. The city held an open house for people to see the $2.25 million renovations done for the first time since the building opened in 1940. Current Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms greets former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert during the open house held Monday for the public to see the $2.25 million renovations done to city hall. Schwiebert served as Mayor of Rock Island from 1989 to 2009. Renovated Rock Island City Council chambers. The 1940s art deco ceiling was hidden for many years by a drop ceiling. When workers took that ceiling down, they found the original ceiling and the original light fixtures. The original ceiling and original lights were kept in order to preserve the history of Rock Island City Hall. Photos: Rock Island shows off City Hall renovations Rock Island held an open house Monday so the public could view the $2.25 million in renovations to City Hall, which was built in 1940. Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms unveils the plaque signifying the rededication of Rock Island City Hall on Monday after the completion of a $2.25 million renovation project that included a complete remodel of city council chambers. While taking up carpets during the renovation, workers found terrazzo marble that was kept in place for the flooring to preserve the history of the building. In the city council chambers, a drop ceiling that kept hidden the original 1940s art deco ceiling and the original light fixtures was removed. The original ceiling was painted, and the original light fixtures now use LED lights which brightens the chambers. From left to right are Andrew Dasso, owner of Streamline Architects; Second Ward Ald. Randy Hurt; First Ward Ald. Moses Robinson Jr.; Fourth Ward Ald. Jenni Swanson; Adam Hass, vice president of Valley Construction; Craig DeVrieze, executive director of Illowa Construction Labor & Management Council; Mayor Mike Thoms; former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert; Fifth Ward Ald. Dylan Parker; Sixth Ward Ald. Mark Poulos; Seventh Ward Ald. Bill Healy. The renovations were paid for with $2 million in ARPA funds and $250,000 from a surplus in the city's general fund. The offices of Community and Economic Development were part of the 2.25 million renovations of Rock Island City Hall. The terrazzo marble floors had been covered by carpet. To preserve the history of the building the floors were kept. Rock Island City Hall was built in 1940. This was the first renovation of the building in more than 84 years. Photos of the mayors of Rock Island hang on the wall inside Rock Island City Hall. Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms, left, and architect Andrew Dasso, right, show the new board room that sits behind city council chambers during an open house on Monday. The chambers had enough space for the builders to make a board room while at the same time only slightly lessening the city council chambers space. Old photos found around Rock Island City Hall are used to decorate the new board room that now sits behind city council chambers. This one is of the Rock Island County Courthouse. Old photos found around Rock Island City Hall are used to decorate the new board room that now sits behind city council chambers. Old photos found around Rock Island City Hall are used to decorate the new board room that now sits behind city council chambers. This one is of the Centennial Bridge, known early on as the Galbraith Bridge, and now call the Stanley Talbot Memorial (Centennial) Bridge. Tim Bain, Rock Island Information Technology Director, works with Sixth Ward Alderman Mark Poulos in the renovated city council chambers on Monday. The city held an open house for people to see the $2.25 million renovations done for the first time since the building opened in 1940. Current Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms greets former Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert during the open house held Monday for the public to see the $2.25 million renovations done to city hall. Schwiebert served as Mayor of Rock Island from 1989 to 2009. Renovated Rock Island City Council chambers. The 1940s art deco ceiling was hidden for many years by a drop ceiling. When workers took that ceiling down, they found the original ceiling and the original light fixtures. The original ceiling and original lights were kept in order to preserve the history of Rock Island City Hall. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Multimedia Editor/Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Friday was a full and emotional day for the Rangers, who traded away their captain, Jacob Trouba, and then later in the day reportedly locked up their goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, to a long term mega-contract. And then, after all that, the Rangers had a game to play. They were hosting a Pittsburgh Penguins team that had won four straight games, were one point behind them in the Metropolitan Division standings, and surely wanted some payback for the drubbing the Rangers had given them on opening night two months ago. Artemi Panarin had two goals and former Penguin Reilly Smith broke a tie midway through the third period to give the Rangers a much-needed 3-1 victory over Pittsburgh in the first of a three games in four nights stretch that will continue on Sunday afternoon against Seattle and Monday night against Chicago. Shesterkin, who according to reports from ESPN agreed to an eight-year contract extension that will pay him an average of somewhere between $11.5 million and $12 million per year, made 18 saves to improve to 9-9-1. Smith, who had had several great chances, finally converted one when he and Chris Kreider broke in 2-on-1 against Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Smith took a shot that Nedeljkovic saved, but Mika Zibanejad followed up with a shot off the rebound, and when Nedeljkovic saved that, Smith was there to put in the rebound. Vincent Trocheck, a Pittsburgh native, scored an insurance goal with 1:38 remaining, finishing a 2-on-1 pass from Alexis Lafreniere (two assists) to make it 3-1. The victory improved the Rangers’ record to 14-10-1. After a scoreless first period, the Penguins scored first on a goal by Blake Lizotte at 6:19 of the second. But Panarin’s first goal at 7:28, a slap shot from the inside edge of the right circle, tied it at 1. Panarin then scored again, beating the buzzer with a shot from virtually the same spot that crossed the goal line with 1.5 seconds left in the period. Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.

TYSONS, Va. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Permuta Technologies proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary, a milestone that underscores its continued commitment to delivering mission-critical technology solutions for defense, government, and public sector organizations. Since 1999, Permuta has been at the forefront of technological innovation, providing tools that empower agencies to enhance operational readiness, streamline processes, and drive mission success. Over the past quarter-century, Permuta has earned the trust of organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense, federal agencies, and military branches. By continuously evolving to meet the needs of modern government operations, Permuta has introduced advanced solutions like DefenseReady Cloud , with integrated AI capabilities to support the ever-growing demand for operational excellence and readiness in dynamic environments. Reflecting on this achievement, Permuta CEO Sig Behrens shared his thoughts on the company's journey and future vision: "As we celebrate 25 years of service, we take immense pride in the impact Permuta has made on the defense and government sectors," said Behrens. "Our longevity is a testament to our team's dedication and ability to consistently deliver innovative solutions that address the unique challenges our customers face. The embrace of cloud and AI technology has been pivotal in ensuring our software stays ahead of the curve, allowing us to provide solutions that enhance national security and competitiveness. Our commitment to delivering the right resources to the right place at the right time remains unwavering, making our nation stronger and more resilient." Permuta continues to deliver solutions that improve decision-making, automate operations, and drive readiness for modern military operations. The 25th-anniversary celebrations will include community outreach initiatives, customer engagement events, and employee recognition programs to honor those who have contributed to the company's success. About Permuta Technologies Permuta Technologies is a leading provider of cloud-based and AI-enhanced software solutions for defense, government, and public sector organizations. Known for its flagship product, Defense Ready , Permuta equips agencies with the tools needed to enhance operational efficiency, readiness, and mission success. With a focus on technological innovation and customer excellence, Permuta remains at the forefront of delivering impactful solutions to those who serve. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/permuta-technologies-marks-25-years-of-innovation-in-government-and-defense-technology-solutions-302338608.html SOURCE Permuta Technologies, Inc.

Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger dies in avalanche, aged 26

Romania far-right candidate urges voters to turn up for scrapped electionNow open: Zao Bakery, a new Chinese cafe on University Avenue in St. PaulAdani's green plans may face a funding squeeze

NEW YORK — He’s one of the most famous corporate leaders in the world, delivering products embraced by billions. But the haters give companies like Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms something to worry about. In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses that consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million on guards, alarms and other measures to keep Zuckerberg and the company’s former chief operating officer safe. Some high-profile chief executives surround themselves with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while he walked alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take in protecting their leaders against threats. Thompson had no personal security and appeared unaware of the shooter lurking before he was gunned down. And today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. “We are better today at collecting signals. I’m not sure we’re any better at making sense of the signals we collect,” said Fred Burton of Ontic, a provider of threat management software for companies. After Thompson’s shooting, Burton said, “I’ve been on the phone all day with some organizations asking for consultation, saying, ’Am I doing enough?’” Since the killing, some health insurers have taken steps to safeguard their executives and rank-and-file workers. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit healthcare firm, said Friday that it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution,” the company said in a statement. A Medica spokesman said the company had also removed biographical information about its executives from its website as a precaution. UnitedHealth Group, parent of the insurer Thompson led, removed photos of its top executives from its website hours after the shooting, later removing their names and biographies. But well before the attack, some of the biggest U.S. companies, particularly those in the tech sector, were spending heavily on personal and residential security for their top executives. Meta, whose businesses include Facebook and Instagram, reported the highest spending on personal security for top executives last year, filings culled by research firm Equilar show. Zuckerberg “is synonymous with Meta and, as a result, negative sentiment regarding our company is directly associated with, and often transferred to, Mr. Zuckerberg,” the Menlo Park, California, company explained earlier this year in an annual shareholder disclosure. At Apple, the world’s largest tech company by stock valuation, CEO Tim Cook was tormented by a stalker who sent him sexually provocative emails and even showed up outside his Silicon Valley home at one point before the company’s security team successfully took legal action against her in 2022. Cook is regularly accompanied by security personnel when he appears in public. Still, the $820,000 the company allotted last year to protect top executives is a fraction of what other tech giants spent for CEO security. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and other top executives. Of those that did, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to about $98,000. In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare’s Thompson was walking to when he was shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. joined that group Thursday, citing the UnitedHealthcare executive’s death in announcing that its upcoming investor day will be held online, rather than in person as originally planned. “But there are also company cultures that really frown on that and want their leaders to be accessible to people, accessible to shareholders, employees,” Komendat said. Depending on the company, such an approach may make sense. Many top executives are little known to the public, operating in industries and locations that make them far less prone to public exposure and to threats. “Determining the need for and appropriate level of an executive-level protection program is specific to each organization,” said David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations at the National Retail Federation. “These safeguards should also include the constant monitoring of potential threats and the ability to adapt to maintain the appropriate level of security and safety.” Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, Komendat said. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. “There are always threats directed towards senior leaders at companies. Many of them are not credible,” Komendat said. “The question always is trying to determine what is a real threat versus what is someone just venting with no intent to take any additional action.” Burton, a former special agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, points out that despite the current climate, there is little in the way of organized groups that target companies. Today, one of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to zero in on such dialogue and decide whether or not it represents a real threat. And CEOs aren’t the only targets of disgruntled customers. In the U.S., there were 525 workplace fatalities due to assault in 2022, according to the National Safety Council. Industries including healthcare, education and service providers are more prone to violence than others, and taxi drivers are more than 20 times more likely to be murdered on the job than other workers, the group said. But the ambush of UnitedHealthcare’s Thompson this week is bound to get some CEOs second-guessing. “What invariably happens at moments like this in time is you will get additional ears listening” to security professionals seeking money to beef up executive protection, Burton said. “Because I can guarantee you there’s not a CEO in America who’s not aware of this incident.” Geller, Bussewitz and Liedtke write for the Associated Press.Romania far-right candidate urges voters to turn up for scrapped election

[ Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for games/characters that come up later in the season. Read on only if you’re fine knowing those details.] It’s very easy to watch Squid Game and think: I could do that. It’s perhaps even easier than some of the other reality competition shows. That is, after all, the Faustian bargain of the elite, violent games of Squid Game . It’s exactly the same level of thinking that gets the characters killed — after all, just how hard would it be to make it through a single round of Red Light, Green Light? Squid Game , as a show, makes clear that it’s often more luck than skill that gets people through the games. But for the cast and crew, even getting a guaranteed outcome was far from playing a simple children’s game. And with season 2 deviating from the schoolyard games of season 1 for a few trickier competitions, the question had to be asked: Which was the hardest game to actually play? The cast themselves, while not putting their lives on the line, certainly have a dog in that fight. We polled the cast of Squid Game ’s second season to find out what was actually challenging about this year’s challenges. Jo Yu-ri (Kim Jun-hee) “I enjoyed the game of six legs. [...] That was the most fun. But at the same time, it was very difficult, because we had to stay with our legs tied together the whole time.” Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun) “So for me it was Red Light, Green Light because we shot that for four or five days, and I was screaming at the top of my lungs all the time. I’m like, ‘Freeze!’ or ‘Stop!’ and kind of bossing people around. I would be screaming all the time, and sometimes it makes you a little bit dizzy when you are screaming so much. “Thankfully I didn’t lose my voice and we could wrap up the scene well. But yeah, that was the most challenging for me.” Kang Ae-sim (Jang Geum-ja) “It would definitely be the [pentathlon]. It reminded me of pep rallies or these big games that we would have at school back in the day where we were divided into red team and blue team and people would be cheering and everyone would be looking on, and it really had the tension and the emotion of those games.” Showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk “For me, it was definitely the pentathlon — first of all, because there were just so many people that had to appear on screen and on set. And there was so much sand dust on the ground. So that led to a lot of people coughing constantly; I remember having a lot of trouble breathing as well, and having respiratory cold later on because of that. And also we had [only] so many numbers of shoot days to film the entire sequence. It was almost like a nightmare, I believe at the time — because I believe we went through about 15 to 16 shoot days over a course of probably a span of two or three weeks at least. So if I had to do it all over again, I don’t think I could.” Lee Byung-hun (Front Man) “While I truly believe that it was probably director Hwang who had to go through the most amount of trouble (and for whom it was probably the biggest challenge, because he had to think about all of the complexities), as an actor taking part in those scenes I believe that pentathlon was one of the toughest to shoot. Because first of all, the dust — the air was filled with sand dust at all times, so it was tough to breathe. And there were so many people there on screen, which you always have to be aware of as an actor. “But also in season 2, because my character requires for different facets where I have to be part Front Man, part In-ho, and then part the fake persona Young-il. So at times, I would have to switch on and off from my eyes having to be that of Young-il and then the next glance, having to be that of In-ho, and having to switch that immediately on and off with each fleeting moment. That was both very challenging and intriguing and a fun challenge for me to take on as a performer.” Yang Dong-geun (Park Yong-sik) “I think for me it was definitely the [merry-go-round] game because I had to show a lot of these deep inner emotions. And I think getting to that point where I could act out these emotions was a difficult process for me.” Lee Seo-hwan (Park Jung-bae) “For me, it was the [merry-go-round] game. It was actually difficult for me physically, because I have really bad eyesight and the lights will shut down and then they will open up in another second, and sometimes you get blinded by that and you just can’t see for a few seconds. The floor was really slippery, too, and there was so many people, so it was physically challenging for me.” Yim Si-wan (Lee Myung-gi) “Before shooting, I thought the Green Light, Red Light would be relatively easy. But it was not, because standing still without any movement was actually very hard for me.” Entertainment Q&A TV

Rosen Law Firm Encourages Quanterix Corporation Investors to Inquire About Securities Class Action Investigation - QTRX