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President-elect Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month, a gesture of diplomacy despite Trump's threats to impose substantial tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump's incoming press secretary , Karoline Leavitt, confirmed the invitation on Thursday, stating that it was "to be determined" whether the leader of the United States' most significant economic and military competitor would attend. Prior to the invitation, President Xi told President Biden that he was "ready for new adimistration." Leavitt highlighted Trump's approach to open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not only allies but also adversaries and competitors, reports the Associated Press. Canadian PM Trudeau has dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after tariff threat Trump transition team 'bypassing FBI background checks' for some Cabinet picks During an appearance on on Fox & Friends, she said Trump's willingness to engage in talks with anyone, prioritizing America's interests, led to peaceful outcomes during his first term. When asked about Trump's invitation during a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing on Thursday, spokesperson Mao Ning said: "I have nothing to share at present." Leavitt mentioned that invitations have also been extended to other foreign leaders, but did not provide further details. The decision by Trump to extend an invitation to a leader of an adversarial nation for the iconic American Inauguration Day epitomizes his unconventional approach. Embracing the philosophy that international relations, akin to business dealings, should use incentives and pressures to sway adversaries towards the preferences of the US, this might be seen as a bold or even brash strategy. Historian Jim Bendat, with his expertise captured in Democracy's Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President , remarked on the unprecedented nature of such attendance by a foreign head of state at a US inauguration. He said: "It's not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend," said Bendat. "But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary." DON'T MISS: ' Conflict of interest' concerns raised over Trump's new attorney general pick Trump announces more picks for key roles in Cabinet — including ex-NFL player Several Trump Cabinet picks receive 'violent' bomb threats in latest attack On Thursday, amidst the bustle of the New York Stock Exchange, where he initiated the day's trading by ringing the opening bell, Trump teased the notion of extending inauguration invitations, yet withheld specific names. "And some people said, 'Wow, that's a little risky, isn't it? '" Trump recounted. "And I said, 'Maybe it is. We'll see. We'll see what happens.' But we like to take little chances." In contrast, Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff to Viktor Orban, Trump 's staunch supporter on the global stage and Hungarian Presidentclarified on Thursday that there were no current plans for Orban to join the inauguration festivities. "There is no such plan, at least for the time being," Gulyas stated. The nationalist Hungarian leader, embraced by Trump, has been somewhat isolated in Europe due to his efforts to undermine the EU's support for Ukraine . He's known for blocking or diluting the bloc's initiatives to provide aid and impose sanctions on Moscow following its invasion. Orban recently visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. An official from the Trump Inaugural Committee, who requested anonymity as they were not cleared to speak publicly, stated that every country's chief of mission to the United States will be invited. Amidst these diplomatic maneuvers, Trump is pushing for hefty tariffs on Canada, Mexico , and China to pressure them into addressing illegal immigration and the flow of narcotics like fentanyl into the U. S. Trump has announced plans to slap a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada starting his first day back in office in January, with China potentially facing even steeper tariffs. Despite China being a key producer of precursor chemicals for fentanyl, Beijing has reportedly intensified its crackdown on chemical exports over the past year. In a recent CNBC interview, Trump expressed optimism about discussions with President Xi and other global leaders: "We've been talking and discussing with President Xi, some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think we're going to do very well all around," he said. During a meeting with President Joe Biden in Beijing last month, Xi cautioned the US against igniting a trade war. "Make the wise choice," warned Xi, urging for a continued exploration of harmonious relations between two major countries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also responded to Trump's threats, cautioning that such a move towards tariffs would be detrimental to the US economy. Earlier this week, Trudeau stated that Americans "are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive." He further declared his intention to retaliate if Trump proceeds with these tariffs. Trump retorted by referring to Canada as a state and Trudeau as its governor. Apart from the tariff disagreement, US- China relations are strained over other issues, including what US officials perceive as Beijing's indirect support for Russia 's war on Ukraine . The Biden administration claims that China has backed Russia with a surge in sales of dual-use components, aiding its military industrial base. US officials have also expressed their disappointment with Beijing for not taking more action to curb North Korea 's support for the Russian war. China is responsible for the vast majority of North Korea's trade. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent thousands of troops to Russia to assist in repelling Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region. The North Koreans have also supplied Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to US and South Korean intelligence officials. Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20 comes just a day after the US ultimatum for ByteDance, TikTok 's Chinese parent company, to offload the social media behemoth or risk being banned in the United States

Toronto Argonauts sign American running back Kevin BrownLONDON, Ontario, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PEARL RIVER HOLDINGS LIMITED (“ Pearl River ”) (TSXV: PRH) announced that, due to the ongoing Canada Post strike, it has decided to cancel the annual general and special shareholders meeting currently scheduled for January 31, 2025. Certain equity compensation matters will require disinterested shareholder approval and therefore Pearl River needs to ensure that it meets the delivery obligations under applicable securities legislation. Pearl River will set a new date for the shareholders meeting once the strike is over. Pearl River also announced that its current auditor, Crowe MacKay LLP, has indicated that it will need to ‎resign due to compliance with Canadian Public Accountability Board rules, which require the ‎current auditor’s engagement partner for an audit to be turned over every seven (7) years. ‎Unfortunately, Crowe MacKay LLP does not have any other partners with sufficient capacity ‎to complete Pearl River’s audit, and therefore it is unable to comply with this requirement. Pearl River is currently in the process of engaging a new auditor, and will make a further ‎announcement once the new auditor has been appointed by the Pearl River Board of ‎Directors. ‎ About Pearl River Through its subsidiaries, Pearl River’s principal business is the manufacturing and distribution of plastic products in China, Australia and the United States of America. For further information please contact: George Lunick CEO T: (519) 645-0267 E: george@lunick.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, other than ‎statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and ‎uncertainties. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in respect of the date for the shareholders meeting and the appointment of a new auditor. There can be no assurance that such ‎information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those ‎anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information reflects Pearl River's current beliefs and is based ‎on information currently available to Pearl River and on assumptions Pearl River believes are reasonable. These ‎assumptions include, but are not limited to: the ability of Pearl River to set up a new shareholders meeting in due course and the ability of Pearl River to engage a new auditor. Forward-looking information is subject to ‎known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, ‎performance or achievements of Pearl River to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such ‎forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, ‎economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; capital market conditions and market prices for securities; ‎the actual results of current development or operational activities; competition; changes in project parameters as ‎plans continue to be refined; lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in ‎legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting Pearl River; timing and availability of external financing ‎on acceptable terms; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key ‎individuals. A description of other of other risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information ‎may be found in Pearl River's disclosure documents on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Pearl River does not ‎undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.‎

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) — As the situation stands, snowboarder/ski racer Ester Ledecka has two Olympic races on the same day in 2026, at nearly the same time and in Italian mountain towns hours apart. The Czech Republic standout simply can’t make both starting gates. So she may have a big decision to make on Feb. 8, 2026 — race in the women's downhill at the Milan-Cortina Games or go for a three-peat in snowboarding’s parallel giant slalom. Unless, of course, her lobbying efforts pay off. Ledecka said she's going through her country's Olympic committee to reach out and see if one of the events can be switched. The Winter Games schedule was just recently released. “It’s like someone has broken your dream,” the 29-year-old Ledecka said after a training run in Beaver Creek as she prepares for a World Cup downhill and super-G this weekend. “So please change it. Please, please, please. It’s my biggest dream to do both. I can create a great show for people.” Ledecka is the rare athlete to do both winter sports at such a gold medal-winning level. Nearly seven years ago, Ledecka was a surprise winner in the super-G at the Pyeongchang Games — from bib No. 26, no less. A week later, she captured gold in the parallel GS (PGS). At the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, she defended her PGS crown along with finishing fifth in the super-G, 27th in the downhill and fourth in the Alpine combined. To amend an Olympic schedule would not be unprecedented. Before the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the International Olympic Committee and the governing body for track and field accommodated a request from Allyson Felix to go for a 200-400 double. She earned a silver in the 400. In 1996, the schedule was shifted so American sprinter Michael Johnson could run in the 200 and 400 at the Atlanta Games. He won gold in both. “I would appreciate it,” said Ledecka, who started skiing at 2 years old and snowboarding three years later. “They’re fighting (for it) right now.” The current schedule has snowboarding parallel giant slalom holding a qualifying round from 9 a.m. to 11 on Feb. 8 in Livigno, Italy. The final is set for 1 p.m. Meanwhile, the women's downhill is set to take place in Cortina at 11:30 a.m. It's about a 4-hour drive between the two events. For now, she's leaning toward snowboarding. Only because a few days later she could ski race in a super-G. “I was quite sad about that fact,” Ledecka said of the conflict between events. "We'll see. It’s still quite far away.” Ledecka has 88 World Cup starts in skiing, with 10 podium finishes and four wins. She has 63 World Cup starts in snowboarding, featuring 39 podium finishes and 25 wins. “I don’t know how she does it,” said American ski racer Jacqueline Wiles, who dabbled in snowboarding as a kid. “It’s absolutely insane.” Ledecka enjoys both sports for different reasons. In skiing, it's for the speed. For snowboarding, it's the execution of a turn. It's not always easy splitting her time between the two sports, fitting in training around events. She won a PGS race on Nov. 30 in China before arriving in Beaver Creek. After this, it's off to St. Moritz, Switzerland, for more ski racing. She's currently traveling with eight snowboards and 20 pairs of skis. “You cannot believe how stacked the ski room is right now,” Ledecka cracked. “I really admire my tech guy and how he's handling it all. I’m very happy to have my team help me do this, my dream, of going from the snowboard World Cup to the ski World Cup. I'm having a lot of fun.” Notes: Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland had the fastest time in the second training run Thursday. Italians racers Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone were both within a second. ... Lindsey Vonn is not expected to forerun before the third and final training session Friday. The 40-year-old Vonn still plans on testing out the course before this weekend's races on the Birds of Prey course. AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

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( MENAFN - KNN India) New Delhi, Dec 28 (KNN) The Ministry of Electronics and Information technology has marked significant progress in India's digital landscape throughout 2024, implementing key initiatives across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and Semiconductor manufacturing. Among the notable achievements, the government approved nine projects under the Scheme for Promotion of manufacturing Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS), projected to create 15,710 new jobs. In a major boost to India's semiconductor capabilities, the Central government approved four semiconductor manufacturing units under the Semicon India programme. The country has also assumed a leadership role in global AI development, hosting the 6th meeting of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) ministerial council, with India set to serve as the outgoing chair in 2025. Digital literacy received significant attention, with the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Sakshatra Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) exceeding its target by training 6.39 crore individuals. The initiative extended to focused skill development training for 18,209 SC/ST and EWS women youth across 81 aspirational districts, enhancing their employment and entrepreneurship prospects. Additionally, the BHASHINI platform has successfully bridged language barriers by providing translation services in 22 scheduled Indian languages, processing over 100 million inferences monthly. A major technological milestone was achieved with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's launch of three PARAM Rudra supercomputers. These systems, built using indigenously designed and manufactured High Performance Computing servers and local software stack, are part of a broader network of 33 supercomputers with a combined compute capacity of 32 Petaflops deployed across the country. The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) has democratised access to advanced computing resources, serving over 10,000 researchers, including more than 1,700 PhD scholars from over 200 institutions. This initiative has particularly benefited researchers from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, providing them access to state-of-the-art supercomputing facilities for advanced research in physics, earth sciences, and cosmological studies. (KNN Bureau) MENAFN28122024000155011030ID1109037675 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.28 Gag Stocking Stuffers Guaranteed To Make Anyone Laugh As Soon As They See ThemOntario First Nations mull next steps on child welfare amid various legal opinions

Teddy Bridgewater is looking to win two championships this season. After leading Miami Northwestern high school to a Florida state championship as their head coach, the former first-round pick is coming out of retirement to join the Lions for the rest of the season. Bridgewater, who will back up Jared Goff, was with the team last year but did not attempt a pass. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Thursday he had been in contact with Bridgewater “for a while” and that a reunion was always a possibility. “It just brings a level of professionalism, veteran presence, somebody that’s great for our team, he’s great for the position,” Campbell said. After winning the state title, Bridgewater told NFL Network that he would be looking to return to the NFL to close the season, but his primary focus was on his alma mater. “We’ll see how [the] next week and a half, two weeks play out, might be signing with a team or something,” Bridgewater said on Dec. 18. “And then returning back to coach high school football in February. So, we’ll see.” The Lions posted a congratulatory message on social media to Bridgewater for winning a high school state championship as a first-year head coach, foreshadowing the potential move to bring him back to the Midwest. Still just 32, Bridgewater once looked like he could be on a path to stardom but had dealt with an abundance of injuries throughout his career that eventually limited his mobility and made him less effective than expected as a first-round pick from Louisville. Bridgewater was given some game action for the Dolphins in 2022, filling in for Tua Tagovailoa, but it was mostly an ineffective stint. He’s played for six different teams, including five teams in five years, as a stop-gap and plug-in backup. The Lions have lost star EDGE rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, running back David Montgomery and starting linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, among others. They’ve actively attempted to replace that talent by bringing in ex-Jets safety Jamal Adams from free agency and trading for EDGE rusher Za’Darius Smith.

Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy week

Sustainability, customer proximity and talent investment will remain central to our strategy, says Greaves Cotton Vice Chairman