BACK ROADS BILL: on bathing and taking medicine outsideSo you're gathering with relatives whose politics are different. Here are some tips for the holidays

imaginima In a previous article , I discussed OpenAI's "o3" breakthrough and its profound impact on Nvidia ( NVDA ). Readers seemed to appreciate the overview of the science behind "o3" and its implications on Nvidia. Building on that foundation, I will dive deeper into the Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of NVDA either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Stock market today: Dow soars 461 points while Nasdaq wavers as tech shares slip

Andy Murray enters new chapter with Novak Djokovic as coach of long-time rivalWellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets Kick-off: 5pm Saturday 28 December Sky Stadium, Wellington Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Auckland FC vs Central Coast Mariners Kick-off: 7pm Saturday 28 December Industree Group Stadium, Gosford Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Analysis - A little less than a month ago, I declared that the 'A' in 'A-League' stood for 'Aotearoa', after a successful trip across the ditch for the Unite Round saw Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix occupy the top two spots in the division. However, after a Christmas calamity at the weekend, the 'A' stands for 'abject' with regards to the most recent performances from New Zealand's two professional clubs. First, Auckland were swept aside 4-0 by Western United at home to end their unbeaten debut campaign in quite the unfestive manner. The Phoenix could not improve the holidays for the nation the following day, as they went down 4-1 to Western Sydney Wanderers on the road. Both teams are also following a similar trend at the moment - an inability to start games well. The Black Knights will rightly have complaints around the referee-assisted third goal, but the damage was already done in an opening 35 minutes in which they conceded three times. The Phoenix started even slower, with errors from Isaac Hughes and Corban Piper allowing the Wanderers to go 2-0 up within the first 10 minutes. Spare a thought for Hughes, who must be on Santa's naughty list for some reason, as he keeps getting lumps of coal at the weekends. Zac Sapsford's goal came inside the opening 60 seconds while the ghost of Christmas past, Bozhidar Kraev, demonstrated why the Phoenix may have been better keeping hold of him instead of signing the absent Marco Rojas in under 10. It was the football equivalent of getting your Christmas shopping in early, leaving Auckland and Wellington scrambling for a park and scrapping over the last Barbie Dream House. Auckland have developed a reputation for finishing games strongly, but were also vulnerable early doors last week in the 2-2 draw with Melbourne City. As for Wellington, this was the second week in a row where they conceded in the opening 10 minutes, having trailed to Valerie Germain's penalty follow-up in last week's loss to Macarthur. For all their strengths, neither side looks to have the firepower in attack to justify shipping goals so early. Only the bottom five teams have scored less goals than Auckland's 12, including the Phoenix, on 10 - so giving teams a head start is ill-advised. While it may have been a chastening Christmas send-off for both sides, positives remain. Auckland stay top of the table with none of their closest rivals able to capitalise. The Phoenix saw impressive cameos from youngsters Nathan Walker and Luke Brooke-Smith, which will no doubt hearten Chiefy when thinking about the future. They also had chances - Piper alone could have had a hat-trick on his first start for the club. So there's no need to be a Scrooge just yet. With both teams facing strugglers in Central Coast and Newcastle next, that Christmas gloom could become New Year cheer if both teams can sort out their slow starts. In other football news:

Less than a month after he took over as India’s 22nd Finance Minister, Manmohan Singh presented a Union Budget in July 1991 , that changed the country’s economic trajectory with some of the hard decisions that were desperately needed. The Budget was prepared amid what he termed an acute and deep crisis that was unprecedented in independent India’s history. It is rare for a Finance Minister of any regime to make even a nuanced critique of their own party’s predecessors in office, especially if the party swore by those leaders’ indelible imprint. Manmohan Singh, inarguably India’s most educated leader, was not one to be weighed down by such expectations. In his historic speech to Parliament on July 24, 1991 , Dr. Singh explained in painstaking detail the need for India to embrace a new era of industrial delicensing and economic liberalisation, that paved the way for everything from cars, shoes, burgers and stock market trading accounts that Indians now take for granted, but didn’t hesitate in calling out past mistakes. Editorial on July 25, 1991: Sparing the poor Noting that the efforts of former PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, had given India a ‘well-diversified industrial structure’, Dr. Singh, however, didn’t hesitate to link the genesis of the crisis firmly to policies of the past, including the entry barriers for firms, proliferation of licensing and an increase in monopolies that hurt consumer interests. It is well known that Dr. Singh opened up the doors for foreign investments in myriad sectors during his time as Finance Minister, and subsequently as Prime Minister, when he pushed back on Left allies’ resistance on issues like easing telecom and insurance FDI limits and pursuing the critical India-U.S. nuclear cooperation deal. Related Stories ‘History will indeed remember you kindly’: Allies, former colleagues pay tributes to Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh, gentleman politician who opened up India’s economy in 1991 However, few would remember his maiden Budget also set the foundations of India’s modern stock market boom as he announced the formation of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to protect investor interests. Or that he talked passionately against protectionism and batted for consumer interests as well as wealth creators, even has he held strong reservations against “mindless and heartless” conspicuous consumerism — issues that resonate today as well. Former PM Manmohan Singh death reactions LIVE: Allies, former colleagues pay rich tributes It speaks volumes for his sagacity that he could take on the staunchest criticism with a dose of humour or literary references. So when the Left attacked him for drafting a budget policy on the diktats of the World Bank, he joked that the WB’s interests were indeed at work – elaborating it as West Bengal instead. He would also nonchalantly quote Victor Hugo, or Percy Shelley’s ‘Ode to the West Wind’ in response to journalists’ contentious queries, for instance. He also peppered his famous Budget speech with a gem about his wife being ‘very unhappy’ since he was appointed the FM. “The House will agree that it is not good for the health of our economy if the Finance Minister has strained relation with his own finance minister at home,” Dr. Singh joked, announcing a tax exemption for household items, particularly tiffin boxes. In his 2007 autobiography The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World ’, former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan credited Dr. Singh for tearing a modest hole in India’s regimented economy in 1991 and demonstrating a little economic freedom and competition can exert extraordinary leverage on economic growth. That task, as any economist would admit in private, remains incomplete, and some of those themes resonate even today if not louder. Dr. Singh’s exit leaves a vacuum in public policy discourse, the absence of which may make it tougher for India to rip apart the hole he managed to tear, in what Mr. Greenspan called India’s Fabian socialism fabric. Published - December 27, 2024 01:07 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit death / politics / Indian National CongressTrump selects Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary

Manmohan Singh: Architect of 1991 reforms and new economic era

Manmohan Singh, the former Indian prime minister whose economic reforms made his country a global powerhouse, has died at the age of 92, current leader Narendra Modi said Thursday. India "mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders," Modi posted on social media platform X shortly after news broke of Singh's passing. "As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people's lives." Singh was taken to a hospital in New Delhi after he lost consciousness at his home on Thursday, but could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at 9:51 pm local time, according to a statement by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Singh, who held office from 2004 to 2014, is credited with having overseen an economic boom in Asia's fourth-largest economy in his first term, although slowing growth in later years marred his second stint. "I have lost a mentor and guide," opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a statement, adding that Singh had "led India with immense wisdom and integrity." "Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride," said Gandhi, a scion of India's powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and the most prominent challenger to Modi. Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the opposition in parliament's upper house, said "India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature." President Droupadi Murmu wrote on X that Singh will "always be remembered for his service to the nation, his unblemished political life and his utmost humility." - 'Mr Clean' - Born in 1932 in the mud-house village of Gah in what is now Pakistan, Singh studied economics to find a way to eradicate poverty in India and never held elected office before taking the vast nation's top job. He won scholarships to attend both Cambridge, where he obtained a first in economics, and Oxford, where he completed his PhD. Singh worked in a string of senior civil posts, served as a central bank governor and also held various jobs with global agencies including the United Nations. He was tapped in 1991 by then Congress prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao to reel India back from the worst financial crisis in its modern history. In his first term Singh steered the economy through a period of nine-percent growth, lending India the international clout it had long sought. He also sealed a landmark nuclear deal with the United States that he said would help India meet its growing energy needs. Known as "Mr Clean", Singh nonetheless saw his image tarnished during his decade-long tenure when a series of corruption cases became public. Several months before the 2014 elections, Singh said he would retire after the polls, with Sonia Gandhi's son Rahul earmarked to take his place if Congress won. But Congress crashed to its worst-ever result at that time as the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Modi, won in a landslide. Singh -- who said historians would be kinder to him than contemporary detractors -- became a vocal critic of Modi's economic policies, and more recently warned about the risks that rising communal tensions posed to India's democracy. bjt/mlm Originally published as India's former PM Manmohan Singh dies aged 92 Breaking News Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. More related stories Environment ‘Size of Singapore’: Massive bushfire warning More residents have been told it is too late for them to flee as raging bushfires grow to “the size of Singapore”. Read more Sport New details on Sydney to Hobart tragedy Organisers have vowed the Sydney to Hobart yacht race will continue after two sailors died and another was flung overboard on its first night. Read more

Helping to drown out the noiseHelping to drown out the noise

A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. “We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 -– making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting “messages of hate” and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women’s Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women’s sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the “likelihood of success” needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women’s sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Maharashtra poll results inexplicable level-playing field disturbed in targeted manner CongressGlobal Change Control Management Software Market Size, Share and Forecast By Key Players-Mastercontrol Inc., Sparta Systems, Inc., Siemens Ag, Dassault Systemes Se