SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stitch Fix, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFIX), the leading online personal styling service, today announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ended November 2, 2024. “Our fiscal year is off to a strong start. We exceeded our expectations in the first quarter on the top and bottom lines,” said Matt Baer, Chief Executive Officer, Stitch Fix. “Our clients are responding to the newness we have brought to our assortment as well as the improvements we’ve made to our client experience. This progress is a testament to the Stitch Fix team’s ongoing execution of our transformation strategy, and we continue to expect to return to revenue growth by the end of FY26.” During the first quarter of fiscal 2024, we ceased operations of our UK business and met the accounting requirements for reporting the UK business as a discontinued operation. Accordingly, our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the results of the UK business as a discontinued operation for all periods presented. Unless otherwise noted, amounts and disclosures below relate to our continuing operations. First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Key Metrics and Financial Highlights Net revenue of $318.8 million, a decrease of 12.6% year-over-year. Active clients of 2,434,000, a decrease of 74,000, or 3.0%, quarter-over-quarter; and a decrease of 555,000, or 18.6%, year-over-year. Net revenue per active client (“RPAC”) of $531, an increase of 4.9% year-over-year. Gross margin of 45.4%, an increase of 180 basis points year-over-year, which reflects improved transportation leverage and product margins. Net loss of $6.3 million and diluted loss per share of $0.05. Adjusted EBITDA of $13.5 million, which reflects continued cost management discipline. Net cash provided by operating activities of $14.3 million and free cash flow of $9.9 million in the first fiscal quarter. We ended the quarter with $253.3 million of cash, cash equivalents, and investments; and no debt. Financial Outlook Our financial outlook for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, ending February 1, 2025, is as follows: Our fiscal year is a 52-week or 53-week period ending on the Saturday closest to July 31. The fiscal year 2025 is a 52-week year and the fiscal year 2024 was a 53-week year, with the extra week occurring in the fourth quarter ending August 3, 2024. Our financial outlook for fiscal year 2025 is as follows: (1) Full fiscal year 2024 net revenue from continuing operations has been adjusted to remove the impact of the 53rd week for year-over-year comparative purposes. We expect both the second quarter and full fiscal year 2025 gross margin to be approximately 44% to 45%, and full fiscal year 2025 advertising expense as a percentage of revenue to be at the high end of an 8% to 9% range. Stitch Fix has not reconciled its Adjusted EBITDA outlook to GAAP net income (loss) because it does not provide an outlook for GAAP net income (loss) due to the uncertainty and potential variability of restructuring and other one-time costs, net other income (expense), provision for income taxes, and stock-based compensation expense, which are reconciling items between Adjusted EBITDA and GAAP net income (loss). Because Stitch Fix cannot reasonably predict such items, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure outlook to the corresponding GAAP measure is not available without unreasonable effort. We caution, however, that such items could have a significant impact on the calculation of GAAP net income (loss). For more information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures discussed in this release, please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below. Conference Call and Webcast Information Matt Baer, Chief Executive Officer of Stitch Fix, and David Aufderhaar, Chief Financial Officer of Stitch Fix, will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today to discuss the Company’s financial results and outlook. A live webcast of the call will be accessible on the investor relations section of the Stitch Fix website at https://investors.stitchfix.com . To access the call by phone, please register at the following link: Dial-In Registration: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIb75f616c9a2a4320adf40088c7b87810 Upon registration, telephone participants will receive the dial-in number along with a unique PIN number that can be used to access the call. A replay of the webcast will also be available for a limited time at https://investors.stitchfix.com . About Stitch Fix, Inc. Stitch Fix (NASDAQ: SFIX) is the leading online personal styling service that helps people discover the styles they will love that fit perfectly so they always look - and feel - their best. Few things are more personal than getting dressed, but finding clothing that fits and looks great can be a challenge. Stitch Fix solves that problem. By pairing expert stylists with best-in-class AI and recommendation algorithms, the company leverages its assortment of exclusive and national brands to meet each client's individual tastes and needs, making it convenient for clients to express their personal style without having to spend hours in stores or sifting through endless choices online. Stitch Fix, which was founded in 2011, is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, please visit https://www.stitchfix.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release, the related conference call, and webcast contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be deemed forward looking, including but not limited to statements regarding our expectations for future financial performance, including our profitability and long-term targets; guidance on financial results and metrics for the second quarter and full fiscal year of 2025; that the execution of our strategy and priorities will enable us to achieve long-term, sustainable, and profitable growth and positive free cash flow; our expectation to return to revenue growth by the end of fiscal year 2026; that the changes we have made to our client experience will help us acquire, retain, and reactivate highly engaged clients over time and better serve our clients; that our actions to make Stylists more visible to our clients will deepen relationships between clients and Stylists and increase client engagement; and our expectations regarding warehouse costs, transportation costs, gross margin, inventory levels, and advertising spend. These statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties related to the current macroeconomic environment; our ability to generate sufficient net revenue to offset our costs; consumer behavior; our ability to acquire, engage, and retain clients; our ability to provide offerings and services that achieve market acceptance; our data science and technology, Stylists, operations, marketing initiatives, and other key strategic areas; risks related to our inventory levels and management; risks related to our supply chain, sourcing of materials and shipping of merchandise; our ability to forecast our future operating results; and other risks described in the filings we make with the SEC. Further information on these and other factors that could cause our financial results, performance, and achievements to differ materially from any results, performance, or achievements anticipated, expressed, or implied by these forward-looking statements is included in filings we make with the SEC from time to time, including in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 3, 2024. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at: https://investors.stitchfix.com . We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, our results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made. Non-GAAP Financial Measures We report our financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). However, management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide users of our financial information with additional useful information in evaluating our performance. We believe that adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations (“Adjusted EBITDA”) is frequently used by investors and securities analysts in their evaluations of companies, and that this supplemental measure facilitates comparisons between continuing operations of companies. We believe free cash flow from continuing operations (“Free Cash Flow”) is an important metric because it represents a measure of how much cash from continuing operations we have available for discretionary and non-discretionary items after the deduction of capital expenditures. These non-GAAP financial measures may be different than similarly titled measures used by other companies. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as substitutes for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. There are several limitations related to the use of our non-GAAP financial measures as compared to the closest comparable GAAP measures. Some of these limitations include: Adjusted EBITDA excludes interest income and net other (income) expense as these items are not components of our core business; Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our provision for income taxes, which may increase or decrease cash available to us; Adjusted EBITDA excludes the recurring, non-cash expenses of depreciation and amortization of property and equipment and, although these are non-cash expenses, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future; Adjusted EBITDA excludes the non-cash expense of stock-based compensation, which has been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, an important part of how we attract and retain our employees and a significant recurring expense in our business; Adjusted EBITDA excludes costs incurred related to discrete restructuring plans and other one-time costs attributable to our continuing operations that are fundamentally different in strategic nature and frequency from ongoing initiatives. We believe exclusion of these items facilitates a more consistent comparison of operating performance over time, however these costs do include cash outflows; and Free Cash Flow does not represent the total residual cash flow available for discretionary purposes and does not reflect our future contractual commitments. Adjusted EBITDA We define Adjusted EBITDA as net loss from continuing operations excluding interest income, net other (income) expense, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, and restructuring and other one-time costs related to our continuing operations. The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss from continuing operations, the most comparable GAAP financial measure, to Adjusted EBITDA for each of the periods presented: (1) For the three months ended October 28, 2023, depreciation and amortization excluded $4.3 million reflected in “Restructuring and other one-time costs.” (2) For the three months ended November 2, 2024, restructuring charges were $1.0 million in severance and employee-related benefits and other restructuring costs; and other-one time costs were $1.4 million in one-time bonuses for certain continuing employees. For the three months ended October 28, 2023, restructuring charges were $8.0 million in severance and employee-related benefits, accelerated depreciation, and other restructuring costs. Free Cash Flow We define Free Cash Flow as net cash flows provided by operating activities from continuing operations, reduced by purchases of property and equipment that are included in cash flows from investing activities from continuing operations. The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash flows provided by operating activities from continuing operations, the most comparable GAAP financial measure, to Free Cash Flow for each of the periods presented: Operating Metrics Active Clients We define an active client as a client who checked out a Fix or was shipped an item via Freestyle in the preceding 52 weeks, measured as of the last day of that period. Clients check out a Fix when they indicate what items they are keeping through our mobile application or on our website. We consider each Women’s, Men’s, or Kids account as a client, even if they share the same household. Net Revenue per Active Client We calculate net revenue per active client based on net revenue over the preceding four fiscal quarters divided by the number of active clients measured as of the last day of the period.jollibee v rama 。

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Sports on TV for Sunday, Dec. 22The holiday hiatus offers a natural moment for reflection. The Colorado men’s basketball team isn’t anywhere near where it hopes to be when the calendar reaches March. Yet at the end of nonconference play, with the Buffaloes’ first Big 12 Conference game in nearly 13 years officially one week away as of Monday, head coach Tad Boyle is pleased with the progress his club has made since tipping off his 15th season at CU on Nov. 4. Offensively, the Buffs are shooting well, owning a .472 overall field goal percentage alongside a .372 mark from long range. CU (9-2) has shared the ball well, averaging 17 assists per game while gradually lowering its turnover rate. The Buffs averaged an untenable 18.3 turnovers through the season’s first three games but have averaged 12.6 in the eight games since, matching a season-low with 10 in three of the past four games. Defensively, the Buffs have surrendered enough good looks along the perimeter to allow four of their 11 opponents to make at least 11 3-pointers, but CU’s overall defensive 3-point percentage of .309 is a number the Buffs would be stoked to maintain during Big 12 play. The rebounding has been a group effort — team leader Trevor Baskin averages 6.5 rebounds per game — but the Buffs have posted an average rebounding margin of plus-5.5. “I think we’ve made progress in a lot of areas on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively,” Boyle said. “We’ve shown in stretches we can really guard, and we can really defend. That we understand the scouting report and play for each other. I think offensively, we share the ball. We had 22 assists (against Bellarmine) and 10 turnovers. We’ve done a better job of taking care of the ball here lately. Now, that will be tested sorely our first conference game. “But I think we’ve gotten better in a lot of areas. I really do. I still worry about our rebounding when we play a big, physical team. That’s going to be the ultimate test. The one thing you have to understand in conference play, you don’t know where the next win’s coming from. So you’d better try to win the one right in front of you. Which for us right now is Iowa State on December 30th. We know that’s not going to be easy.” Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams was named the Big 12 player of the week on Monday, while Arizona State freshman Jayden Quaintance collected the newcomer of the week honor. Williams recorded 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a win against Lamar, adding 10 points, nine assists and four rebounds earlier in the week against Oral Roberts. Quaintance was named the MVP of the Springfield Basketball Hall of Fame Classic as ASU topped Massachusetts. Quaintance posted his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds, adding four blocked shots. Iowa State remained the front-runner among the Big 12 schools in the Associated Press Top 25, maintaining its spot at No. 3 in the latest poll released on Monday. Kansas moved up one spot to No. 7, Houston held steady at No. 15, Cincinnati moved up two spots to No. 17, and Baylor rejoined the poll at No. 25. ... With little movement expected over the holiday week, CU began the week on Monday ranked at No. 77 in the NET and at KenPom.com.

If President-elect Donald Trump taps Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to be his next secretary of defense over current nominee Pete Hegseth , it will upend the 2026 governor race in the Sunshine State. Hegseth's nomination remains in jeopardy as Republican senators voice growing concerns about his past conduct with women and alcohol, which has Trump reportedly considering DeSantis as his backup replacement. TRUMP CABINET PICKS: WHO'S BEEN TAPPED TO SERVE IN THE PRESIDENT-ELECT'S ADMINISTRATION Hegseth claims he's not withdrawing his name from consideration despite reports that meetings with lawmakers are Thursday have been rescheduled. "I spoke to the president-elect this morning. He said keep going keep fighting. I’m behind you all the way," Hegseth told CBS News Wednesday morning. Still, if DeSantis moves up to lead the Defense Department, there would be the political equivalent of musical chairs. "It would cause a seismic shift and the political gamesmanship about who wants to pursue which seat in 2026," said Ford O'Connell, a Florida Republican strategist. Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez (R-FL) would succeed DeSantis as the chief executive of Florida, according to state law. Núñez would almost certainly have the advantage in the 2026 race as the incumbent governor and would make history as the state's first female governor. But she will likely face stiff competition if former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz decides to run for governor after his attorney general bid flamed out last month, or if Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) decides to throw his hat in the race. (DeSantis is term-limited and could no longer run for governor in 2026.) O'Connell, however, pushed back on Núñez becoming the de facto winner in 2026 if she succeeds DeSantis. "I don't think it's going to help her be a front-runner because the bench is so deep in Florida. If someone like Byron Donalds were to get in that race, he'd automatically become the front runner," he said. A source familiar with Florida's Republican scene told the Washington Examiner, "Some people are saying that Rick Scott might want to go back and be governor of Florida." Scott's office did not respond to a request for comment. But if he ran, it would complicate a race that could already feature Nuñez, Gaetz, and Byron Donalds. However, the source claimed that if Gaetz and Donalds were to come to an agreement where "one chose to run for governor, the other chose to run for senator, they both could win" given Trump's support for both candidates. DeSantis was already weighing options to fill Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-FL) seat after Trump tapped the senator as his Secretary of State nominee. The Florida governor could likely tap Lara Trump, the president-elect's daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, to replace Rubio. "If I am appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and he feels that I’m the right fit to take over the U.S. Senate seat for Marco Rubio, those are big shoes to fill, but I would take it very seriously,” said Lara Trump at The Washington Post’s 2024 Global Women’s Summit in November. There was some speculation DeSantis would appoint a placeholder to Rubio's seat, such as his chief of staff James Uthmeier, and would then run for the Senate in 2026. But if he were Defense Secretary that position would place him in a prime position for a presidential run in 2028, although he would likely be challenging Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. Dennis Lennox, a Republican strategist, expressed skepticism over DeSantis's willingness to return to Washington after serving as a congressman from 2013 to 2018. WHAT TRUMP HAS PROMISED TO DO ON DAY 1 IN THE OVAL OFFICE "While the Pentagon is a plum gig, it’s hard to see how he could parlay that for something down the road. I suppose leaving the governorship early is the one way he can best position his lieutenant governor and heir presumptive, Jeanette Nuñez, against a Matt Gaetz or Byron Donalds," Lennox said. "But if that’s his objective then camping out in Marco Rubio’s Senate seat makes more sense. Going to the upper chamber would keep DeSantis on the scene until 2032, if J.D. Vance doesn’t keep the White House in 2028," he added. Floridian voters will also decide on April 1, 2025, who will fill Gaetz's seat after his resignation from Congress. Trump endorsed Jimmy Patronis, the state's chief financial officer, to replace Gaetz in the 1st Congressional District in a Truth Social post. “As your next Congressman, Jimmy would work tirelessly alongside of me to grow our economy, secure our border, stop migrant crime, strengthen our incredible military/vets, restore American energy DOMINANCE, and defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump said. “Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” he continued. Patronis sent in his letter of resignation last month to run for the seat, which has a primary on Jan. 28, 2025, with April 1, 2025, as the scheduled date for the special election. His last day is March 31, 2025. Floridians will also decide on who will replace Rep. Mike Waltz, who is leaving Congress to become Trump's national security advisor. State Sen. Randy Fine received Trump's backing for the 6th Congressional District and launched his bid last week. Trump "needs fighters who will Make America Wealthy Again, Make American Safe Again, and someone who will stand up for Israel," he wrote on X . "That is why today I’m announcing my candidacy for FL 6th Congressional District."President Joe Biden plans to formally block the $14.1 billion sale of United States Steel Corp. to Nippon Steel Corp. on national security grounds once the deal is referred back to him later this month, people familiar with the matter said. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States panel, which has been reviewing the proposed takeover for much of this year, must refer its decision to Biden by Dec. 22 or 23, said the people, who asked to not to be identified discussing a confidential process. It’s not clear exactly what the CFIUS review will say. However, any referral to the president suggests at least one member of the panel sees the deal posing a risk. Nippon Steel and US Steel are poised to pursue litigation over the process if Biden decides to block the merger, some of the people said. The White House and Treasury Department declined to comment. “This transaction should be approved on its merits,” US Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said. Shares of the company were halted for volatility after falling 8.8% in New York. “It is inappropriate that politics continue to outweigh true national security interests — especially with the indispensable alliance between the US and Japan as the important foundation,” Nippon Steel said in a statement. “Nippon Steel still has confidence in the justice and fairness of America and its legal system, and — if necessary — will work with US Steel to consider and take all available measures to reach a fair conclusion.” The fate of the once-fabled US steelmaker has become a hot political issue since the company reached an agreement to be taken over by its Japanese suitor almost a year ago. US Steel has said the deal represents a lifeline and warned it may move its headquarters out of Pennsylvania and shutter some operations if the merger collapses. Biden — born in US Steel’s home state of Pennsylvania — has long signaled opposition to the sale, and has said the company would remain domestically owned. At the same time, he has stopped short of a pledge to kill the deal, while President-Elect Donald Trump has promised repeatedly to block it. The CFIUS process was extended in September with a procedural maneuver. That pushed the referral deadline to this month and raised questions about whether the deal might proceed after the election, even as Biden dug in. “I haven’t changed my mind,” he said Sept. 27. The powerful United Steelworkers union has also opposed the deal. Vice President Kamala Harris echoed Biden’s stance during her campaign as the Democratic nominee in the presidential election. It’s unusual for CFIUS to reject acquisitions by entities based in a friendly nation such as Japan. The exact timing of any announcement from Biden is unclear. The president has 15 days from the referral to announce a decision. Another extension to the CFIUS process — which would punt a decision to the next administration — isn’t expected, some of the people said. (By Josh Wingrove and Joe Deaux)

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Unai Emery felt his Aston Villa side restored confidence by returning to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Brentford in the Premier League. Morgan Rogers’ fourth goal of the season, an Ollie Watkins penalty and Matty Cash’s finish put Villa 3-0 up after 34 minutes. Mikkel Damsgaard pulled one back for Brentford in the second half but the damage had been done as Villa ended their eight-match winless run in all competitions. Emery was relieved to end the unwanted streak but quickly turned his attention to the next fixture against Southampton on Saturday. “We broke a spell of bad results we were having,” the Villa boss said. “We started the first five or 10 minutes not in control of the game but then progressively we controlled. “Today we achieved those three points and it has given us confidence again but even like that it’s not enough. We have to keep going and think about the next match against Southampton on Saturday. “The message was try to focus on each match, try to forget the table. How we can recover confidence and feel comfortable at home. Today was a fantastic match.” Tyrone Mings returned to the starting line-up in the Premier League for the first time since August 2023. Emery admitted it has been a long road back for the 31-year-old and is pleased to have him back. He added: “Mings played in the Champions league but it’s the first time in the league for a year and three months. “I think he played fantastic – he might be tired tomorrow but will be ready for Saturday again. “It was very, very long, the injury he had. His comeback is fantastic for him and everybody, for the doctor and physio and now he’s training everyday.” Brentford fell to a sixth away defeat from seven games and have picked up only a solitary point on the road this season. They have the best home record in the league, with 19 points from seven matches, but they have the joint worst away record. Bees boss Thomas Frank is confident form will improve on the road. He said: “On numbers we can’t argue we are better at home than away, but on numbers it’s a coincidence. I think two of the seven away games have been bad. “The other games we performed well in big spells. I’m confident at the end of the season we will have some wins away from home.” Frank felt Villa should not have been given a penalty when Ethan Pinnock brought Watkins down. He added: “I want to argue the penalty. I don’t think it is (one). I think Ollie kicked back and hit Ethan, yes there is an arm on the shoulder but threshold and all that – but that’s not the reason we lost.”

A pro cleaner has lifted the lid on the top three cleaning mistakes we're all too guilty of making at home – and they're not what you'd expect. On TikTok, under the handle @bubblesandbuckets, Amber Elise shared her most significant gripes about our approach to keeping things neat and highlighted a particularly risky kitchen habit. Leading with her first point, she remarked in her video: "Using the sponge in your sink to wipe down your countertops," before adding, "These harbour so much bacteria so instead of using that, grab yourself a microfiber towel." She then flagged the common error of using excessive cleaning products. Amber pointed out: "If you use too much, it's just going to create a residue and film that's left behind, and create more of a mess that's left for you to clean up." READ MORE: Historic equal pay deal struck between Birmingham City Council and unions Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp , click the link to join For her final word of advice, Amber addresses the blunder of impatience with disinfectants. "If you're disinfecting your countertops, be sure to read the label on the bottle. Usually the product has to sit for five-ten minutes before it actually disinfects.", reports the Mirror . Followers flocked to Amber's comments section to confess their own faux pas. A user responded: "Leaving cleaners to sit for a bit is such a great tip," while another was grateful, saying: "I didn't know I was supposed to let the product sit a little while to disinfect. Thank you! ". An advice roundup has surfaced following another cleaner's viral video, which warns against certain popular cleaning hacks. Brogan, known for her TikTok channel 'Not The Worst Cleaner', revealed five cleaning 'tips' to avoid - including the ill-advised method of draping a cloth soaked in laundry detergent over a pan lid to clean sofas. "Honestly it's just spreading dirt around, you can't scrub, and it's not lifting any product," she cautioned. "Detergents are highly concentrated so it will leave behind residue and destroy fabric over time." Brumwish 2024 - buy a gift for a child in need BrumWish 2024 is Birmingham Live's festive drive to get thousands of gifts to children and young people across our city - among them the homeless, the vulnerable, kids in care, kids who are poorly or struggling, and kids who have little. There are THREE simple ways to help. Buy a new gift from the Brumwish 2024 Amazon giftlist . In just a click your donation will be whizzing its way to our volunteers at Edgbaston Stadium. Donate money to the appeal fund hosted by Thrive Together Birmingham - this will help pay for gifts for kids with specialist needs or specific wishes. Buy a gift and, even better, rope in friends, neighbours and workmates to do the same, then drop off your pressies at Edgbaston Stadium, Edgbaston Road, B5 7QU on Friday 6th December, 10am - 3pm; Saturday 7th December, 10am - 1pm; or Monday 9th December, 10am - 1pm. Volunteers will be there to help you. Please don't wrap your gifts. You can also drop off by arrangement until Monday 16th December - contact Louise on 07469 979286. Thanks to our partnership with #Toys4Birmingham, every single gift will find a good home in the loving care of a child living in B&Bs or hotels, hostels or refuges, children receiving support from specialist organisations and charities, and families being supported by children's centres and charities around the city. Making up the Brumwish and Toys4Birmingham gang are Thrive Together Birmingham, Birmingham Playcare Network, Warwickshire Cricket Foundation (the charitable arm of Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Birmingham Forward Steps and BirminghamLive/Birmingham Mail. Thank you to Amazon UK and the amazing team at the Sutton Coldfield depot for their support. Additionally, she discourages the common trick of dropping a bottle of multi-purpose cleaner Fabulosa into the toilet cistern for a fresher smell. Despite being advertised for versatile use on the company's website, from sinks to windows, many have been using it in their toilet tanks to achieve a nicer scent. However, Brogan highlights that such practices might result in expensive plumbing issues, stating: "This is not recommended by any plumber, not only can it be corrosive but it can actually degrade the rubber and seals."President Akufo-Addo commissions Tema-Mpakadan railway line and two DMU trains

NoneDonald Trump, who returns to the White House in little more than a month, on the eve of Assad's fall called Syria "a mess" and stated in his plain-speaking style that the United States should not be involved. Joe Biden's administration, after putting Syria on the backburner in a turbulent region, has offered a tacit rebuttal by stating that clear US interests are at stake -- including preventing Syria from fragmenting and avoiding a resurgence of the Islamic State extremist group. Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Trump's and Biden's statements could be combined and "together they make a kind of decent policy." The United States needs to address real concerns about the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda but "as far as getting involved in arranging the politics of Syria, I think that no good can come from it," Cook said. Since the presidency of Barack Obama, the United States has walked a fine line on Syria that critics often derided as a non-policy. The United States questioned the legitimacy of Assad, demanding accountability for brutality in one of the 21st century's deadliest wars, but stopped short of prioritizing his departure due to suspicions about the main rebels. The Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has now led Assad's ouster, traces its roots to Syria's Al-Qaeda branch and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. Since Obama's time, the United States instead has allied itself in Syria with a smaller fighting force of the Kurdish minority -- over strenuous objections of neighboring Turkey, which backs HTS -- with a narrow mission to counter the Islamic State group. Some 900 US troops remain in Syria. Assad fell in a lighting surprise offensive as his protector Russia is bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine and after Israel's military heavily degraded Assad's other key supporters -- Iran and Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Robert Ford, the last US ambassador to Syria, helped spearhead the terrorist designation of HTS in 2012 but said that the group since then has not attacked US or Western targets and has instead fought Al-Qaeda and Islamic State forces. Ford also pointed with hope to post-victory statements by rebel chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, including welcoming international monitoring of any chemical weapons that are discovered. "Can you imagine Osama bin Laden saying that?" said Ford, now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. "I'm not saying 'trust Jolani.' He's obviously authoritarian. He's obviously an Islamist who doesn't believe that Christians have an equal right to power as Muslims. But I sure as hell want to test him on some of these things," Ford said. He said that the United States should encourage HTS, as well as other Syrian actors, to reach out and reassure the country's diverse communities including Christians, Kurds and Alawites -- the sect of the secular-oriented Assad. Beyond that, Washington should take a back-seat and let Syrians sort out their future, he said. "We should learn from the experience in Iraq that trying to impose exiles on a population traumatized by a brutal dictatorship and war is not a recipe for success," Ford said. Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday offered US recognition to a future government that is "credible, inclusive and non-sectarian." Trump in his first term, at the urging of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, abruptly said he would pull troops out of Syria. He backtracked after intense criticism at home and appeals from French President Emmanuel Macron, who pointed to the risk of Islamic State filling the vacuum. Trump has not indicated how he would change Syria policy this time. But he has shown no reluctance in the past to negotiate with foreign adversaries on the US blacklist, from Afghanistan's Taliban to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said there was no legal restriction on US contact with designated terrorists, although he indicated there was no direct dialogue with HTS. Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Syria could face "devastating economic and humanitarian consequences" unless the United States reconsiders the terrorist designation of HTS, which impedes aid groups. "That said," she said, "if there isn't sort of an established framework for negotiations and good behavior now, before that designation is lifted, that could potentially also be a major mistake down the line for Syria's future." sct/sms

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