Tradition tells the humble sandwich was invented in Britain, yet they seem to spell trouble for some British politicians, as the leader of the Conservatives Kemi Badenoch is finding out to her cost. Lunch is for wimps, says the new leader of Britain’s beleaguered Conservative Party in an apparent bid to sound tough. “What’s decompressing, what’s that? What’s a lunch break? Lunch is for wimps. I have food brought in and I work and eat at the same time. There’s no time... sometimes I get a steak”, she told The Spectator . Fair enough, lots of people eat at their desks, except Badenoch was about to launch an assault on what is probably the most-eaten British food and to make it worse, give an excuse for that which just comes across as a little odd. Sandwiches are not “real food”, she said, declaring “I will not touch bread if it’s moist”. Right-oh then. This wouldn’t be remotely as newsworthy if having a difficult relationship with sandwiches wasn’t already very clearly signposted for anyone with any interest in British politics whatsoever as an absolute minefield for an up-and-coming politician. Unserious as it may sound, a former leader of the Labour Party during their wilderness years found his time at the top ended not by bad policy or lacklustre performance at the dispatch box — although these were certainly factors — but because he looked like trying to eat a sandwich was going to kill him. Ed Miliband (pictured, top) has only now, a decade later, made a return to front-line politics. That’s how unforgiving the British public are. And if this seems petty, remember America feels the same way about their core-national-identity foods. Bill De Blasio will forever be associated with eating a pizza with a knife-and-fork . The rest of Britain has naturally piled on Badenoch with their takes. The left-wing Prime Minister, presumably thankful to have been handed such an easy way to appear on the side of the common man — in spite of absolutely all evidence to the contrary — has stated the obvious by hailing sandwiches as a Great British Institution and listed his favourite fillings. The former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was such a fan he said they were his favourite meal. The head of the British Sandwich Association calls the discourse “rubbish” and reminds us “We eat 3.5bn commercially-made sandwiches every year, this is part of our heritage.” Nigel Farage has declared he loves lunch time, although we all knew that, given being known for having a bottle of wine in the middle of the day is a big part of his personal brand. If a bit of meat and cheese between two slices of bread does to Kemi Badenoch what it did to Ed Miliband, precedent will well and truly have been set, British politics will have a sandwich test for aspirant Prime Ministers. But is that really such a bad thing?Guardiola denies rift with De Bruyne during Man City's dramatic slumpmega swerte app 。

Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks wavered on Wall Street in afternoon trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped temper losses elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 was up less than 0.1% after drifting between small gains and losses. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 10 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 3:20 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was up 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.5%, Micron Technology was up 1.3% and Adobe gained 0.8%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.1%. Meta Platforms fell 0.5%, Amazon was down 0.4%, and Netflix gave up 0.7%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, down 1.4%. Health care stocks helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.4% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3.9% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3.1%, Ross Stores added 1.8%, Best Buy was up 2.5% and Dollar Tree gained 3.6%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.2% and 15.9%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields turned mostly lower in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.58% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. ___ AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed. Alex Veiga, The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) – French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking a political deal that would allow him to both name a new prime minister and "guarantee the stability of the country," following the resignation of ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier, a spokesperson for the outgoing government said Wednesday. Maud Bregeon, the spokesperson, said Macron insisted there was at the moment no "broader" political alliance than the current one between his centrist allies and conservatives from The Republicans party, which does not have a majority at parliament. She was relaying comments made by Macron during a weekly Cabinet meeting. Last week, the French president vowed to stay in office until the end of his term, due in 2027. The move followed a historic no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly left France without a functioning government. Barnier ́s government has been tasked with handling current affairs pending the appointment of a new prime minister. Two options are still being...First E-175 flight lands in Aspen on TuesdayAbortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Abortions are slightly more common now than before Dobbs Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. Pills become a bigger part of equation — and the legal questions As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Travel for abortion has increased Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give . The abortion map has been in flux Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: The ban that took eff ect in Florida this year has been a game-changer Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. Clinics have opened or expanded in some places The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy , though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand . Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. Lack of access to abortions during emergencies is threatening some patients' lives How hospitals handle pregnancy complications , especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Abortion rights are popular with voters Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election , they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. trimmed its position in Royal Bank of Canada ( NYSE:RY – Free Report ) (TSE:RY) by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,338,508 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 598,535 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.45% of Royal Bank of Canada worth $790,602,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. FMR LLC raised its position in Royal Bank of Canada by 75.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 17,866,021 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,229,834,000 after acquiring an additional 7,702,585 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in shares of Royal Bank of Canada by 16.7% during the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 20,232,204 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,141,681,000 after purchasing an additional 2,901,033 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund increased its holdings in shares of Royal Bank of Canada by 165.1% during the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 2,896,755 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $361,532,000 after purchasing an additional 1,804,022 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Royal Bank of Canada in the 3rd quarter valued at $153,217,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Royal Bank of Canada by 9.3% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,390,914 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $805,616,000 after buying an additional 541,760 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.31% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have weighed in on RY. StockNews.com raised shares of Royal Bank of Canada from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 20th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Royal Bank of Canada from $195.00 to $193.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 5th. TD Securities lowered Royal Bank of Canada from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Barclays raised Royal Bank of Canada from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Royal Bank of Canada has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $156.50. Royal Bank of Canada Stock Down 0.2 % Shares of RY opened at $120.88 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $123.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.72. Royal Bank of Canada has a one year low of $93.97 and a one year high of $128.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $170.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.86. Royal Bank of Canada Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 27th will be issued a dividend of $1.0522 per share. This is a positive change from Royal Bank of Canada’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 27th. This represents a $4.21 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.48%. Royal Bank of Canada’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.91%. Royal Bank of Canada Profile ( Free Report ) Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Royal Bank of Canada ( NYSE:RY – Free Report ) (TSE:RY). Receive News & Ratings for Royal Bank of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Bank of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Trump Media & Technology DJT . And retail traders should know. We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga. Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with DJT, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen. So how do we know what these investors just did? Today, Benzinga 's options scanner spotted 24 uncommon options trades for Trump Media & Technology. This isn't normal. The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 58% bullish and 16%, bearish. Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 8 are puts, for a total amount of $357,300, and 16 are calls, for a total amount of $573,060. Projected Price Targets Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $20.0 to $67.0 for Trump Media & Technology over the last 3 months. Insights into Volume & Open Interest Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Trump Media & Technology's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Trump Media & Technology's whale activity within a strike price range from $20.0 to $67.0 in the last 30 days. Trump Media & Technology Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days Significant Options Trades Detected: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume DJT PUT SWEEP BULLISH 01/24/25 $1.83 $1.55 $1.55 $31.00 $77.5K 46 500 DJT PUT TRADE BULLISH 12/19/25 $16.45 $15.35 $15.5 $40.00 $71.3K 29 48 DJT CALL TRADE BULLISH 01/15/27 $21.7 $19.55 $21.7 $20.00 $52.0K 327 0 DJT CALL TRADE BULLISH 02/21/25 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $40.00 $51.5K 3.3K 129 DJT PUT SWEEP BULLISH 01/10/25 $2.54 $2.36 $2.36 $37.00 $47.2K 76 627 About Trump Media & Technology Trump Media & Technology Group Corp is a media and technology company rooted in social media, digital streaming, information technology infrastructure, and more. Its initial product launch will focus on its social media platform, Truth Social, which encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology. In light of the recent options history for Trump Media & Technology, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance. Where Is Trump Media & Technology Standing Right Now? With a trading volume of 6,474,777, the price of DJT is up by 3.73%, reaching $37.13. Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought. Next earnings report is scheduled for 39 days from now. Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access . Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Trump Media & Technology with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Unassuming, erudite, soft-spoken and a consensus builder, Manmohan Singh died on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 92. New Delhi: He drew the roadmap of India’s economic reform, unshackled it from the licence raj and pulled it back from the brink when even all its gold reserve was pledged. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was the scholar and architect of the India of today who evolved into a stubbornly resolute politician. Unassuming, erudite, soft-spoken and a consensus builder, Manmohan Singh died on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 92. The Congress leader, who steered the country for 10 years from 2004-2014 and helped set up the country’s economic framework as finance minister before that, was a renowned name in the global financial and economic sectors. The man who famously spoke of studying under the dim light of kerosene lamps in his village without electricity and went on to become a storied academic was the copybook reluctant politician, almost stumbling into the rough and tumble of mainstream politics. He was the proverbial dark horse when Sonia Gandhi stepped back from taking the prime minister’s post, ignoring the clamour from her party, and chose him instead. And so Manmohan Singh the academic bureaucrat became the 14th prime minister of India in 2004. Theirs was a partnership that lasted 10 years, the equation between Sonia Gandhi and Singh often cited for its equanimity and an example of how a working relationship should really be. Notwithstanding the inevitable tensions. Singh also had to balance the interests of the United Progressive Alliance’s coalition partners. N N Vohra, a former Jammu and Kashmir governor, said Singh always “stood firm as a rock in pursuing the ethical path even if he got into trouble with the political party he represented”. In 2014, the UPA was voted out in a cloud of corruption scams, establishing BJP's unbroken rule since then. Hailed for putting India on the road to liberalisation and privatisation in the early 1990s, Singh was criticised for turning a blind eye to charges of corruption. The going often got tough. During his first tenure as prime minister, the coalition began to unravel when India signed a civil nuclear deal with the US. It almost cost his government with the Left parties pulling out of the UPA coalition. However, his government survived. On July 22, 2008, the UPA faced its first confidence vote in the Lok Sabha after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front withdrew support over India approaching the IAEA for Indo-US nuclear deal. The UPA won the confidence vote with 275 votes to the opposition's 256, with a record thin 19-vote victory after 10 MPs abstained. During the fag end of his tenure as prime minister, when he was seen defending his government’s record and the Congress’ positions on controversial issues such as the 2G scam, Singh spoke up and declared he was not weak. "I honestly hope history would be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in Parliament," he had said famously in January 2004. More than two decades later, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reacted to Singh's death with a poignant post on X: "Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji!" The decade with Singh at the helm of affairs is widely believed to be an era unprecedented growth and prosperity. His journey to the acme of India’s governance and political power is unique in the annals of India’s politics. Singh, always seen in a powder blue turban, was appointed India's finance minister in 1991 in the Narasimha Rao government. His role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is now recognised worldwide. In January 1991, India struggled to finance its essential imports, especially of oil and fertilisers, and to repay official debt. In July 1991, the RBI pledged 46.91 tonnes of gold with the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan to raise $400 million. Manmohan Singh soon steered the economy well and was quick to repurchase it months later. Vohra, who at the time served successively as defence and home secretary said he had to be at then finance minister Singh's door daily, “literally begging for some financial relief for the department I was serving”. Born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on September 26, 1932, in village Gah in the Punjab province of undivided India (now Pakistan), Singh completed his matriculation examinations from the Punjab University in 1948. His academic career took him from Punjab to the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1957. Singh followed this with a D.Phil in Economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. He started his career by teaching in the faculty of Punjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics. He also had a brief stint at the UNCTAD Secretariat and later became secretary general of the South Commission in Geneva between 1987 and 1990. In 1971, Singh joined the government of India as economic advisor in the Commerce ministry. This was soon followed by his appointment as chief economic advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972. Among the many governmental positions that he occupied were secretary in the Finance ministry, deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, advisor of the prime minister, and chairperson of the University Grants Commission. His political career started as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1991, where he was leader of the opposition between 1998 and 2004. Interestingly, the two time prime minister had a 33-year parliamentary innings but only as a Rajya Sabha member. He never contested a Lok Sabha election. Singh was often accused by the BJP of running a government that was marred by corruption. The party called him "MaunMohan Singh" alleging that he did not speak out against corrupt leaders in his cabinet. Notwithstanding the many epithets, Singh always maintained his dignity. He is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and has three daughters. It is a measure of Singh’s understated personality that the country knew little of his family who also went about their lives as low key as they could during his 10 years as prime minister. Singh was quiet but also firm. Sources close to him said Singh had almost made up his mind to quit as prime minister in September 2013 after Rahul Gandhi dubbed the Union Cabinet's decision to bring an ordinance to allow convicted politicians to contest elections “complete nonsense” and recommended it be torn. Singh was abroad at the time. Singh was highly critical of demonetisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 and termed it "organised loot and legalised plunder". In reply to the no-confidence motion against his government in 2008, Singh said almost prophetically, "The greatness of democracy is that we are all birds of passage! We are here today, gone tomorrow! But in the brief time that the people of India entrust us with this responsibility, it is our duty to be honest and sincere in the discharge of these responsibilities." Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.Lance Terry scored a game-high 22 points, helping lead Georgia Tech to a 92-49 rout of visiting Alabama A&M on Saturday in Atlanta. Javian McCollum added 18 points, while Jaeden Mustaf chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds, as Georgia Tech (6-7) won its second game in three outings. Baye Ndongo had 10 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 54.1 percent (33 of 61) from the field and made 10 of 21 (47.6 percent) on 3-pointers. AC Bryant and Bilal Abdur-Rahman each led the Bulldogs (4-9) with 11 points. Alabama A&M managed to shoot just 20.8 percent (15 of 72) from the field en route to its sixth straight loss. After London Riley's 3-pointer cut the Bulldogs' deficit to 16-15, McCollum's triple began a 12-0 scoring run, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 28-15 with 5:30 remaining in the opening half. Bryant's layup stopped the Yellow Jackets' run, but McCollum scored five straight points to push Georgia Tech's advantage to 15 at the 4:13 mark. The lead expanded to 18 points before Quincy McGriff's layup trimmed the Bulldogs' deficit to 16. Terry's back-to-back triples jump-started a 12-3 run to close the first half with Georgia Tech ahead 50-25. McCollum led all scorers with 18 first-half points, while McGriff led Alabama A&M with seven. Ndongo's dunk to open the second half started a 10-1 Georgia Tech run, stamped with Duncan Powell's triple with 17 minutes left to push the Yellow Jackets' lead to 60-26. After Angok Anyang knocked down a pair of free throws for the Bulldogs, Terry's fourth triple was followed by Naithan George's layup, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 68-35 with 11:49 left. Jaylen Colon and Terry then traded triples, before Georgia Tech's 13-6 spurt was stamped with Ndongo's layup at the 3:33 mark, giving the Yellow Jackets an 84-44 edge. Georgia Tech's dominant day was stamped with baskets from a pair of Yellow Jacket walk-ons, as Emmers Nichols and Marcos San Miguel each tallied their first career points in the closing minutes. --Field Level MediaAP Trending SummaryBrief at 1:50 p.m. EST

NoneConor McGregor will appeal the decision to award a woman €248,603.60 after the UFC star was found liable of assaulting her in a hotel. Nikita Hand, who accused the sportsman of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, won her claim against him for damages in a High Court civil case . Following eight days of evidence and three days listening to closing speeches and the judge's charge, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning with its verdict. McGregor shook his head after the jury read out that Ms Hand had won her case against him before declining to comment as he left court. But he took to social media to say: "I will be appealing today's decision. "The judge's instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide." Speaking outside court, Ms Hand said : "I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be – speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice. "I know this has impacted not only my life, my daughter's, my family and friends tremendously. It's something that I'll never forget for the rest of my life. Now that justice has been served, I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family and friends and daughter." Asked if she felt vindicated following the jury's decision, she said: "Yes, I do. Thank you." For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage . Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .

JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF ( NASDAQ:IUSB – Free Report ) by 14.7% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 20,716,912 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,651,218 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF were worth $976,181,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of IUSB. LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF by 20.3% in the third quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 39,330,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,853,263,000 after acquiring an additional 6,632,679 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF by 19.5% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 21,325,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,004,854,000 after purchasing an additional 3,483,112 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $128,756,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at about $124,848,000. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its stake in iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF by 17.8% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 12,498,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $588,913,000 after buying an additional 1,890,434 shares during the last quarter. iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF Stock Performance Shares of IUSB stock opened at $45.07 on Friday. iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF has a fifty-two week low of $44.21 and a fifty-two week high of $47.44. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $45.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.08. iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF Increases Dividend About iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF ( Free Report ) The iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF (IUSB) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Bloomberg U.S. Universal index. The fund tracks a broad Barclays index of USD-denominated taxable bonds. The index is market value weighted. IUSB was launched on Jun 10, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IUSB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF ( NASDAQ:IUSB – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core Total USD Bond Market ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:PNGAY) Short Interest Down 21.8% in DecemberShares of banks and other financial institutions fell, giving back some of their recent gains despite deal activity. BlackRock has agreed to buy private-credit manager HPS Investment Partners in a roughly $12 billion all-stock deal that would substantially add to its coveted private-asset pile. Lending by asset managers to closely held startups and merger-and-acquisition players has been among the most lucrative Wall Street niches in recent years, and one that BlackRock has pledged to explore. Among other activities, HPS serves as a non-bank lender to private firms. Looser financial regulations in the second Trump administration could extend the private-credit boom. One strategist said a strong November performance for the broad stock market boded well for the balance of the year. "December is consistently among the strongest months for the stock market as mutual funds engage in year-end 'window dressing,' buying into winners to impress clients in year-end statements," said George Smith, investment strategist at brokerage LPL Financial. "These strong returns are historically often back-end loaded, hence the 'Santa Claus Rally' market axiom, that describes the idea that the final few days of December are a strong period for stocks." Write to Rob Curran at rob.curran@dowjones.comFree tax filing with IRS Direct File: What you need to know

Imposing pet passports for dogs, cats and ferrets to travel from one part of the UK to another has been branded an “outrage” at Westminster. The condemnation came as the House of Lords debated regulations paving the way for a scheme which would require animal lovers on the British mainland to have documentation in order to visit Northern Ireland. Critics view the move as further evidence of Northern Ireland still having to follow EU rules post-Brexit and being treated differently from the rest of the UK – a major source of contention to the unionist community. The paperwork, which will be free to apply for, includes a declaration that the owner will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with their pet or assistance dog. Animals will have to be microchipped and have their own individual pet travel document, which will be valid for its lifetime. Northern Ireland residents returning after a stay in Great Britain with their pet or assistance dog will not need a travel document. The scheme is being introduced under the Windsor Framework, a revised deal for Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements aimed at tackling issues caused by the protocol. Raising her concerns in Parliament, Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “These regulations are in effect about a new aspect of the Irish Sea border that has not had expression until this point because of the grace periods.” She added: “The experience of visiting Northern Ireland with your pet dog or cat, or even a ferret, will be made to feel like a visit to a foreign country. Lady Hoey went on: “This could spell the end of holiday trips for pet owners from GB to NI and then on to the Republic, when they want to explore both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “If they have a pet passport, they will have renounced their right to go to the Republic. That makes the border more of an obstruction than having border control posts on it, because at least in that eventuality, you could still cross over it.” Rejecting claims it was a result of the UK leaving the EU, she said: “The reality is that this is happening precisely because Northern Ireland has not got Brexit. “As we say repeatedly, it is still subject to EU rules and the EU could change the rules overnight.” Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: “Every one of the statutory instruments that come forward under the Windsor Framework must be properly debated, because these laws are being brought forward to implement what a foreign jurisdiction has decided should be the law of the United Kingdom. “In the 21st century, we should not accept colonial rule. We abolished it elsewhere. We believe it should not be tolerated for one second. People should have the democratic right to decide their laws for themselves, in their interests.” He added: “The ridiculous part about this debate is that we are having to debate European laws regulating the movement of pet animals owned by British citizens between one part of the United Kingdom and another. That is an outrage.” Lord Dodds went on: “As I said, there will be hundreds, thousands more of these regulations, in all areas, affecting the daily lives of people in Northern Ireland. They all add up to a grievous assault on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.” But former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick said: “I support the Windsor Framework because it is a necessary legal device to deal with the complexities that were presented to us in Ireland, north and south, on the issue of Brexit. “We need a pragmatic solution rather than choosing to have political contests and duels simply for the sake of them.” Introducing the regulations, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ulloch said: “This scheme will simplify the requirements associated with moving pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland significantly. “It replaces single-use animal health certificates with a free-of-charge lifelong travel document and removes the need for costly pet health treatments. “Pet owners who travel frequently with their pets, or those who rely on the services of an assistance dog to travel independently, will benefit substantially from this change in approach.” However, she acknowledged the concerns raised by peers and promised to continue engagement with them.

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UConn coach Dan Hurley told reporters Tuesday that star forward Alex Karaban is out for Wednesday's top-25 matchup against visiting Baylor. Karaban was transported to a hospital in Hawaii last Wednesday after sustaining a head injury during an 85-67 loss to Dayton on the final day of the Maui Invitational. Karaban hit the floor after being fouled on a contested layup with approximately 2 1/2 minutes left in the second half. He was later cleared to fly home with the rest of the team on Thursday. The junior sat out Saturday's 99-45 win over Maryland Eastern Shore, but now he will miss a more important game that pits the No. 25 Huskies (5-3) against the No. 15 Bears (5-2) in the Big 12-Big East Battle. Karaban has been UConn's leading scorer (15.9 ppg), adding 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. A starter for each of the Huskies' last two national championship-winning seasons, Karaban owns career averages of 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Jaylin Stewart drew into the starting lineup in Karaban's place against UMES. --Field Level MediaOlivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” has died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died on Friday, “peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones,” a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her onstage in the play “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," which also starred Vanessa Redgrave. “Romeo and Juliet” won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time. Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film. They alleged that they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and that the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late. Whiting was among those paying tribute to Hussey on Saturday. “Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now. And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever," he wrote. Hussey was born on April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy drama school. She also starred as Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series “Jesus of Nazareth," as well as the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Death on the Nile" and horror movies “Black Christmas” and “Psycho IV: The Beginning.” She is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson.The grumbles about Christmas arriving ridiculously early with TV adverts for big High Street names being screened and cards, tinsle, baubles and trees being on sale almost two months before December 25th are getting louder. Comedian Dawn French launched the first of a six-part M&S Xmas food campaign on November 4th. The company's festive fashion and home advert first went out on November 7th. A week later the John Lewis Christmas advert, titled The Gifting Hour - a two-minute story about a woman searching for the perfect Christmas gift for her sister was aired. Now, in the middle of Twixmas the country's supermarket giants have eclipsed that - by stocking their shelves with Easter eggs. With Easter Sunday falling on April 20 next year, customers have shared their confusion on social media after finding chocolate eggs and hot cross buns already for sale in shops including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda . One user, @Jingle1991, shared an image of Malteser Bunnies in Sainsbury’s on Christmas Eve and pointed out: “Jesus hasn’t even been born yet.” Easter Eggs on the shelves in Morrisons this weekend in Chippenham (Image: Mike Chalmers PA) Meanwhile, Gary Evans from Margate shared a shot of Creme Eggs on display in Morrisons in Margate on Boxing Day. “I just think its crazy that everything is so superficial and meaninglessly commercial... (there’s) something quite frantic about it,” the 66-year-old told the PA news agency. Joseph Robinson found Easter confectionary including Cadbury Mini Eggs, and themed Kit-Kat and Kinder Surprise products at his local Morrisons in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday evening. “It’s funny, as they’ve not even managed to shift the Christmas chocolates off the shelves yet and they’re already stocking for Easter,” the 35-year-old admin support worker told PA. “I wish that Supermarkets weren’t so blatantly consumerist-driven and would actually allow customers and staff a time to decompress during the Christmas period.” Asked if he was tempted to make a purchase, Mr Robinson added: “As a vegan it holds no appeal to me!” Mike Chalmers, a devout Christian from Chippenham, Wiltshire, was slightly less critical after spotting a display entitled: “Celebrate this Easter with Cadbury.” “Christmas and Easter are the two centrepoints of the Christian good news story so it’s no bad thing to see the connections,” the 44-year-old said. "It’s about more than shapes of chocolate though!” One person's reaction to Easter eggs appearing on supermarket shelves. Marketing consultant Andrew Wallis admitted he was surprised to see Easter eggs in the Co-op in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire, but added it also illustrates “forward-thinking” from big businesses. “It made me reflect on how big brands are always thinking ahead and planning early,” the 54-year-old from the Isle of Man, who provides marketing advice to the fitness industry, told PA. "My message to retailers would be: while planning ahead is important, it’s also essential to be mindful of consumer sentiment. “Some might feel it’s too early for seasonal products like this but others might see it as a sign of forward-thinking. Striking the right balance is key to keeping customers happy.”