The stock market rally suffered sharp, damaging losses with the major indexes falling below key levels. The Fed cut rates but policymakers see modest easing next year, with Fed chief Jerome Powell tempering even those expectations. Treasury yields jumped. But stocks rebounded somewhat on Friday. ( ) leapt on its Freight business spin-off plans while ( ) plunged on guidance. Meanwhile ( ) and ( ) dived on disappointing drug studies. ( ) fell on weak guidance. Stock Market Sells Off On Fed A less-dovish Fed rate outlook triggered a big sell-off, exacerbating preexisting market weakness. The S&P 500, Dow Jones and Russell 2000 fell through their 50-day lines and the Nasdaq fell below the 21-day line. Treasury yields hit five-month highs. But the indexes jumped Friday, paring weekly losses, on a tame inflation report. Fed Sees 'Policy Uncertainty' The phrase of the week, uttered by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, was "policy uncertainty," alluding to the agenda of the incoming Trump administration. Powell compared the Fed's job to "driving on a foggy night," adding: "You just slow down." After Wednesday's quarter-point move brought Fed rate cuts to a total of 100 basis points over three meetings, markets now see roughly 50-50 odds that the Fed only cuts by 25 basis points all of next year. Markets couldn't take comfort in the Fed's projection of 50 basis points in cuts next year, because Fed policymakers didn't base the forecast on Trump's actual plans. Most economists think that whatever combination of tax cuts, tariffs and tighter immigration emerges will be inflationary. The uncertain outlook was underscored by Fed policymakers' projections for core inflation next year, ranging from 2.1% to 3.2%. The median forecast is 2.5%. However, Wall Street did take some comfort on Friday from a cool inflation reading for November, which saw the core PCE price index rising just 0.1% on the month, holding the 12-month inflation rate at 2.8%. Meanwhile, the economy continues to power ahead. Q3 GDP growth was revised up to 3.1% from 2.8%, thanks to an upwardly revised 3.7% increase in consumer spending. Spending has remained solid in Q4, rising 0.4% in November, following October's 0.3% gain. Micron Tanks On Outlook Memory-chip leader ( ) reported slightly better-than-expected earnings on in-line sales for its fiscal first quarter ended Nov. 28. But its outlook for the current quarter badly missed views, sending shares plunging. Fiscal Q1 sales for AI data centers were strong, offset by weakness in the PC and smartphone markets. Vertex Drug Can't Beat Placebo ( ) plummeted Thursday after its non-opioid killer drug showed virtually no difference from a placebo in a study of patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy, also known as LSR or sciatica. After 12 weeks, patients with LSR had a 2.02-point improvement in pain on a scale of 0 to 10. That compared to a 1.98-point improvement for placebo recipients. Vertex is still planning to move its drug, suzetrigine, into Phase 3 testing. In other biotech news, Mesoblast won FDA approval for its graft versus host disease treatment in patients as young as two months old who don't respond to steroids. Shares catapulted by double digits. ( ) crashed Friday after the Danish pharmaceutical giant reported its experimental weight-loss drug CagriSegma missed expectations in a late-stage trial. ( ) and ( ) jumped. Tesla FSD v13 Not A Game-Changer? Elon Musk has said he expects ( ) robotaxis in Texas and California by mid-2025. The EV giant's Full Self Driving v13 went out to all customers this past week. But early feedback suggests it isn't a giant leap forward for autonomous driving. Meanwhile, Tesla continued to see solid vehicle registrations in China, bolstered by year-end incentives. That's offsetting weakness in Europe and the U.S. The company needs to deliver more than 514,000 vehicles in Q4 to hit its goal of vehicle delivery growth vs. the 1.8 million from 2023. TSLA also received several more price target hikes this week. Shares hit a record high Wednesday before paring gains. Nike Turnaround Begins ( ) reported a sharp earnings drop while revenue fell 8% to $12.4 billion, but both were better than feared. The Dow Jones shoe and apparel giant saw declines across all of its brand segments and sales channels in fiscal Q2, while gross margins fell sharply. New CEO Elliott Hill said that Nike is taking "immediate action" to reposition the business around sports, with CFO Matthew Friend noting that brand momentum has resumed since Hill took over in October. Still shares fell as Nike said it would slash inventory in the near term. Elsewhere, ( ) reported fiscal Q4 EPS more than doubled as revenue grew nearly 18% to $478 million, both beating. Birkenstock guided slightly lower on fiscal 2025 revenue, but shares jumped within a base. FedEx Plans To Unload Freight ( ) just edged past fiscal Q2 EPS views with a 1.5% gain while revenue dipped 1% to $22 billion, slightly missing. The shipping giant also guided low on fiscal 2025. But FedEx jumped on plans to spin off its Freight business into a separate public company with the delivery heavyweight in cost-cutting mode. FedEx has implemented several cost-cutting initiatives in recent months, including combining its ground, air and other operations in a single company. Stock Market News In Brief ( ) reported a 22% EPS drop and a 9% revenue loss for the fiscal fourth quarter, both missing views. Guidance also was weak. Along with Treasury yields surging after the new Fed outlook, Lennar and other homebuilders sold off, extending a sharp retreat in recent weeks. ( ) reported a 21% EPS gain, slightly beating, while sales grew nearly 8%, in line with fiscal Q2 views. But the provider of uniforms and other business supplies reported a drop in direct uniform sales and warned on pricing. Cintas stock gapped below the 200-day line for the first time in two years. ( ) dropped after an analyst said some power semiconductors used with its latest Blackwell AI server chips were overheating. Shares of the power-chip maker, ( ), also fell. The issue threatens to delay the introduction of the new Blackwell systems. ( ) beat Wall Street's targets for its fiscal first quarter ended Nov. 30. But the management consulting and technology services firm cut its earnings outlook for the full year ahead. Still, ACN stock advanced after the report. ( ) jumped after the electronics contract manufacturer delivered a beat-and-raise quarterly report. Jabil's business got a boost from its cloud computing and data center business, especially with customer Amazon Web Services. However, its EV and energy infrastructure businesses were a drag. ( ) jumped Friday after easily beating Q4 EPS views, with 10% revenue growth slightly topping. The cruise line operator was bullish on 2025, with Q1 guidance above consensus, but full-year goals mixed. ( ) raised its annual sales forecast, counting on higher menu prices and more people dining at LongHorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden chains in the holiday season. Darden reported a 10% EPS increase on a 6% sales gain, an overall beat. Same-store sales rose 2.4%, also outpacing views, after three quarters of flat to negative growth. Darden stock scored a nearly 15% earnings breakaway gap. ( ) posted a 34% earnings gain, edging past views by a penny, but an 8% sales gain missed. The aircraft parts supplier tumbled. Ongoing supplier issues at ( ) and ( ) will keep a lid on new aircraft deliveries and keep demand for servicing older aircraft and engines steady, management said. But Heico's sales growth slowed for the fourth consecutive quarter. ( ) earnings surged 56%, accelerating from a 13% gain in the prior quarter. Revenue unexpectedly rose 1% after eight down quarters. The used-car seller cited "more stable" vehicle valuations that drove demand. Used vehicles are selling briskly as their prices drop and inventories improve. CarMax briefly regained a buy point in the stock market but ultimately closed lower for the week. ( ) said it is mulling a separation of its aerospace business after an activist investor pushed for a breakup of one of the few remaining U.S. conglomerates. The ( ) rival and ( ) supplier promised an update at its Q4 earnings report, due at the end of January. Mutterings about a potential merger between GE Aerospace and Honeywell's aerospace business continue. Such a combination could present a more potent challenge to ( ), which includes Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney. Honeywell stock rallied.President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don’t change their clocks at all. Hawaii doesn’t because it is so far south it has little effect.https agent okebet win overviews 。

AdValorem Market Unveils nft.advalorem.io: Revolutionizing Digital Asset Monetization 12-20-2024 11:50 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: Press Ranger Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2024/12/1734732852.jpg AdValorem Market Empowering Creators with AI-Driven NFT and Merchandise Solutions AdValorem Market, a leader in innovative digital solutions, proudly announces the launch of nft.advalorem.io [ https://nft.advalorem.io/ ], a groundbreaking platform designed to transform the way creators monetize their digital content. This new venture leverages cutting-edge AI technology to enable users to effortlessly create and sell AdVNFTs and unique merchandise, all without the burden of upfront costs or inventory management. In an era where digital content is king, AdValorem Market is at the forefront of empowering creators across the globe. From the United States to Indonesia, and from the United Arab Emirates to Northern Africa, the platform offers a seamless experience for artists, musicians, and influencers to engage their audiences in innovative ways. By converting digital content into valuable assets, creators can now unlock new revenue streams and offer exclusive content to their fans. The launch of nft.advalorem.io marks a significant milestone in the digital landscape, providing a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of listing and selling AdVNFTs. The platform's AI-powered tools are designed to generate unique merchandise and digital assets, ensuring that creators can focus on what they do best-creating content-while AdValorem handles the complexities of transactions and royalties. "The introduction of nft.advalorem.io is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our dedication to supporting creators worldwide. By eliminating traditional barriers such as upfront costs and inventory risks, we are enabling a new era of digital entrepreneurship," said Val Kleyman, CEO of AdValorem Market. AdValorem Market's new platform also facilitates borderless transactions, allowing creators to earn from a global audience without the hassle of shipping logistics. This feature is particularly beneficial for creators in regions like Ukraine, Nigeria, and the Philippines, where traditional e-commerce barriers can be more pronounced. As the digital world continues to evolve, AdValorem Market remains committed to providing cutting-edge solutions that cater to the diverse needs of creators. The launch of nft.advalorem.io is not just a new chapter for the company but a significant leap forward for the entire digital content industry. By offering a platform that combines the power of AI with the potential of NFTs, AdValorem Market is setting a new standard for digital asset monetization. For creators looking to explore new opportunities in the digital realm, nft.advalorem.io offers a promising avenue to expand their reach and maximize their earnings, all while maintaining complete creative control over their work. About AdValorem Market AdValorem Market is an innovative platform that empowers creators like you to easily create and monetize AdVNFTs and merchandise without any upfront costs or inventory risks. Our AI-powered tools allow you to transform your digital content into valuable assets, helping you engage your followers in new ways and generate additional revenue streams. With AdValorem, you can: Create unique AI-generated merch and digital assets List and sell AdVNFTs effortlessly Offer exclusive content to your fans Earn from borderless transactions and automated royalties All with zero upfront costs, no inventory, and no shipping hassles! Media Contact Company Name: AdValorem Market Contact Person: Val Kleyman Email: Send Email [ http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=advalorem-market-unveils-nftadvaloremio-revolutionizing-digital-asset-monetization ] Phone: 732-913-0059 Address:PO Box 6051 City: Freehold State: NJ Country: United States Website: https://nft.advalorem.io/ This release was published on openPR.The Indo Farm Equipment IPO opens on December 31, 2024, and closes on January 2, 2025. The price band is Rs 204-215 per share. The IPO allotment is expected on January 3 and listing shares will list on BSE and NSE likely on January 7. The grey market premium (GMP) suggests significant potential gains upon listing. New Delhi: Indo Farm Equipment IPO, a book built issue of Rs 260.15 crore, opens for subscription on December 31, 2024 and closes on January 2, 2025. The price band is set in the range of Rs 204 to Rs 215 per share. The retail investors are required to bid for a minimum lot size of 69 shares for which the minimum amount of investment is Rs 14,835. The Non-Institutional Investor (NII) category investors are mandated to apply for a minimum lot size of 14 lots for which one has to invest Rs 2,07,690, and for bNII portion the minimum application is of 68 lots. Indo Farm Equipment IPO allotment is expected on January 3, 2025 while the process to initiate refunds is likely to begin on January 6. The shares are expected to be credited to the demat accounts of eligible investors on 6th January while the stock will list on BSE and NSE tentatively on January 7. Indo Farm Equipment IPO GMP According to investorgain, Indo Farm Equipment IPO GMP stood at Rs 80 on December 30 morning. With the price band of Rs 215, the shares are expected to be listed at Rs 295, indicating that the counter will list with around 37 per cent gains. Grey market figures are not official. The Indo Farm Equipment IPO is a combination of fresh issue of 0.86 crore share aggregating to Rs 184.90 crore and offer for sale of 0.35 crore shares aggregating to Rs 75.25 crores. Indo Farm Equipment IPO’s book running lead manager is Aryaman Financial Services Limited, while Mas Services Limited is the registrar for the issue. Indo Farm Equipment Limited is crane and tractor manufacturing company located in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. The company came into existence in 2000. It is a leading manufacturer of agriculture tractors, cranes, and various other agricultural implements in India. ( Disclaimer: This article is only meant to provide information. News9 does not recommend buying or selling shares or subscriptions of any IPO and Mutual Funds .) Click for more latest Markets news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Biplob Ghosal is Online News Editor (Business) at TV9’s digital arm - News9live.com. Leading the english business editorial team, he writes on various issues related to stock markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial and political journalism, Biplob has been previously associated with Timesnownews.com, Zeenews. He is an alumnus of Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya. Follow him at @Biplob_ghosal.JERUSALEM — Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel’s security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Related Story: Israel Says It Will ‘Attack With Might’ if Hezbollah Breaks Truce Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed a series of accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu’s office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance. Related Story: But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Warplanes Bombard Beirut and Its Southern Suburbs Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut’s bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. Related Story: The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah’s financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate. Related Story: Israeli Forces Reach Litani River in Southern Lebanon The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon.

Unity of hearts & minds essential for peace & progress, says J&K Lt GovernorThe ‘silent voter’ is one of the key factors currently in Maharashtra politics. In an unprecedented outcome, where the ruling alliance won such a landslide victory for the first time in the past four decades, the higher participation of women voters became an important reason for the victory. From the ruling parties to the Opposition parties, top leaders have acknowledged the impact of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and the increased turnout of women voters. When compared with the 2019 Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly election , data show over 6% more women turned out to vote in the 2024 election. In 2019, 59.26% women had voted. That increased to 65.22% women in the 2024 election. The difference between the percentage of male voters and the percentage of female voters also fell this time. In 2019, 62.77% men had voted, which was over 3.5% more than the number of women voters. But during these elections, the percentage of male voters stood at 66.84%, an increase of over four percentage points since 2019; and the percentage of female voters increased substantially to 65.22%. This brought down the difference between the men’s and women’s voting percentage to just over 1.5%. This is also the first time since the 1960s that the difference between the percentage of male and female voters dropped below 2%. Till now, the difference between the percentage of male and female voters has been very low only in 1995, at just 2.04%. It was the highest in 1962, when 65.71% men had voted, whereas only 54.59% women had voted — the difference being over 11%. Since then, the difference in the percentages of male and female voters swung from over 9% to 2.04%. It has been the lowest in the 2024 election at 1.63%. This time, there has also been an overall increase in the number of male and female voters. This, combined with the impact of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which eligible women received ₹1,500 per month in their bank accounts, led to a positive impact for the Mahayuti. “We were hit by the negative campaigning about the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana — that we would shut down the scheme,” Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) leader Sharad Pawar said at a press conference on Sunday (November 24, 2024) evening. In the Mahayuti, Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar gave credit to the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for their victory. “This scheme swept everyone away. We bow down before the people of Maharashtra,” Ajit Pawar said. “The favourite sisters have shown defeat to the step-brothers,” Eknath Shinde said. “It proved to be a game-changer. Before the elections, five instalments were credited to the women’s accounts. This gave a sense of empowerment to the women. This was their own money. They didn’t have to depend on their family members to give them money before the festival time. For the lower income groups, it meant an additional stream of income right before the festival,” a Mahayuti strategist said. While the MVA criticised the Mahayuti for copying the scheme from Madhya Pradesh, it could not give an adequate counter-narrative in the beginning. Some MVA leaders criticised the government, terming the scheme a ‘bribe’ to women. The Mahayuti used that against the MVA. Thereafter, the MVA promised ₹3,000 to women, if voted to power. But Mahayuti leaders slammed the MVA, claiming it would lead to a breakdown of the State’s finances. Through the narrative and the counter-narrative, women voters acknowledged the receipt of ₹7,000 into their accounts before the election. The Mahayuti promised that the instalments would continue after the election. The ruling alliance also worried women voters by claiming the scheme would be shut down if the Mahayuti did not return to power. “This is like blackmailing the women. It’s childish that you will tell women they would not get the money if they don’t vote for the ruling dispensation again,” Supriya Sule had said before the election. Published - November 24, 2024 07:58 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Maharashtra election results 2024: Congress' performance shocking, worst-ever in State polls, says Prithviraj Chavan Mahayuti sweeps Maharashtra Ek hain toh safe hain is the spirit behind Maharashtra Assembly election victory, says PM Modi Newly-elected Independent Shivaji Patil, women injured in fire during victory celebrationsRangers 'mind games' denied by Jim Goodwin as Dundee Utd boss puts Ian McCall right over his Ibrox tacticsLil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National Championship

In December 1978, Jimmy Carter, who passed away at 100, emphasized that human rights are central to America's foreign policy. He successfully demonstrated this belief through the 1978 Camp David Accords, fostering peace between Egypt and Israel. Carter's legacy continued as he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, honoring his efforts in promoting peaceful conflict resolution and social welfare. The Carter Center, founded in 1982, has been pivotal in monitoring elections globally and advocating for human rights. A devout Christian, Carter utilized personal diplomacy to address issues like disease eradication and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His work, often contentious with successors, highlighted the importance of upholding international agreements, notably critiquing Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

WATCH: Lehigh fans tear down goalpost after win over Lafayette. See where it ended up.Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving timeCyberattacks linked to the Chinese government that compromised large portions of the American telecommunications network have the US government sounding the alarm. The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), has called it the “ worst telecom hack in our nation’s history ” and noted that it makes prior cyberattacks by Russian operatives look like “ child’s play ” by comparison. The complex cyberattack, carried out by a group of Chinese hackers dubbed Salt Typhoon , began as far back as 2022. Its purpose, according to US officials, was to give Chinese operatives persistent access to telecommunications networks across the US by compromising devices like routers and switches run by companies like AT&T, Verizon, Lumen and others. This attack comes on the heels of reports that the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were assisting telephone companies with countering other China-connected compromises of their networks. The earlier hacking was part of an attack targeting people in the Washington area in government or political roles , including candidates for the 2024 presidential election. But Salt Typhoon is not just targeting Americans. Research from security vendor Trend Micro shows that attacks by Salt Typhoon compromised other critical infrastructure around the world in recent years. US officials have confirmed these findings as well — and their level of concern is noteworthy. Chinese officials have denied the allegations that they’re behind this operation, as they have in response to allegations about previous cyberattacks. As a cybersecurity researcher , I find this attack is indeed breathtaking in its scope and severity. But it’s not surprising that such an incident took place. Many organizations of all sizes still fail to follow good cybersecurity practices , have limited resources, or operate IT infrastructures that are too complex to effectively monitor, manage and secure. Must Read Chinese Salt Typhoon cyberespionage targets AT&T, Verizon but networks secure, carriers say How bad is it? Salt Typhoon exploited technical vulnerabilities in some of the cybersecurity products like firewalls used to protect large organizations. Once inside the network, the attackers used more conventional tools and knowledge to expand their reach, gather information, stay hidden and deploy malware for later use. According to the FBI, Salt Typhoon allowed Chinese officials to obtain a large amount of records showing where, when and who specific individuals were communicating with. In some cases, they noted that Salt Typhoon gave access to the contents of phone calls and text messages as well. Play Video Salt Typhoon also compromised the private portals , or backdoors, that telephone companies provide to law enforcement to request court-ordered monitoring of phone numbers pursuant to investigations. This is also the same portal that is used by US intelligence to surveil foreign targets inside the United States. As a result, Salt Typhoon attackers may have obtained information about which Chinese spies and informants counterintelligence agencies were monitoring — knowledge that can help those targets try to evade such surveillance. On December 3, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency and FBI, along with their counterparts in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, released guidance to the public on how to address the Salt Typhoon attack. Their Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure guide essentially reiterates best cybersecurity practices for organizations that could help mitigate the impact of Salt Typhoon or future copycat attacks. It does, however, include recommendations to protect specific telecommunication equipment for some of the Cisco products that were targeted in this attack. What can be done? US officials have said that many of the ways Salt Typhoon penetrated its targets was through existing weaknesses with the infrastructure. As I’ve written previously , failing to implement basic cybersecurity best practices can lead to debilitating incidents for organizations of all sizes. Given how dependent the world is on networked information systems, it is more important than ever to maintain cybersecurity programs that make it difficult for attacks to succeed, especially for critical infrastructure like the phone network. In addition to following the best practices guidance issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency earlier this week, organizations should remain vigilant. They should monitor not only the news for information about this attack but the various free, proprietary or private threat intelligence feeds and informal professional networks to stay up to date on attackers’ tactics and techniques — and ways to counter them. Companies and governments should also ensure their IT departments and cybersecurity programs are adequately staffed and funded to meet their needs and ensure that best practices are implemented. The Federal Communications Commission is already threatening companies with fines for failing to bolster their defenses against Chinese hacking. Although any illicit surveillance is concerning, the average American probably has little to worry about from Salt Typhoon. It’s unlikely that your family phone calls or text messages to friends are of interest to the Chinese government. However, if you want to increase your security and privacy a bit, consider using end-to-end encrypted messaging services like Signal, FaceTime or Messages. Also make sure you’re not using default or easily guessed passwords on your devices, including your home router. And consider using two-factor authentication to further strengthen the security of any critical internet accounts. Backdoors and bad guys Lost in the noise of the story is that Salt Typhoon has proved that the decades of warnings by the internet security community were correct. No mandated secret or proprietary access to technology products is likely to remain undiscovered or used only by “the good guys” — and efforts to require them are likely to backfire. So it’s somewhat ironic that one of the countermeasures recommended by the government to guard against Salt Typhoon spying is to use strongly encrypted services for phone calls and text messages – encryption capabilities that it has spent decades trying to undermine so that only “the good guys” can use it. – Rappler.com This article originally appeared on The Conversation . Richard Forno , Principal Lecturer, CSEE & Assistant Director, UMBC Cybersecurity Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Must Read Cybersecurity trends for 2025: The AI arms race continues, physical threats riseSoundHound AI Shares Are Surging Friday: What You Need To Know

House Democrat says Republicans protecting Elon Musk's Chinese investmentsGaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general, averting confirmation battle in the Senate