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jolibet manila FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Zavian McLean scored 18 points to lead FGCU and Michael Duax secured the victory with a free throw with 21 seconds left as the Eagles defeated Florida International 60-59 on Sunday. McLean shot 7 for 12, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc for the Eagles (2-5). Rahmir Barno scored 11 points and added five assists and three steals. Jevin Muniz shot 2 of 7 from the field and 5 for 5 from the line to finish with nine points. Jayden Brewer finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for the Panthers (2-5). Jonathan Aybar added 12 points for Florida International. Dashon Gittens also had seven points and eight rebounds. McLean scored 14 points in the first half and FGCU went into the break trailing 30-29. Barno scored a team-high nine points for FGCU in the second half. FGCU outscored Florida International by two points over the final half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Shares of CBAK Energy Technology Inc (CBAT) soared over 21% on Friday after the firm announced that its subsidiary Nanjing CBAK New Energy Technology Co. has won significant orders from Chinese intelligent hardware brand firm Anker Innovations Technology Co. The company said the total value of the orders stood at approximately between RMB 200 million and RMB 250 million, or around $30 million to $35 million. CBAK Energy is a China-based firm engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of new energy high power lithium batteries and raw materials for use in manufacturing high power lithium batteries. CEO Zhiguang Hu expressed enthusiasm for the firm's addition to Anker Innovations' qualified supplier list and for becoming their largest supplier of LFP battery cells. “With the growing demand for our products, we are fully committed to meeting these needs, and our manufacturing facilities are operating at full capacity,” Hu said. CBAK Energy added that Anker Innovations has consistently placed orders for battery cells with the firm and has found place among the company’s top five customers. Both firms are also engaged in ongoing discussions about potential future collaborations, including but not limited to expanding capacity in overseas markets. Meanwhile, retail chatter on Stocktwits indicated enthusiasm among investors. Some users praised the company’s fundamentals. Others focused on the stock’s technicals. The company reported its third-quarter earnings in November that saw its net revenues fall 29.7% year-over-year (YoY) to $44.6 million. Net loss attributable to shareholders of CBAK Energy stood at $0.2 million, compared to net income of $6.3 million in the same period of 2023. Following a dull quarter, investors will be keenly eyeing the firm’s fourth-quarter earnings to see if the company managed to improve its performance. Meanwhile, shares of the firm have gained just over 5% since the beginning of the year. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<

By Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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A Labour peer has accused the justice secretary of trying to “impose” her Muslim beliefs on those in favour of assisted dying as a major row broke out at the top of the party. Lord Falconer of Thoroton, a former Labour justice secretary and a close ally of Sir Keir Starmer, said that Shabana Mahmood was “completely wrong” to say that the assisted dying bill was “a slippery slope towards death on demand”. Mahmood wrote the warning in a letter to constituents before a landmark debate on Friday, when MPs will hold their first vote on the issue in nearly a decade in what could open the door to legalising assisted suicide for the first time in the UK. MPs and ministers are free to vote as they wish on the legislation, a private members’ bill being spearheaded in the Commons by Kim Leadbeater which would legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults with less than six months to live.

The upcoming World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2025 is set to witness a substantial gathering of global leaders and industrial giants in Davos, Switzerland. Notable attendees include three chief ministers from India—Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrababu Naidu, and Revant Reddy—alongside over 100 CEOs and senior officials discussing 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.' This high-profile event, taking place from January 20, 2025, aims to strategically address pressing global geopolitical and macroeconomic issues, such as changes in US leadership, the Ukraine conflict, and ongoing tensions in West Asia. Indian economic strategies, particularly those driving localized innovation and startup growth, will be central to discussions, covering aspects of India's substantial rise above an 8% growth rate. The meeting seeks to establish a forum for diverse dialogue around revamping collaborative innovation, overcoming economic stagnation, and tapping into advancements across AI, biotech, and energy technology. By doing so, leaders hope to avoid global fragmentation and foster a cooperative, future-focused agenda for development. (With inputs from agencies.)Haiti gang attack on journalists covering a hospital reopening leaves 2 dead, several wounded

Environment Don't miss out on the headlines from Environment. Followed categories will be added to My News. Blazes in Victoria’s Grampians National Park are yet to be contained as of Christmas morning, with a total fire ban to take effect in the state from Boxing Day. The bushfire has already torn through more than44,000 ha of land and is expected to spread into the new year, with temperatures likely to skyrocket this week. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) reported on Christmas morning that the fire had moved north of the southern section of the national park overnight. “The fire could burn for weeks, as Grampians National Park has a lot of fuel and very little rain is forecast”, they said. Forecasters expect the mercury to soar above 40C across Victoria on Thursday and wind speeds to reach between 70 and 80km/h. Fires are set to get worse as a result of conditions forecast for Thursday. Picture: Instagram Country Fire Authority chief Jason Heffernan said the fires already burning and any new fires that could be sparked as a result of the extreme fire risk were both “major concerns”. “Follow the strict conditions associated with the total fire ban declaration and understand how the increased fire risk will impact you, and ensure your fire plan covers all possible contingencies,” Mr Heffernan said. The bushfire burning in the Grampians. Picture: Hamilton Fire Brigade It comes as not safe to return orders were issued for Bellfield, Bellfield Settlement, Flat Rock Crossing, Fyans Creek, Grampians Junction, and Halls Gap on Christmas Eve. Authorities are also asking people to avoid travelling in or around the areas flagged by VicEmergency. More than 200 residents and business owners evacuated from Halls Gap on Saturday were permitted to return to collect personal items on Christmas Eve. With heatwaves forecast around much of the country from Thursday, Victoria is unlikely to be the only state enduring scorching conditions on Boxing Day. Parts of southern NSW including Wagga Wagga are expected to hit 39C. Sydney’s in for a cooler forecast of 29C on Thursday, but things are set to heat up on Friday with temperatures forecast to peak at 37C. Residents in Sydney’s western suburbs are expected to cop the brunt of the city’s heatwave with an anticipated top of 41C in Penrith on Boxing Day. Canberra is expected to reach 35C, with Brisbane to remain in the low 30s on Thursday before a searing top of 37C on Friday. Back in Victoria, authorities will likely continue their efforts to contain the fires into 2025, with eighteen firebombing aircrafts and 600 firefighters currently on the ground. That includes more than 100 personnel who have come from NSW, Queensland, ACT, and Tasmania to assist the CFA’s efforts. A total fire ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight. The ban will take effect from 12.01am on Boxing Day. Originally published as Total fire ban issued as authorities brace for Boxing Day threat More related stories Environment State’s huge move ahead of ‘extreme’ Boxing Day One Aussie state has issued a sweeping ban due to “extreme” dangers over the Christmas period – prompted by dual threats of scorching temperatures and raging fires. Read more Gadgets Huge new feature coming to AirPods One of the most common pieces of tech has been given a massive new dimension with the approval of life-changing technology in Australia. Read moreBy Usman Daudu In this past week, stampedes happened in three locations in the country and people lost their lives. In Ibadan, over 30 children died during an event by the former Queen of the Ooni of Ife to host 5, 000 children. And last Saturday, 10 persons died at a food-sharing event at a church in Abuja while 22 people also died in a rush for food in Okija, Anambra State. It is sad that these Nigerians died while on a mission to get succour from palliatives. It feels sadder that these incidents might have been averted had perhaps proper planning and execution been put in place. And that is why the latest news from the Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, is gladdening. According to reports, the governor opened bank accounts for two million poor residents of the state. Sani disclosed this last Thursday during the distribution of food items and palliatives for Christmas and New Year at the Umaru Yar’adua Conference Centre, Kaduna, which was spearheaded by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. “Through our financial inclusion programme, we have opened over two million bank accounts for poor, vulnerable, and underserved persons to enable them to benefit from state and Federal Government social intervention programmes,” the governor said. Ordinarily, this story should not even make the news given that it is perhaps the most logical route to follow given the technology available in the financial ecosystem. Sadly, it is a novelty. During the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as president, the federal government initiated the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) which had the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) as one of its programmes. Under the CCT, citizens classified as ‘the poorest of the poor’ were to get Ten Thousand Naira. With the existence of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) which mandates every account holder in Nigeria to be biometrically verified, one would have expected the federal government to utilise the banks for transacting payment. But no. Rather, government officials physically took large sums of cash to crowded venues to share to the beneficiaries. According to multiple reports, at those venues, beneficiaries were just asked to sign and handed over envelopes which sometimes contained less than Five Thousand Naira. Such fraud implied those concerned didn’t want a more efficient way to disburse the funds to the poor. For their selfish reasons. Hence, while the idea of the CCT was noble, its execution was very disappointing and left a sour taste in the mouth of even some supporters of the programme. I mean, in today’s age of electronic banking, who goes about physically distributing sums running into hundreds of millions? The mere logistical horror associated with such a venture should even be enough to deter those who go that route. Then, there is also the case of accountability. When the Buhari administration initiated Trader-Moni and Markket-Moni. Good schemes. But again, its implementation was flawed. Instead of deploying BVN to track recipients of the funds, the funds were channelled via cash, with some middlemen conniving and ripping the government as well as the beneficiaries. The other process of having the poor come to a venue and organisers carrying large sums of money to share, should, at best, remain in the 1970s. It cannot be argued that it is more efficient to disburse funds to poor people by sending them money via their bank accounts. For instance, at the push of a button, one can initiate credit transfer to multiple persons instantaneously. With this method too, transparency is achieved as the use of BVN details particulars of every recipient. With the strategy Sani has adopted in Kaduna, funds meant for the poor can be effectively monitored and verified. Anyway, while some commentators argue that the recent stampedes resulted because of poverty, perhaps the more important factor concerns the organisers’ obligations. What numbers were they expecting? What preparations were on ground to receive and accommodate the expected numbers? What was the anticipated flow of movement designed? Did they have enough space and manpower to cater for the expected numbers? Were there better ways of dispersing their charity other than gathering a crowd in a particular space? These are serious questions organisers are expected to satisfy themselves with before beginning to gather a crowd. Thankfully, after the sad incidents of last week, Nigerians have become wary of palliative-seeking crowds. Some states have even listed conditions for distribution of palliatives. Lagos State declared that organisers of palliative sharing events with more than 250 persons must get clearance with the state safety agencies. Also, on Sunday, the Edo State Police Command urged the state government and other organisations to collaborate with the police in the distribution of palliatives to avoid a stampede. “Following recent cases of stampedes leading to avoidable deaths in some parts of the country, the Edo State Police Command has proactively called on government officials, community leaders, religious bodies, and non-governmental organisations to collaborate with the state command for a comprehensive and organised way of going about the distribution of any palliatives,” said the command’s spokesman, Moses Yamu, in a statement. “The Commissioner of Police, Ozigi Umoru, therefore warns groups and organisers of similar events to ensure they involve the Police or other security agencies to avoid such occurrences in the state. The Command remains committed to always ensuring the safety of lives and property.” The poor would always be in our midst. And as conscientious individuals and government, we cannot shy away from charity. But this charity must be done in ways to eliminate disasters such as those that happened in those three places. The Kaduna example by which the state government has opened bank accounts for the poor is commendable. Through that, no fanfare would follow transmission of whatever tokens the government intends for the poor. It would be a silent alert that would bring the loud joy from those deserving of it. In fact, Christians are taught to be discrete when giving as the bible preaches in the book of Matthew: ‘But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’ Other religions too do not encourage a show-off when it comes to charity. Since assuming office as governor, his administration has distributed palliatives, agricultural inputs, grants, and soft loans to farmers and small-scale enterprises. As a passionate activist, it is expected that Sani’s administration would further elevate the condition of the poor residents of Kaduna. By opening bank accounts for the poor, the Kaduna State government is set to bring efficiency to assisting the poor. It would also be good for other individuals, organisations and particularly governments to copy this Kaduna format of cash transfers to the poor. It’s the 21st century and with the basic technology which all the banks deploy daily, there is no charity too large that cannot be reduced to gifting credit ‘alerts.’ It would be shameful to continue toying with the lives of the poor just for a show of charity.

The outcome of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand election has been both along expected lines and at the same time shocking. In Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has pulled off a stunning victory that far overshot the predictions. The BJP itself has won the largest number of seats, so it is no longer entirely dependent on the allies to form the government but whom it will still take along. As for the other parties, the election has thrown up an interesting outcome: the breakaway factions of Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have bagged several times more seats than the parent parties. So, the rebels like Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar now effectively take over as the authentic leaders of Shiv Sena and the NCP while Udhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar now head the rumps of these organizations. Going forward, Thackeray and senior Pawar are likely to become irrelevant to Maharashtra politics and, in turn, to national politics. Congress, on the other hand, has been decimated in the state. The second successive loss for the party after Haryana and abysmally poor performance in J&K have left the party reeling. It is difficult to explain as to what happened in just four months after the general elections, in which the party had staged a comeback of sorts. It is almost as if the Congress gets its act together in spasms and then goes back into the complacent mode. In general elections, it was Maharashtra that along with Uttar Pradesh, had played a crucial role in stopping the BJP juggernaut short of an absolute majority. Now Maharashtra has given the saffron party most of the seats in the Assembly polls. What it shows is that the BJP has been quick to learn its lessons and tailor its election strategy to the aspirations of the voters. The BJP is also a 24×7 party. It’s already vaunted election machinery keeps working while other parties are fast asleep. More so, the Congress whose top leaders take a political sabbatical after every election. And if the Rahul Gandhi-led party and the larger opposition fail to dissect what went wrong in Maharashtra and then act on it, it bodes ill for their future.Chilliwack council waived fees and development cost charges (DCCs) totalling almost $1.2 million at the Nov. 19 council meeting for an affordable housing project on Spadina Avenue. But before the vote, Coun. Jeff Shields took the opportunity to raise a "big" concern he has about another project, the Trethewey supportive housing and homeless shelter project. "You know this is pretty important what we're doing here as a city," Shields said about "foregoing" almost $1.2 million in fees for the affordable housing project. As housing is not a municipal jurisdiction, waiving the associated fees and DCCs is the city's contribution to these projects. "We have the good people of the United Church that donated a church property worth a fair bit of money in a nice area of town. We have really stepped up and showed our commitment to building housing but now I have this big concern with the other partner in this, which is the provincial government, responsible for building this housing. "As we know we have one sitting over there on Trethewey and we're into the second or third year of it sitting there not done. And I don't have great confidence but I do hope the province is going to do a whole lot better on this one than it did on the last one," the councillor said. Chilliwack has proven "over and over again" that it is willing to commit to this kind of housing, Shields said. "And still we kind of get left out, and left high and dry." The councillor added he hopes the Spadina project won't be a repeat of the stalled Trethewey project. Mayor Ken Popove originally said at a council meeting in September that the delayed Trethewey project got bogged down in litigation, apparently after the builders went broke. City officials were notified by BC Housing that they were working toward a completion date of March 2025 for Trethewey. Mamele'awt Qweesome Housing Society (MQHS), a non-profit urban Indigenous housing society, applied to have the fees waived for the Spadina project under the City of Chilliwack's Community Development Initiatives funding policy, for $31,394 in fees, as well as the development cost charges of $1,183,977. The Spadina project will deliver 64 units of affordable rental housing for seniors and low-income renters earning less than the median income for Chilliwack. The site and structure will be leased and operated by MQHS through a 60-year leasehold. Karen Stanton, director of public safety and social development, told council she did some followup since she knew the building process was a concern, clarifying that the Province/BC Housing was funding the Spadina project and offering operating subsidies as well. "But the project management is undertaken by housing consulting firm, CPA Consultants, who were the consultants on the Paramount project, and the builder is Vanmar Construction." Final approval of the tender for the Spadina project is expected in December, with a tentative plan to break ground in the new year, followed by a 20-month construction period. "If the experience we had with the Paramount is any indication, we should be in good shape," Stanton said. Mayor Popove added a reminder that "it took seven years from inception to buildout for the Paramount. So don't hold your breath."A prominent Republican US senator pledged on Sunday that Congress would not give blanket approval to Donald Trump’s controversial cabinet picks ahead of the congressional confirmation process, as a leading Democrat challenged the qualifications of some of them to serve. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma predicted lawmakers in the upper chamber will have tough questions in particular for the former Democratic congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard , who was chosen by the president-elect as director of national security for his second administration . When asked on CNN on Sunday morning if he will vote for all of Trump’s cabinet nominations, Lankford did not answer directly, pointing to the Senate process of holding public hearings for nominees, beginning on 3 January, ahead of Trump’s confirmation on 20 January. “Everyone is going to get a fair shake,” he said of the president-elect’s list of preferred appointees. Gabbard faces a potentially rough ride during her Senate confirmation over a number of questionable incidents from her career. These include spreading Russian propaganda over the war in Ukraine, prompting critics to ask if she might be a “Russian asset” , as well as her making a clandestine and visit to Syria to meet the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, who has been accused of war crimes, a trip that drew Republican criticism as a shame and a disgrace . “We’ll have lots of questions,” Lankford, the newly-elected vice-chair of the Senate policy committee, told CNN’s State of the Union show. “She met with Bashar al-Assad, we’ll want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was as a member of Congress. We want to get a chance to talk about past comments she’s made, and get them into full context.” He added: “So, sure, there’s comments that are floating out there, but we want to be able to know the rest of the story.” Lankford’s comments came at the end of a week that saw Trump’s first pick for attorney general, Florida former congressman Matt Gaetz, fall amid sexual misconduct allegations that prompted pushback from a number of Republican senators and made it unlikely he would win enough votes for confirmation by the incoming-Republican majority. Other Trump choices under scrutiny include Fox TV host Pete Hegseth, the nominee for defense secretary who was the subject of a sexual assault investigation in 2017 , and Robert F Kennedy Jr, a conspiracy theorist and vaccine skeptic tapped for health secretary. Lankford also suggested that Pam Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general chosen by the president-elect this week in place of Gaetz, should put aside her promise to seek legal retribution on Trump’s political foes , if she is confirmed. Of the role, Lankford said: “It’s America’s lawyer. It’s not the president’s lawyer. It is very important that we get this role right, and that they’re actually focused on diminishing crime in America.” As well as open hearings, Lankford said of Trump’s nominees: “We’ll sit down with them in our offices, we’ll get a chance to be able to talk.” The Democratic Illinois senator and combat veteran Tammy Duckworth, meanwhile, told CNN’s State of the Union that Hegseth and Gabbard were both unqualified or unsuitable for the roles Trump wants them to fill. “He never commanded a unit, he never commanded a company, let alone battalions, brigades or whole armies. He was a platoon leader,” Duckworth said of Hegseth, a retired major in the army national guard. “He served at a very low level in the military, and we’re talking about an organization of 3 million servicemen, servicewomen and civilians, and a budget of over $900bn. He does not have the experience to run an organization of that size.” Duckworth also vehemently disagreed with Hegseth’s opposition to allowing women to stay in combat roles , after a long-fought battle for greater equality in the US military. She added she was “troubled” by claims Gabbard was a Russian asset. “We have a real deep concern whether or not she’s a compromised person. The US intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes, and my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” she said. Oklahoma’s other Republican senator, Markwayne Mullin, a vocal Trump ally, also appeared on State of the Union and gave his unqualified backing to all of the president-elect’s picks. “The president has done this job before. He knows exactly what he needs. He knows who he wants to put in those positions,” he said. “That’s why he’s been able to move fast, because he knows he has four years to reach the mandate the American people said they want, the government going in a different direction. These nominations are going to deliver that for him.”

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