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baccarat 747 The Trudeau government’s two-pronged announcement of a goods and services tax holiday on certain “essential” items and its pledge to dole out $250 to millions of people in the country have left economists scrambling to gauge the impact of Ottawa’s $6.3-billion, election-style splurge. With Canada’s economy facing several headwinds, the stimulus cheques and the on items such as groceries, children’s clothing, beer and Christmas trees are expected to spur consumers to open their wallets, boosting economic growth in the near term. However, the sugar high could fade quickly, as shoppers simply shift around the timing of their purchases. And the jolt of spending – coming on top of recent hotter-than-expected data – may help convince the Bank of Canada to slow its pace of interest-rate cuts. The new big-ticket spending proposals also raise questions about Ottawa’s ability to stay within its self-imposed deficit guardrails, especially if, as some economists think, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decides to make the sales tax changes permanent as a way to placate angry voters. “Once politicians get the idea that, ‘Oh, playing with the GST, playing with things that are taxable or not,’ is a political winner, they’re never going to stop. And that is not good for the budget and it’s not good for tax policy,” said Stephen Gordon, an economics professor at Laval University. Coming in at around 0.2 per cent of gross domestic product, Ottawa’s will ripple through the economy – but it’s hardly a game-changer. The economics team at Bank of Montreal boosted its GDP growth estimate for the first quarter of 2025 to 2.5 per cent from 1.7 per cent, but trimmed its GDP growth forecast for the third quarter, when the effect of the stimulus fades. Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, said that the tax rebates could theoretically increase GDP by as much as a quarter-percentage-point next year, especially because fiscal stimulus has a bigger impact when there is slack in the economy, as is currently the case. “But that’s only if these cheques are permitted to raise the federal deficit,” Mr. Shenfeld wrote in a client note. “If Ottawa is merely shifting funds from what it otherwise would have spent elsewhere, in order to stick to a given deficit target, the impact could be negated.” It’s also unclear how much the stimulus cheques will increase consumer spending, with people potentially pocketing the money or using it to pay down debt, rather than going shopping Mr. Shenfeld said the overall package would likely have a “very marginal” impact on upcoming Bank of Canada interest-rate decisions. This view was shared by other Bay Street economists, although there was a broad agreement that Ottawa’s stimulus essentially seals the deal for a quarter-point rate cut at the next Bank of Canada meeting in December, rather than another half-point cut, as happened in October. “On its own, this probably doesn’t move the needle so significantly because of the fact that it’s not massive and it is temporary,” said Taylor Schleich, director of economics and strategy at National Bank Financial. However, complicating that is the fact the measures come at the same time as stimulus is rolling out from other levels of government, inflation has picked up and housing markets are potentially reaccelerating, he said. “If the Bank of Canada was on the fence about cutting 25 or 50 basis points, perhaps all of this data taken together leads them more towards a more gradual easing approach in the near term,” he said. Governor Tiff Macklem said last month that the bank is less concerned than it was about government spending fuelling inflation and working at cross purposes to the bank’s still-restrictive monetary policy now that inflation is largely under control. “We’re no longer trying to get inflation down. Government spending is not pushing against us getting inflation down, we’ve got it down,” he told the Senate Banking Committee. It’s so far impossible to say how the two measures will impact the federal government’s bottom line, because Ottawa has yet to produce its final spending and revenue picture for the past fiscal year. However, in an , the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Canada’s budgetary watchdog, estimated the deficit for 2023-24 would come in at $46.8-billion, deeper than the $40-billion deficit laid out in the government’s 2024 budget. The government’s own fiscal guardrail aims to maintain the 2023-24 deficit at or below $40.1-billion. The stimulus cheques and GST changes will likely erode the government’s fiscal standing in the coming months, according to Derek Holt, head of capital markets economics at Bank of Nova Scotia, who speculated in a Friday note to clients that the planned two-month GST holiday “is very likely to turn permanent and blow through Ottawa’s finances.” In a separate report, Mr. Holt estimated if the GST changes were made permanent, along with the stimulus cheques, the changes would result in a $14-billion hit to federal finances in fiscal 2025-26 and $10-billion a year in subsequent years. Over a five-year horizon, if the GST changes remained permanent, “the cumulative deficit would balloon by about an extra $52-billion,” he wrote. Even if the changes remain temporary, tend to view these types of stimulus measures dimly, thinking of them as inefficient and poorly targeted. “If they wanted to beef up the income support at lower income levels then you either increase the GST rebates or the Canada Child Benefit, things like that. Just across the board $250 to everybody, that’s clearly electoral,” Prof. Gordon said. Luc Godbout, an economics professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, said the temporary nature of tax cuts will cause consumers to shift the timing of their consumption and complicate things for retailers. And higher-income individuals may also benefit disproportionately from the GST break on things such as restaurant meals. “These are not measures that were thought out from an economic perspective, but from a political perspective,” he said in an e-mail. Nor do the stimulus cheques or GST changes do anything to “impact our long-term growth trajectory or close the competitive gap we have with the U.S.” when it comes to attracting business investment, said Kevin Milligan, a professor of economics at the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia. “When you’re in a world of being in deficit and there’s not a macroeconomic need for it, I don’t see these as economically defensible measures,” he said.Kangan, Dec 27: In a true example of hospitality, the residents of tehsil Gund in Kangan area of Ganderbal district on Friday opened the doors of Masjids as well as their homes for the stranded tourists who got stuck along Srinagar-Leh highway amid the heavy snowfall. Besides the Jammu and Kashmir police team led by SHO police station Gund were seen providing a helping hand to the stranded tourists; the members and volunteers of Civil Society Tehsil Gund came forward and offered assistance to the stranded tourists. On Friday evening, many people living in and around tehsil Gund and Kangan shared their contact numbers on social networking sites inviting the stranded tourists to stay in their homes. “Any non-Kashmiri passenger/tourist stranded in Kashmir is cordially welcomed to stay at my home,” wrote a civil society Gund member. Many people asked the tourists and passengers from outside to stay with them as long as they wish. “Tourists and visitors stuck here in view of the heavy snowfall and slippery roads are welcome to stay at my home. I can accommodate 30 people,” Aijaz Shah, a local said. The Civil Society Gund also offered free accommodation to the tourists. Chairman Civil Society Gund has expressed gratitude to his members and volunteers and the police team from police station Gund led by SHO Lateef Ahmed for their efforts and support to the stranded tourists and to ensure their safety and well being.

N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Chadians voted Sunday amid a low turnout in parliamentary and regional elections that will end a three-year transitional period from military rule but which the main opposition is boycotting after accusing authorities of not overseeing a credible electoral process. The parliamentary election is the first in more than a decade in Chad and comes months after the junta leader, Mahamat Idriss Deby, won a disputed presidential vote that was meant to return democracy. Deby took power in 2021 following the death of his father and longtime president Idriss Deby Itno, who spent three decades in power. Voting ended late Monday although official results won’t be known for about two weeks. The election will “pave the way for the era of decentralization so long awaited and desired by the Chadian people,” Deby said. The oil-exporting country of 18 million people, among Africa’s poorest, had not had a free and fair transfer of power since it became independent from France in 1960. The elections this year are the first in junta-led countries in Africa’s Sahel region to hold a promised but delayed return to democracy. At least 8 million voters are registered to elect 188 legislators in the Central African nation’s new National Assembly. Representatives at the provincial and municipal levels will also be elected. There was a low voter turnout in the capital N’Djamena, where only a handful of voters were seen in some polling stations. “We hope that the people we voted for do a good job for a better Chad, a Chad with a future,” said Mahamat Issa Hissein, who voted in the capital. More than 10 opposition parties are boycotting the vote, including the main Transformers party, whose candidate, Succes Masra, came second in the presidential election. The party has criticized the parliamentary election, as well as the presidential vote that many observers were banned from, as a “charade” and a ploy for Deby to remain in power to continue a “dynasty.” Masra briefly served as prime minister earlier this year after returning from exile before he resigned to run for president. On Saturday, he alleged that results of the vote would be tampered with and told voters, “It is better to stay at home.” Sunday’s election comes at a critical period for Chad, which is battling several security challenges from Boko Haram militant attacks in the Lake Chad region to the break in decadeslong military ties with France, its key ally. Mahamat Oumar Adam, a Chadian political scientist, said the main issue at stake in the election is not losing the country’s democracy to a prolonged transition. That transition began in 2021, and featured a national dialogue in 2022, a constitutional referendum in 2023 and this year’s presidential election. “This is the last stage of the process of exiting the transition (but) the shortcoming is related to the lack of opposition in this election,” Adam said. —- Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria.Billerica PD announces promotion of 3 officers

Drew Lock matched his career high of four touchdown passes and also rushed for a score and the New York Giants snapped their franchise-record 10-game losing streak with an entertaining 45-33 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. Malik Nabers had seven receptions for a career-best 171 yards and two touchdowns to exceed 100 receptions and 1,000 yards during his strong rookie campaign. New York (3-13) registered a season best for points scored by more than tripling its league-worst season average of 14.3 per game. The setback eliminated the Colts (7-9) from the AFC playoff race. Lock completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards and Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Stayton also had receiving scores for the Giants, who won at home for the first time this season. Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Joe Flacco started for Indianapolis with Anthony Richardson (back/foot) sidelined and completed 26 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. But he also was intercepted twice and lost a fumble. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries, Michael Pittman Jr. had nine receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown and Alec Pierce caught six passes for 122 yards and a score. Indianapolis pulled within 35-33 on Flacco's 7-yard touchdown pass to Pittman with 6:38 remaining. The Giants answered with Lock's 5-yard scramble with 2:57 left to push the lead to nine. After Flacco was picked off by Dru Phillips, Graham Gano tacked on a 30-yard field goal 37 seconds later to put it away. New York held an eight-point halftime lead before Smith-Marsette fielded the opening kickoff of the second half and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to give the Giants a 28-13 advantage. The Colts answered with Taylor's 26-yard run to move within eight with 11:03 left in the third quarter. Flacco threw a 13-yard touchdown catch to Pierce with 10:53 remaining in the game to move Indianapolis within two. A trick play on the two-point conversion failed. New York increased its lead to nine just more than two minutes later when Nabers caught a short pass at midfield and easily shed two tacklers before sprinting down the right sideline for a 59-yard score. Lock tossed three first-half touchdown passes as the Giants led 21-13 at the break. Nabers caught a short pass in the right flat and raced 31 yards for a score to give New York a 7-3 lead with 1:05 left in the opening quarter. He finished the day with 104 receptions for 1,140 yards. Lock tossed touchdown passes of 32 yards to Slayton and 5 yards to Robinson while increasing the lead to 21-6. Taylor scored on a 3-yard run with 20 seconds remaining. --Field Level Media

Dartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict.Trump’s mass deportation plan raises concerns over impact on Texas’ immigrant workforceSyria's de facto leader says it could take up to 4 years to hold elections

As another year draws to a close, it's time to take stock: to look back at the last 12 months and forward to the coming year. Here, we're going to look specifically at , one of the biggest tech companies on the planet and the manufacturer responsible for many of the most notable gadgets of 2024 (and many components in other non-Samsung gadgets, too). It's been a really, really busy year for Samsung. We've had the usual flurry of smartphones, laptops, and TVs, and the company has even found time to launch a new smart ring and a new high-end smartwatch. Which of these products impressed us here at TechRadar, and which didn't? Let's dig in. There's been a lot of good from Samsung this year. Of the flagship phones launched in January, the was undoubtedly the highlight: we described it as a phone that "offers more than any other phone and somehow manages to improve upon last year’s Ultra in every way" in our (while awarding it 4.5 stars out of 5). Later in the year, we were just as impressed with the . Our calls it "an excellent foldable" that takes the form factor "closer to perfection": it's powerful, well-built, versatile, and, of course, very expensive (4.5 stars out of 5 again). We also liked the , though perhaps not enough to call it a hit. Teased at the Galaxy S24 reveal in January and then launched alongside the foldables unveiled in July, we had the . This undoubtedly classes as a hit, due to the quality of the device itself and the hype built around it. The market needed a shake-up, and the Galaxy Ring certainly provided it – the wearable got 4.5 stars out of 5 in our . Speaking of almost perfect review scores, the same rating was earned by the , which definitely qualifies as a hit for Samsung in 2024. The MacBook Pro rival was described as "excellent" in terms of its build quality, performance, and battery life in our . At the same time, we were also very impressed with the 16-inch screen (something of a specialty for Samsung). It was a strong year for Samsung regarding televisions, too: the won , and we called it the "very pinnacle of OLED TV" in our 5-star . A shout out for the , which also earned the full 5-star rating in our – it's an astoundingly good gaming monitor. All in all, it was an impressive year for Samsung. Most of its flagship products landed strong reviews from the tech press and users, and the company once again managed to remain very competitive in multiple different product categories – even finding time to launch a bunch of new Galaxy AI features for its smartphones. It wasn't all good news for Samsung in 2024. While we wouldn't describe any of its product launches as flops exactly, the company had low points and high points throughout the year – the at isn't a great look, for example. You're better than this, Samsung. The was something of a miss for Samsung this year, even though our is largely positive. The battery life isn't great, it doesn't bring a whole lot with it in terms of new features, and you can tell it's trying its best to rip off the – which is one reason why Samsung shouldn't be using its marketing budget to accuse Apple of not innovating. There are a couple of software misses to mention. The software update caused several significant bugs on older phones that , while the update (based on ) was a long time coming – and was if the rumors are to be believed. The beta version is out now and should finally be pushed out to the masses in January. It's not a bad 2024 record at all for Samsung, and while it may not have shifted quite as many smartphones as it would've liked if you look across the Samsung product reviews on TechRadar, you'll see that they're mostly all positive. It's in a reasonably strong position as it goes into 2025. As we look ahead to what the next year has in store for Samsung, it's more of the same – plus the introduction of some brand new product categories for 2025. We'll likely see the series launched in January, with three models again rumored to be on the way. Expect , , and most probably a bunch of new AI features with . At the same January Unpacked event, there's talk that the long-rumored might – though it doesn't sound as though they'll be going on sale until much later in the year. These smart glasses are tipped to be similar to the in style and functionality, and we're also expecting a larger . Around the middle of the year, we're almost certainly going to get the and the . We've heard that Samsung will be expanding its foldable line-up during 2025 as well, perhaps and maybe to compete directly with the . All these foldables could be announced at another Unpacked around July time. The middle of the year is a good bet for the and perhaps even a – though Samsung might decide the is fine for another year. The same goes for the : it's possible that we'll see a at some point during 2025, but it doesn't necessarily need an upgrade (as mentioned above, we gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 in our ). Away from mobiles and wearables, look out for more updates to the Galaxy Book series of laptops – though we've heard little in the way of leaks and rumors around new models. We will get new and improved Samsung TVs as well, but again, we're not too sure what to expect: the only leak of note to date has been around . There should be a flurry of announcements at CES 2025 in January to tell us more. The One UI software should also start appearing on more TVs and speaking of software, expect a lot more from Galaxy AI. There's no hotter field in technology right now, and Samsung will want to make sure it's keeping pace with the likes of , , and Apple in this department. Look out for a major as well. Samsung will undoubtedly be busy across all its other product categories, from gaming monitors to refrigerators. There's a lot to look forward to.

Zayn Malik CANCELS Newcastle show at the last minute leaving fans devastated as he apologises for letting concert-goers down Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By AMELIA WYNNE FOR MAILONLINE Published: 09:29 AEDT, 4 December 2024 | Updated: 09:54 AEDT, 4 December 2024 e-mail 22 shares 61 View comments Zayn Malik cancelled a show on Tuesday night at the last minute leaving his fans disappointed. The former One Direction star, 31, was due to perform at the Newcastle City Hall as part of his Stairway to the Sky UK tour. But ahead of the show a tannoy announcement said that the performance would 'no longer go ahead' as fans were left in shock. It stated: 'We apologise for the late notice, it was his hope that he would be able to continue with the show. 'But this is no longer possible. Please contact your point of purchase for reschedule or refunds. If you have parents or guardians collecting you, please stay in the auditorium and wait to be collected.' Zayn then took to his Stories on Tuesday night and penned: 'I'm so sorry to do this but my voice just isn't there at all tonight and without it there's no show. Zayn Malik cancelled a show on Tuesday night at the last minute leaving his fans disappointed Zayn then took to his Stories on Tuesday night and penned: 'I'm so sorry to do this but my voice just isn't there at all tonight and without it there's no show' 'I'm truly sorry to let you down, especially at such short notice... I held onto hope until the very last moment. I'm hopeful with some rest tonight I'll be back on stage tomorrow. 'My deepest apologies Newcastle. Love you all.' The star has been on his Stairway to the Sky Tour, where fans have seen him perform in cities such as London, Manchester, Leeds, Wolverhampton. He is due to wrap up in Edinburgh in just a number of days. Last week on the tour Zayn paid tribute on stage to Liam Payne in his former One Direction bandmate's hometown of Wolverhampton on Friday, saying he 'hopes' the late star sees his gig. He kicked off his Stairway To The Sky tour in Leeds's O2 Academy last week, with an on-stage blue screen message which read: 'Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro' with a pink heart. However, he has not appeared to directly speak about Payne, who died aged 31 in Argentina last month, during the tour. According to social media videos, Malik told the University of Wolverhampton venue The Halls venue: 'I've been doing something, at the end of the show, every night, and it's been dedicated to my brother Liam Payne. Rest in peace'. 'I hope you're seeing this, we're in your hometown tonight, Wolverhampton, this is for you, Liam.' Fans were left upset by the cancelled gig Ahead of the show a tannoy announcement said that the show would 'no longer go ahead' as fans were left in shock Malik rescheduled his tour's original opening dates in Edinburgh due to Payne's funeral, which was also attended by his fellow One Direction stars Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. Read More Zayn Malik pays heartfelt tribute to 'brother' Liam Payne on stage in the late One Direction star's hometown of Wolverhampton: 'I hope he sees this' Payne died on October 16 of multiple traumas and 'internal and external haemorrhage' after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires He left One Direction in 2015 before the group went on indefinite hiatus in 2016, with the members all going on to pursue their own solo careers. Following the death of Payne, Malik said he 'never got to thank' his fellow bandmate for supporting him through some of the 'most difficult' times in his life. 'I lost a brother when you left us and can't explain to you what I'd give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly', he added in a statement shared to Instagram. 'I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever. 'There is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. Last week on the tour Zayn paid tribute on stage to Liam Payne in his former One Direction bandmate's hometown of Wolverhampton on Friday, saying he 'hopes' the late star sees his gig Zayn is seen at Liam Payne's funeral on November 20 Following Liam's unexpected death aged 31 after falling from the third floor of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last month, Zayn announced he was postponing the US dates of his tour (One Direction pictured in 2013) 'I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you, bro.' Liam died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Argentina, with his One Direction bandmates seen in public together for the first time in nine years as they paid their respects at his funeral last month. Former bandmates Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Louis Tomlinson, 32, and Zayn arrived separately at the church for a poignant final send off. Harry dressed in black, pulled up to the funeral in a BMW, while Niall attended with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley, with Zayn Malik arriving shortly after Louis. One Direction Zayn Malik Share or comment on this article: Zayn Malik CANCELS Newcastle show at the last minute leaving fans devastated as he apologises for letting concert-goers down e-mail 22 shares Add comment

The devs behind Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero have made clear that it's "definitely not an esports game" from the very start, and that assertion has very much proven true even as official Bandai Namco -sponsored tournaments get underway. The French qualifiers for the game's Dramatic Showdown tournament ended in disaster as a pair of players showed just how far those intentionally imbalanced mechanics can be broken, and the community's split on whether it should be fixed. The Dramatic Showdown tournament has kicked off with an array of online qualifiers in various regions. The most recent of those was for French players, and the whole broadcast was pretty normal for the most part, showcasing high-level play between the region's best players. Then the final between Hilliasteur and Shiryuu came around and, well... this was the result . Hilliasteur and Shiryuu just kept flying up and down, over and over and over again. Because Android characters in Sparking Zero don't use any Ki when they're dashing, it's relatively easy to keep your distance from an opponent - so an effective strategy is to try and rush in for the first strike, deal a tiny bit of damage, and then simply keep your distance until the timer runs out. With a small health advantage, you'll win the match when the counter hits zero. The issue is that these tournament rules defaulted to a full 600 second match timer, meaning everybody watching had to wait a full 10 minutes while Hilliasteur and Shiryuu played keep away with each other. The official broadcast soon cut away, leaving the commentators to simply make conversation while waiting for the match to end. Eventually it did, with Shiryuu ending up the winner. Some viewers interpreted this as a bit of collusion between the two players, as a sort of protest of the game's broken mechanics. Shiryuu seems to be among those demanding an update addressing balance problems like this, retweeting a clip of the final alongside the message "I WON BY JUST RUNNING WITH ANDROIDS #FIXSPARKINGZERO" If protest was Shiryuu's intention, Hilliasteur didn't seem to be in on it. "Shiryuu and I played seriously for 10 minutes while they cut the live broadcast," Hilliasteur said in a tweet after the event. "After the match, we were told to stop and to 'really play,' even though I had tried everything, even using giants. The issue is that they warned us we’d be disqualified if it happened again." Are Hilliasteur and Shiryuu wrong for making use of what amounts to an in-game exploit? Are the tournament organizers wrong for demanding they change their tactics mid-tournament? Those are the sorts of questions that the community is locked into right now - if you want to see some capital-D Discourse, check the replies to this thread from content creator Globku - but many are just hoping this all makes Bandai Namco 'fix' the game. Of course, that kind of protest might be moot since the devs already announced a new balance patch is coming in December. It's worth noting that there's no cash on the line in this tournament, though regional winners will be flown out to the Battle Hour event in Los Angeles this coming January for the grand finals. The grand final format shows that the devs know this can't be a traditional fighting game tournament, as everybody's going to be pre-assigned a certain character of roughly equal power levels, with items given to weaker characters to smooth out the imbalances. But the grand final format also embraces the chaos inherent to the game's design by allowing players to choose one additional weaker character on top of their assigned fighter. The very same Android characters that facilitated the controversial timer span win in the French qualifier are among the available options. Here's hoping that the devs decide to address this specific issue in the December patch, because otherwise a whole lot of players are gonna have to make their peace with a very boring tournament from here. These are the best fighting games out there.Review: “Glicked,” Part 1

Geode Capital Management LLC Has $19.26 Million Stock Position in Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSII)MAPUTO, Mozambique. (AP) — At least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique's capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country's police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence are roiling the country. Police chief Bernardino Rafael said 33 prisoners died and 15 others were injured during a confrontation with the security forces. The prisoners fled during violent protests that have seen police cars, stations and infrastructure destroyed after the country's Constitutional Council confirmed the ruling Frelimo party as the winner of the October 9 elections. The escape from the Maputo Central Prison, located 14 kilometres (9 miles) southwest of the capital, started around midday on Wednesday after “agitation” by a “group of subversive protesters” nearby, Rafael said. Some of the prisoners at the facility snatched weapons from the guards and started freeing other detainees. “A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defence and security forces,” said Rafael. “They (protesters) were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences”, said Rafael, adding that the protests led to the collapse of a wall, allowing the prisoners to flee. He called on the escaped prisoners to surrender to authorities and for the population to be informed about the fugitives. Videos circulating on social media show the moment inmates left the prison, while other recordings reveal captures made by military personnel and prison guards. Many prisoners tried to hide in homes, but some were unsuccessful and ended up being detained again. In one video, a prisoner still with handcuffs on his right wrist says he was held n the disciplinary section of the prison and was released by other inmates. Violence has engulfed Mozambique since the country's highest court confirmed ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed October 9 elections on Monday. Mozambique's Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that the violence was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is concerned at the violence and urges all political leaders and relevant parties “to defuse tensions including through meaningful dialogue (and) legal redress,” UN associate spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said Thursday. The UN chief also calls for a halt to the violence and redoubled efforts “to seek a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis,” she said. Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com .CRISTIANO RONALDO'S Wag Georgina Rodriguez dazzled at the Globe Soccer Awards. Georgina , 30, also went viral for her hilarious reaction to Ronaldo, 39, winning Best Middle East player in 2024. The social media personality attended the awards show in a low-cut black dress to support the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. And the model clapped with glee as the Manchester United legend earned yet another award. The Al-Nassr superstar has already amassed a total of 74 goals and 18 assists in 83 appearances since his bitter departure from Man Utd in 2022. However, the star forward has yet to win the Saudi Pro League's top title, and his team is currently 11 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad. Read More on Football And the Portugal captain doubled down on previous controversial comments as he insisted Saudi football is better than France's Ligue 1 during his acceptance speech. Georgina has followed Ronaldo to the Middle East to support his current endeavour. The pair have been together since 2016 and CR7's partner quickly became the most followed Wag on social media with 64.5million fans on Instagram alone. Georgina also had a successful year as she made the cover of Forbes' 30 Under 30 edition . Most read in Football Her social media accounts keep growing as she shares pics from a series of glam photoshoots. Georgina also posts regular content from her everyday life with Ronaldo and their family. The couple have two children together and formed a family with the Real Madrid legend's three kids born to two surrogate mothers. Inside the glamorous world of Georgina Rodriguez...Deanna and Alan Henderson's lives are consumed with "all things buggy". From providing "bug wrangling" services for international wildlife documentaries to running education programs, even sending live insects in the mail, the Far North Queensland couple and business partners live and breathe invertebrates. Their business, Minibeast Wildlife, posts about 3,500 parcels every year using Australia Post's automated measuring system. But the Hendersons say they have been hit with thousands of dollars in incorrect postage charges in the past year, prompting them to lodge a complaint with the Postal Industry Ombudsman. The most recent was $731.68 for a 300-gram parcel containing praying mantises. Minibeast Wildlife ships all sorts of educational pet insects across Australia. (Supplied: Alan Henderson) "One of our 33-centimetre parcels came back to us measured-in as over a metre and something like 55 kilograms," Mr Henderson said. "Australia Post had already charged us for that and popped that $700 fee onto our tab." Insects are permitted to be sent in the post in Australia. Red flags AusPost's automatic size and weight scanning technology has been in use for several years. It allows MyPost Business customers to skip the queues at post offices by pre-ordering shipping labels and lodging them at red street posting boxes. Customers must apply the correct postage size... Sophie McManus , Adam Stephen

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