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Exela Technologies Inc. stock remains steady Monday, still outperforms marketTweet Facebook Mail If there was any doubt a federal election is fast approaching, Anthony Albanese provided a stark reminder in one of his last major speeches of the year . Labor-red billboards, a crowd of supporters, and a childcare policy announcement worth roughly $1.5 billion – this was a campaign event without an election date. That could be as far as five months away, but federal politicians are clearly readying themselves. EXPLAINED: When will Australia's next federal election be held?  The next federal is fast approaching. (Nine) Albanese announced candidates for two Tasmanian seats in early November, before a flurry of Senate activity on the final sitting day of the year that saw a number of key government policies, including the social media ban for under-16s, Reserve Bank reforms, and two housing and three migration bills, become law. The prime minister lauded that as his government doing more to help out Australian families, but those families haven't been returning the love. Opinion polls have unanimously shown a drop in support for Albanese and Labor this year, raising the prospect that it could become the first government in almost 100 years to be voted out after a single term. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said it's possible he wins the next election. READ MORE: Liberal frontbencher Paul Fletcher to retire from politics  Anthony Albanese was in campaign mode during one of his last major speeches of the year. (William Davis) Like Albanese, he's also been gearing up for the election with a flurry of media appearances in December, attacking the government over antisemitism and cost-of-living pressures. The latter topic has seen him take a leaf out of the Trump playbook. "Part of the problem in the United States was that people didn't believe that the government was listening to them when they couldn't pay their bills... they just felt a real disconnect, seems to be some of the analysis," Dutton said after the US election . "To be honest, there's an eerie parallel with what's happening here in Australia, in that sense." Sure enough, he's been asking the same questions of voters that Trump did of Americans before storming back to the White House. "Ask yourself this question; are you better off today than you were two and a half years ago?" Dutton said in late December. "Heaven knows how bad it will be in three years' time." Dutton, however, has maintained his Coalition is the underdog for next year's vote. READ MORE: Shorten reflects on failures, sausage regret in valedictory speech  Opinion polls have been grim reading as of late for the government. (Alex Ellinghausen) Part of that comes down to simple electoral maths. The opposition would need to gain 21 seats to govern in its own right – history says parties just don't make up that much ground one term after being voted out. Dutton has also been extremely effective in campaigning against the government's policies, but has offered few of his own. There's a commitment to reduce migration beyond the government's targets, but an exact number won't come until after the election. There had been a suggestion that stage 3 tax cuts would be reworked, but that was walked back in November. READ MORE: What apps will and won't be covered by social media ban  Peter Dutton says he can win the next election, but maintains he's the underdog. (Alex Ellinghausen/SMH) Costings for the much-publicised nuclear power push weren't released until a fortnight before Christmas (after several false starts), and have been highly disputed by experts. When other policies are announced, that will give the government a chance to attack the opposition, just as it has over the Coalition's commitment to wind back some of the workplace laws introduced this term. Albanese's unofficial campaign speech was significant not just for the childcare announcement, but for some attack lines he rolled out – just as Dutton has relentlessly criticised the government over the cost of living, the prime minister returned the favour. "Every Australian would have been worse off if Peter Dutton had blocked our tax cuts, cut people's wages, stopped energy bill relief and made it harder and more expensive for people to see a doctor," he said. Expect to hear a lot more of that in the new year, even if the election date remains a mystery. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .lodigame gaming 。

Of all the products that would be affected by President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexico , avocados stand out: 90% of avocados consumed in the U.S. are imported. And almost all of those imports come from Mexico. Trump has said he plans to impose a blanket tariff of 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada, along with an additional 10% tax on goods from China. It's unclear whether the tariffs will be implemented or if they will serve merely as a negotiating tactic. If enacted, they could have multiple effects on the avocado industry. "Broad tariffs, like what's being proposed, is not something that we've seen" before, says David Ortega, a food economist and professor at Michigan State University. "We had the trade war with China back in 2018 that affected steel and aluminum, but when it comes to food, these types of policy proposals are not something that are very common or that we've seen recently." With one of the biggest guacamole-eating events of the year — the Super Bowl — approaching in February, here's what to know about avocados, tariffs, and why so many avocados are grown in Mexico. First, a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico would lead to higher avocado prices at the grocery store. But estimating just how much higher is hard to say. It's possible that producers and importers will absorb some of the costs to keep prices down and stay more competitive. Ortega says there could be "pretty significant increases in the price of avocados. Maybe not the full 25%, but pretty close, given that there's very little substitute ability with regards to where we would source avocados." But he cautions that because the tariffs apply only to the product's value at the border, and not to other costs like transportation and distribution within the U.S., prices may not go up by the full 25%. Regardless of these potential price increases, however, people in the U.S. love their avocados and they're willing to pay more. Avocado consumption tripled in the U.S. between 2000 and 2021 . "Given that avocado is a staple of our consumption here, I would say that the elasticity is not very high, meaning that even with a big increase in price, consumption is not going to change that much," says Luis Ribera, a professor and extension economist in the agricultural economics department at Texas A&M University. Mexico is the biggest producer of avocados in the world and exported $3.3 billion worth of avocados in 2023. A study funded by the industry estimated that avocado production supports 78,000 permanent jobs and 310,000 seasonal jobs in Mexico. "It's a very important business in Mexico, very lucrative," Ribera says. Mexico emerged as the largest foreign supplier of fruits and vegetables to the U.S. for a few reasons, he says. One: Its proximity to the U.S. market. With a perishable product, closer is better. Peru is the second-largest source of foreign avocados in the U.S., but its greater distance means avocados need to be shipped farther. The other reasons for Mexico are favorable weather that allows for year-round production of avocados and access to cheap labor, according to Ribera. Avocados are grown in the U.S. too, mostly in California and to a lesser extent Florida and Hawaii, but U.S. growers can't meet Americans' big appetite. Avocado production in the U.S. has declined, even as Americans grew fonder of the green fruit, according to the USDA. California avocado growers have faced droughts and wildfires in recent years, making it difficult to offer the year-round availability that American consumers crave, Ortega says. In addition, land is expensive and water is limited. If the goal of implementing tariffs is to force avocado production to move somewhere besides Mexico, that isn't easy. It takes about eight years for avocado trees to produce fruit, according to the USDA. "This is not a product that you can just simply plant more of this season and you get more of in a few months," Ortega says. Other countries where the U.S. sources avocados — Peru, the Dominican Republic and Chile — "just simply don't have the production capacity to replace Mexico's supply," he says. Tariffs could also alter the market dynamic when it comes to organic vs. conventional foods. If prices rise across the board, consumers who typically buy organic avocados might switch to conventional ones to save money. Organic produce makes up about 15% of total fruit and vegetable sales in the U.S., according to the Organic Trade Association, which represents hundreds of organic businesses and thousands of farmers. "My hypothesis is that the price of conventional products would increase more than the premium organic product," Ortega says. He reasons that because people who are used to buying organic avocados would move to buy conventional ones, "that in turn increases the demand and would make prices rise more for that category." Matthew Dillon, co-CEO of the Organic Trade Association, says those in the organic food industry are looking at diversifying their supply chains away from Mexico, but there's a three-year transition period required for farmers to switch from producing conventional to organic produce. "Supply chains are not incredibly elastic in organic. It takes more time to pivot and change when there's a supply chain disruption. And tariffs are in some ways a form of supply chain disruption for a company, because it creates unpredictable pricing," he says. Together with grocery prices that have gone up more than 26% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump's plans for tariffs on Mexico, along with mass deportations , could create "a perfect storm of high inflationary pressure on the organic sector," Dillon says. Furthermore, retaliatory tariffs from Mexico could have their own impacts . Aside from the threat of tariffs, the avocado industry has other challenges to deal with: climate change presents several problems , and avocados require a large amount of water to grow. Meanwhile, environmentalists say some avocado growers are cutting down forests to plant avocados. Producers also face extortion from criminal gangs in Mexico . And now with Trump's tariff threats, producers are left to wonder about their next steps. "Producers, they react to market fundamentals," Ribera says. For example, people can foresee how bad weather in Mexico would affect avocado prices. Producers and retailers will adjust to higher and lower demand. "The issue with a tariff is it's not a market fundamental — it's a policy. It's a political move," he says. "It could happen or it could not happen, or it could be increased or it could be decreased, you know. So it's hard for the whole supply chain to adjust." Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit npr.org .Mahakumbh 2025 will feature dedicated centres, luxury accommodations, multi-language assistance, and digital experiences for NRIs and foreign tourists. Enhanced transportation, security, and cultural programs will ensure a smooth and immersive experience for all visitors. Prayagraj : Preparations for Mahakumbh Mela 2025 are progressing at full speed, with the government focused on providing VIP facilities for visitors, especially non-resident Indians (NRIs) and foreign tourists. Mahakumbh is a major religious and cultural event held every 12 years at four prominent pilgrimage sites in India — Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain, and Nashik. To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for attendees, the authorities are implementing a range of services and special arrangements. Dedicated centres for NRIs and foreign tourists To cater to the needs of NRIs and foreign visitors, dedicated NRI and tourist centres will be set up at the venue. These centres will provide services such as multi-language assistance, travel guides, and local information. There will also be special welcome centres to ensure that guests feel comfortable upon arrival. Visitors can access online booking and registration services through a dedicated website and mobile app, where they can book accommodation, pilgrimage packages, and other online services in advance. VIP accommodation and transportation Mahakumbh 2025 will offer luxury accommodation options to make the stay of NRIs and foreign tourists more comfortable. Special luxury tent cities and resorts will be available, featuring air-conditioned tents with modern amenities and personal security. Transportation services are also being improved. The Prayagraj airport, which began operations two years ago, will offer night landing facilities and flight services from major cities during the event. Visitors can also avail shuttle buses and helicopter services from the airport to nearby areas. For local travel, luxury buses and taxis will be exclusively available for NRIs and foreign tourists. Multi-language assistance and digital experience To assist visitors, multi-language guides proficient in languages such as English, French, German, and Japanese will be present. Information centres will also have multi-language signage to help visitors navigate the site. A major highlight of the event will be the digital experience, which will offer a virtual tour of the Maha Kumbh, allowing attendees to explore key aspects like the ‘Samudra Manthan’ through virtual reality. Additionally, there will be a digital museum, QR-based passes for easy access, and multilingual digital signage for better navigation. Google Maps integration will help visitors avoid confusion and ensure they can easily find their way. Cultural and spiritual programs In addition to the religious significance of the event, visitors will have the opportunity to explore India’s rich culture and spirituality. Cultural and spiritual centres will showcase exhibitions and workshops on topics like Indian culture, yoga, meditation, and the significance of the Kumbh Mela. Networking events will also be organized, offering NRIs and foreign tourists the chance to interact with locals and the NRI community. Special stalls will be set up to showcase traditional Indian cuisine and local handicrafts, allowing visitors to experience the best of India’s culture. Security arrangements In terms of security, advanced measures will be implemented. The event will have a seven-tier security system, with dedicated arrangements for foreign tourists to ensure their safety. A toll-free helpline will also be available to assist visitors in emergencies. Parking will be another important focus. The event will feature 101 smart parking facilities with a capacity to accommodate 5 lakh vehicles daily. Parking areas have been expanded, with the total parking space increasing from 1,103.29 hectares in 2019 to over 1,867.04 hectares in 2025. The parking areas will be monitored through an Integrated Control Command Centre. For added convenience, digital Lost & Found centres will be set up in the mela area, equipped with AI tools and social media platforms to help reunite lost visitors with their belongings. Additionally, there will be 328 AI-enabled cameras to monitor the area, ensuring enhanced safety. Cashless payments and currency exchange Cashless payment options will be available for tourists, and authorized currency exchange centres will be set up to facilitate easy currency conversion for foreign visitors. Maha Kumbh 2025 promises to be a grand event with a perfect blend of spiritual, cultural, and technological experiences. With these special arrangements, NRIs and foreign visitors can expect a seamless and memorable experience. Click for more latest India news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Dimple Singh is a journalist by profession and an accomplished author. Currently serving as a Senior Sub-Editor at News 9, she brings with her 5 years of valuable experience in digital journalism from her previous company Times Of India. Her expertise lies in writing about crime and political news, where she skillfully combines her digital news writing abilities with a deep understanding of AI technology.In the realm of literature, Dimple has authored five compelling fictional books. Her writing reflects a passion for powerful storytelling, capturing the imaginations of readers with every word. Dimple is known for her workaholic nature, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to her profession and her love for words. Latest News

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Kids See Ghosts, Kanye West & Kid Cudi Duo LP, Surpasses 1 Billion Streams On SpotifyCelia Holman Lee, CEO of Holman Lee Agency FASHION icon and well-known model agency CEO, Celia Holman Lee shares a precious story of love, keepsakes, and a sprinkle of nostalgia. Keeping a babydoll for over 70 years in her attic, Celia never forgot the cherished memories of the toy she received at the age of six or seven. “They were all the rage and very popular those times, and my dear mother went off and got me one,” she said. Rummaging the antique toy out of her loft for a photograph, the nostalgia came flooding back. “That doll sticks out in my mind and I’m lucky that I still have her,” Celia said. “I was very young, and in those times, there weren’t many surprises. We woke up on Christmas Day and the doll was just sitting there. Gifting was different in those times. “It’s memories for me and I’m thrilled that I kept the doll all these years and looked after her. When I played with her I adored her, thanks to my incredible mother.” Peter Nash, Limerick footballer / Hurling Development Officer ONE LIMERICK senior footballer turns out to be a gamer too, it seems, as Peter Nash divulges his multi-faceted interests through what he says was his favourite Christmas present ever. “It was a PlayStation 2 in limited edition silver,” he recalled. “I asked for a PlayStation 2 but the silver edition was a surprise!” The Limerick City Hurling Development Officer and Kildimo-Pallaskenry man said he received the console at age 10 in 2002. “I still have it and it still works,” Peter said. “Myself and my brother spent that whole Christmas playing FIFA 2002 and so many of the following years playing other games on it. Might even break it out this year to get more enjoyment out of it than it’s already given me!” Peter won the inaugural Golden Boot Award for the 2023 Limerick Senior Football Championship. Mick Dolan, Owner of Dolan’s Limerick HOUSEHOLD name Mick Dolan recalls an unforgettable memory he has of surprise concert tickets he received to see one of his all-time favourite musicians. “I got a present from my nephew, Ivan McMahon, to see one of my favourite artists, Tom Waits, perform in the Phoenix Park in Dublin around 15 years ago,” he said. “It was a surprise. It was an incredible experience.” Tom Waits is known for his unique blend of jazz, blues, and rock. He rose to prominence in the 1970s with albums like Closing Time and Small Change. Owning a renowned music venue in the heart of Limerick city on the Docklands, concerts are the focal point of Mick’s trade and music accounts for a huge portion of his life, with Dolans being an iconic spot for audiences and musicians alike for 30 years. “I had always wanted to see this artist live [Tom Waits]. I will never forget it!,” he said. Chloe Walsh, Influencer / Entrepreneur FOR CHLOE Walsh, nothing beats flight tickets in her stocking at Christmas, as “going on little city breaks” are her and boyfriend Andrew La Touche’s “favourite thing to do”. “For Christmas 2022, my boyfriend surprised me with a trip to Budapest,” she said. “It was the best trip, filled with so much fun and adventure and we got to spend time together exploring another city of Europe. It was a total surprise present for Christmas. “We started off our trip at the Zoo Cafe where they have animals crawling around everywhere while you have a coffee, it was so fun!” The 27-year-old said they also visited other tourist attractions like St Stephen’s Basilica, The Light Art Museum, the Széchenyi Thermal Baths “and we finished off our trip at the secret garden spa” at the hotel. “The highlight moment was spending time together and exploring another new place because that’s what life is all about travelling and exploring the world.” Eve Stafford, Soprano singer / Network Limerick FOR SOPRANO singer Eve Stafford, becoming a Spice Girl was the dream at age nine. A memory that stands out for the newly-elected Network Limerick President 2025 is something of mischief and tears, before delight. “My favourite present I got was the Spice World album, on tape, from my big brother, Robert. “What’s funny is he gave me a lump of coal first! When I was a kid, I was a devil for trying to guess what the presents were under the tree. “I couldn’t figure out this one present, I was shaking it and it was an irregular shape. I was ready to burst out crying when I opened it. “My brother then, behind his back, gave me the Spice Girls tape. I was then screaming and running around the house, delighted with myself.” Eve says to this day, her favourite Spice Girl was Posh Spice, albeit “she wasn’t the best singer”. She received the gift in 1997, with her favourite song being ‘Two Become One’. Conor Sheehan TD, Labour politician FOR NEWLY-elected Labour TD Conor Sheehan, he cast his mind back to the early 2000’s, where he got a “big, clunky desktop computer” from Santa at age 10 or 11. “The thing was slower than a Sunday afternoon in November, but I loved it,” he said. “I used to play the Sims when I was a child. My other favourite present I got when I was 12 was a go-kart. It was black with red seats. “It was a pedal go-kart and it had a back seat, but if somebody who was too heavy sat on the back the whole thing tipped over.” Saying that, the Windows XP computer “was a surprise”, the now 31-year-old had asked for the go-kart because “one of the neighbours had one.” “I used the computer for donkey's years. I’ve a funny feeling we still have it in the attic. I thought it was the height of technology and I remember playing solitaire on the thing. I grew out of the go-kart but had great fun on it.”