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As it crossed the Niger Delta in 2021, a satellite imaged acres of bare land. The site outside the city of Port Harcourt was on a United Nations Environment Programme cleanup list, supposed to be restored to green farmland as the Delta was before thousands of oil spills turned it into a byword for pollution. Instead it was left a sandy “moonscape” unusable for farming, according to U.N. documents. It wasn’t the only botched cleanup, a cache of previously unreported investigations, emails, letters to Nigerian ministers and meeting minutes show. Senior U.N. officials considered the Nigerian cleanup agency a “total failure.” The agency, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, or Hyprep, selected cleanup contractors without relevant experience, a U.N. review found. It sent soil samples to laboratories lacking the equipment for tests they had claimed to perform. Auditors were physically blocked from checking that work had been completed. Most cleanup companies are owned by politicians, a former Nigerian environment minister told the AP, and correspondence shows similar views were shared by U.N. officials. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. There have been thousands of oil spills since Niger Delta production began in the 1950s. Reports and studies document that people often wash, drink, fish and cook in contaminated water. Spills still occur frequently. In November, the Ogboinbiri community in Bayelsa state suffered its fourth spill in three months, harming fields, streams and fishing. “We have not harvested anything," said farmer Timipre Bridget, there is now “no way to survive.” After a major U.N. pollution survey in 2011, oil companies agreed to a $1 billion cleanup fund for the worst-affected area, Ogoniland. Shell, the largest private oil and gas company in the country, contributed $300 million. The U.N. was relegated to an advisory role. The Nigerian government would handle the funds. But a confidential investigation by U.N. scientists last year found the site outside Port Harcourt was left with a “complete absence of topsoil,” with almost seven times more petroleum remaining than Nigerian health limits allow. The company responsible had its contract revoked, Nenibarini Zabbey, the current director of Hyprep, told the AP by email. The head of operations when the contract was awarded, Philip Shekwolo, called allegations in the U.N. documents “baseless" and "cheap blackmail.” Shekwolo, who used to head up oil spill remediation for Shell, insists the cleanup was successful. But the documents show U.N. officials raising the alarm since 2021, when Shekwolo was acting chief. A January 2022 U.N. review found 21 of the 41 contractors okayed to clean up spill sites had no relevant experience. These included construction companies and general merchants. They were effectively handed a “blank check,” U.N. Senior Project Advisor Iyenemi Kakulu is recorded saying in the minutes of a meeting with Hyprep and Shell. Incompetent companies were to blame for bad cleanups, Hyprep’s own communications chief, Joseph Kpobari is in the minutes as having said. Despite this, they were rewarded contracts for more polluted sites, the U.N. delegation warned. Zabbey denied Kpobari’s admission. He said 16 out of 20 sites in the project’s first stage are certified as clean by Nigerian regulators and many have been returned to communities. Hyprep always issued contracts correctly, he said. Two sources close to the cleanup efforts, speaking anonymously for fear of loss of business or employment, said when officials visited laboratories used by Hyprep, they lacked equipment needed to perform the tests they reported. In a letter to customers, one U.K. laboratory frequently used by Hyprep acknowledged its tests for most of 2022 were flawed and unreliable and the U.K. laboratory accreditation service confirmed the lab was twice suspended. Zabbey says now Hyprep monitors contractors more closely, labs adhere to Nigerian and U.N. recommendations and are frequently checked. The U.N. also warned the Nigerian government in a 2021 assessment that Hyprep’s spending was not being tracked. Internal auditors were considered “the enemy” and “demonized for doing their job.” Shekwolo’s predecessor as Hyprep chief blocked financial controls and “physically prevented” auditors from checking that work had been completed, it found. Zabbey responded that the audit team is valued now, and accounts are audited annually, although he provided only one audit cover letter. In it, the accountants “identified weaknesses.” One Nigerian politician tried to change things: Sharon Ikeazor spent decades as a lawyer before becoming environment minister in 2019. “The companies had no competence whatsoever,” she said in a phone interview. In February 2022, she received a letter from senior U.N. official Muralee Thummarukudy, warning of “significant opportunities for malpractice" over contract awards, unusually strong language in U.N. diplomacy. She removed Shekwolo as acting Hyprep chief the next month, explaining that she believed he was too close to the politicians. Most cleanup companies were owned by politicians, she said. The few competent companies “wouldn’t get the big jobs.” Shekwolo assessed who was competent for contract awards, Ikeazor said. Shekwolo’s former employer Shell and the U.N. both warned her about him, she said, something Shekwolo says he was unaware of. Ikeazor asked Shekwolo’s successor to review every suspect contract and investigate the cleanup companies. “That sent shockwaves around the political class,” she said. She was quickly replaced as environment minister, with Shekwolo rehired, after just two months out of office. Shekwolo denied being too close to politicians. He insists no reason was given for his removal and suggested Ikeazor simply didn’t like him. Last year, the U.N. Environment Programme ended its official involvement in the Nigerian oil spill cleanup, explaining its five-year consultancy was over. Ikeazor said the real reason was U.N. frustration over corruption, and the two sources close to the project concurred. Zabbey said he believes the U.N. merely changed its goals and moved on. Associated Press reporters Taiwo Adebayo and Dan Ikpoyi contributed from Abuja and Bayelsa, Nigeria. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .fc188 xyz 。

At least 65 million tune in for Netflix NFL Christmas Day games. NBA holiday ratings also skyrocket

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Following a lengthy, nearly year-and-a-half-long wait, Outlander is back for the rest of its seventh season. We've compiled everything you need to know about where to watch Outlander, including live streaming options for those without cable. Outlander, the time-traveling romance series, returns after last airing in Summer 2023. Based on Diana Gabaldon's novels of the same name, the series first premiered in 2014 and has developed a passionate following over the past decade. The series follows Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan), and eventually their daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) and her family. The couple first meet after Claire, a married nurse in the 1940s, time travels back to 1740s Scotland and encounters Jamie. They become entangled through time and each other, setting up an intercontinental, multigenerational saga. Whether you're hoping to watch the new season or looking to get caught up on past episodes, we've got you covered. Plus, we'll show you which streaming service you need in order to watch new episodes before they air on TV. See also: Where to watch Yellowstone | Where to watch Love Island Australia | Where to watch Landman US: STARZ (from $10.99) | Philo (one-week free trial) UK: MGM+ on Prime Video (one-week free trial) Access subscriptions anywhere: ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee) When: Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on STARZ, 12 a.m. on STARZ app Where to watch Outlander in the US New episodes of Outlander air on STARZ on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET. If you can't wait until night each week, you can access the new episodes on Fridays at midnight ahead of their cable premiere by subscribing to the STARZ app. This is also the best way to watch past seasons of Outlander. STARZ usually costs $10.99 per month, but you can get your first month for $6.99. If you feel like the app is something you might hang onto for a while, you can subscribe to a semi-annual plan, which gives you six months of STARZ for $23.94, effectively making each month just $3.99. The Starz streaming service works a lot like HBO Now, giving you access to Starz original programming on-demand as well as live Starz channels. The Starz streaming service offers several original shows and classic movies. The semi-annual plan is a steal compared to a standard month-to-month subscription. Cord-cutters can also live stream the STARZ channel when new episodes air with a live TV streaming service like Philo. Philo is one of the cheapest month-to-month live TV packages out there. The service has one paid plan with 70+ channels, including AMC and the Paramount Network, which allow you to watch hits like The Walking Dead spinoffs and Yellowstone. Subscriptions cost $28/month and include a one-week free trial. If you want your streaming service to cost less per month than a single trip for the family to Starbucks, Philo is made with you in mind. It features over 70 channels for just $28 a month, but it is missing popular sports and local networks. There are additional ways to watch STARZ without cable, usually by adding STARZ to your existing live TV streaming service, like Sling TV , Fubo , DirecTV Stream , Hulu , or Prime Video . Where to watch Outlander in the UK UK Outlander fans can watch new episodes of Outlander through Prime Video's MGM+ add-on on Saturdays. The add-on costs £4.49 per month on top of a £8.99 per month Prime Video subscription. If you don't already have a subscription, you can try Prime Video free for 30 days and the MGM+ add-on free for seven. How to watch Outlander from anywhere Outlander fans traveling away from home can still keep up with their usual viewing options with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are cybersecurity tools that let you change your virtual location so that you can use your usual websites and apps from anywhere (think of it a bit like the stones in the show, but for your electronic devices). One of the best VPNs out there is ExpressVPN , a beginner-friendly option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can read more about the service in our ExpressVPN review . Since the streaming options we've recommended require country-specific payment methods, this option will work best for those who are just traveling away from home at the moment. With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today. Outlander Season 7, Part 2 trailer STARZ dropped an action-packed trailer for the rest of Season 7 in October. At the beginning of the trailer, Claire and Jamie rejoice that they got their wish and can go home to Scotland. Of course, the couple is still shown to face several trials. The video also gives a look at Brianna and her family. Check out the full trailer below: Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs. Streaming services How to watch your favorite films, TV, sports VPN services for legal streaming DealsVancouver Canucks Forward Brock Boeser Opens Up After Scoring in 500th NHL Game

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don't change their clocks at all.London honored for supporting student mental health and eliminating barriers to care NATICK, Mass. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Business Journal honored Uwill founder and CEO Michael London as part of its 2025 Innovators in Healthcare list . Honorees represent a cross-section of Boston -based innovators addressing some of the most urgent and pressing challenges in the health care industry. London is the founding CEO of Uwill , the leading mental health and wellness solution proudly supporting more than 3 million students at 400 institutions globally. Utilizing its proprietary technology and counselor team, Uwill pioneered the first student and therapist matching platform. The solution offers an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on student preferences, all modalities of teletherapy, a direct crisis connection, wellness programming, realtime data, and support. "It's truly an honor to be recognized among this incredible group of innovators," said Michael London , Uwill founder and CEO. "At Uwill, our mission is to break down barriers to mental health care, delivering immediate and accessible support to students worldwide. This recognition reflects more than innovation—it underscores our unwavering commitment to addressing a vital need for students everywhere." London is a recognized thought-leader and pioneer within social impact entrepreneurship, having created more than one billion dollars in company value throughout his career. In 2013, he founded Examity, a leader in learning validation and online proctoring. Prior, London led Bloomberg Institute, an EdTech start-up funded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg . Earlier in his career, he founded College Coach and co-founded EdAssist, both acquired by Bright Horizons Family Solutions. In 2019, he was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award and held a position on the Massachusetts Governor's Commission for Digital Education and Lifelong Learning. Michael is a current Trustee at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is a Member of the Advisory Board at Babson College where he graduated with honors. He also received his MBA from Boston University . About Uwill: Uwill is the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students. As the most cost-effective way to enhance a college's mental health offering, Uwill partners with more than 400 institutions, including Princeton University , the Ohio State University , Santa Fe Community College , and University of Alabama - Online. Uwill is also the exclusive teletherapy education partner for the Online Learning Consortium and teletherapy education partner of NASPA. For more information, visit uwill.com . Contact: Brett Silk bsilk@uwill.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uwill-founder--ceo-michael-london-named-innovator-in-healthcare-302338655.html SOURCE Uwill, Inc

Texas, Arizona State to meet in CFP clash of old vs. new Big 12 champs

New Jersey fines firms $40K for sports betting violationsEmergency alerts issued after water breaches landslide damming Chilcotin River

As it crossed the Niger Delta in 2021, a satellite imaged acres of bare land. The site outside the city of Port Harcourt was on a United Nations Environment Programme cleanup list, supposed to be restored to green farmland as the Delta was before thousands of oil spills turned it into a byword for pollution. Instead it was left a sandy “moonscape” unusable for farming, according to U.N. documents. It wasn’t the only botched cleanup, a cache of previously unreported investigations, emails, letters to Nigerian ministers and meeting minutes show. Senior U.N. officials considered the Nigerian cleanup agency a “total failure.” The agency, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, or Hyprep, selected cleanup contractors without relevant experience, a U.N. review found. It sent soil samples to laboratories lacking the equipment for tests they had claimed to perform. Auditors were physically blocked from checking that work had been completed. Most cleanup companies are owned by politicians, a former Nigerian environment minister told the AP, and correspondence shows similar views were shared by U.N. officials. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. There have been thousands of oil spills since Niger Delta production began in the 1950s. Reports and studies document that people often wash, drink, fish and cook in contaminated water. Spills still occur frequently. In November, the Ogboinbiri community in Bayelsa state suffered its fourth spill in three months, harming fields, streams and fishing. “We have not harvested anything," said farmer Timipre Bridget, there is now “no way to survive.” After a major U.N. pollution survey in 2011, oil companies agreed to a $1 billion cleanup fund for the worst-affected area, Ogoniland. Shell, the largest private oil and gas company in the country, contributed $300 million. The U.N. was relegated to an advisory role. The Nigerian government would handle the funds. But a confidential investigation by U.N. scientists last year found the site outside Port Harcourt was left with a “complete absence of topsoil,” with almost seven times more petroleum remaining than Nigerian health limits allow. The company responsible had its contract revoked, Nenibarini Zabbey, the current director of Hyprep, told the AP by email. The head of operations when the contract was awarded, Philip Shekwolo, called allegations in the U.N. documents “baseless" and "cheap blackmail.” Shekwolo, who used to head up oil spill remediation for Shell, insists the cleanup was successful. But the documents show U.N. officials raising the alarm since 2021, when Shekwolo was acting chief. A January 2022 U.N. review found 21 of the 41 contractors okayed to clean up spill sites had no relevant experience. These included construction companies and general merchants. They were effectively handed a “blank check,” U.N. Senior Project Advisor Iyenemi Kakulu is recorded saying in the minutes of a meeting with Hyprep and Shell. Incompetent companies were to blame for bad cleanups, Hyprep’s own communications chief, Joseph Kpobari is in the minutes as having said. Despite this, they were rewarded contracts for more polluted sites, the U.N. delegation warned. Zabbey denied Kpobari’s admission. He said 16 out of 20 sites in the project’s first stage are certified as clean by Nigerian regulators and many have been returned to communities. Hyprep always issued contracts correctly, he said. Two sources close to the cleanup efforts, speaking anonymously for fear of loss of business or employment, said when officials visited laboratories used by Hyprep, they lacked equipment needed to perform the tests they reported. In a letter to customers, one U.K. laboratory frequently used by Hyprep acknowledged its tests for most of 2022 were flawed and unreliable and the U.K. laboratory accreditation service confirmed the lab was twice suspended. Zabbey says now Hyprep monitors contractors more closely, labs adhere to Nigerian and U.N. recommendations and are frequently checked. The U.N. also warned the Nigerian government in a 2021 assessment that Hyprep’s spending was not being tracked. Internal auditors were considered “the enemy” and “demonized for doing their job.” Shekwolo’s predecessor as Hyprep chief blocked financial controls and “physically prevented” auditors from checking that work had been completed, it found. Zabbey responded that the audit team is valued now, and accounts are audited annually, although he provided only one audit cover letter. In it, the accountants “identified weaknesses.” One Nigerian politician tried to change things: Sharon Ikeazor spent decades as a lawyer before becoming environment minister in 2019. “The companies had no competence whatsoever,” she said in a phone interview. In February 2022, she received a letter from senior U.N. official Muralee Thummarukudy, warning of “significant opportunities for malpractice" over contract awards, unusually strong language in U.N. diplomacy. She removed Shekwolo as acting Hyprep chief the next month, explaining that she believed he was too close to the politicians. Most cleanup companies were owned by politicians, she said. The few competent companies “wouldn’t get the big jobs.” Shekwolo assessed who was competent for contract awards, Ikeazor said. Shekwolo’s former employer Shell and the U.N. both warned her about him, she said, something Shekwolo says he was unaware of. Ikeazor asked Shekwolo’s successor to review every suspect contract and investigate the cleanup companies. “That sent shockwaves around the political class,” she said. She was quickly replaced as environment minister, with Shekwolo rehired, after just two months out of office. Shekwolo denied being too close to politicians. He insists no reason was given for his removal and suggested Ikeazor simply didn’t like him. Last year, the U.N. Environment Programme ended its official involvement in the Nigerian oil spill cleanup, explaining its five-year consultancy was over. Ikeazor said the real reason was U.N. frustration over corruption, and the two sources close to the project concurred. Zabbey said he believes the U.N. merely changed its goals and moved on. Associated Press reporters Taiwo Adebayo and Dan Ikpoyi contributed from Abuja and Bayelsa, Nigeria. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

LeBron James is going to have to make room for the NFL. Wednesday's doubleheader on Netflix set records as the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history, with numbers nearly five times more than the NBA. The Baltimore Ravens' 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million while Kansas City's 29-10 win at Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 according to early viewer figures released by Nielsen on Thursday. Nielsen also said there were 65 million U.S. viewers who tuned in for at least one minute of one of the two games. The NBA's five-game slate averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and its platforms, according to the league and Nielsen. “I love the NFL,” James said in his televised postgame interview Wednesday night. “But Christmas is our day.” While the NBA's Christmas lineup has its best viewer numbers in five years, the NFL has made Christmas one of its tentpole events during the regular season, joining Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving. “The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this," said Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media. "But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years.” Both NFL games surpassed the previous mark of 23 million for last season’s AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs on Peacock. Viewership for Ravens-Texans peaked with the Beyoncé Bowl. The 20-minute halftime performance averaged over 27 million viewers. The viewer figures include the audience on Netflix, mobile viewership on NFL+ and those who tuned in on CBS stations in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Houston. Global ratings and final U.S. numbers are expected to be available on Tuesday. The NFL's Christmas numbers decreased from last season, but not at the rate that usually happens when something goes from broadcast to streaming. Last year’s three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million on CBS. Once global and Netflix's first-party data is released, both Christmas games should surpass 30 million. The NBA's lineup saw an 84% rise over 2023. One reason for the increase is that all five games were on ABC, compared to two last year. The Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors — a game pitting Olympic teammates LeBron James and Stephen Curry — averaged 7.76 million viewers and peaked with about 8.32 million viewers toward the end of the contest, the league said. Those numbers represent the most-watched NBA regular season game in five years. The NBA said all five Christmas games on its schedule — San Antonio at New York in Victor Wembanyama's holiday debut, Minnesota at Dallas, Philadelphia at Boston, Denver at Phoenix and Lakers-Warriors — saw year-over-year viewership increases. Wednesday's numbers pushed NBA viewership for the season across ESPN platforms to up 4% over last season. The league also saw more than 500 million video views on its social media platforms Wednesday, a new record. For the NBA, those are all good signs amid cries that NBA viewership is hurting. “Ratings are down a bit at beginning of the season. But cable television viewership is down double digits so far this year versus last year," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month. “You know, we’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programing on streaming than they are on traditional television. And it’s a reason why for our new television deals, which we enter into next year, every game is going to be available on a streaming service.” Part of that new package of television deals that the NBA is entering into next season also increases the number of regular season games broadcast on television from 15 to 75. AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans certainly didn’t look like a playoff team in a rout by the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. With just one game left until the playoffs begin, the AFC South champions know they’ll have to get much better to be competitive in the postseason. “That’s not who we are. That’s not what we represent,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “What we put out there on the field, that’s not Texans football. For anybody to come back and bounce back from it you’ve got to check yourself and make sure you’re playing with elite execution and elite energy.” The 29-point loss to the Ravens was Houston’s most lopsided defeat this season. The defense gave up a season-high 251 yards rushing and the offense was shut out, with the team’s only points coming on a second-quarter safety. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw an interception and missed several throws in a performance he called “one of the worst games of my whole career.” He was asked how he and the team can move on from such a tough loss. “That’s the only thing we can do,” he said. “There is nothing in life you can go ... back and re-do, so it’s all about how you respond. You hit rock bottom; the only way is up. So, we still have a lot of hope. At the end of the day, we clinched our division. We still have an opportunity in the playoffs.” The Texans (9-7) went 0 for 2 in the red zone Wednesday to lower their red zone efficiency to 50.94% this season, which ranks 26th in the NFL. After their safety Wednesday, they had a chance to cut the lead or potentially tie the game when they had a first down at the 10-yard line. Joe Mixon ran for 7 yards on first down before the drive stalled. He was dropped for a 1-yard loss on second down before an incompletion by Stroud brought up fourth-and-4. Stroud threw a short pass to Mixon and he was stopped at the 1-yard line to give the Ravens the ball back. Lamar Jackson then led a 99-yard drive capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-2. What's working Not much was working in this debacle. About the only good thing that happened for the Texans on Wednesday was a 45-yard kickoff return by Dameon Pierce in the second quarter to start the drive that ended with Mixon being stopped on fourth down. The second-year player is averaging 38.1 yards per return. What needs help The Texans managed just 58 yards rushing against the Ravens with Mixon gaining 26 yards on nine carries. Houston hasn’t reached 100 yards rushing in three straight games and four of its past five. The Texans must get their running game going to take some pressure off Stroud, who is working with a thin receiving group with Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs out for the season with knee injuries. Stock up WR John Metchie led the team with five receptions for 48 yards as he took on a bigger role in the offense in the first game without Dell. It’s the second-most yards Metchie has had in a three-year career where he missed his entire rookie season undergoing cancer treatments. Stock down Wednesday was the second time in three games where Mixon was held to fewer than 30 yards rushing. He started the season strong, running for at least 100 yards in six of his first eight games. But he’s struggled since then, reaching 100 yards just once in five games. Injuries G Shaq Mason missed Wednesday’s game after injuring his knee against the Chiefs and it’s unclear if he can return for the next game. ... C/G Juice Scruggs missed a fourth straight game with foot injury. Key number 59.2 — Stroud had a 59.2 passer rating in the loss, which is tied for the third-worst rating of his career. Next steps After playing three games in 11 days, the Texans now have an extended break before wrapping up the regular season next weekend at Tennessee. Stroud will try and use this setback to get better. “There’s not sunny days if there is not days with rain,” he said. “It’s a rainy day but at the end of the day the sun will rise up tomorrow. We have another crack at this thing next week to keep rolling.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Kristie Rieken, The Associated PressFREEPORT, Ill. — The SCC basketball team bolted to a fast start to remain unbeaten. Southeastern built a 15-point halftime lead en route to downing Olive-Harvey 73-58 on Friday afternoon in the first round of the William R. Bear Highland Tournament. SCC sophomore guard Shamar Avance had a huge second half, scoring 13 points after the break. Avance finished with a game-high 25 points to go along with a team-high seven assists. He also had four rebounds and four steals. The Blackhawks, ranked No. 10 nationally, improved to 13-0 overall. The Panthers fell to 3-8. Southeastern Community College advances to play No. 25 Moberly in the semifinals at 11 a.m. Saturday in Freeport. SCC lost to Moberly in the semis of this event last year. The tournament finals are scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday. Southeastern sprinted out to a 37-22 lead against Olive-Harvey in the opening 20 minutes. The Blackhawks led by as many as 18 points in the second half. Jalen Hooks added 12 points and nine rebounds for SCC. Merquiche Lewis had 10 points and eight boards for the Blackhawks while Mekhi Grant had nine points and 11 rebounds for the winning team. Jacob Franklin had seven assists for Southeastern. SCC played without starting point guard Inslee Carroll, who is sidelined with a foot injury. Freshman Prophet Fields started at point guard for the Blackhawks. He finished with seven points, five rebounds and four assists.Christmas tree burning ignites protests in Damascus

ECOWAS Deploys 120 Observers for Ghana’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections

Mayor’s school board members oust Chicago schools CEO, face litigationAP Business SummaryBrief at 2:56 p.m. EST

Is it safe? That was the first question Captain Keagan Pang’s mother asked when she found out he was going to be a pilot at a low-cost carrier. The year was 2011, and budget airlines here were expanding and looking to hire. Having developed an interest in aviation after working in the air force and as a cabin crew member at national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA), Captain Pang did not hesitate to sign up as a cadet at Jetstar Asia, before joining Tiger Airways. Now an associate management pilot with SIA’s low-cost arm Scoot, the 42-year-old has flown all over Asia, from Ipoh in Malaysia to Osaka in Japan. Despite her initial reticence, Captain Pang’s mother has become a regular on budget airlines, too. Fittingly, her most recent trip in 2024 was to Osaka on Scoot. When it took off 20 years ago, the low-cost carrier industry in Singapore was met with fervour by some and doubt by others. But budget airlines have since become an accepted – even essential – part of the aviation landscape, opening up air travel to millions and creating a new breed of travellers . While budget carriers make up about a fifth of the airlines at Changi Airport today, they fly to more than half of the 165 cities that the airport is connected with. The shortest non-stop budget flight from Singapore is 55 minutes to Melaka. The longest is 12 hours to Athens. More than 40 destinations are exclusively served by budget carriers, including Vientiane in Laos and Jeju in South Korea. In the first nine months of 2024, a third of the 49.8 million passengers who passed through Changi Airport flew on low-cost airlines. Mr Ellis Taylor, Asia editor of aviation analytics firm Cirium, said the conventional wisdom in the late 1990s and early 2000s was that Asian travellers would not fly on budget carriers. This has been proven wrong. By cutting costs and offering low fares, they have been able to launch new routes that other airlines wouldn’t have tried, and have played a key role in enabling tourism across Asia and beyond. With thinner margins, low-cost airlines have been among the first to adopt new technology and business models to reduce costs, pushing full-service carriers to rethink their processes and product offerings. AirAsia Malaysia chief executive Fareh Mazputra said the low-cost carrier model has democratised air travel. With a growing middle class expected to fuel greater demand for affordable flights, he and the heads of Singapore-based Scoot and Jetstar Asia believe the sky’s the limit for budget carriers in South-east Asia, even with the challenges that lie ahead. The low-cost carrier wave in Singapore began on May 5, 2004, when a Valuair flight left Changi Airport for Bangkok with 162 passengers on board. It was the first budget flight to be operated by a Singapore carrier, with fares that were 40 per cent to 50 per cent cheaper than full-service ones. Later that year, Tiger Airways – which was set up by SIA Group, Singapore’s investment company Temasek and the founders of Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair – entered the fray. Qantas subsidiary Jetstar Asia joined in too, with its maiden flight on Dec 13, 2004. The three upstarts were inspired by the successes of Southwest Airlines in the United States, and Ryanair and easyJet in Europe. The emergence of AirAsia in 2001 brought the low-cost fever closer to home. Yet, many in the industry remained sceptical about low-cost carriers, as they felt consumers here were not ready for them, said a former airline head who was involved in the launch of budget flights here. Travel was still a luxury in Asia then, and many airlines pitched themselves as delivering a premium service, which came at a high cost and with high fares. But there was, in fact, a hankering for cheaper flights, and the response to the launch of budget flights in Singapore was huge. Weeks before Valuair’s first flights, which were priced at a promotional rate of $138 to Bangkok and $300 to Hong Kong, full-service airlines such as SIA and Cathay Pacific began slashing their fares to keep up. “We proved we could sell at lower fares and turn in operating profits on routes,” said the former airline executive, who declined to be named for this story. By 2007, Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways, which was later rebranded as Tigerair, had already made it onto the list of Changi Airport’s 10 largest carriers by passenger numbers. By 2009, low-cost carriers accounted for 23 per cent of the airport’s total passenger traffic. While the budget aviation sector has grown over the years, it encountered turbulence along the way. The first storm came shortly after lift-off, as irrational pricing by full-service carriers in response to the competition and expensive fuel made 2005 a tough year for budget airlines. Countries like Indonesia had also shut the door on foreign low-cost carriers, leaving a few crowded regional routes for Singapore carriers to compete on. The first casualty was Valuair, which tried to offer a “mid-cost” alternative by providing some frills such as free hot meals and assigned seating. But it did not have deep-enough pockets, nor could it attract enough investors, leading to its merger with Jetstar Asia in 2005. More turbulence came in the 2010s, after the skies in South-east Asia opened up. Aggressive expansion by low-cost carriers caused markets to be flooded with seats. Fares tumbled, as did earnings, prompting a scaling back of operations and a wave of consolidations and bailouts. The growing proportion of low-cost carrier flights from Changi Airport relative to total flights The rise of budget airlines prompted the development of new airport infrastructure, with the Budget Terminal opening in Singapore in 2006. With no aerobridges and transfer facilities, the no-frills single-storey terminal at Changi was meant to help budget carriers save on airport costs. Two years later, a $10 million expansion more than doubled the terminal’s capacity from 2.7 million to seven million passengers a year. In 2012, a decision was made to redevelop the Budget Terminal into the larger Terminal 4. Mr Lim Ching Kiat, Changi Airport Group’s (CAG) executive vice-president for air hub and cargo development, said this was because the cost savings for low-cost carriers at the Budget Terminal were marginal, and passengers wanted a consistent experience at the airport. Budget airlines in Singapore started to fly farther as well. In 2010, Jetstar Asia’s sister airline Jetstar Airways started flying non-stop to Melbourne. Two years later, SIA launched Scoot to serve medium and long-haul routes. In 2017, Tigerair merged with Scoot to capture a greater share of the low-cost market. Scoot’s first European service to Athens started the same year. A recent trend has been the arrival of North-east Asian low-cost carriers at Changi Airport, such as South Korea’s Jeju Air and Japan’s Zipair. The latest additions are Air Japan and Peach Aviation, both subsidiaries of full-service carrier All Nippon Airways. With the liberalisation of air service agreements and low-cost airlines buying new narrow-body aircraft with longer ranges, CAG’s Mr Lim expects the growth of such carriers in Singapore to continue. “Because of our location, we can actually access a bigger market, such as the northern parts of India and China, and Central Asia,” he said. As acceptance of low-cost carriers has grown, the mix of passengers on board has become more varied. Expectations have changed too. “In the early days, there was this misperception about low-cost airlines being less safe. But over time, people have seen, and the track record has proven, that this is untrue,” said Scoot’s Captain Pang. Mr Lim said the stereotype that budget airlines are only for travellers on a shoestring is also no longer true, citing the example of Zipair, which offers lie-flat seats on its red-eye Singapore-Tokyo flights, a feature more commonly associated with premium airlines. “My take is that people are more savvy these days,” he added. Ms Florence Chan, 38, who joined Scoot as a cabin crew member in 2012, said she still gets questions from passengers about the lack of certain amenities on flights, but these have become less common. She and other cabin crew members noted that no-frills does not mean no service. Ms Mei Ng, 49, who has been working as a cabin crew member for 19 years, first with Valuair and then with Jetstar Asia, said: “We’ve had parents request milk, passengers needing earplugs, or even asking for unexpected items like sanitary napkins – all of which we do our best to accommodate.” Scoot chief executive Leslie Thng said customers are becoming more sophisticated, which is why low-cost carriers now offer different ways to bundle ancillary services, such as checked baggage and in-flight meals. There has also been a move towards self-service options. Mr Thng said Scoot is using technology and data in all facets of its operations – from improving sales to simplifying work processes for staff. Generative artificial intelligence is also a big trend, with both Scoot and AirAsia using it to give their customer chatbots a boost. Mr Kenji Soh, general manager at corporate travel management company FCM Travel South-east Asia, said low-cost carriers have started offering products aimed at corporate travellers, including quiet zones and business class. Pointing to a 13 per cent increase in low-cost bookings on FCM Travel’s platform, he said there is a trend of companies incorporating budget carriers into their travel policies for shorter flights. In the past 20 years, there has also been a growing convergence between the low-cost and full-service models, giving rise to more hybrid airlines. For example, while traditional low-cost carriers would not facilitate passengers transferring between flights or between other airlines, this is now the norm in Asia, Mr Taylor from Cirium said. Jetstar Asia was the first to do this here, and it now has interline and codeshare agreements with more than 40 carriers out of Singapore, including Emirates and KLM. This has allowed the budget airline to grow beyond the reach of its own direct customers. Scoot is taking a similar approach with SIA. “We don't have a domestic market, so transit traffic is also very important for us,” Mr Thng said, noting that transfer passengers now make up about a quarter of Scoot’s traffic. Legacy airlines too have adopted parts of the low-cost carrier playbook, such as charging passengers for ancillary services. Mr Taylor said this convergence will most likely continue as airlines adapt to the needs of different markets. This could mean more budget carriers adopting a frequent flier programme and offering business class cabins to compete against traditional carriers. While the Covid-19 pandemic dealt low-cost carriers a major blow, budget airlines in Singapore have bounced back from that. Between January and September, budget airline passenger traffic at Changi Airport was 101.6 per cent of 2019 levels. With Covid-19 in the rear-view mirror, the sector is now looking at growth. Mr Thng said he sees immense potential in South-east Asia, which he views as Scoot’s hinterland. Scoot has focused on shorter hops within the region in 2024, with the roll-out of its new Embraer E190-E2 jets. But the airline wants to grow its medium- and long-haul network too, pending the delivery of more wide-body Boeing 787s. AirAsia’s Captain Fareh said Singapore contributes significantly to the carrier’s overall passenger load, and the goal is to also expand its network here. Growing the airline’s fleet would allow it to increase flight frequencies from the Republic, the former pilot added. At a regional level, AirAsia has ambitions of turning its Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok bases into low-cost Dubai-like hubs. It is also eyeing global expansion, with plans to launch routes to Africa, Europe and the US by 2030. For Jetstar Asia, which has been slower to recover from the pandemic, the aim is to gain a firmer footing after the airline almost doubled its fleet from seven to 13 aircraft in two years. While it is still short of the 18 jets that it had before Covid-19, Jetstar Asia chief executive John Simeone said the airline is making sure its current network is profitable. He said the competitive environment within South-east Asia is intense, and Jetstar Asia, like all airlines, faces challenges such as volatility in fuel prices and broader geopolitical tensions. With revenge travel coming off the boil, demand is likely to slow too. Other headwinds include supply chain snags, which have delayed plane deliveries and grounded existing ones, and sustainable aviation fuel mandates, which will drive costs up. While Singapore will continue to play a key role in the growth of low-cost carriers in the region, airlines have highlighted several challenges operating here too. The biggest concern is Changi’s costs, which are set to rise further over the next six years. Jetstar Asia’s Mr Simeone said this may impact the number of tickets that the airline can sell below $100, which now make up about two-thirds of all its flights. The difficulty in securing take-off and landing slots at Changi is another issue, and Captain Fareh believes slot availability at the airport can be better optimised. Peach Aviation’s chief corporate planning officer Satoru Endo said he hopes that Changi Airport’s capacity will be expanded, so the airline can mount more flights in the future. “Since Singapore is a popular and busy destination in terms of airport traffic, it is not very easy to get our desired slot,” he added. A related question that has come up is whether there is room for another Singapore-based low-cost carrier. This is after AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes told the Malaysian media in September that the carrier will not give up on securing an airline licence in Singapore, despite having been rejected thrice. Asked about Changi Airport’s capacity for more budget carriers, CAG’s Mr Lim said the airport is committed to working with its existing carriers so they continue to grow, and it is happy to partner with other airlines to drive traffic and expand its network. In response to a similar query, and about whether there is room for another local budget carrier here, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said only that it will continue to work with CAG to support all airlines that are committed to the Singapore air hub. CAAS director of air transport Sidney Koh said: “Low-cost carriers have played, and will continue to play, an important role in Singapore.”

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, robust cloud security has become imperative for organizations leveraging the power of cloud computing. Manpreet Singh Sachdeva , an expert in advanced cloud technologies, delves into transformative techniques and challenges that shape the cloud security domain, underscoring its significance for businesses and global digital transformation. Building Security from the Ground Up: Identity and Access Management (IAM) Identity and Access Management (IAM) forms the cornerstone of cloud security, ensuring that only authorized personnel access sensitive resources. Modern IAM implementations emphasize multi-factor authentication (MFA), which reduces account takeover risks by nearly 99.9%. Least privilege access protocols further mitigate security incidents by granting users the minimal permissions necessary for their roles. Role-based access control (RBAC) has emerged as a powerful tool, streamlining access management and bolstering operational efficiency across cloud environments. Encryption: Safeguarding Data Integrity and Confidentiality Encryption remains pivotal in protecting data both at rest and in transit. End-to-end encryption has become the gold standard for securing sensitive information during its entire lifecycle. Emerging techniques like homomorphic encryption enable computations on encrypted data without decryption, a groundbreaking advancement for privacy-preserving operations. Additionally, effective encryption key management systems (KMS) and data masking techniques ensure that sensitive data is securely stored and accessed. Securing the Heart of Modern Systems: APIs and Microservices With the rise of microservices architectures, APIs have become critical enablers of seamless system integration and prime targets for cyberattacks. Advanced security measures, such as OAuth and OpenID Connect protocols, ensure secure authentication across API ecosystems. API gateways offer centralized control for security and traffic monitoring, mitigating risks like DDoS attacks. Furthermore, implementing rate-limiting techniques has proven effective in curbing API abuse, significantly enhancing resilience. Integrating Security into Development: DevSecOps Practices The integration of security practices into the software development lifecycle, known as DevSecOps, has reshaped how organizations address vulnerabilities. Automated tools for code analysis and vulnerability scanning identify threats early in the development phase. Embedding compliance checks into CI/CD pipelines has reduced security gaps, while continuous security validation has become a hallmark of secure software delivery. The Unseen Adversaries: Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) APTs represent a sophisticated category of cyberattacks, targeting critical systems over extended periods. Advanced detection systems, leveraging machine learning-based anomaly detection, have significantly improved threat identification rates. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions play a critical role by correlating data across systems, offering a comprehensive view of potential vulnerabilities. Proactive measures against APTs have emerged as a critical focus in safeguarding organizational assets. Addressing Insider Threats Insider threats, both accidental and malicious, contribute to a significant proportion of cloud-related breaches. Robust IAM policies, coupled with user behavior analytics (UBA), provide organizations with tools to detect and mitigate anomalous activities. Data loss prevention (DLP) technologies further ensure that sensitive information remains protected, preventing unauthorized data exfiltration and minimizing risks posed by insider actions. Navigating the Maze of Compliance and Regulations Compliance with stringent data protection regulations, such as GDPR, is a growing challenge for businesses operating in multi-cloud environments. Encryption and data residency solutions address these complexities, ensuring that organizations meet global standards. Regular security audits and certifications are indispensable, enabling organizations to proactively identify compliance gaps and maintain regulatory adherence. In conclusion, as cloud technologies revolutionize industries, the importance of advanced security measures cannot be overstated. Manpreet Singh Sachdeva 's valuable insights highlight the necessity of innovative approaches to cloud security in tackling dynamic and sophisticated challenges. By emphasizing robust, scalable, and proactive security frameworks, organizations can safeguard their assets while fostering trust in the digital ecosystem. This commitment not only ensures resilience against emerging threats but also supports the growth of a secure, interconnected, and sustainable global digital future.World’s oldest surviving market running for 1,000 YEARS holds its final Christmas meat auction before it CLOSES