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‘AI tech is pivotal in making Kumbh go digital this time’Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.
The Surrey seamer became the 14th English bowler to achieve the feat in Test cricket. Gus Atkinson claimed a superb hat-trick as England took command of the second Test against New Zealand, knocking over the home side’s tail in style. The Surrey seamer took out Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee with three successive deliveries, the 15th time an English bowler has achieved the feat in Test cricket. Atkinson turned the heat on the Black Caps in his ninth over, racking up three different modes of dismissal to end their innings on 125 and hand the tourists a lead of 155. The 26-year-old uprooted Smith’s middle stump with the third ball of his over, then had Henry backing away from a short ball that he fended to Ben Duckett at gully. Last man Tim Southee stood between Atkinson and a place in the history books but had no answer as the ball came full and straight, smashing his front pad dead in front of middle stump. Southee reviewed the lbw decision in hope more than expectation but England’s celebrations were already well under way. Rod Tucker raised his finger for a second time to seal the deal, with Atkinson registering the 50th Test hat-trick in world cricket – 47 in the men’s game and three in the women’s. The last player to get one was South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in 2021, with Moeen Ali the most recent to do so for England, against the Proteas at the Oval in 2017. Stuart Broad took two in his career, making Atkinson the 14th England player on the list. Brydon Carse had earlier dismissed Tom Blundell and Will O’Rourke in the space of three deliveries as New Zealand lost their last five batters for 39.
WASHINGTON — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report from the Labor Department report showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. Hourly wages rose 0.4% from October to November and 4% from a year earlier — both solid figures and slightly higher than forecasters had expected. The November employment report provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. The job market’s gradual slowdown is, in part, a result of the high interest rates the Federal Reserve engineered in its drive to tame inflation. The Fed jacked up interest rates a total of 11 times in 2022 and 2023. Defying predictions, the economy kept growing despite much higher borrowing rates for consumers and businesses. But since early this year, the job market has been slowing. Thomas Simons, U.S. economist at Jefferies, wrote in a commentary that the recovery from October’s strikes and hurricanes likely boosted last month’s payrolls by 60,000, suggesting that the job market is strong enough to absorb most jobseekers but not enough to raise worries about inflation. The healthy gain of 227,000 payroll jobs in November was derived from a Labor Department survey of employers. A separate survey of households, which determines the unemployment rate, looked weaker: The ranks of the unemployed rose by 161,000. And the number of Americans who said they either had a job or were looking for one fell for a second straight month. Economists also noted that the November job gains were narrow: Just three categories of employers — health care and social assistance; leisure and hospitality; and government — accounted for 70% of the added jobs. And the 22,000 jobs that factories gained in November were boosted by the end of strikes at Boeing and elsewhere that restored many workers to their employers’ payrolls. Retailers, by contrast, shed 28,000 jobs. “I don’t think we should be misled by the solid number of 227,000,’’ said Julia Pollak, chief economist at the employment firm ZipRecruiter. Pollak noted that averaging the October and November job gains amounts to a modest 132,000 per month. “This report offers very little evidence of a labor market rebound,’’ she said. Still, Americans as a whole have been enjoying unusual job security. This week, the government reported that layoffs fell to just 1.6 million in October, below the lowest levels in the two decades that preceded the pandemic. At the same time, the number of job openings rebounded from a 31⁄2-year low, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. The overall economy has remained resilient. The much-higher borrowing costs for consumers and businesses that resulted from the Fed’s rate hikes had been expected to tip the economy into a recession. Instead, the economy kept growing as households continued to spend and employers continued to hire.
Prominent MAGA figures have accused Elon Musk of silencing critics who challenge his views on immigration . The controversy erupted when at least 14 right-wing accounts reported losing access to premium features on X, including blue verification badges and monetization tools, reports CNBC. This follows a wave of criticism targeting Musk's pro-immigration stance, particularly from anti-immigration factions within the MAGA movement. The affected users, many affiliated with the media group ConservativeOG, said they were penalized after publicly voicing opposition to Musk's position. These accounts saw their reach on the platform shrink significantly, triggering accusations that Musk was shadowbanning or censoring those who disagreed with him. Read Next: ‘Zelle Became A Gold Mine For Fraudsters': Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Lawsuit Some of these individuals expressed concern that losing monetization features would impact their ability to continue posting content regularly. In response to the growing controversy, Musk posted a "reminder" on X about the platform's algorithm, stating that accounts frequently blocked or muted by verified users would see their reach decline. However, this explanation only fueled further accusations of censorship. Critics felt that Musk, despite his claims of championing free speech, was punishing those who voiced opposition to his views on immigration. Among those impacted was Preston Parra , head of ConservativeOG, who described the actions as a "political takedown" aimed at silencing conservative voices. Parra vowed to continue fighting Musk's platform policies, which he sees as an attack on conservative values. The incident has sparked a broader debate over the influence of tech executives like Musk and their role in shaping political discourse, especially in light of his immigrant background and ties to pro-immigration figures. The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between free speech advocates and those who believe social media platforms should regulate harmful content. Read Next: Billionaire Investors Michael Burry, David Tepper Could Benefit From China's Stimulus Measures © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Before George Pickens battles the Cleveland Browns and newest rival Greg Newsome II , he will have to overcome a hamstring injury first. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver has thrived after the team made the quarterback change to Russell Wilson , playing some of the best football in his young career. Now as Pittsburgh marches toward the playoffs, Pickens has found himself on the injury report. It was a surprise addition for the third-year receiver, something that will have fans and fantasy managers looking for answers heading into Sunday afternoon's game. Here is the latest on Pickens' status ahead of Week 14: NFL power rankings Week 14: Bills, Eagles, Lions make compelling case to be No. 1 team NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more. George Pickens injury update Pickens was a late addition to the injury report on Friday, listed as a limited participant with a hamstring injury. He is officially listed as questionable for Week 14 . Being added this late in the week is a cause for concern, especially when hamstring injuries are notoriously a pesky problem to navigate. Pickens spoke to the media after practice and took the opportunity to renew his ongoing rivalry with Browns cornerback Newsome, who called Pickens a "fake tough guy" following their Week 12 matchup on "Thursday Night Football." “I don’t even know who that is,” Pickens said when asked about Newsome on Friday . Pickens' status will be one to monitor. The Steelers will provide the ultimate clarity when the inactive reports drop 90 minutes before their 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday. Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL Week 14 game What is George Pickens' injury? Pickens has a hamstring injury. He was added to the team's injury report on Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game. George Pickens stats Pickens is primed to post his best season as a pro in his third year. The 23-year-old has caught 55 of 90 targets for 850 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. In the six games since Wilson took over as starter, Pickens has seen a big boost in production. He's averaging 4.8 catches and 81.2 yards per game, scoring all three of his touchdowns with Wilson under center.
Picking Sacks as ‘AI and crypto czar’ signals Trump’s pro-industry stance
NonePoor end to the week for Greens and Reds
GK Barry leaves Ant McPartlin stunned with fix claim moments after leaving I'm A Celeb jungleJennie Sager will be the next CEO of the WNBL ahead of a new era for the women’s gameBucks' Khris Middleton likely to make season debut vs. Celtics
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