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lightning baccarat Alice Weidel, the chancellor candidate of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) BERLIN: Alice Weidel , the chancellor candidate of the Alternative for Germany ( AfD ), is an unlikely public face for a male-dominated, anti-immigration far-right party that depicts itself as a defender of traditional family values and ordinary people. The 45-year-old is raising two sons with a Sri Lankan-born woman, a filmmaker, and speaks fluent Mandarin, having done a doctorate in economics in China. A west German leading a party that is strongest in the former communist East, she worked for Goldman Sachs and Allianz Global Investors and as a freelance business consultant before entering politics. Weidel's unusual profile, however, is precisely what makes her an asset to the AfD, say political analysts, lending a party that is suspected by authorities of being antidemocratic a veneer of well-heeled liberal respectability. She comes across as more poised and competent on various topics than some of her colleagues, they say. Her critics call her a ruthless opportunist and a "wolf in sheep's clothing". "Weidel is someone who can appeal to a broader public than the typical AfD constituency, to the middle class bourgeoisie", said Oliver Lembcke, political scientist at the University of Bochum. "She seems like the adult in the room among all these lunatics and extremists." As AfD co-leader, Weidel has overseen a surge in support for the party in recent years, benefiting from frustration with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious coalition whose collapse is set to result in a Feb. 23 snap election. The party is polling in second place on around 17%, after the conservatives on 33% but well ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats on 15%, the Greens on 14% and the pro-market Free Democrats (FDP) on 4%. This is the first time the AfD has nominated a chancellor candidate and Weidel has already acknowledged it is unlikely to enter government for now, given other parties refuse to work with it. Weidel expects this firewall to crumble by the 2029 election as voters clearly want a right-wing coalition, she told German outlet Compact. "That will be the decisive year for the AfD," said Weidel, sporting her trademark dark suit, white shirt and pearls, with her blonde hair tied back in a bun. NAZI GRANDFATHER Weidel describes her upbringing as "highly political", although her parents did not belong to any party. Her paternal grandfather had been a prominent Nazi judge, Die Welt newspaper reported last month, and the family was expelled from Silesia, now in Poland, after World War Two. The youngest of three, she recalls getting into trouble at school for being too argumentative as well as having uncomfortable encounters with Middle Eastern immigrants living in social housing in her west German town. "You don't enjoy going to the outdoor pool anymore as a teenager when people are always calling you "slut" or somesuch," she told WeltWoche. After getting two university studies in parallel, in business and economics, she joined Goldman Sachs, grew bored and moved to China to do a doctorate on the Chinese pension system while working as a business consultant. Weidel joined the AfD in 2013 over her opposition to bailouts during the euro zone crisis - before the party shifted rightwards to focus more on fighting immigration. Her status in the party cost Weidel her friendship circle, prompting the family to move towns, she told Weltwoche. An economic liberal, Weidel claims late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as her role model and wants Germany to push for a Brexit-style referendum on EU membership if it is unable to sufficiently reform the bloc to fix its "democratic deficit". A climate change sceptic, she wants to lower taxes, end the minimum wage, slim down the state and end the costly shift to a carbon neutral economy. She has also called for much tighter restrictions on immigration, tapping into a well of discontent in Germany with the large-scale arrivals from the Middle East in recent years. "Burqas, girls in headscarves, knife-wielding men on government benefits and other good-for-nothing people are not going to ensure our prosperity," Weidel told parliament in 2018 in a speech that also referenced "The Great Replacement" conspiracy theory popular among white nationalists. Versatility Her strength lies in her versatility, said Hans Vorlaender, a political scientist at Dresden University of Technology. She acts as a "moderating, well-mannered bourgeois politician" for established media, but then knows exactly how to reach her more extremist clientele elsewhere, in particular on social media. Weidel has acknowledged some friction over her personal lifestyle in a party that opposes gay marriage and expanding laws to allow same-sex couples to adopt. But she mostly does not focus on the issue of her identity - refusing to be called queer - and is adept at dealing with different wings of the party in order to maintain her position of power, tolerating rather than reining in the more extremist factions, said Lembcke. When same-sex marriage became law in Germany in 2017, she dismissed the matter as trivial compared to issues like mass migration. That same year Weidel said she was in the AfD "not despite her homosexuality but because of it" as it was the only party to address the issue of Muslim immigrants' hostility towards homosexuals, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Rashad King led Northeastern with 19 points, including the game-winning layup with three seconds remaining, and the Huskies beat Florida International 60-58 on Friday. King added eight rebounds for the Huskies (4-1). Harold Woods added 12 points while shooting 5 of 11 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line while he also had five rebounds. Vianney Salatchoum led the way for the Panthers (1-4) with 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Woods put up eight points in the first half for Northeastern, who led 30-27 at the break. King led Northeastern with 12 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .

Lisa Simpson once said during an episode of “The Simpsons:” What could be more exciting than the savage ballet that is pro football? On Monday night, the entire Simpsons universe gets to experience it in a way not many could have imagined. The prime-time matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys will also take place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “The Simpsons Funday Football” alternate broadcast. The altcast will be streamed on ESPN+, Disney+, and NFL+ (on mobile devices). ESPN and ABC have the main broadcast, while ESPN2 will carry the final “ManningCast” of the regular season. The replay will be available on Disney+ for 30 days. Globally, more than 145 countries will have access to either live or on replay. “We’re such huge football fans, and the Simpsons audience and the football audience, I feel, are like the same audience of just American families and football. And the Simpsons are so much a part of the DNA of the American family and culture that for us to, like, mush them together in this crazy video game, it’s so fun,” said Matt Selman, executive producer of “The Simpsons.” While the game is the focal point, the alternate broadcast, in some ways, will resemble a three-hour episode of “The Simpsons.” It starts with Homer eating too many hot dogs and having a dream while watching football. Homer joins the Cowboys in the dream while Bart teams up with the Bengals. Lisa and Marge will be sideline reporters. “That’s the beginning of the story, and the story continues through the entire game until Homer wakes up from his dream at the end of the game. It is like a complete story, and the NFL game will happen in between. It’s just going to be an amazing presentation with tons of surprises,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN’s VP of edit and animation. This is the second year ESPN has done an alternate broadcast for an NFL game. It used the characters from “Toy Story” for last year’s Sunday morning game from London between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. “The Simpsons” has featured many sports-themed episodes during its 35 seasons. Even though “Homer at the Bat” remains the consensus favorite sports episode for many Simpsons fans, there have been football ones such as “Bart Star” and “Lisa The Greek.” There also was a Super Bowl-themed one after Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl 33 between Denver and Atlanta in 1999. Even though “The Simpsons” remains a staple on Fox’s prime-time schedule, it is part of the Disney family after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. All 35 seasons are on Disney+. The show’s creators have worked with ESPN and the NFL to make sure the look and sound is definitely Simpsonsesque. The theme song is a mash-up of “The Simpsons” opening and “Monday Night Football’s” iconic “Heavy Action.” There have also been pre-recorded skits and bits to use during the broadcast featuring Simpson’s legendary voices Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith. The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real-time on the field. That is done through player-tracking data enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system and Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. While Next Gen Stats tracks where players are on the field with a tracking chip in the shoulder pads, there is skeletal data tracking and limb tracking data — which uses 29 points per player — to get closer to the player’s movements. The other data tracking will allow Beyond Sports and Disney to add special characters to the game. For example, there might be a play where Lisa catches the ball and goes 30 yards instead of Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins. “Lisa is much smaller than the rest of the players. So, in real life, the ball would go over her head, but now, with data processing, we can take the ball and make it go exactly into her hands. So for the viewer, it still looks believable, and it all makes sense,” said Beyond Sports co-founder Nicolaas Westerhof. The other major challenge is making “The Simpsons” two-dimensional cartoon characters into 3-D simulations. Szykowny and his team worked to make that a reality over the past couple of months. “That’s a big leap of faith for them to say, hey, we trust you to make our characters 3-D and work with it. Our ESPN creative studio team has done a wonderful job,” Szykowny said. Lisa, Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph will be with Bart and the Bengals; while Carl, Barney, Lenny and Moe join up with with Homer and the Cowboys. The broadcast will also feature ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. ESPN’s Drew Carter, Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will call the game from Bristol, Connecticut, and also be animated. They will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield using VR technology. For Kimes, being part of the broadcast and being an animated Simpsons character is a dream come true. She is a massive fan of the show and has a framed photo of Lisa Simpson — who she said is a personal hero and icon — as part of her backdrop when she makes appearances on ESPN NFL shows from her home in Los Angeles. “I didn’t have any input, and I didn’t see anything beforehand, so I wasn’t sure if it would look like me, but it kind of does, which is very funny,” said Kimes, who drew Simpsons characters when she was a kid. “To see the actual staff turn me into one was a dream.” Even though the Bengals (4-8) and Cowboys (5-7) have struggled this season, Selman thinks both teams have personalities that appeal to “The Simpsons” universe. “We were just so lucky also that the Cowboys are sort of like a Homer Simpson-type team, American team, and Mike McCarthy might be a Homer-type guy, one might imagine,” he said. ”And then you have Joe Burrow on the other side who is a cool young, spiky-haired, blonde bad boy -- he’s like Bart. And that fits our character archetypes so perfectly. “If Homer is mad at Bart and has a hot dog dream while watching ’Monday Night Football’, and then it’s basically McCarthy versus Burrow, Homer versus Bart, and that’s the simple father versus son strangling — Homer strangling Bart dynamic that has been part of the show for 35 years. I don’t know if that would have worked as well if it was like Titans versus Jacksonville. We would have found something. We would have made it work.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflMONCTON, New Brunswick, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Major Drilling Group International Inc. (“Major Drilling” or the “Company”) (TSX: MDI), a leading provider of specialized drilling services to the mining sector, today reported results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, ended October 31, 2024. “For Q2 of fiscal 2025, Major Drilling’s globally diversified operations and reputation as the driller-of-choice enabled us to maintain our revenue run rate relative to fiscal Q1, despite challenging conditions in certain markets,” commented Mr. Denis Larocque, President & CEO of Major Drilling. “We were pleased once again by our Australasian and Chilean operations, which continue to offset lower activity levels in North America, primarily driven by lower junior exploration expenditures.” “The Company delivered solid financial results for the quarter, supported by an adjusted gross margin of 30.5%. This represented an increase from 28.9% in fiscal Q1 and is in line with the 31.0% achieved over the same period last year as the Company remains focused on profitable operations and our best-in-class specialized drilling services,” commented Ian Ross, CFO of Major Drilling. “As previously disclosed, our 2021 McKay acquisition successfully met all of the EBITDA milestones in the earnout period, with the final contingent payment of $9.1 million made during the quarter. We also continue to modernize our drill fleet, having spent $20.1 million in capex, which includes the addition of 5 new drills and support equipment, while disposing of 4 older, less efficient rigs, bringing Major Drilling’s total fleet to 610 drills. Given another strong operational performance, our net cash position increased to $100.4 million at quarter end, while we continue to retain an industry leading balance sheet, enabling the acquisition of Explomin in early fiscal Q3,” concluded Mr. Ross. “With McKay continuing to demonstrate strong results in Australasia since its acquisition in 2021, our focus now turns to the integration of Explomin – a leading South American driller with operations in Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Spain. I am excited to welcome Explomin and its employees to the Major Drilling team. Their long-standing reputation, strong base of senior mining customers, and focus on specialized drilling, with its well-maintained fleet of rigs, complement our existing operations and offer further potential growth opportunities in South America,” said Mr. Larocque. “As Peru has been on our radar for quite some time given its status as the second largest copper producer, Explomin solidifies our South American presence, supplementing our existing operations in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and throughout the Guyana Shield.” “Looking ahead to our seasonally slower third quarter of fiscal 2025, we are expecting programs in North America to pause for the holiday period slightly earlier than in prior years, although this is expected to be partially offset by ongoing strength in Australia and Chile. While we will be adding revenue from the Explomin operations, we expect them to have the same usual seasonality as the rest of our South American operations. Demand from senior customers for calendar 2025 is expected to remain robust, while we are optimistic regarding the activity levels of juniors following a slight increase in financing activity. The combination of elevated commodity prices, translating to increased free cash flow generation for mining companies, coupled with depleted reserve bases, should lead to increases in demand for drilling services over the years to come.” “Our well-maintained fleet ensures that we retain utilization capacity which, combined with our optimal inventory levels and experienced crews, puts us in an excellent position to capitalize on these increased levels of demand for our drilling services. Our core strategy is to remain the leader in specialized drilling as new discoveries are made in increasingly challenging and remote locations. Our solid foundation, supplemented by ongoing technological innovation, puts us in an ideal position to take on these new and exciting challenges.” “I’m extremely proud to announce that our Canadian team was recently awarded the Safe Day Every Day Gold Award by the Association for Mineral Exploration, Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, and Canadian Diamond Drilling Association. Our Canadian team achieved over 1,146,000 hours without a lost time injury, an achievement that demonstrates our ongoing dedication to maintaining high safety standards across all projects around the world,” concluded Mr. Larocque. Finally, Major Drilling announces the resignation of Mr. Robert Krcmarov from the Board of Directors effective December 5, 2024, to focus on his new role as Chief Executive Officer of Hecla Mining Company. Kim Keating, Chair of the Board, commented: “On behalf of the Board and the leadership team at Major Drilling, I would like to congratulate Rob on this appointment, and thank him for his significant contributions during his tenure on the Board. Rob’s experience and insights were of great benefit to Major Drilling’s Board and leadership team. He was instrumental in the development of Major Drilling’s Decarbonization Action Plan and in strengthening the Company’s health and safety program, as well as his timely advice regarding the most recent acquisition of Explomin Perforaciones earlier this month. We thank Rob for his invaluable advice and wish him all the best in his new role leading Hecla Mining Company.” Total revenue for the quarter was $189.3 million, down 8.6% from revenue of $207.0 million recorded in the same quarter last year. The foreign exchange translation impact on revenue and earnings, when comparing to the effective rates for the previous year, was minimal. Revenue for the quarter from Canada – U.S. drilling operations decreased by 20.0% to $85.4 million, compared to the same period last year. While senior and intermediate activity levels increased slightly, this only partially offset the decline in demand from juniors relative to the same period last year as they continued to face challenging financing opportunities. South and Central American revenue decreased by 6.5% to $49.1 million for the quarter, compared to the same quarter last year. While operations in Chile remain robust, this was offset by slowdowns in other parts of the region. Australasian and African revenue increased by 14.4% to $54.7 million, compared to the same period last year as demand for specialized drilling services in Australia and Mongolia continue to drive growth in the region. Gross margin percentage for the quarter was 23.4%, compared to 25.3% for the same period last year. Depreciation expense totaling $13.4 million is included in direct costs for the current quarter, versus $11.8 million in the same quarter last year. Adjusted gross margin, which excludes depreciation expense, was 30.5% for the quarter, compared to 31.0% for the same period last year. Adjusted gross margin remained relatively unchanged as the Company remains disciplined with respect to pricing. General and administrative costs were $18.4 million, an increase of $0.8 million compared to the same quarter last year. This increase primarily relates to inflationary wage adjustments. Other expenses were $2.5 million, down from $3.2 million in the same quarter last year due primarily to lower incentive compensation expenses given the decreased profitability. Foreign exchange gain was $0.5 million, compared to a loss of $0.9 million for the same quarter last year. While the Company’s reporting currency is the Canadian dollar, various jurisdictions have net monetary assets or liabilities exposed to various other currencies. The income tax provision for the quarter was an expense of $6.5 million, compared to an expense of $7.4 million for the prior year period. The decrease from the prior year was driven by reduced profitability. Net earnings were $18.2 million or $0.22 per share ($0.22 per share diluted) for the quarter, compared to net earnings of $23.7 million or $0.29 per share ($0.29 per share diluted) for the prior year quarter. The Company’s financial data has been prepared in accordance with IFRS, with the exception of certain financial measures detailed below. The measures below have been used consistently by the Company’s management team in assessing operational performance on both segmented and consolidated levels, and in assessing the Company’s financial strength. The Company believes these non-IFRS financial measures are key, for both management and investors, in evaluating performance at a consolidated level and are commonly reported and widely used by investors and lending institutions as indicators of a company’s operating performance and ability to incur and service debt, and as a valuation metric. These measures do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other publicly traded companies and should not be construed as an alternative to other financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS. This news release includes certain information that may constitute “forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this news release that address future events, developments, or performance that the Company expects to occur (including management’s expectations regarding the Company’s objectives, strategies, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and businesses) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by future or conditional verbs such as “outlook”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “project”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, and terms and expressions of similar import. All forward-looking information in this news release is qualified by this cautionary note. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon various estimates and assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management related to the factors set forth below. While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this document in light of management’s experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, these statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that include, but are not limited to: the level of activity in the mining industry and the demand for the Company’s services; competitive pressures; global and local political and economic environments and conditions; the level of funding for the Company’s clients (particularly for junior mining companies); the Company’s dependence on key customers; the integration of business acquisitions and the realization of the intended benefits of such acquisitions; efficient management of the Company’s growth; exposure to currency movements (which can affect the Company’s revenue in Canadian dollars); currency restrictions; safety of the Company’s workforce; risks and uncertainties relating to climate change and natural disaster; the geographic distribution of the Company’s operations; the impact of operational changes; changes in jurisdictions in which the Company operates (including changes in regulation); failure by counterparties to fulfill contractual obligations; disease outbreak; as well as other risk factors described under “General Risks and Uncertainties” in the Company’s MD&A for the year ended April 30, 2024, available on the SEDAR+ website at . Should one or more risk, uncertainty, contingency, or other factor materialize or should any factor or assumption prove incorrect, actual results could vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements made in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events, or for any other reasons, except as required by applicable securities laws. Major Drilling Group International Inc. is the world’s leading provider of specialized drilling services primarily serving the mining industry. Established in 1980, Major Drilling has over 1,000 years of combined experience and expertise within its management team. The Company maintains field operations and offices in North America, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Major Drilling provides a complete suite of drilling services including surface and underground coring, directional, reverse circulation, sonic, geotechnical, environmental, water-well, coal-bed methane, shallow gas, underground percussive/longhole drilling, surface drill and blast, a variety of mine services, and ongoing development of data-driven, high-tech drillside solutions. Major Drilling Group International Inc. will provide a simultaneous webcast and conference call to discuss its quarterly results on Friday, December 6, 2024 at 8:00 AM (EST). To access the webcast, which includes a slide presentation, please go to the investors/webcasts section of Major Drilling’s website at www.majordrilling.com and click on the link. Please note that this is listen-only mode. To participate in the conference call, please dial 416-340-2217, participant passcode 4769038# and ask for Major Drilling’s Second Quarter Results Conference Call. To ensure your participation, please call in approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. For those unable to participate, a taped rebroadcast will be available approximately one hour after the completion of the call until Monday, January 6, 2025. To access the rebroadcast, dial 905-694-9451 and enter the passcode 1708283#. The webcast will also be archived for one year and can be accessed on the Major Drilling website at www.majordrilling.com. Ryan Hanley Director, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Tel: (506) 857-8636 Fax: (506) 857-9211 (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share information) Major Drilling Group International Inc. (the “Company”) is incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act and has its head office at 111 St. George Street, Moncton, NB, Canada. The Company’s common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”). The principal source of revenue consists of contract drilling for companies primarily involved in mining and mineral exploration. The Company has operations in North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. These Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting (“IAS 34”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and using the accounting policies as outlined in the Company’s annual Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. On December 5, 2024, the Board of Directors authorized the financial statements for issue. These Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and entities controlled by the Company. Control is achieved when the Company is exposed or has rights to variable returns from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the investee. The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the period are included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations from the effective date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. Intercompany transactions, balances, income and expenses are eliminated on consolidation, where appropriate. These Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared based on the historical cost basis, except for certain financial instruments that are measured at fair value, using the same accounting policies and methods of computation, with the exception of those detailed in note 4 below, as presented in the Company’s annual Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. The Company has not applied the following IASB standard amendment and standard that have been issued, but are not yet effective: The Company is currently in the process of assessing the impact the adoption of the above amendment and standard will have on the Consolidated Financial Statements. With the exception of the policy detailed below, all accounting policies and methods of computation remain the same as those presented in the Company’s annual Consolidation Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. Associates are companies that the Company has significant influence over and are accounted for under the equity method. Significant influence is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of the investee, but is not control or joint control over those policies. Significant influence is presumed when the Company has an ownership interest greater than 20%, unless certain qualitative factors overcome this assumption. In assessing significant influence and the ownership interest, potential voting or other rights that are currently exercisable are taken into consideration. Investments in associates are accounted for using the equity method and are initially recognized at cost, inclusive of transaction costs. The Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the Company’s share of the income or loss and equity movement of equity accounted associates. The Company does not recognize losses exceeding the carrying value of its interest in the associate. The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with IFRS, requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that are not readily apparent from other sources, which affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods, if the revision affects both current and future periods. Significant areas requiring the use of management estimates relate to the useful lives of property, plant and equipment for depreciation purposes, inventory valuation, determination of income and other taxes, recoverability of deferred income tax assets, assumptions used in compilation of share-based payments, provisions, contingent considerations, impairment testing of goodwill and intangible assets and long-lived assets. The Company applied judgment in determining the functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries, the determination of cash-generating units (“CGUs”), the degree of componentization of property, plant and equipment, the recognition of provisions, the determination of the probability that deferred income tax assets will be realized from future taxable earnings, and the determination of whether the Company exerts significant influence with respect to its investment in associate under the equity accounting method. The third quarter (November to January) is normally the Company’s weakest quarter due to the shutdown of mining and exploration activities, often for extended periods over the holiday season. Capital expenditures for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 were $20,073 (2023 – $17,443) and $41,324 (2023 – $33,717). The Company did not obtain direct financing for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 or 2023. On July 22, 2024, the Company purchased shares in DGI Geoscience Inc. (“DGI”) for $15,000 in cash consideration, a 39.8% equity interest (that provides the Company with 42.3% of the voting rights). DGI and its subsidiaries are privately held entities, headquartered in Canada, focused on downhole survey and imaging services as well as using artificial intelligence for logging scanned rock samples. In addition to the equity interest, Major Drilling’s representation on the DGI Board of Directors gives the Company significant influence over DGI. While there are special approval rights granted to the Company as part of the investment, these are more protective in nature and therefore, would not result in control, or joint control of DGI. As a result, the Company concluded that the equity method of accounting is appropriate for its investment in DGI. During the prior quarter, the Company incurred costs of $205 for this investment, relating to external legal fees and due diligence costs. These amounts have been recorded as part of the cost of the investment in associate in the Interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. In the current quarter, the Company’s earnings from investment in associate is $27. During the prior year, for the three and six months ended October 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 875,268 and 1,020,568 common shares, respectively, at an average price of $8.31 and $8.40, respectively, under its Normal Course Issuer Bid. Direct costs by nature are as follows: General and administrative expenses by nature are as follows: The income tax provision for the periods can be reconciled to accounting earnings before income tax as follows: The Company periodically assesses its liabilities and contingencies for all tax years open to audit based upon the latest information available. For those matters where it is probable that an adjustment will be made, the Company records its best estimate of these tax liabilities, including related interest charges. Inherent uncertainties exist in estimates of tax contingencies due to changes in tax laws. While management believes they have adequately provided for the probable outcome of these matters, future results may include favourable or unfavourable adjustments to these estimated tax liabilities in the period the assessments are made, or resolved, or when the statutes of limitations lapse. All of the Company’s earnings are attributable to common shares, therefore, net earnings are used in determining earnings per share. The calculation of diluted earnings per share for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024 excludes the effect of 200,000 options for both periods (2023 – 297,000 and 205,000, respectively) as they were not in-the-money. The total number of shares outstanding on October 31, 2024 was 81,842,086 (2023 – 82,093,486). The Company’s operations are divided into the following three geographic segments, corresponding to its management structure: Canada – U.S.; South and Central America; and Australasia and Africa. The services provided in each of the reportable segments are essentially the same. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the Company’s annual Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended April 30, 2024. Management evaluates performance based on earnings from operations in these three geographic segments before finance costs, general corporate expenses and income taxes. Data relating to each of the Company’s reportable segments is presented as follows: *Canada – U.S. includes revenue of $25,695 and $34,074 for Canadian operations for the three months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively and $57,543 and $70,762 for the six months ended October 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. **General and corporate expenses include expenses for corporate offices and stock-based compensation. *Canada – U.S. includes property, plant and equipment as at October 31, 2024 of $64,041 (April 30, 2024 – $62,991) for Canadian operations. The carrying values of cash, trade and other receivables, demand credit facilities and trade and other payables approximate their fair value due to the relatively short period to maturity of the instruments. The carrying value of contingent consideration and long-term debt approximates their fair value as the interest applicable is reflective of fair market rates. Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified and disclosed in one of the following categories: The Company enters into certain derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks, comprised of share-price forward contracts with a combined notional amount of $8,654, maturing at varying dates through June 2027. The fair value hierarchy requires the use of observable market inputs whenever such inputs exist. A financial instrument is classified to the lowest level of the hierarchy for which a significant input has been considered in measuring fair value. The Company’s derivatives, with fair values as follows, are classified as level 2 financial instruments and recorded in trade and other receivables (payables) in the Interim Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. There were no transfers of amounts between level 1, level 2 and level 3 financial instruments for the three and six months ended October 31, 2024. As at October 31, 2024, 96.1% (April 30, 2024 – 95.9%) of the Company’s trade receivables were aged as current and 3.5% (April 30, 2024 – 3.5%) of the trade receivables were impaired. The movements in the allowance for impairment of trade receivables during the periods were as follows: As at October 31, 2024, the most significant carrying amounts of net monetary assets and/or liabilities (which may include intercompany balances with other subsidiaries) that: (i) are denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the respective Company subsidiary; and (ii) cause foreign exchange rate exposure, including the impact on earnings before income taxes (“EBIT”), if the corresponding rate changes by 10%, are as follows (in $000s CAD): The following table details contractual maturities for the Company’s financial liabilities: On November 5, 2024, the Company completed the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Explomin Perforaciones (“Explomin”), a leading specialty drilling contractor based in Lima, Peru. This acquisition provides Major Drilling with increased exposure to the copper market as Explomin is one of the largest South American drilling contractors, with the majority of their operations in Peru, while also servicing markets in Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Spain. The purchase price for the acquisition is valued at an amount up to US$85 million, consisting of: (i) a cash payment of US$63 million payable on closing, subject to working capital adjustments; and (ii) an earnout of up to US$22 million payable in cash over the next three years, based on the achievement of certain milestones. The cash portion of the purchase price has been funded from Major Drilling’s cash and existing debt facilities.

NGM partners with Quaise Energy on deep geothermal pilot plant

BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM news outlet reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The insurgency announced later Saturday that it had taken over Homs. The city's capture is a major victory for the rebels, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said rebel control of Homs would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad's erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar; and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.

Top 25 College Hoops Picks Against the Spread – Sunday, November 24

In the aftermath of the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson , while Thompson’s colleagues grieve and politicians decry his murder, some online discussion has shown little sympathy for Thompson or the industry he represented. Instead, social media has been in engulfed in expressions of anger at many Americans’ dire experiences at the hands of health insurance companies and outrage at the large profits that they generate. That belies the shock also generated by the brutality of Thompson’s death. The killing appeared premeditated and calculated. A gunman dressed in black waited for Thompson outside the midtown Manhattan Hilton where he was scheduled to speak at an investor’s meeting, approached him from behind with a handgun fitted with a silencer, and shot and killed the executive, according to police. He fled on an ebike into Central Park. A manhunt is ongoing. The motive is unknown. Andrew Witty, CEO of the parent company, UnitedHealth Group, called the attack “a terrible tragedy” in a message sent to company employees and shared with the Guardian. “Our hearts are with his family, especially his mom, his wife Paulie, his brother and his two boys, who lost a father today,” Witty said. Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic US Senator from Minnesota, described the killing as “a horrifying and shocking act of violence”. But in contrast, one commenter on CNN’s Instagram post about Thompson’s death wrote: “Can’t find the room to care over my daughter’s $60,000 cancer treatment. Thoughts and prayers.” Another said: “An innocent victim was gunned down in cold blood. Have a heart regardless of your health insurance.” Vacillating between the condemnation of violence and dark humor, celebratory memes and outright violent rhetoric, comments on social media highlight the deep and often unpleasant connection Americans have with their own health system. An expert in political violence told the Guardian he sees this as part of the US’s growing acceptance of violence as a way to settle civil disputes. “Now the norms of violence are spreading into the commercial sector,” said Robert Pape, director of the University of Chicago’s project on security and threats. “That’s what I saw when I saw this.” Although the motive for the killing is unknown, it has not stopped rampant speculation that there was an obvious candidate – Thompson’s work in corporate health insurance. That speculation was only furthered by the discovery of shell casings scrawled with the words “deny”, “depose” and “defend” in permanent marker. “What I think we’re really experiencing as a country is the erosion against norms,” said Pape, with the little sympathy among the “body politic” expressed in social media as one more example. “That means, basically, seeing violence as the more normal tool, or acceptable tool, to resolve what should be straightforward civil disputes resolved in nonviolent ways.” Thompson’s killing also laid bare the threat that healthcare executives face in a season of American violence – from insurers to pharma to hospitals . “It doesn’t seem paranoid to worry that someone who’s had services denied that they may believe are important might be in an emotionally unstable state and could take some action,” Michael Sherman, former chief medical officer at Point32Health, told Stat , a health industry publication. “The most likely targets would be the chief medical officer ... or the CEO.” Comments online did not single out Thompson, a 50-year-old licensed accountant who reportedly kept a low profile . Instead, they were targeted at an industry often seen as a despised fact of life in America. Comments laced “jokes” with the sting of denial, delay, debt and impenetrable bureaucracy, all ubiquitous and reviled experiences for the throngs of Americans who are now or have been insured through a private company. Another comment: “Does he have a history of shootings? Denied coverage.” Ranked by size, UnitedHealth Group is one of the biggest companies in the world. Measured by its market capitalization of $539bn it tops household names such as Mastercard and ExxonMobil. The company is one of the biggest private insurers in the nation, providing health coverage to more than 50 million Americans spanning employer insurance all the way to the elderly through Medicare Advantage. Thompson ran the insurance division of the company as a reportedly longtime employee who kept a low profile. With an enormous footprint, it is also the subject of near constant scrutiny. Thompson himself was part of an investigation into insider trading at the company. Early this year, after the Department of Justice began an inquiry into monopolistic practices, executives at United sold $101m in stocks, including Thompson, who sold $15m, before the public became aware of the investigation, according to Crain’s New York Business . Witty was hauled in for congressional testimony over a cyber-attack in February that caused severe disruptions across the healthcare industry. UnitedHealthcare has been criticized as denying care to vulnerable patients . While security executives for leading Fortune 500 companies gathered on Wednesday, others marveled in public that Thompson was unaccompanied on his way to the annual investor conference. Michael Julian, CEO of MPS Security & Protection, told Axios that he “was shocked the guy didn’t have a protective detail”, implying that a head of an American healthcare giant would be an obvious target for the potentially aggrieved. “Whether this technically will fit the pigeonhole of political violence or not, it obviously will be an important issue,” said Pape, whose recent study showed a dramatic increase in instances of violent threats against both Democrats and Republicans since about 2017, the beginning of the first Trump term. “But it also misses the bigger picture of what’s been happening in our country.”

December 7 - Jaylen Blakes, Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers combined for 35 points in a 47-point, first half explosion Saturday afternoon and Stanford ran away from California for an 89-81 Atlantic Coast Conference road win in Berkeley, Calif. Raynaud and Blakes finished with 20 points apiece for the Cardinal (8-2, 1-0 ACC), who won their first ever game in ACC competition. Andrej Stojakovic had a game-high 25 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 14 for the Golden Bears (6-3, 0-1), who dropped their second in a row after a 6-1 start. Playing just its second true road game of the season, Stanford scored 14 of the game's first 18 points and never looked back. Raynaud and Ryan Agarwal hit 3-pointers in the run. Blakes had 14 points, Raynaud 11 and Sellers 10 in the first half, which ended with Stanford in front 47-31. Cal was still down 81-65, after two free throws by Stanford's Chisom Okpara with 3:58 remaining before making a little run. Mady Sissoko converted a three-point play and Rytis Petraitis and Joshua Ola-Joseph connected on consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 flurry that made it a seven-point game with still 2:13 to go. It got as close as six when Stojakovic drilled a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, but Okpara and Blakes dropped in late layups to keep the hosts at arm's length. Seven of the nine Cardinal who saw action hit at least half his field goal attempts, led by Raynaud's 8-for-15 and Blakes' 7-for-13. Stanford finished 52.6 percent as a team. Both were deadly from the 3-point line as well, with Raynaud going 4-for-6 and Blakes 2-for-4. With Sellers adding 3-for-6, the Cardinal made 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Raynaud also found time for five blocks, while Agarwal and Aidan Cammann shared Stanford rebound honors with seven. Blakes complemented his 20 points with a team-high six assists and two blocks. The Cardinal registered 19 assists on 30 baskets, while Cal had just five on its 30 hoops. Agarwal and Okpara each also scored in double figures with 11 points. Facing his old team for the first time after transferring to Cal over the summer, Stojakovic shot 11-for-25. The Golden Bears finished at 42.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent (8 of 21) on 3-pointers. Ola-Joseph and Sissoko, who had 11 points, were the game's leading rebounders with eight apiece. -Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabFrom hidden gnomes to a paw print walk, there are plenty of fun family things to do in and around Mansfield, Victoria, once the stomping ground of notorious bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang. Tucked away in the shadows of Mount Buller and Mount Stirling and near Lake Eildon and Lake Nillahcootie, it’s a 2.5-hour drive from Melbourne and a great holiday destination. Here are nine fun things to do. Mansfield Zoo Hands-on animal care... Mansfield Zoo. Credit: Tourism North East Watch cute meerkats scamper around and you can help feed friendly deer and kangaroos at the Mansfield Zoo, which was opened by Bronwen Wilson and David Murphy, in 2000. Spread over 12 hectares with views of the pretty Delatite Valley, it is home to more than 200 exotic and native animals. Two white lions, brothers Djuma and Matimba, rule here and in school holidays and weekends feeding time is 1.30pm daily. Picnic or barbecue in the grounds and roll out your swag or tent from September to May and sleep under the stars, serenaded by animal choruses. See mansfieldzoo.com.au Mansfield Maze Planted in 2016, today the maze is thriving. Hidden gnomes, intriguing pixie faces and fairy crossings feature at the Mansfield High Country Gallery, Gardens and Maze. Planted in 2006 in a bare paddock, the thriving maze survived six tough years of drought and now has hedging reaching more than two metres – it’s the perfect place to get lost in. Present owners Nicky Goudberg and Tony Pridham – an awarded wildlife and bird artist and nephew of the famous artist Sidney Nolan, have opened an art gallery and cafe with grazing platters and sweet treats. You can also bring your own picnic and enjoy in a shaded lawn area. See highcountrymaze.com.au Mansfield Botanic Park Fancy a game of hide and seek in the gardens or maybe jump on the dual flying fox at the new kids’ park, where native and introduced trees flourish. Fords Creek meanders by and there’s a water park for those hot days. Skateboarders of all ages will love the nearby Mansfield Skatepark with its roll-ins, quarter pipes, ledges, a metal non -vert half pipe and curved and straight rails plus a climbing wall – some of which is in the shade. Rail Trail Mullum Wetlands at Mansfield Rail Trail. Cyclists of all ages are well catered for with many trails – the Great Victorian Rail Trail stretches 134 kilometres from Tallarook to Mansfield, taking in some beautiful high country. You can tackle a small section of the trail and e-bikes can be hired in Mansfield. The trail passes through the Trawool Valley and the towns of Yea, Alexandra, Yarck and Bonnie Doon. Highlights include the Cheviot Tunnel and Bonnie Doon Bridge spanning Lake Eildon. Watch out for beautiful birdlife, pretty farmland and stands of ancient red gums. See greatvictorianrailtrail.com.au Jamieson Paw Walk The tiny town of Jamieson, a former gold mining haven, about 30 minutes from Mansfield has a 2.8-kilometre Paw Prints Walk. Follow the cute paw prints for a fun and educational treasure hunt through the beautiful town beside the Jamieson and Goulburn Rivers. Pick up a map and questionnaire at the Jamieson Caravan Park reception and follow the blue paw prints along the river and up into the bush while learning about local wildlife. It takes between 45 minutes and two hours, depending on age, walking speed and snack breaks. Suitable for families with children aged five years and over. Picnic Pick up a hamper laden with local goodies from The Produce Store in Mansfield – the store dates back to 1895 and has been a furniture auction room and a greengrocer, now it showcases the best and freshest locally made produce and is great for a meal or treat. Great picnic spots include Bracks Bridge, about 20 minutes from Mansfield, which has shallow water and rock pools. There are picnic tables and lots of shade. Mirimbah Park is another favourite spot with shallow waters of the Delatite River and there’s a barbecue and playground. BullerRoo Lush vistas at BullerRoo Luxury Chalet. Help feed the cutest miniature pygmy goats called Misty, Tassie and Mr Tipples, plus some friendly alpacas at BullerRoo that offers a slick two-bedroom chalet style retreat with stunning vistas of Mount Buller, The Paps, the rolling Barwite Valley and the Broken River. Located 15 minutes from Mansfield, it’s set on nine hectares and there’s also the cute colonial-style Stone Cottage House that sleeps six, set in established gardens. Spy on birds, kangaroos, wombats and deer and you can throw in a line in the nearby river where trout hide. See bullerroo.com.au Gnomes Roam and House Credit: Tourism North East Catch a glimpse of those cute gnomes on the Mount Buller Road where there’s a Gnomes Crossing sign then continue to the Mount Buller Gnome House. Kids can even leave a letter for the gnomes in a special letterbox. Pick up a self-guided tour of the Mount Buller gnomes’ life on the mountain and learn about their favourite places to play and all about gnome life. Gnome stickers are available at the Alpine Centre. In the footsteps of bushrangers Ned Kelly and his gang roamed the Mansfield area – three policemen killed at Stringybark Creek are buried in Mansfield Cemetery. There is also an impressive marble monument to them in the main street which was funded by public donation. The proclamation resulting in the Gang members being declared outlaws was made from the steps of the Mansfield Courthouse on 15 November 1878. And there’s more Test your putting skills at Mansfield mini-golf. Mansfield also has mini golf, a movie theatre, bike tracks and art galleries. The Mansfield Lantern Festival, celebrating the longest night of the year, is held each June (June 21 in 2025), with a light parade, stalls and entertainment. See mansfieldlanternfestival.com.au The writer was a guest of Victoria’s High Country. How we travel Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Mansfield Victoria Australia Sue Wallace is an Albury-based freelance travel writer who loves writing about country ventures, luxury stays, cruising and dining and the journeys to get there. Most viewed on Traveller Loading

Octopus Energy customers have been told they could save £300 on their energy bills. It's part of a heating upgrade grant being handed to 300,000 homes by the Government. Selected homes across the UK will be handed £7,500 each to replace their boilers with heat pumps in 2025. Experts say a heat pump saves customers as much as £100 a year off bills, while insulation can take another £200 off, the costs of which are covered by the scheme. It comes as energy bills are due to rise again in January, with the typical household paying £21 a year more. The Government has relaxed planning regulations to allow heat pumps to be installed more quickly, while insulation will also be offered to more homes as part of the scheme in a bid to ensure more will take up the offer and ditch their boilers. READ MORE: Five DWP benefits being scrapped before 2025 Get our best money saving tips and hacks by signing up to our newsletter POLL: Do you agree with the DWP taking money from bank accounts or wages? Octopus has told its customers they could save £300 by using a heat pump, the Express reports , amid a national push to reduce boiler usage. The Government said: “Households install an air source heat pump without needing to submit a planning application in England – removing the 1m rule, with figures from Octopus showing 34% of those who order a heat pump are discouraged or drop out for reasons attributed to planning permission. “Working alongside the Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, the Warm Homes Plan will ensure millions more households benefit from homegrown energy delivered by every new turbine, solar panel or pylon built on the path to energy independence. This includes boosting the budget for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to support more households switch to a heat pump – which can save families around £100 a year compared to a gas boiler by using a smart tariff effectively, and insulating more homes across the country – potentially saving homeowners around £200 per year.” Octopus' price comparison shows households will save £300 a year on average on its Octopus Cosy heat pump tariff against using a traditional boiler on Flexible Octopus, at £1,391 per year instead of £1,691. Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, said: “More than a third of customers who order a heat pump drop out because of planning issues, leaving them stuck with dirty, inefficient gas boilers. "Removing outdated and unnecessary red tape is an urgent priority to grow this sector and get low cost, safe, clean heating technology into British homes.”ISLAMABAD: In a landmark step toward judicial reform, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi chaired a pivotal meeting at the Supreme Court’s Peshawar Branch Registry the other day. The meeting resolved to form a sub-committee dedicated to reforming prison systems in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and drafting a comprehensive package of reforms, said a press release issued on Saturday. The sub-committee, led by Justice Ijaz Anwar Khan of the Peshawar High Court, includes retired Justice Qalandar Ali Khan, social worker Ms. Ayesha Bano and members from both government and opposition, alongside representatives from the Inspector General of Prisons and the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP). This committee will assess prison conditions, address issues of under-trial prisoners, and propose rehabilitative programs like vocational training, mental health support, and education to prepare inmates for reintegration into society. These efforts aim to align provincial reforms with a forthcoming National Jail Reform Policy, ensuring a fairer, more humane criminal justice system nationwide. Justice Yahya Afridi praised the Peshawar High Court for releasing 1,289 prisoners involved in petty crimes and lauded the bravery of KP Police in countering terrorist threats. He also emphasized the urgent need to upgrade forensic science facilities to strengthen evidence-based investigations. The meeting, attended by prominent judicial and administrative leaders, including KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel and Inspector General Police Akhtar Hayat Khan, also prayed for victims of a recent tragedy in Kurram. The National Jail Reform Policy aims to establish a rehabilitative, transparent, and constitutionally compliant correctional framework aligned with international standards. This collaborative initiative marks a significant step towards addressing inefficiencies in Pakistan’s criminal justice system. Read More: CJP Yahya Afridi chairs Judicial Commission’s maiden session Earlier on November 5, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) meeting held today with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi in chair, ARY News reported on Tuesday. Senior Puisne Judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Aminuddin Khan were among the Supreme Court judges attended the session. The meeting was also attended by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Pakistan Bar Council’s representative Advocate Akhtar Hussain, People’s Party’s Farooq H Naik, PML-N’s Shaikh Aftab Ahmed and Roshan Khurshid Barrucha. The meeting discussed the agenda items, including formation of Constitutional Benches and the setup of the Judicial Commission’s Secretariat. Chief Justice Yahya Afridi had summoned the maiden Judicial Commission of Pakistan meeting on November 5 (today). Earlier, the Supreme Court’s full court had vowed to decide around 60,000 pending cases at the earliest.Israel, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting

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The Ducks lugged a four-game points streak in tow as they prepared to welcome the Seattle Kraken for the front half of a home-and-home set. It will begin Monday at Honda Center before migrating northward for its second leg on Wednesday in Seattle. Last season, the teams also faced off twice in three days, with both those games being played in Seattle. The Kraken won both by an aggregate score of 8-2 as part of a four-game season sweep, though neither team ended up qualifying for the postseason. This year, they’re both at exactly .500, thanks to recent surges –– the Ducks are 4-1-1 in their past six games and the Kraken are 5-2-0 in their last seven –– with designs on pushing upward in the Pacific Division standings. They’re also both coming off disappointing losses, with the Ducks blowing a two-goal lead to fall 3-2 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and the Kraken coming up with too little, too late in the way of both offense and energy against the Kings on Saturday. Buffalo was opportunistic, twice dredging up goals from rebounds and scoring another off a turnover. For the Ducks’ part, they missed opportunities to shoot the puck, in some cases from prime scoring areas, once more. “We’ve still got to shoot the puck more,” Coach Greg Cronin said. “In the first period, I think Leo (Carlsson) had a 2-on-1 and the (defenseman) shaded towards (Alex Killorn), and he still passed. I think (Pavel Mintyukov) had one in the slot and he didn’t shoot it. It’s a strange mentality.” While Cronin lamented his team’s unwillingness to shoot yet again, former Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour was flummoxed by his Seattle teammates’ lack of pop in a loss to the Kings that he prevented from being a shutout with a goal in the final two minutes of the match. While Montour liked his squad’s late push, he thought they needed more hunger and consistency alike against the Ducks. “These games, we’ve got to be up for. Anaheim’s up next, we’ve got to come with desperation and get those points,” Montour said. Montour had nearly put the Kraken on the board with a booming one-timer and a second-chance effort that pinged the post in a game where his motor, wheels, and open throttle were on full display. Since his departure via trade in 2019, Montour has established himself firmly in the NHL. After parts of three seasons, including two truncated ones, in Buffalo, Montour moved onto the Florida Panthers. There, he scored a career-high 73 points two seasons ago, when the Panthers’ Cinderella run carried them to the Stanley Cup Final. Last season, they won the Cup in a contract year for Montour, who inked a seven-year, $50 million contract with Seattle as a free agent. He leads Seattle in defensive scoring and Jared McCann is its pace car when it comes to points. Another top offensive talent, Jordan Eberle, underwent pelvic surgery on Friday and was expected to miss around three months of action. Goalie Joey Daccord ranks in the league’s top 10 for both save percentage and goals-against average.

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Letter: United Way supports librariesJaylen Blakes, Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers combined for 35 points in a 47-point, first half explosion Saturday afternoon and Stanford ran away from California for an 89-81 Atlantic Coast Conference road win in Berkeley, Calif. Raynaud and Blakes finished with 20 points apiece for the Cardinal (8-2, 1-0 ACC), who won their first ever game in ACC competition. Andrej Stojakovic had a game-high 25 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 14 for the Golden Bears (6-3, 0-1), who dropped their second in a row after a 6-1 start. Playing just its second true road game of the season, Stanford scored 14 of the game's first 18 points and never looked back. Raynaud and Ryan Agarwal hit 3-pointers in the run. Blakes had 14 points, Raynaud 11 and Sellers 10 in the first half, which ended with Stanford in front 47-31. Cal was still down 81-65, after two free throws by Stanford's Chisom Okpara with 3:58 remaining before making a little run. Mady Sissoko converted a three-point play and Rytis Petraitis and Joshua Ola-Joseph connected on consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 flurry that made it a seven-point game with still 2:13 to go. It got as close as six when Stojakovic drilled a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, but Okpara and Blakes dropped in late layups to keep the hosts at arm's length. Seven of the nine Cardinal who saw action hit at least half his field goal attempts, led by Raynaud's 8-for-15 and Blakes' 7-for-13. Stanford finished 52.6 percent as a team. Both were deadly from the 3-point line as well, with Raynaud going 4-for-6 and Blakes 2-for-4. With Sellers adding 3-for-6, the Cardinal made 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Raynaud also found time for five blocks, while Agarwal and Aidan Cammann shared Stanford rebound honors with seven. Blakes complemented his 20 points with a team-high six assists and two blocks. The Cardinal registered 19 assists on 30 baskets, while Cal had just five on its 30 hoops. Agarwal and Okpara each also scored in double figures with 11 points. Facing his old team for the first time after transferring to Cal over the summer, Stojakovic shot 11-for-25. The Golden Bears finished at 42.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent (8 of 21) on 3-pointers. Ola-Joseph and Sissoko, who had 11 points, were the game's leading rebounders with eight apiece. -Field Level MediaEven with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight