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UCF will attempt to shake off a dreadful offensive performance when it collides with LSU on Sunday afternoon in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The Knights (4-1) couldn't get anything going against No. 19 Wisconsin on Friday, going 21-for-62 from the field (33.9 percent) and just 2-for-17 from 3-point range (11.8 percent) en route to an 86-70 loss. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with 13 points while Keyshawn Hall and Dior Johnson added 11 apiece for UCF, which never led and fell behind by as many as 23. Knights coach Johnny Dawkins is hoping that his team's struggles don't carry over into the meeting with the Tigers (4-1). "We have to do better offensively," Dawkins said. "We have to space the floor better. We have to balance our offense between our perimeter and our bigs. Those are things that we didn't do consistently (on Friday)." LSU also needs to clean things up after committing 15 turnovers in a 74-63 setback against Pitt on Friday. Tigers forward Jalen Reed doesn't believe giving the ball away will be a lingering issue. "I feel like a lot of our turnovers were more on us than them," Reed said. "I feel like a lot of the turnovers were careless, but we're a better team than that and I feel like we'll take care of the ball better moving forward." Reed and Vyctorius Miller each posted 14 points in the loss to the Panthers, with Reed also hauling in seven rebounds. Cam Carter chipped in 11 points. Carter is putting up a team-leading 16.4 points per game. Jordan Sears (12.0 points per game), Reed (11.0) and Miller (10.2) also have scoring averages in double figures. Ivy-Curry (16.8 points per game), Hall (16.2) and Darius Johnson (13.0) have been leading the way for UCF. Sunday marks the first-ever meeting between the Knights and Tigers. --Field Level MediaOn Monday I got a call about Dr Yang Hengjun’s worsening health and the latest humiliating mistreatment of him in prison. We hoped that it would be raised at the Xi-Albanese meeting early Tuesday morning Australian time. Given last week’s odd praise for PM Albanese by the state-owned outlet China Daily, we had to make sure there was no fear of loss of face by bringing up something contentious, and which highlighted our differences. It was out of character for China Daily to praise a Western leader, and sweet talk from the government mouthpiece should make one suspicious. Was it a sophisticated insult ("high-class tar" as Chinese slang goes) to divide and conquer our political landscape, or to soften Australia into giving up something at the G20 summit? We hope our prime minister leveraged China’s "goodwill" to press hard on helping Dr Yang. As someone who was locked up in the same place as Dr Yang, I know the weight of each word that comes out of incarceration, especially regarding hunger, health, deprivation. The words of suffering are distilled and compressed, and sometimes it feels like throwing stones into a valley and hoping for a small echo. As someone who also had no voice and was helped by journalists, media outlets, politicians and ordinary people, I am duty-bound to speak up for Dr Yang. In his July 21 letter to family obtained and translated by Sky News Australia, Dr Yang tells of his difficult transition to jail life - saying he still prefers the scorching sun to the "comfort" of air-conditioned detention. It is heartbreaking to read that "in February 2024, when I was taken to the Beijing Intermediate Court for sentencing, both my experience and the judgment of experienced lawyers indicated that I would be sentenced to at most five years". "But the result was (suspended) death sentence with reprieve. When I returned to the detention centre, I told my cellmates, and they thought I was joking, but I just walked around for two hours without reading a book, which convinced them," the letter continues. "Because for the past five years, unless I was following the rules (sitting on the wooden plank bed and doing nothing else) or eating or exercising, I had never spent ten minutes without reading." When the footage of China bundling British journalists away from the Starmer-Xi meeting at the G20 summit came out this week, I had a sense of déjà vu. Just like when I was blocked from the cameras during Chinese premier Li Qiang’s visit. It's that same disregard of journalists as if swatting flies away, the same indifference to how it looks in the world media, because none of this will show up in the alternate universe created by the Great Firewall of China. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong democracy sentencings also hit close to home. My friend Kevin Yam, who has a $1 million HK dollar bounty on his head, laments that it could just as well be him behind bars instead of the others. Gordon Ng, an Australian citizen, who went to Waverley Secondary and then UNSW, was sentenced to seven years and three months for helping to publicise Hong Kong's primary elections, for believing in free and fair elections to counterbalance tyranny. Would he be forgotten by the Australian government because he has dual citizenship? Forgotten by the Australian people because he doesn't have an ocker personality? If we are to balance Australia’s interests with our values, we should fairly and openly call out behaviours breaching our standards just as often as we talk up our trading relationship with China – or can we? Are our values worth $320 billion? While Xi told Biden on November 16 about the uncrossable four red lines – "the Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China’s path and system, China’s development right", there were more random hate crimes out of China. Another car ramming – this time at a primary school in Hunan, coming on top of last week’s horrific rampage at a sports centre in Zhuhai. Plus a disgruntled tech school graduate stabbing fellow students in Jiangsu province. It adds to a tragic list and has come to be known as the "Xianzhong" phenomenon, in reference to a Ming dynasty. The nightmarish footage of blood being pressure-hosed in Zhuhai reminded me of a recent seminar I went to. Wang Dan, 1989 Tiananmen protest leader, spoke on China’s current mood, and pointed to a song called ‘Big Dream’ which had gone viral in China for capturing the zeitgeist. It is a melancholic song that goes through a Chinese person’s life from the age of 6 to 88 - the refrain "so what do I do?" echoing the helplessness and desperation many feel in the face of unemployment, lack of housing, difficulty in finding a partner and unaffordable healthcare. So far the song hasn’t been censored because it doesn’t openly criticise the regime, but the title does cock an ironic brow at president Xi’s "China Dream". Given the strains of government finances, the faint drummings of war (both military and trade), a decidedly challenging future with an ageing population and underfunded social welfare, state controls have become tighter on expression of simmering discontent, even at the risk of ruptures that we are seeing. On Saturday I took my kids to see a performance at the Melbourne Arts Centre called 'Made in China 2.0', it is brilliant, moving, entertaining and thought-provoking. But the creator, who is Chinese, asked everyone not to share online what the show is about – because what has happened to me may happen to him. The next day I met him and exiled Chinese writer Murong Xuecun. Our discussion turned to "How to prepare for Chinese incarceration" which entails everything from fattening up to having multiple copies of signed power of attorney for human rights lawyers and drafted statements to be released at each stage of the judicial process. It is darkly funny but also a serious necessity for anyone critical of the Chinese regime in China. For those of us who don’t have to fear incarceration, if we don’t speak up, we are wasting our freedom of speech.far far far slot game online 。

Just how little can you spend and still get a new car with a three-pointed star, spinning propeller or four rings on the grille? At just over $36,000 before on-road costs, the most affordable Audi – the A1 30 TFSI – is around $20,000 cheaper than the least expensive BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Volvo. That makes it the most affordable vehicle from the 12 luxury brands operating in Australia. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today For this exercise, we’re drawing a distinction between luxury brands like Audi and ultra-luxury or exotic brands like Aston Martin, where the most affordable models are deep in six-digit territory. Of the 12 vehicles here, all bar two have a base price under $100,000 before on-road costs. Click on a car’s name above to jump directly to its information on this page, or continue scrolling for the full list. Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti The Alfa Romeo Tonale range opens at $50,900 before on-road costs. That makes it $4910 more expensive than the most affordable version of the Jeep Compass , which the Tonale is related to. Standard equipment includes matrix LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The front seats are manually adjustable as standard, though there’s power lumbar for the driver’s seat. Upholstery is a mix of cloth and leatherette. Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and traffic sign recognition; features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are optional on the Ti and standard on the Veloce. The Tonale Ti and Veloce use a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system. The engine produces 118kW and 240Nm, while the electric motor produces 15kW and 55Nm; claimed fuel economy is 5.6L/100km. It’s front-wheel drive and uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, though Alfa Romeo offers a flagship Veloce PHEV Q4 that features a 1.3-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain with 208kW of power and all-wheel drive. The Tonale can run on pure electric power at low speeds, much like a conventional hybrid. Those seeking pure electric power to last their commute, however, will need to step up to the PHEV which offers 60.5km of WLTP range. Launched in 2023, the Tonale has quickly become Alfa Romeo’s best seller in Australia – though not by a huge margin. To the end of October, Alfa Romeo has sold 224 Tonales this year, making it marginally more popular than the Giulia (176 sales). It won’t be Alfa Romeo’s smallest model for long, with the Junior arriving in 2025 as a new entry-level SUV for the Italian brand. It may also become Alfa Romeo’s most affordable model here. Interested in buying an Alfa Romeo Tonale? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Alfa Romeo Tonale Audi A1 30 TFSI The Audi A1 is an upscale cousin to the Volkswagen Polo , and has no direct competition from BMW or Mercedes-Benz. Its days are numbered, with Audi having previously confirmed it won’t be replaced. The entry-level 30 TFSI, priced at $36,200 before on-road costs, features a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine producing 85kW of power and 200Nm of torque, mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic – the same powertrain found in the Polo. Claimed fuel economy is 5.4L/100km on the combined cycle. More expensive A1s offer 110kW/250Nm and 147kW/320Nm turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The base 30 TFSI isn’t flashy, riding on 16-inch alloy wheels and featuring halogen headlights. Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keep assist. Inside, there are manually adjustable front seats with cloth upholstery. There’s manual air-conditioning and a basic 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, though you can upgrade your base A1 with packages that bring Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels. Though it’s the most affordable Audi in Australia, it’s far from being the most popular. To the end of October, Audi has sold more than 10 times as many A3s as it has A1s, with just 174 examples of the light hatch being delivered. Interested in buying an Audi A1? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Audi A1 BMW 118 BMW has just launched its new-generation 1 Series hatchback, which in base 118 guise is priced at $56,500 before on-roads. This model uses a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine producing 115kW and 230Nm, mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Claimed fuel economy is 6.4L/100km, though you’ll need to fill the 118 up with 98-octane premium unleaded fuel. Even this most affordable 1 Series gets adaptive suspension, as well as a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and leatherette-upholstered seats that are heated up front. Standard safety equipment includes blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and rear cross-traffic alert. If you want more power, you can step up to the all-wheel drive M135 xDrive with its 233kW/400Nm turbo 2.0-litre four. It’s a big jump, however, with the M135 xDrive priced at $82,500 before on-roads. Interested in buying a BMW 1 Series? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything BMW 1 Series Cadillac Lyriq Luxury Cadillac is in the process of returning to Australia. It has opened its first retail location and is planning first customer deliveries in the first quarter of 2025. Thus far, it has confirmed only the Lyriq electric SUV for our market, which opens at $117,000 before on-road costs – certainly more expensive than an entry-level BMW 1 Series, but undercutting the more comparable BMW iX . Cadillac offers more affordable vehicles overseas like the slightly smaller Optiq electric SUV, which could make its way here, as well as combustion-powered vehicles like the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe -rivalling CT4 and Audi Q3 -rivalling XT4, both of which have been ruled out for Australia. All Lyriqs for now feature a 388kW/610Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain, with a 102kWh nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) battery affording 530km of electric range. Standard equipment includes a panoramic sunroof, hands-free power tailgate, heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard second-row seats, and semi-automatic parking assist. There’s also a 33-inch display incorporating the digital instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen, while standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist and a surround-view camera. Interested in buying a Cadillac Lyriq? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Cadillac Lyriq Genesis GV70 2.5T Advanced The GV70 isn’t Genesis’ smallest SUV – that’s the electric GV60 . It also isn’t the Hyundai premium brand’s smallest vehicle overall, as there’s still the G70 sedan and Shooting Brake . However, the GV60 carries a premium as electric vehicles often do, while the G70’s model lineup was recently pared-back. Given the GV70 is by far Genesis’ best-seller in Australia, the Korean luxury brand has maintained a wide range of variants with its recent update, though you can no longer buy a diesel. The former entry-level rear-wheel drive model was axed with the update, but there’s still a range of five variants opening with the Advanced 2.5T, priced at $78,500 before on-roads. For that money you get a 224kW/422Nm turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine mated with an eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive. Fuel economy is a claimed 10.3L/100km. Even this entry-level GV70 offers a 27-inch display incorporating the digital instrument cluster and an infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a hands-free power tailgate, and a panoramic sunroof. The list of standard safety equipment is similarly exhaustive, with blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic assist, lane centring, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, and the company’s Blind-Spot View Monitor that shows camera footage from the car’s blind-spot. The GV70 doesn’t sell anywhere near as well as rivals like the Lexus NX and BMW X3 , but Genesis has sold 707 to the end of October. That’s more than the rest of the Genesis lineup combined, and more than rivals like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Maserati Grecale. Interested in buying a Genesis GV70? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Genesis GV70 Jaguar E-Pace P250 R-Dynamic SE The E-Pace is still on Jaguar’s price lists, but its days are numbered. Jaguar is ditching its entire current model range ahead of a switch to a more exclusive, electric-only lineup, with only the F-Pace reported to be continuing beyond next year. The Austrian-built small SUV, related to the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque , opens at $76,773 before on-roads for the P250 R-Dynamic SE. All E-Pace models in Australia are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 184kW and 365Nm, mated with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Claimed fuel economy is 8.0L/100km. LED headlights and a power tailgate are standard, while inside there’s a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and 10-way power adjustment for the passenger seat – both heated and finished in DuoLeather upholstery – as well as an 11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a wireless phone charger. Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. Jaguar has sold just 141 E-Paces this year, but that’s more than three times as many as it shifted in Australia last year. Unfortunately for the baby cat, it’s the second lowest-volume vehicle in its segment, ahead of only the Genesis GV60. Interested in buying a Jaguar E-Pace? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Jaguar E-Pace Land Rover Discovery Sport P200 S The Discovery Sport is a more conservative and practical alternative to the related Range Rover Evoque, and has a base price that undercuts its sleeker sibling. The range opens at $73,504 before on-roads for the P200 S, which comes standard with a LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a power tailgate. Inside, there’s a digital instrument cluster, an 11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DuoLeather upholstery and a wireless phone charger. Standard safety kit includes blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. It’s powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 147kW of power and 320Nm of torque, with a claimed fuel economy of 8.4L/100km. It’s mated with a nine-speed auto and all-wheel drive. Though you can get the Discovery Sport with a third row of seating, its sleeker Range Rover Evoque sibling outsells it. A total of 287 have been sold to the end of October compared to 498 Evoques, making it the worst-selling vehicle among JLR’s Discovery, Defender and Range Rover SUVs. Interested in buying a Land Rover Discovery Sport? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Land Rover Discovery Sport Lexus LBX Luxury Lexus introduced the LBX this year as its smallest SUV yet, slotting in under the UX . The range opens at $47,550 before on-roads for the base front-wheel drive Luxury, which features a 100kW 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid powertrain with an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT). Claimed fuel economy is 3.8L/100km. The LBX features LED headlights with adaptive high-beam, plus a power tailgate and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, there’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 9.8-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a wireless phone charger. The seats are upholstered in NuLux leatherette, with those up front being heated and the driver’s seat featuring 10-wya power adjustment and memory. Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic assist, and a surround-view camera. There’s a posher Sports Luxury above the Luxury, available with either front- or all-wheel drive, while a hot turbocharged Morizo RR is coming in 2025. The LBX is only new to the Lexus lineup but it has already become the brand’s third best-selling model, with 1227 deliveries this year putting it behind only the NX and RX crossovers. Interested in buying a Lexus LBX? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Lexus LBX Maserati Grecale GT With the Grecale , a more upscale cousin to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio , owning a Maserati has become more attainable. At $122,500 before on-road costs, the base Grecale GT is more than $20,000 cheaper than the outgoing Levante and Ghibli that used to be the most affordable models from the trident brand. For that outlay, you get a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system, with total system outputs of 220kW and 450Nm. The GT features an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, and claimed fuel consumption figures of 8.7L-9.2L/100km under European testing. It rides on 19-inch alloy wheels and features LED headlights and a hands-free power tailgate. Inside, there are 10-way power-adjustable front seats with driver’s memory, plus a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. While the Grecale has brought the cost of entry to the Maserati lineup down, its sales are down 39.9 per cent year-to-date to 253 units. That’s more than twice as many units as the related (and more affordable) Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but well below the likes of the Porsche Macan (2614 sales). Interested in buying a Maserati Grecale? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Maserati Grecale Mercedes-Benz A200 The A-Class is another vehicle on this list not set to be replaced, with Mercedes-Benz paring back its range of ‘Entry Luxury’ models. For now, though, it’s the most affordable Mercedes-Benz, with the base A200 hatchback now priced at $56,900 before on-roads following a recent $6000 price cut. It’s powered by a 120kW/270Nm turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine, mated with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Fuel use is a claimed 6.6L/100km. There are standard 18-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights, while inside there’s a standard 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and power-adjustable and heated front seats. Standard safety equipment includes blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and a surround-view camera. To the end of October, Mercedes-Benz has sold 1749 A-Class hatchbacks and sedans this year, putting it behind the rival Audi A3 (2298 sales). Nevertheless, it’s among the three-pointed star brand’s best-selling vehicles, behind only the C-Class , GLA and GLC . Interested in buying a Mercedes-Benz A-Class? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Mercedes-Benz A-Class Porsche Macan While there’s a new electric Macan on the scene, the outgoing petrol-powered model is still on Porsche’s price lists. That’s good news for buyers wanting a more affordable Porsche, as at $95,100 before on-roads it’s $33,300 cheaper than the cheapest Macan Electric. The base Macan is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 195kW and 400Nm, mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto and all-wheel drive. Fuel consumption is a claimed 9.3L/100km. It rides on 19-inch alloy wheels and features LED headlights with dynamic cornering lights, where the main headlights swivel based on the steering angle and speed. A power tailgate is also standard. Inside, there’s a 10.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, as well as a 4.8-inch instrument cluster screen and 14-way power-adjustable and heated front seats with memory. Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and a surround-view camera. The Macan is easily Porsche’s best-selling vehicle, with 2614 sales to the end of October. Interested in buying a Porsche Macan? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Porsche Macan Volvo XC40 Plus B4 Volvo’s smallest vehicle, the electric EX30 , isn’t its cheapest. That title goes to the entry-level version of the combustion-powered XC40 range, the mild-hybrid Plus B4, which is priced at $54,990 before on-roads. The front-wheel drive Plus B4 is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 145kW and 300Nm, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It uses a claimed 6.9L/100km. It features LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a power tailgate. Inside, there’s ‘textile’ upholstery, though the front seats still feature power adjustment (including memory for the driver), while there’s a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google built-in and Apple CarPlay. Standard safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition. A surround-view camera is optional, along with luxury items like a panoramic roof and Harman Kardon sound system. The XC40 is by far Volvo’s best-selling vehicle, with 2726 sold to the end of October. However, sales are down by 44.3 per cent as the EX30 makes a dent in XC40 volumes, so much so that the larger SUV this year lost its title as Australia’s best-selling small premium SUV. Interested in buying a Volvo XC40? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here . MORE: Everything Volvo XC40Take a look at the post here Arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity. Read More Latest Mobiles Itel Color Pro 5G ₹9,199 Vivo Y18T ₹9,499 Lava Blaze 3 5G ₹11,499 Itel Aura 05i ₹5,499 Tecno Spark Go 1 ₹6,899 Poco M6 5G ₹7,998 OPPO A3X 4G ₹8,999 Xiaomi Redmi A4 5G ₹8,499 Vivo Y300 Plus 5G ₹23,999 Realme P1 Speed 5G ₹20,999Barcelona grabs last quarterfinal spot in Women's Champions League with 3-0 win in Stockholm

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.PARADIGM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIVE WITH INDATAXtrackers Low Beta High Yield Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:HYDW) Trading Down 0.2% – Here’s What Happened

Jacksonville St. 86, East Carolina 78A woman has died and two people were injured after a single-vehicle crash in Lanark Highlands on Saturday afternoon, according to Ontario Provincial Police. Police say the crash happened in a rural area on Black Creek Road near Loves Road, about 100 kilometres west of Ottawa at around 3:20 p.m. A small sedan-type vehicle was found to have rolled over onto its roof and one of the occupants was trapped inside. Emergency services at the scene found a 41-year-old woman with serious injuries who was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Two others were taken to hospital with minor injuries. The investigation into what led to the crash is ongoing by OPP and the Chief Coroner of Ontario. Roads in the area were closed for about seven hours on Saturday and have since re-opened. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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After $80 million Lotto Max, another lucky Lotto 6/49 ticket sold in Quebec Lotto-Québec announced on Sunday that "the classic jackpot of $5 million, offered in yesterday's (Saturday) Lotto 6/49 draw, was won thanks to a ticket sold in Quebec." Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly focused on re-election, doesn’t explicitly rule out future Liberal leadership bid Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insisted she supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and is focused on her own re-election, but wouldn't explicitly rule out a future Liberal leadership bid, in an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and US$600 million globally The Walt Disney Co.'s animated film 'Moana 2' remained at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theatres as it brought in another record haul. 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Montreal Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend. Just for Laughs founder’s sexual assault retrial starts Monday Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon will be back in court on Monday for accusations of sexual assault and rape. Rosemont family event Shake La Cabane cancelled after pricing policy backlash A community centre in Montreal's Rosemont neighbourhood cancelled a family event that was meant to take place Sunday after its pricing policy sparked a heated debate. Northern Ontario Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." 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London Hotel roof collapses in Bayfield The roof of the Albion Hotel in Bayfield has collapsed. On the Bright Side with Julie Atchison To brighten your week with good news, CTV London Meteorologist Julie Atchison is showing us the sunny side of things. Digging themselves out: With Santa Claus parade cancelled, Londoners make best of snowy situation Londoners continue to dig themselves out from this week’s massive snowstorm. Kitchener Police looking for missing 16-year-old Waterloo Regional Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 16-year-old. Hotel roof collapses in Bayfield The roof of the Albion Hotel in Bayfield has collapsed. Wet week ahead with rain and snow in southern Ontario's forecast You’ll want to bundle up and bring along an umbrella when heading out the door this week. Barrie Driver charged after passing snow plow in front of oncoming OPP vehicle A driver was pulled over and charged after passing a snow plow in front of an oncoming OPP vehicle. Pair of sleeping drivers charged in drug bust Two drivers are facing charges after they were allegedly found sleeping in their respective vehicles and possessing a quantity drugs Saturday afternoon in Waubaushene. Driver charged after sliding onto someone’s lawn: OPP Caledon OPP charged a driver after they allegedly slid their vehicle onto someone’s front lawn earlier this week. Winnipeg Wintery weather warnings in effect for southern Manitoba Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued several snowfall, winter storm and freezing rain warnings for much of southern Manitoba. Manitoba legislative building holds annual holiday open house The provincial legislative building opened its doors to Manitobans Saturday, inviting everyone to get a glimpse of where major decisions are made. Major Manitoba fossil milestones highlight the potential for future discoveries in the province A trio of fossil finds through the years helped put Manitoba on the mosasaur map, and the milestone of those finds have all been marked in 2024. Calgary Kiwanis Club and Toys ‘R’ Us team up to give hundreds of kids Christmas gifts Northmount Kiwanis Club of Calgary invited 500 kids to Toys "R" Us for its annual Toy Project Sunday. Calgary police stage checkstop on National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day Calgary police launched their first holiday checkstop Saturday night on Stoney Trail. Calgarians flocking to markets with local vendors for Christmas Shopping As Christmas is on the horizon, Calgarians headed to the markets across the city on Saturday to get some shopping done while also supporting local businesses. Edmonton Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton. McDavid, Skinner help Oilers beat Blues 4-2 Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist and Leon Draisaitl had two helpers as the Edmonton Oilers won their second game in a row, defeating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Saturday. 2 arrested in connection with Friday killing of 20-year-old security guard Two people have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 20-year-old security guard at a downtown apartment building on Friday. Regina Sask. RCMP arrest 1 suspect in White Bear First Nation killing, 1 still at large Saskatchewan RCMP have arrested one suspect in connection to the Dec. 3rd death of Talon Lonethunder on White Bear First Nation. The remaining suspect in the killing remains at large. Updated advisory urges Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria, leave if possible Ottawa is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria and to consider leaving the country if it's safe to do so. Regina holiday market booming as vendors encourage local shopping amid postal strike The holidays are the busiest time of year for countless businesses, but many Regina vendors are hoping Christmas shoppers will come to them this year amid ongoing job action at Canada Post. Saskatoon Saskatoon under winter storm warning with freezing rain, heavy snow forecasted A winter storm warning has been issued for the city of Saskatoon and parts of west central Saskatchewan by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Sask. RCMP arrest 1 suspect in White Bear First Nation killing, 1 still at large Saskatchewan RCMP have arrested one suspect in connection to the Dec. 3rd death of Talon Lonethunder on White Bear First Nation. The remaining suspect in the killing remains at large. Sask. RCMP investigating homicide on Onion Lake Cree Nation Saskatchewan RCMP is investigating a homicide on Onion Lake Cree Nation after a 37-year-old man died early Friday morning. Vancouver End of the Eras Tour, with Taylor Swift to take final bow in Vancouver After 149 shows, an estimated US$2 billion in revenue and countless outfit changes, Taylor Swift takes to the stage tonight in Vancouver for the final show of her record-smashing Eras Tour. Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them. Updated advisory urges Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria, leave if possible Ottawa is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria and to consider leaving the country if it's safe to do so. Vancouver Island B.C. NDP provincial director hospitalized after 'serious medical emergency' The former B.C. NDP MLA for Chilliwack and newly appointed provincial director, Dan Coulter, is in hospital after suffering a “serious medical emergency,” according to the party. Prince George Taylor Swift fans rent car after flight to Vancouver cancelled A diehard Taylor Swift fan who lives in Prince George, B.C., says a flight cancellation forced her and a group of other Swifties to rent a car and make the near 800-kilometre journey to Vancouver to catch the last dates of the Eras Tour. Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction." Kelowna Study of 2023 Okanagan wildfires recommends limiting development in high-risk areas A study into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia's Okanagan region in 2023 has recommended that government and industry limit development in high-fire-risk areas. Kelowna, B.C., to host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026 The Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets will host the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2026, the Canadian Hockey League said Wednesday. 545 vehicles impounded in 332 days: BC Highway Patrol pleads for drivers to slow down Mounties with the BC Highway Patrol in Kelowna say they've impounded more than 545 vehicles for excessive speed and aggressive driving so far this year. That works out to more than 1.6 per day. Stay Connected

kentoh/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis For the first time in decades, IBM ( NYSE: IBM ) ( NEOE: IBM:CA ) is expected to close out 2024 beating the S&P 500 index. This is a data point that is most likely expected to Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Job market jitters real for some mid-career Minnesotans and recent grads

Nationwide has announced exactly which of their accounts are eligible for a new £100 bonus, but there are certain conditions. As people continue to straddle with increasing prices and the cost-of-living crisis, any extra money is a welcome gift. And now, the banking society is offering exactly that for people who have accounts with them. It said: "As a modern mutual we are able to share some of our profits with members who bank and borrow or who bank and save with us. We will do this by making a one-off payment of £100 to those who qualify. We have called this the Nationwide Fairer Share Payment." To be eligible, people must own one of a qualifying current account and qualifying savings or a qualifying account and qualifying mortgage. To be a qualifying current account, your account must have been open on March 31 and any additional requirements depend on the type of current account you had on that date. The qualifying accounts which have the possibility of being sent the £100 bonus are: FlexPlus when the monthly fee is paid, the FlexOne, FlexStudent or FlexGraduate but you must have received or made one payment in or out of your account in March. However, those requirements don't apply if you have switched your account between January 1 and March 31. The FlexAccount, FlexDirect or FlexBasic are also eligible under the follow conditions. One of these requirements must be met. Either in two of of the three months of January, February and March 2024 you received at least £500 in your current account or made at least two payments out of your current account. Or, in two of those three months you have made at least 10 payments out of the account. Nationwide says you will have had qualifying savings if you had at least £100 in total in one or more personal savings accounts or cash ISAs with Nationwide at the end of any day in March 2024. These do not include money held in your savings accounts, money or other assets in an investment accounts such as stocks and shares, or money in an account in the name of someone else. A qualifying mortgage means you must have owed the baking society at least £100 on your residential mortgage on March 31. It does not include a mortgage with one of the bank's subsidiaries such as The Mortgage Works (UK) plc, UCB Home Loans Corporation Limited, Derbyshire Home Loans Limited, or E-Mex Home Funding Limited. A mortgage which was applied for but wasn't completed by March 31, as well as Nationwide commericial mortgages are not eligible. For those who have a joint account, Nationwide says the terms and conditions apply to each person individually. The bank explained: "This means that if a qualifying current account, or qualifying mortgage is in joint names, the product and the whole of any balance will count towards each individual’s eligibility for the payment. For example, if you hold both a qualifying current account and a qualifying mortgage jointly with someone else, you will both be eligible to receive the payment. Similarly, qualifying savings will take account of the whole of any savings and cash ISA balances you hold in your sole name and those you hold jointly." People who are running an account for others that in someone else's name - under a power of attorney, third-party mandate or court order for example - won't be counted as a qualifying current account of mortgage. As a result, the money and any savings won't qualify towards savings for you, but will for the person whose name the account is in. When will the payment be made? Nationwide has said it plans to make payments to members between June 13 and June 28 next year. The bank says: " We will pay the money into your Nationwide current account. If you hold more than one current account with us, we may pay the money into any of those accounts. We will pay the money into an account in your sole name if you have one and will pay it into a joint account if you do not. The payment will appear on your current account statement as Nationwide Fairer Share Payment." A spokesman added: "We always do our best to ensure that the information is accurate and complete, but incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date information may mean we wrongly exclude you from the payment. We will make the payment if we find out you were wrongly excluded, but we will not be liable for any other loss you may incur if this happens. "We also cannot guarantee how quickly an application for a qualifying product might be completed and therefore will not be responsible if you miss out on the payment because of a delay in opening a relevant product. If, after checking your eligibility, you think you have been wrongly excluded, please get in touch and if we have got it wrong, we will take steps to put it right."