Awaze Put Up For Sale At $2 Billion By Private Equity Owner Platinum — Report – Skift Travel News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/awaze-put-up-for-sale-at-2-billion-by-private-equity-owner-platinum-report-skift-travel-news/ The owner of European vacation-rentals business Awaze is looking for a sale, according to a media report. U.S. private equity firm Platinum Equity created Awaze after buying a selection of rental businesses from Wyndham Worldwide in 2018. The deal was worth $1.3 billion, and its collection at the time included Novasol, Cottages.com, James Villa Holidays and Landal GreenParks. Now Sky News has reported that Platinum Equity has appointed Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to oversee a strategic review of Awaze — with a price tag of up to $2.14 billion. A sale is being sought within the next 12 months. However, in June another report suggested a sale could take place by the end of this year. Awaze itself has been buying up other players. In 2021 it bought Bornholmtours, Amberley House and Portscatho Holidays, Quality Cottages and Quality Unearthed. Awaze CEO Henrik Kjellberg said bookings were “holding up well over winter both in terms of volume and price,” in a Financial Times report on Monday. “Even in the event of a recession, I expect the travel industry will still perform well”. With Airbnb among the potential suitors for the Wyndham rental brands back in 2017, could it now return to the table as the short-term rental market recovers afters the pandemic?

LI Students Attend UBS Arena Financial Literacy Event – Long Island Business News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/li-students-attend-ubs-arena-financial-literacy-event-long-island-business-news/ Get our free LIBN e-alerts & breaking news notifications! Students learn about financial literacy inside UBS Arena. / Courtesy of UBS By: David Winzelberg September 26, 2022 More than 400 students and faculty from area high schools attended a financial literacy and college prep day at the UBS Arena in Elmont last week.  The event was hosted by UBS and its partners Barron’s and EVERFI.  The students, from the Sewanhaka Central High School District, were introduced to UBS financial literacy resources, along with advice from Barron’s and EVERFI, including exposure to a college prep curriculum.  New York Islanders’ in-game host Maria Clifton, who goes by DJ Ria, emceed the event and was joined by members of the Islanders hype team, who engaged with students throughout the day.  Also participating at the event, which was designed as a networking and mentoring opportunity for the students, was Jazz Skair, a UBS branch manager; Weisner Perez, UBS assistant market head; Lauren Bernstein, executive vice president of account management at EVERFI; Peter Piccomini, a Dow Jones account manager for business development; and Joe Laurenzano, Barron’s account manager for Investing in Education.  × Enjoy This Free Article We Have 2 More For You All You Need To Do Is Register To Receive Your 2 Additional Free Articles

Mrs Soludo Urges Nursing Mothers To Adopt The Right Health Principles – Voice Of Nigeria – Voice Of Nigeria https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/mrs-soludo-urges-nursing-mothers-to-adopt-the-right-health-principles-voice-of-nigeria-voice-of-nigeria/ Anambra Governor’s wife, Nonye Soludo has asked pregnant and nursing mothers to adopt the right health principles. Mrs. Soludo, who gave the charge in Awka, explained that proper hygiene check is one of the first steps towards healthy living and expressed concerns about hygiene habits and general living standards of pregnant and nursing women in Anambra State and Nigeria in general. The governor’s wife, who regretted the alarming number of diseases and deaths resulting from poor hygiene practices among pregnant women and nursing mothers, especially those in the rural areas, noted that apart from self-awareness, women should embrace lifestyle that put their health first. She noted that, “Apart from choosing the right diets, regular exercise and paying proper attention to the body system, pregnant and nursing mothers should remain conscious of existing and developing health-related changes in their environments.” The Anambra First Lady, cautioned against indiscriminate food consumption and explained that as a hygiene and healthy living campaigner, she has a responsibility to ensure that the right health patterns are maintained among women and children in Anambra State, noting that she is pained by report of maternal and child mortality in the state, most especially those that could have been avoided. Mrs. Soludo, who is the Anambra Net Ambassador, also asked pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as all households, to always sleep under the Insecticide Treated Nets that were recently distributed across all homes in the state, in order to avoid mosquitoes and malaria, which is one of killer diseases in Nigeria. She also said that, her husband’s administration is instituting the right health policies to tackle challenges facing health service delivery in Anambra State, including reforms in Primary Health Care management, recruitment of fresh hands into the state’s health sector, repositioning of Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), among others.

GOLF SECTIONALS | News, Sports, Jobs – The Review https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/golf-sectionals-news-sports-jobs-the-review/ Division II CADIZ — Beaver Local and East Liverpool will take part in the Div. II sectional boys golf tournament today at Cadiz Country Club. The top four teams and four individuals on non-qualyfying teams will advance to the district tournament set for Oct. 3 at Eagle Sticks. One team and one individual on a non-qualifying team at the district will advance to the state tournament set for Oct. 21-22 at Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course. More Div. II sectional boys golf action will be held Wednesday. South Range and West Branch will be at the Elms Country Club in Massillon, while Salem will be at Windmill Lakes in Ravenna. The top three team finishers are three individuals not on qualifying teams will advance to the Windmill Lakes district set for Oct. 4. The top three teams and three individuals not on qualifying teams at the district will advance to the state tournament set for Oct. 21-22 at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course. Division III SALEM — The Div. III sectional boys golf tournament will be held Wednesday at Salem Hills Golf & Country Club. Columbiana, Crestview, Lisbon, East Palestine, Heartland, Leetonia, Sebring, Southern, United and Wellsville will be among the teams competing. The top three teams and three individuals not a qualifying team will advance to the Tannenhauf Golf Club district set for Oct. 6. The top three teams and three individuals not on qualifying teams at the district will advance to the state tournament set for Oct. 21-22 at Northstar. Division II girls HUBBARD — The Div. II girls sectional golf tournament will be held Thursday at Pine Lakes Golf Course. Columbiana, Lisbon, East Palestine, Leetonia, Salem, Sebring, South Range, Southern, United and West Branch will participate. The top four team finishers and four individuals not on qualifying teams will advance to the Sable Creek district set for Oct. 6. The district will advance the top three teams and top three individuals not on qualifying teams to the state tournament set for Oct. 21-22 at the Ohio State University Gray Course. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Walmart Charges Into The Metaverse With Roblox Integration – Seeking Alpha https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/walmart-charges-into-the-metaverse-with-roblox-integration-seeking-alpha/ Justin Sullivan Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is breaking into the metaverse with the launch of two new immersive experiences in the Roblox (RBLX) platform. The metaverse content will include Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play, which are described as spaces that offer unique interactive content and entertainment for customers. Walmart Land will feature fashion, style, beauty and entertainment items directly to the global Roblox community of over 52M daily users. Walmart’s Universe of Play will be an ultimate virtual toy destination in Roblox to highlight potential holiday gifts for children. The Roblox community can explore the different toy worlds to earn coins for cool virtual goods, or complete challenges to build a personal trophy case, unlock secret codes and more. Walmart (WMT) may be able to monetize the Roblox presence in the future by selling items directly or charging brands for inclusion. The Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (METV) is a catch-all for metaverse investing. See the top holdings.

This Is What Made The Cadillac Cien Concept Car So Special – HotCars https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/this-is-what-made-the-cadillac-cien-concept-car-so-special-hotcars/ Two words; 750 horsepower. Yeah, you heard us right. Surely, that’s enough to make any gear-head start drooling at the mouth. And we’ll get to the massive 7.5-liter V12 engine that produces it in just a minute. First, we need to pay respect to this beauty for all that it’s worth. Designed by Simon Cox, the Cadillac Cien concept car was created to celebrate Cadillac’s 100th anniversary (“cien” is Spanish for one hundred) and celebrate it did. Not only did this vehicle break the boundaries of competing concept cars, but it also featured in the 2005 film The Island, and the 2014 film Transformers: Age of Extinction. A blockbuster superstar, this Cadillac also featured in Midnight Club 3 (a popular 2005 game for Xbox and PS2), and Gran Turismo games – the Cien was quite the celebrity. Before Cadillac revealed the spectacular Cien, it seemed to be that the American company’s main audience were of the older generation, who would more than likely be purchasing their very last car. Cadillac’s image needed a serious boost to entice a younger audience, who would splash out on a car at a younger age, and hopefully continue to buy one after another. What could Cadillac do to tempt these buyers into its showroom? The answer rumbled in a concept car that would leave people speechless, the Cadillac Cien. The Cadillac Cien Concept Car Left Onlookers Drooling via Cadillac  To say the Cadillac Cien looks extraordinary is an understatement, and it’s all based on the F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter Jet. If you look closely, you’ll be able to see the electronically controlled air inlets and outlets, which are cleverly integrated into its body sides. These sleek vents contribute towards its cooling system, and you may recognize them from the Lamborghini Murcielago’s vents. Beneath the two sail panels, air is sucked in and directed to the monstrous V12 engine, which produced a jaw-dropping 450lb/ft of torque. Cadillac not only wanted to create a luxury-filled vehicle, but one that screamed performance. And what better way was there than to unchain a 200-mph beast. A cool blue glass encases the Cien, and was cleverly inspired by sport performance eyewear, giving the Cien a certain high-tech look. Another cool feature of the Cien is its active spoiler sitting proudly on its tail. Not only did this add a certain sporty look to the cien, but it would also raise, and lower depending on the vehicle’s speed. You may have noticed that the Cadillac Cien has a slight elevated look, and that’s thanks to its 19-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels. Of-course this concept car is kitted out with all the technological advances you would expect such an advanced car to have. Night vision uses thermal imaging to display an elongated view which reached beyond the headlights, all thanks to a heads-up display projected on the windshield. StabiliTrak is another cool system the Cien has going on, which is basically an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system. This advanced feature can identify when the person driving has lost control, then applies a combination of engine power and brake pressure to subsequently avoid an accident. Other cool features include Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, and Communiport – which allows the driver to control audio, navigation, and wireless communication through hands-free voice activation. The Cadillac Cien Concept Car Has A Crisp, Modern Look via Cadillac Open the scissor-style door and you’ll be wowed. The futuristic interior, lined with luxurious carbon fiber, features even more gadgets. A rearview camera, a first-class entertainment system, and a digital instrument display are just a few to mention. Darkened over-lay aluminum accents mirror the Cien’s technical, crisp appearance. A strong vertical theme can be admired within the cabin, surrounding the car’s impressive center console and modern clock, which was designed by Bulgari, and inspired by their Rettangolo wristwatch. The Cadillac Cien Concept Car: Oh, What Could Have Been via Cadillac It’s sad to think that Cadillac will never actually send the Cien to production, like how they paraded but did not make the Sixteen Concept. It seems that the American company enjoy teasing its customers by developing exciting concept cars, then releasing a model which holds half of its qualities. Take a ride in the Cadillac XLR-V, because it’s most likely the closest you will ever get to experiencing the Cien and all its special qualities. To be frank, if Cadillac were to bring the Cien into production, surely, it would be one of the best moves the company ever made. What more could a driver want? The Cadillac Cien had power, cool features, and tons of wow factors. Candidly, if Cadillac should grace us with a limited run of the Cien, we’re almost sure selling them wouldn’t be a problem. Sources: Cadillac

8 Best Crypto Airdrops In 2022 – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/8-best-crypto-airdrops-in-2022-cryptonews/ Disclaimer: The Industry Talk section features insights by crypto industry players and is not a part of the editorial content of Cryptonews.com. Investors are continuously looking for promising cryptocurrencies to invest in as the number of new digital assets keeps growing.  Crypto airdrops offer a way for new projects to gain exposure to the masses, and from the perspective of investors, free tokens.  By the end of this guide, investors will have a clearer picture of the best crypto airdrops for 2022.  Top Crypto Airdrops for 2022 Below is a list of the best crypto airdrops in 2022. Tamadoge – P2E Platform With NFT Pets and Giveaways Battle Infinity – Fantasy Sports P2E Project With Staking Options Lucky Block – Competitions and Rewards Platform With NFT Collection Basic Attention Token – Private Digital Advertising Network With 25-40 BAT Airdrop DeFiChain – Decentralized Financial Services Blockchain CEX.I.O – DeFi Exchange With Polkadot and Kusama Crypto Airdrop Morpher – 100 MPH Plus 50 For Each Referral Copium Protocol – Passholders Have Benefits Including Free Crypto Airdrops The list above includes projects that might appeal to gamers, stakers, miners, social media users, and more. Full Analysis of the Best Free Crypto Airdrops Below, investors can find our full analysis of the best free crypto airdrops of 2022, including some exciting alternatives. We discuss the project behind the crypto airdrop, the finer details of what is expected for the investor to become eligible, and much more. 1. Tamadoge – P2E Platform With NFT Pets and Giveaways Tamadoge is a P2E platform, and its native token is TAMA – which powers the ecosystem. TAMA tokens are used when buying, selling, and trading Tamadoge pets, which are dog-like virtual characters created as NFTs. These NFTs are available for purchase within the Tamadoge marketplace. Players can use their virtual pets to compete in group events to win TAMA rewards. It is one of the top trending cryptocurrencies of 2022 and generated over $19 million via its presale. The CEX listing of the TAMA tokens is also expected to be one of the biggest of the year.  Tamadoge also runs various airdrop-style giveaways. At the time of writing, the project’s Twitter page is advertising a $3k TAMA airdrop. There is also a $100k crypto giveaway whereby people can complete various tasks to gain entry. Importantly, to be eligible, investors must hold $100 worth of TAMA at the time of entering the competition. There are various ways to enter. For instance, investors can carry out one or more tasks on Twitter. This includes following the project for one entry or tweeting about Tamadoge. Tagging Elon Musk offers five entries. There are many other ways to gain entry into the competition, including simply joining Tamadoge on Telegram or Discord. Investors can also enter by visiting the project on Instagram or YouTube. Share the competition with friends, and Tamadoge will offer five entries. The best part is, that it’s possible to complete all tasks for a total of 17 entries. We mentioned the P2E aspect of the Tamadoge ecosystem. In order to establish itself as a leading cryptocurrency project, the platform will eventually feature distinctive P2E components including augmented reality (AR) apps and P2E arcades. At the time of writing, the presale phase is over. TAMA sold out, having raised a whopping $19 million. To buy Tamadoge, investors can open an account with OKX (a popular cryptocurrency exchange with both CEX and DEX platforms).  Moreover, the Tamadoge team has confirmed that a tier-one exchange listing will be announced. Investors can also keep an eye out for upcoming crypto airdrops by joining Tamadoge on Twitter, Telegram, Discord, YouTube and other social media platforms. Register on OKX to Trade TAMA 2. Battle Infinity – P2E Fantasy Sports Project With Staking Options Battle Infinity combines P2E mechanics and NFTs with the metaverse, marketplace, staking platform, and other elements. The cryptocurrency that powers this ecosystem is IBAT.  This P2E platform gives players the chance to earn crypto via skillful gameplay while also providing a platform for social interaction. Its immersive and diverse nature has helped Battle Infinity garner a lot of attention, making it one of the best cryptocurrencies to buy in 2022.  There are five separate components that make up the Battle Infinity ecosystem. The IBAT Premier League is a fantasy sports P2E game. The first release is based on the Indian Premier League, the hugely popular cricket franchise. A range of fantasy sports-inspired games are expected to follow, such as football, hockey, basketball, baseball, and more. Players are tasked with putting their own super teams together to compete against others to the top of the leaderboard In the IBAT Premier League, each real-life athlete is represented as an NFT. In fact, all in-game items, including characters and weapons, have been tokenized. Due to the tokenization of assets on Battle Infinity, each in-game item is distinct and can be valued according to the rarity of the assets. Battle Games is the project’s own multiplayer game store, where more titles will be added over time. All Battle Infinity NFTs, such as gaming characters, rewards, and assets, can be bought, sold, and traded in the Battle Market. There is also an in-house decentralized exchange called Battle Swap. This allows players to convert crypto rewards and also buy IBAT tokens on a direct basis. Battle Infinity’s most recent airdrop-style crypto giveaway rewarded $3,000 worth of IBAT to 100 contestants. $500 worth of IBAT tokens went to one winner. Investors can stay up to date with new crypto airdrops and stay close to the Battle Infinity community by joining it on a platform such as Twitter, Discord, and/or Telegram. To buy Battle Infinity tokens, investors can head over to PancakeSwap and LBank. Buy IBAT Now 3. Lucky Block – Competitions and Rewards Platform With NFT Collection Lucky Block is an innovative project that revolves around NFT-based competitions. The presale of this platform’s native token LBLOCK was successful and sold out ahead of time. Every competition held by Lucky Block has a different NFT assigned to it. For instance, in one airdrop-style competition involving $1 million worth of Bitcoin, investors could buy a specific BTC1M NFT to gain entry to the draw. After all of the competition-specific NFTs are sold, the draw is held, and the tokens will be distributed to the lucky winner. Competition NFT holders continue to receive regular LBLOCK rewards even after the draw, which will appeal to those looking to earn free crypto. Additionally, Lucky Block has minted a unique collection of 10,000 NFTs, of which 25 are considered rare. Those who buy NFTs from this collection become members of the Platinum Rollers Club. Each NFT will act as an entry ticket to a separate draw whereby holders can partake in daily airdrop-style giveaways. The best NFTs can also be traded on the platform, and investors can accept auction bids. With regards to the Lucky Block tokens, there are two versions. LBLOCK V1 is built on the Binance Smart Chain and is used for gameplay, rewards, and DEX trading. Meanwhile, LBLOCK V2 is built on the Ethereum network. LBLOCK V1 fuels NFT holder rewards and can be traded on leading CEX platforms. There is a Lucky Block bridge that enables V1 holders to swap their tokens for V2. V1 has a diluted market cap of nearly $35 million. The fully diluted market cap of LBLOCK V2 is almost $2 million at the time of writing. To participate in the lucky draws, investors can buy Lucky Block from Uniswap, Gate.io, or MEXC exchanges.  Buy LBLOCK Now 4. Basic Attention Token – Private Digital Advertising Network With 25-40 BAT Airdrop The creator of Javascript has developed a crypto asset called Basic Attention Token for the digital advertising sector. Put simply, advertisers receive a more targeted audience for their commercials, publishers get paid for their content, and users are compensated for their attention. At the time of writing, this is one of the best crypto airdrops for those who want free tokens that can be used in multiple ways. 188 countries, over 400 advertisers, and nearly a million participants accept or list BAT.  The latter includes some of the top cryptocurrency brands, such as Crypto.com, BlockFi, eToro, BitPay, and more. The users of Basic Attention Token receive 70% of the company’s ad revenue. To earn free BAT tokens while browsing the web, users can download the Brave browser, click ‘enable Brave Ads’ and turn on the notification system. Once a month users can claim token BAT on a first come, first served basis. This entails claiming crypto token grants of between 25 and 40 BAT.  The fully diluted market capitalization of Basic Attention Token is over $540 million at the time of writing. Buy BAT on eToro Now 5. DeFiChain – Decentralized Financial Services Blockchain A blockchain platform called DeFiChain provides native decentralized finance for Bitcoin. It was created with the intention of providing financial services similar to those offered by commercial banks. Included in this are borrowing, lending, saving, and investing. DeFiChain differs significantly from a banking network in that it is a decentralized platform built on the blockchain. The network that supports the software platform’s distributed network of computers is built to speed up and ensure the transparency of transactions. In terms of the free crypto airdrop, new DeFiChain users will receive an airdrop of DFI tokens valued at $30. Notably, this is a collaboration between DeFiChain and Cake DeFi. As is the case with some of the best crypto airdrops on this list, in order to be eligible, investors will need to register for an account. In th...

U.S. Announces $457.5 Mln Civilian Aid For Ukraine – Reuters https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/u-s-announces-457-5-mln-civilian-aid-for-ukraine-reuters/ The Ukrainian national flag is seen behind the U.S. national flag during a rally of foreign community members in support of Ukraine amid growing tensions with Russia, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 6, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) – The United States will provide $457.5 million in new civilian security aid for Ukraine, a portion of which will be used to support the government’s investigation of atrocities, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. The aid is designed to help Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, Blinken said in a statement. “A portion of this new assistance will also continue U.S. support for the Ukrainian government’s efforts to document, investigate, and prosecute atrocities perpetrated by Russia’s forces, drawing on our long-standing relationship with Ukrainian criminal justice agencies,” the U.S. top diplomat said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The aid was announced days after a United Nations-mandated commission found that war crimes including rape, torture, executions and confinement of children were committed by Russia in areas it occupied in Ukraine. Erik Mose, who heads the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, said on Friday that “a large number” of war crimes had been committed by Russia and only two cases by Ukraine, involving the ill-treatment of Russian soldiers. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russian soldiers of a litany of abuses since the Feb. 24 invasion, but Moscow has regularly dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign. The latest tranche of aid brings U.S. assistance for Ukrainian law enforcement and its partners to more than $645 million since mid-December, Blinken said. U.S.-supplied personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and armored vehicles has reduced casualties for Ukrainian civilians and their defenders.  Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama Editing by David Goodman Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LiiV Group Names Covalucci Group Chief Product And Technology Officer – Business Wire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/liiv-group-names-covalucci-group-chief-product-and-technology-officer-business-wire/ NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–LiiV Group, the holding company of Telmar, Helixa, Splashlight and Splashlight Technologies, has named Vito Covalucci Group Chief Product and Technology Officer. In this new position, Covalucci will focus on product innovation through integration of technologies from the LiiV Group’s family of brands. Covalucci joins from Capital One, where he served as Head of Product for Enterprise Martech. In that role, he founded and led the MarTech strategy, including web, content experience, user data and optimization platforms, uniting these capabilities for customer acquisition powered by rich data, and optimized through real-time machine learning engines. He is also Co-Founder and former Chief Product Officer of Harmonic Vibration, a mobile application enterprise technology developed to draw insights from social media streams. “One of our goals is to offer the highest standard of audience, media, and creative intelligence to the agencies and brands we serve, allowing them to connect deeply with consumers,” says James Ingram, CEO & Founder of the LiiV Group ,CEO of Telmar and Splashlight. “Vito brings to us the product vision and technology experience needed to accelerate that goal.” “The LiiV Group of companies is dedicated to innovation providing marketers with deeper, faster and actionable insights,” says Covalucci. “I look forward to bringing new products to market, integrated across a scalable platform, that will enable even greater intuitive utilization of our data insights, to build brands that grow and adapt at the new speed of business.” About the LiiV Group LiiV Group is a global holding company intently focused on ensuring innovation, culture and purpose embodied within its family of companies. LiiV Group companies include Telmar, a global provider of media planning and intelligence solutions; Helixa, a leading audience intelligence platform, Splashlight, a visual content creation studio, and Splashlight Technologies, pioneering technology for Creative Intelligence. LiiV Group also founded the LiiV Center, a non-profit organization committed to unlocking deep human intelligence for the public good by bringing digital innovation to anthropology. Founded by James Ingram and Benoit Lagarde, and led by a world-class management team, LiiV Group’s presence spans across four continents and serves more than 400 clients worldwide.

Going 360: Exploring 4-Day School Weeks In Missouri – KSHB 41 Kansas City News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/going-360-exploring-4-day-school-weeks-in-missouri-kshb-41-kansas-city-news/ PLATTSBURG, Mo. — In Missouri, 141 school districts in the state are adding by subtracting. Many districts in the state are subtracting one day from the weekly calendar. Popularity has multiplied in recent years, as communities embrace a four-day school week. Now, KSHB 41 News is taking this topic 360. In this story, you’ll hear from: A teacher, parent and student who’ve moved to a four-day week Superintendents who oversee districts that moved to a four-day week A superintendent exploring adopting a new schedule Parents, students and teachers in a four-day week Amanda Grier is in her first year at Ellis Elementary in the Clinton County R-3 School District, and her 12th year as an educator. “I just want to be a part of that village that helps them grow up and succeed and give something back to their community,” Grier said. Grier left St. Joseph to come to Plattsburg, saying the four-day week was a major selling point. She says she hasn’t seen a change in her new classroom. “I don’t notice a huge difference. I don’t notice a loss in learning, I don’t notice a loss in instruction time,” Grier said. Clinton County R-3 school days run from 7:50 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. A recent Brookings Institute study says maintaining adequate learning time within the confines of four school days is “key to avoiding student learning loss.” However, results nationwide are mixed. “Quality of life as a teacher, when so many other districts are struggling to retain teachers, I think our district has done a great job of trying to flatten that curve,” said Cody Denton, a coach and parent in the Clinton County R-3 District. “And this is just one way.” He started when the district made the switch and has seen his quality of life improve. He’s also seen his fourth grader and kindergartener thrive. “They do great having four days, Denton said. “They love being home with mom on Monday, home with myself, doing stuff we normally don’t get to do.” The district confronted the childcare question by offering care on-site, but need has declined annually. Bridget Welch, a middle school teacher in the district, says families have adjusted. “I’ve never heard any complaints from anyone, so I think they figured out, like snow days or summer break, they figured out how to fill those days in,” Welch said. Welch also has kids in the district and says they love the four-day week. “My children are more relaxed when they go in, so they’re not as stressed when they go into the classroom and they have more time to prep for the week as well,” she said. This is the sixth year of a four-day week in Plattsburg. Harper Sowers, an eighth grader and five-sport athlete, remembers the shift. “I believe I was in third grade, and it was a really big change,” Harper said. She says that extra day has been a big boost for her health. “Honestly, it is way better than a five-day school week because I have a lot less stress mentally and physically since I can keep up with all my homework on the weekends, and also a lot of rest being an athlete,” Harper said. KSHB 41 visited Evan Hilbert’s sixth-grade broadcast class. Evan recently moved from a five-day district to Clinton’s four-day schedule and says he loves it. “I think it’s probably helping me out because I have a little less stress on my back, you know?” he said. “I don’t have to worry about remembering something for a few extra days.” Superintendents managing a four-day district Dr. Sandy Steggall, superintendent of Clinton R-3, says the schedule change was originally for one reason. “Ours was purely retention,” he said. “Our turnover rate was approximately 23-25%.” Since then, the district’s turnover rate has tumbled to 5% after putting the four-day week in place. “Each year, we’ve decreased the number of staff we’ve had to replace, and this year was a record low — we only had to replace five teachers,” he said. “For a K-12 district, that’s unheard of.” Clinton County R-3 has 675 students. Nine miles to the east, the Lathrop School District is slightly bigger, with a population of around 900 students. The district has had a four-day week for more than a decade and is saving financially. “We are saving 1-1.5% per year, that’s been consistent over the life of the thing,” said Chris Fine, Lathrop School District superintendent. “For us, we’re able to add 25 hours of instruction.” Fine adds that his district has also recruited new talent. “We were getting good applicants and stealing some from other places we hadn’t stolen from before, honestly,” Fine said. Superintendents considering shifting to four-day school weeks Of the 141 Missouri districts on a four-day week, less than two dozen have a four-figure enrollment. But what about districts with a five-figure student population, like the Independence School District? “The very earliest this would occur would be next school year,” said Dr. Dale Herl, superintendent of the Independence School District. Herl says the district has begun exploring a four-day week for one big reason. “This was brought on not as a cost savings measure, but as you look at what’s going on in in the country regarding teacher shortages, bus driver shortages, even nutrition service, we want to be proactive and look at possible solutions for that,” he said. This new approach is gaining traction. Steggall says getting to the root of the issue — supporting teachers and paying them what they’re worth — is essential to insuring the future health of public education. — As part of KSHB 41 News’ commitment to providing context and depth in our reporting, we’ve excited to share our latest project, which we’re calling 360. This project takes stories and topics that our communities are talking about and explores different perspectives on the issue. You can be a part of the process by e-mailing your ideas and thoughts to us at 360@kshb.com. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Breaking News Newsletter and receive up to date information.

Dnata Travel Reveals The Top Summer Holiday Hotspots Of 2022 – Government Of Dubai Media Office https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dnata-travel-reveals-the-top-summer-holiday-hotspots-of-2022-government-of-dubai-media-office/ With summer vacation time truly behind us, dnata Travel, the UAE’s longest serving travel provider, has declared the top five holiday destinations over summer 2022. In order of popularity, the top five are: Turkey, Thailand, Mauritius, Maldives and Switzerland. Thailand recorded the biggest growth as a destination based on the number of holiday bookings between June and September 2022, compared to the same time period last year. Turkey – which also featured in dnata Travel’s top three summer travel destinations in 2021 – was the most popular destination overall for a summer holiday from the UAE this year. Within Turkey, the major city of Istanbul, alongside Bodrum and Antalya on the Turkish Riviera, were the top three destinations for UAE travellers. Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at dnata Travel, commented: “International travel has strongly rebounded over summer. Last year, the Maldives, Turkey and Switzerland made up over 40% of our total bookings across June to September 2021, while during the same time period in 2022, more than 25 destinations made up 40% of our overall bookings. Many additional destinations have opened for tourism, and the pent-up demand is driving travellers to explore more of the world, including lesser known places and varied locations across popular hotspots. “Thailand is our top growth destination, as bookings increased significantly after the country fully reopened for tourism, and demand was driven by a rise in availability of flights and the country’s incredible value-for-money proposition. “Turkey, the top pick for a summer holiday in 2022, also offers great value, and major investments in tourism, with world-class new attraction, dining and accommodation options in Istanbul and the Turkish Riviera, are driving continued footfall from the UAE.” dnata Travel’s experts continuously monitor travel trends and the predictions are Asia will continue to prove popular with growth in bookings and online searches for travel. Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia are showing signs of high demand. As the festive season approaches, travel searches around Europe’s festive market hotspots are already witnessing traction, particularly across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. To explore trending holiday destinations from the UAE with dnata Travel, visit www.dnataTravel.com. For more travel advice and inspiration, contact the dnata Travel experts via call or WhatsApp on 800 DNATA (36282), on social media @dnataTravel, email holidays@dnatatravel.com, or visit a dnata Travel retail outlet, with stores located across the UAE.

Pound Hits Record Low After Tax Cut Plans – BBC https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/pound-hits-record-low-after-tax-cut-plans-bbc/ Image source, Getty Images The pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar as markets react to the UK’s biggest tax cuts in 50 years. In early Asia trade, sterling fell close to $1.03 before regaining some ground to stand at about $1.07 on Monday morning, UK time. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has promised more tax cuts on top of a £45bn package he announced on Friday amid expectations borrowing will surge. The cost of UK government borrowing also continued to climb on Monday. If the pound stays at this low level against the dollar, imports of commodities priced in dollars, including oil and gas, will be more costly. Other imported goods could also become considerably more expensive, further pushing up inflation which is already at its highest rate for decades. And British tourists visiting America will find that their holiday money does not go as far as before sterling’s slide. There are also concerns that the government’s plans to cut taxes and borrow billions will stoke high inflation and force the Bank of England to raise interest rates even further. This would raise monthly mortgage costs for millions of homeowners. While worries about the UK economy have hit the pound, its value has also been under pressure due to the strength of the dollar. Other currencies have been falling against the dollar, and the euro touched a fresh 20-year-low against the US currency amid concerns about the risk of recession. Last week, the Bank raised interest rates by half a percentage point to 2.25% to try to calm inflation, which is at a 40-year high of 9.9%. The rate increase was the seventh in a row and took rates to the highest for 14 years. However, some economists have speculated that the Bank may call an emergency meeting as soon as this week to hike interest rates again. The Bank of England declined to comment. Market-watchers now forecast that interest rates could reach 5.5% or even higher by next spring. Why the falling pound matters Investors all around the world trade huge amounts of foreign currency every day. The rate at which investors swap currencies also determines what rate people get at the bank, post office or foreign exchanges. Many people don’t think about exchange rates until it’s time to swap money for a foreign holiday. When you travel abroad, things will be more expensive if the pound buys less of the local currency. However, a fall in the pound affects household finances too. If the pound is worth less, the cost of importing goods from overseas goes up. For example, as oil is priced in dollars a weak pound can make filling up your car with petrol more expensive. Gas is also priced in dollars. Technology goods, like iPhones, that are made abroad, may get more expensive in UK shops. Even things that are made in the UK but from parts that are bought abroad can get much more expensive. Commenting on the likelihood the Bank of England could raise rates before its scheduled meeting in November, former Bank deputy governor Sir John Gieve told the BBC: “I’m sure they very much don’t want to do that… because that is a sign of pressure. “Emergency meetings are avoided if at all possible and I am sure they will try to avoid it.” On Monday, the cost of UK government borrowing surged again, and by some measures reached the highest level since 2008 during the financial crisis. At the weekend, Mr Kwarteng said there was “more to come” in terms of tax cuts after announcing a massive shake-up of taxes on Friday during a “mini-budget” to boost economic growth. Under the plans, which he hailed a “new era” for the economy, income tax and the stamp duty on home purchases will be cut and planned rises in corporation taxes have been scrapped. As well as outlining £45bn in tax cuts, the government confirmed it would spend £60bn for the first six months of its scheme to subsidise rising energy bills for households and businesses. But that cost is expected to rise as the scheme to support households will last for two years. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves described the fall in sterling as “incredibly concerning”. “We need to hear from the chancellor his plans to get a grip on the public finances because that is what is giving real concern to market traders” and “working people”, she added. The Treasury refused to publish a forecast by independent watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility on Friday on the UK’s economic outlook as well as future borrowing and debt. BBC political editor Chris Mason said that while ministers were not saying anything publicly: “The impression I am left with is they want to ride this out. They hope it is short-term volatility. “ However, he said one Conservative MP told him: “This is very worrying. All the wheels could come off.” Image source, PA Media Image caption, Brewers say the fall in the pound is “worrying” for the UK beer industry Some investors think the Bank of England could act as soon as Monday to halt the pound’s slide. “To stop the bleeding even temporarily, the Bank of England may well enter ‘whatever it takes’ territory to bring inflation down. An emergency meeting rate hike could happen as soon as this week to regain credibility in the market. We could even see a hike today,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. Paul Davies, chief executive at Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, said the fall in the pound was “worrying” for the British beer industry, which imports hops from overseas. He said: “Many of the hops used in this country are actually imported and a lot of them, particularly for craft brewers, are imported from the US, so changes in currency is actually worrying for industry. “Then of course people drink a lot of imported beers from Europe, and the euro vs the pound is also something we’re watching very closely at the moment.” Has your business been affected by the falling value of the pound? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Child Tax Credit 2022 — Thousands Of Americans To Get $750 New Direct Payments Next Month – When To Expect… – The US Sun https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/child-tax-credit-2022-thousands-of-americans-to-get-750-new-direct-payments-next-month-when-to-expect-the-us-sun/ Live Blog MORE MONEY Updated: 6:30 ET, Sep 26 2022 TAX rebates worth up to $750 are on the way for families in Rhode Island, and nearby states have similar programs. In Rhode Island, families will get $250 per child and a maximum of $750 total for up to three children with payments going out beginning in October. In Connecticut, families can also claim $250 per child, which is capped at three children – for a total of $750. These payments started rolling out in late August. Meanwhile, New Yorkers claiming the Empire State child credit, which is based on income, will be mailed their checks automatically and can expect to receive them by the end of October. Read our child tax credit live blog for the latest news and updates… New York’s Child Tax Credit The 2022–2023 New York State budget allows for one-time checks to eligible taxpayers for both the Empire State child credit and the one based on the earned income credit. The state will automatically send those who qualify a check throughout September. The amount varies based on income and is a percentage of last year’s payment. Potential Congressional deal could impact CTC Negotiations have begun in Congress to push a federal CTC into law by the end of this year. Democrats were not able to extend the CTC this past year due to Joe Manchin’s opposition, but a negotiation to revive the CTC in exchange for corporate tax cuts could be in the works. The Washington Post reports these discussions “have been quietly ongoing for months” and could put CTC back on the table. Eligibility for child and dependent care credit  In order to qualify for child and dependent care, you have to meet all of the following:  You must have earned income for the tax year. If you’re filing jointly with your spouse, you both have to have earned income for the tax year. You must be the custodial parent or main caretaker of the child or dependent. The child or dependent care service must have been used so that you could work or seek employment.  Your filing status must be single, head of household, qualifying widow or widower with a qualifying child, or married filing jointly Your child or dependent must be under 13. If they are disabled and physically or mentally incapable of caring for themselves, there is no minimum age requirement. The childcare provider cannot be your spouse or dependent or the child’s parent. The mission of child care credit The child and dependent care credit is designed to provide financial relief for working parents and guardians in raising a child or a disabled dependent.  The credit is dependent on the taxpayer’s income and the expenses used to provide for the child or dependent. It ultimately reduced the federal income taxes, which means people can receive a higher refund.  Deducting summer camps and daycare expenses  For people who paid for a daycare center, babysitter, summer camp, or other care providers to care for a child under age 13 or a disabled dependent of any age, they are eligible for a tax credit. It is up to 35 percent of qualifying expenses of $3,000 for one child or dependent, so the maximum a person can claim is $1,050 per child, as reported by Turbotax. The Quality Childcare Initiative Grant, part three To apply for the grant, organizations must attend the Letter of Intent and Stewardship Package Meeting on September 27, 2022, at 530 pm. You must RSVP to Dorothy Chambers at 812-235-6287 or dchambers@uwwv.org. Details for the full grant eligibility can be found at uwwv.org/funding. The Quality Childcare Initiative Grant, continued The grant is for two years and up to $150,000 will be available upon request for a proposal grant. Plus, childcare sites can grab up to $20,000 per year and must meet at least one of the following objectives: Increase regulated capacity in an existing Levels 3 or 4 Paths to QUALITY or ExceleRate Illinois program Attain Level 3 or 4 in Paths to QUALITY or ExceleRate Illinois for an existing program For a new program, show progress toward enrolling in Paths to QUALITY or ExceleRate Illinois and attaining Level 3 or 4 The Quality Childcare Initiative Grant In an effort to increase quality childcare, the United Way of the Wabash Valley is offering a third round of the Quality Childcare Initiative Grant opportunity. The initiative is funded through Success By 6 Impact Council which promotes healthy early childhood development. A major focus is to lay the foundation to prepare children for lifelong learning. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Passed in 2021, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was created to stop discrimination toward pregnant workers. The law states that employers cannot force pregnant workers off of the job. Plus, they cannot deny them reasonable accommodations that would allow them to continue working while maintaining healthy pregnancies. USDA’s $12.5billion plan to reduce childhood hunger The USDA is working towards ending child hunger by providing summer food buying benefits to families with children. The agency is working with 42 states and issuing roughly $12.5billion in temporary nutrition benefits to nearly 32million children, according to a press release. Cindy Long, administrator of the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, said in the statement, “Providing children with the food and nutrition they need to live healthy lives is a year-round mission, and we are proud to partner with many states and territories to provide food-buying benefits for this summer.” White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health The conference will be September 28 and will focus on nutrition security and maintaining consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food, according to a press release. The White House Conference will also call on all stakeholders to address hunger and improve nutrition and diet-related health. This will be the first conference in 50 years, since 1969, which led to the expansion of the National School Lunch Program and other, similar programs. The cost of raising a child The USDA issued a report in 2017 detailing the cost of raising a child in America. The measure is for a middle-income, married couple with two children born in 2015. As inflation has since gone up raising prices in nearly every sector, the report may not be as accurate but did factor in a four percent inflation rate. The report showed that the cost of raising a child born in 2015 through 17 is $310,605 – nearly $18,0000 per year. USDA partnerships offer benefits for families The US Department of Agriculture partnered with 26 states and Puerto Rico to offer children temporary food benefits. Children will be eligible for the program if they receive free or reduced lunch at school, or if they’re under the age of 6 and live in a household that receives SNAP benefits. An estimated 13million children will benefit from the program. Benefits will be loaded onto a debit card that can be used to buy food. States with the highest teacher salaries According to the report, the following states are some of the highest paying states for teachers. California New York Pennsylvania Massachusetts Connecticut States with the lowest teacher salaries The average teacher salary in the US is $65,090, according to The Hill. Business.org comprised a list of states with the lowest and highest salaries. Below are the five states with the lowest salaries for teachers: District of Columbia Arizona Virginia Florida Colorado Teacher salaries fall behind A report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that teachers are paid less in weekly wages and total compensation than their nonteacher college-educated counterparts. Additionally, the average weekly inflation-adjusted wage of public school teachers increased by just $29 from 1996 to 2021. The EPI has tracked the “teacher pay penalty” for almost 20 years and found that it reached a record high last year as teachers made 23.5 percent less than other college graduates. Denver teachers see pay raises Last week, the Denver Public Schools and the district’s teachers union temporarily agreed to increase educators’ salaries by an average of 8.7 percent. The deal was reached after weeks of negotiations and even an all-night bargaining session. The previous contract with the Denver Classroom Teachers Association expired last week. The union originally had asked for a 12 percent raise for educators for the 2022-23 academic year, noting the rising cost of living in the metro area. YouthBuild Program YouthBuild helps kids by providing education, prepare for future careers, and grow into community leaders. The program targets students 16 years old up to 24, helping them develop leadership skills and community service awareness. The students learn to build affordable housing as they earn their high school diploma or GED. IDEA Special Education Grants The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) issues Special Education Grants for schools and other educational agencies. The program provides free courses to disabled children to properly prepare them for higher education and independent living. Over $11.5billion in grant funding had been provided during the 2011 fiscal year. The National School Lunch Program The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. The NSLP provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. According to the website, in 2019, schools se...

MLB Power Rankings: 100 Losses For Baseball’s Worst Teams? – USA TODAY https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/mlb-power-rankings-100-losses-for-baseballs-worst-teams-usa-today/ Last week we looked at Major League Baseball’s 100-win candidates, with the Houston Astros since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in the triple digits. At the bottom of the league, as many as five teams could end the season with at least 100 losses. Entering Monday with 99 losses, the Washington Nationals should be the first club to get there, with the Pittsburgh Pirates (56-97) and Oakland Athletics (56-97) not far behind. MLB PLAYOFFS: Trade deadline disappointments can change the narrative NEWSLETTER: Get the latest sports news straight to your inbox There’s still a chance for the Cincinnati Reds (60-93) and Detroit Tigers (60-92) to finish with 100 losses, but the Reds would only have to finish 3-6 and the Tigers 3-7 to avoid hitting the “milestone.” Four teams finished with 100 losses last season – the Pirates (101), Arizona Diamondbacks (110), Baltimore Orioles (110) and Texas Rangers (102). Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ eight- person panel voted this week: Rank (movement from last week) 1. Los Angeles Dodgers (–) Dustin May hits the IL with back tightness, but could be back in the playoffs. 2. Houston Astros (–) Astros reach 100 wins for the fourth time in five full seasons. 3. New York Mets (+1) Jacob deGrom has given up 11 earned runs in his last three starts – a 6.60 ERA. 4. New York Yankees (+1) After up-and-down summer, Yankees are hot at the right time, winning 14 of 18 from Sept. 3-24. 5. Atlanta Braves (-2) Spencer Strider will miss the rest of the regular season with an oblique injury 6. St. Louis Cardinals (–) If he wasn’t going to do it in St. Louis, Albert Pujols hitting No. 700 at Dodger Stadium was pretty special.  7. Toronto Blue Jays (–) Entering Monday with a 1.5-game advantage for home-field advantage in the Wild Card Series. 8. Cleveland Guardians (+4) Clinched AL Central with a seven-game win streak – as second-place White Sox lost six straight. 9. Tampa Bay Rays (-1) Tyler Glasnow will return to Rays’ rotation this week after August 2021 Tommy John surgery. 10. San Diego Padres (+1) Juan Soto is 11-for-26 (.423) with two homers and five RBI in his last seven games. 11. Philadelphia Phillies (-1) Kyle Schwarber’s 42 home runs are a career-high. 12. Seattle Mariners (-3) Acquired at the trade deadline, Luis Castillo gets a five-year, $108 million extension. 13. Milwaukee Brewers (–) Four wins in a row, entering Monday 1½ games back of the NL’s third wild-card spot. 14. Baltimore Orioles (+1) Mathematically alive! A playoff spot is unlikely, but final weeks should be fun. 15. Chicago White Sox (-1) Tony La Russa won’t manage again this season. What about next year? 16. Minnesota Twins (–) Batting .366 in September, Carlos Correa is (again) preparing to secure the bag should he opt out. 17. San Francisco Giants (+1) What the Giants do with Evan Longoria’s contract option is something to keep an eye on. 18. Boston Red Sox (-1) Shoutout Alex Verdugo, hitting .314 in 223 at-bats since the All-Star break. 19. Arizona Diamondbacks (–) Corbin Carroll named USA TODAY Sports Minor League Player of the Year.  20. Los Angeles Angels (–) Another listless Angels season finally nearing its conclusion. 21. Chicago Cubs (+2) This may actually be Willson Contreras’ final homestand at Wrigley Field. 22. Colorado Rockies (-1) Kris Bryant played 42 games in the first season of his $182 million contract. 23. Texas Rangers (-1) Josh Jung had six extra-base hits in his first 15 big-league games. 24. Miami Marlins (–) Manager Don Mattingly announces he won’t be back in 2023. 25. Cincinnati Reds (–) Mike Minor mulls retirement after shoulder injury, “tough” season.  26. Kansas City Royals (–) GM J.J. Picollo says a Bobby Witt Jr. extension has “loosely been discussed.”  27. Detroit Tigers (–) Weekend sweep in Chicago eliminated White Sox from the AL Central race. 28. Oakland Athletics (+1) Oakland scored five runs against Jacob deGrom on Saturday. 29. Pittsburgh Pirates (-1) Pittsburgh claimed 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up Miguel Andujar off waivers from the Yankees. 30. Washington Nationals (–) With 99 defeats through Sunday, this will be the Nationals’ first 100-loss season since 2009.

South African Financial Services Giant Nedbank Secures A ‘Village’ In The Metaverse – Metaverse Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/south-african-financial-services-giant-nedbank-secures-a-village-in-the-metaverse-metaverse-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ The South African financial services giant, Nedbank, is reported to have acquired a village in the metaverse. The village will be used to showcase African creativity and to create experiences that “go beyond banking.” By securing a virtual property in Ubuntuland, Nedbank became one of the first financial institutions in Africa to embrace the metaverse. Showcasing Africa’s Creativity Nedbank, the South African financial services group, recently secured a “village” in the Ubuntuland metaverse which reportedly measures 12 by 12. By securing the village, which will be used to showcase African creativity, Nedbank is said to have become one of the first financial institutions on the African continent to embrace the metaverse. According to a Bloomberg report, the financial services group has partnered with Africarare, the creators of Ubuntuland. Remarking on Nedbank’s entry into the metaverse, Khensani Nobanda, the financial giant’s marketing and corporate affairs executive, said that her organization chose to secure space in the virtual world because it wants to create experiences for its clients that “go beyond banking.” Nobanda added: Our entry into the metaverse is not merely about having a presence in this space, it’s about meeting the needs of our clients on platforms that resonate with them. Nedbank’s Metaverse Village As per the Bloomberg report, Nedbank’s metaverse village will come with experiences that range from virtual gaming to a sports lounge. Meanwhile, the report revealed that through its acquisition of the virtual space, Nedbank has followed in the footsteps of the South African mobile network operator MTN. As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News in March, MTN became one of the first South African companies to enter the metaverse after it purchased 144 plots in Ubuntuland. At the time, the mobile network operator said the purchase of the virtual land would help it “amplify” consumers’ digital experiences. Besides MTN, World Data Lab and M&C Saatchi Abel are also identified as two other companies to embrace the metaverse ahead of Nedbank. Register your email here to get a weekly update on African news sent to your inbox: What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Terence Zimwara Terence Zimwara is a Zimbabwe award-winning journalist, author and writer. He has written extensively about the economic troubles of some African countries as well as how digital currencies can provide Africans with an escape route. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Save Big On Aqara Smart Home Gear – MUO – MakeUseOf https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/save-big-on-aqara-smart-home-gear-muo-makeuseof/ If you’ve been trying to get some new smart home gadgets, then Aqara’s promotions came right on time. Turning your house into a smart home doesn’t have to be done in one go, but it can certainly be done step by step, bringing one device after the other to make your life easier. Aqara is a company that features all sorts of gadgets that will improve your home security, automate mundane tasks, and so on. Thankfully, all these cool products are even cheaper now, making it easier to purchase more of them in one go. Automate Your Home With Aqara Your home can be so much easier to navigate if you have the right tools at your disposal. Smart home devices can improve your lifestyle, completely changing how you do things at times. Let’s see what promotions Aqara is running right now. Please keep in mind that these deals are only available on September 26th, 2022, so you have to make your choice as soon as possible. Camera Hub G3: Save $22 and get it for $87.99 (down from $109.99) Camera Hub G2H Pro: Save $14 and get it for $55.99 (down from $69.99) Temperature & Humidity Sensor: Get it for $15.99 (down from $19.99) Curtain Driver E1 (Rod Version): Get it for $80 (down from $99.99) Other sensors sold by Aqara are also 20% OFF right now! Be mindful that the Aqara deal is available for a limited time, so you’ll want to place your order sooner rather than later to get the discount. Smarter Home, Safer Home When it comes to Aqara, some of its best products are going to make your home safer. For instance, the Aqara Camera Hub G3 is a complete security system. This essential smart surveillance tech features an AI-powered camera that can recognize and remember you, as well as your family members. If anyone unknown enters your home, it will alert you by mobile notification while also sounding the alarm. That siren is no joke! The best part is that this is also super easy to handle because you’ll just need to import pictures of you and your family to the AI and then it automatically takes care of the rest. Thanks to the powerful NPU, facial recognition is completed on device, and you can be reassured that the facial images are not sent to any cloud. The G3 can also detect motion and abnormal sounds in the room. This can come in handy if someone breaks down a window, for instance. The 360-degree viewing angle also means that this camera will see everything in the room, with no space to hide. The Camera Hub G3 works with Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and more. Automate and Enjoy You can get other sensors for your home as well. For instance, there are sensors that can detect motion, vibrations, water leaks, open doors and windows, and even air quality. There’s also the Aqara Temperature and Humidity sensor that will immediately transmit information about temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure to your phone. It requires absolutely no wires and the battery can last for about two years. If you throw in a smart plug and humidifier, you will be able to adjust the indoor humidity levels too. Of course, this can be super important for those with various respiratory issues, as well as babies. Or you can pick up a few Motion Sensors and Smart Wall Switches so that your lights will turn on automatically when you enter a room, and turn them off after you leave. No more leaving the lights on overnight. Aqara’s newly released Curtain Driver E1 is also a great choice. The retrofit solution mounts to your existing curtain rod and opens/closes your curtains without you lifting a finger. With its built-in light sensor, you can set the curtains to be closed when it’s too bright outside, and open them when it darkens. Paired it with a Motion Sensor, and it will close the curtains when you’re in the bedroom to protect your privacy. Automate Your Home For Less If you’ve been waiting to smarten up your home, now’s the perfect time to do this because some of the Aqara products are at their best-ever prices, so it would be a shame to miss out on the deal.

Brazilian Police Raid Six Crypto Exchanges In International Money Laundering Ring Bust – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/brazilian-police-raid-six-crypto-exchanges-in-international-money-laundering-ring-bust-cryptonews/ Source: William F. Santos/Unsplash Police and tax officers in Brazil have launched a major operation that has seen them raid six domestic crypto exchanges. They believe the platforms may be implicated in a massive international crime and money laundering ring. In a joint announcement, the Special Department of Federal Revenue of Brazil (known locally as the Receita Federal, or the federal revenue service agency) and the Federal Police Force, stated that the raids took place as part of what they are calling “Operation Colossus.” Officers explained that they believe some $380 million worth of dirty money has been laundered through domestic crypto trading platforms – and that a single “criminal organization” is behind this. They wrote: “The operation will combat a criminal organization dedicated to money laundering that has used an intricate system of remittances. [The organization] has sent illicit resources abroad via the purchase and sale of cryptoassets.” The agencies stated that the organization had made use of a network of “shell companies” and “passed funds through transit accounts” – before purchasing “cryptoassets.” They claimed that the money comprised “embezzled funds, drug trafficking profits, laundered money,” and the revenues of various “crimes against the national financial system.” A total of 158 officers were dispatches to addresses in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and Santa Catarina. Crypto Exchanges Raided The media outlet Metropoles reported that the Criminal Court of São Paulo had issued 101 court orders pertaining to the case, as well as “two arrest warrants,” and 37 search-and-seize warrants. Twenty two of these were issued to individuals and 15 to companies. Six of these search warrants were issued to crypto exchanges, although the identity of the trading platforms has not been revealed. A further four financial institutions that have Central Bank-issued licences for operating in the foreign exchange market have also been searched, as well as three accountancy firms. The media outlet added that the ring’s operators were allegedly “responsible for purchasing large amounts of cryptoassets abroad, in countries such as the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong” and then selling these tokens on the Brazilian black market. The agencies added that they believed the crime ring may have been active for up to four years prior to the launch of Operation Colossus. The development comes as talk about crypto regulation begins to intensify in Brazil – with regulators now vying for more control over the sector.

Dow Futures Fall 200 Points As The British Pound Hits Record Low Against The Dollar – CNBC https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dow-futures-fall-200-points-as-the-british-pound-hits-record-low-against-the-dollar-cnbc/ Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on September 06, 2022 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images U.S. equity futures fell on Monday as surging interest rates and foreign currency turmoil threatened to push the S&P 500 to a new closing low for the year. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 241 points, or 0.8%. S&P 500 futures shed 0.8%. Nasdaq 100 futures lost 0.6%. The British pound dropped to a record low on Monday against the U.S. dollar. Sterling at one point fell 4% to an all-time low of $1.0382. The Federal Reserve’s aggressive hiking campaign, coupled with U.K.’s tax cuts announced last week has caused the U.S. dollar to surge. The euro hit the lowest vs. the dollar since 2002. A surging greenback can hurt the profits of U.S. multinationals and also wreak havoc on global trade, with so much of it transacted in dollars. “Such U.S. dollar strength has historically led to some kind of financial/economic crisis,” wrote Morgan Stanley’s Michael Wilson, chief U.S. equity strategist, in a note. “If there was ever a time to be on the lookout for something to break, this would be it.” On Friday, stocks ended a brutal week with the blue-chip Dow finding a new intraday low for the year and closing lower by 486 points. The broad-market S&P 500 temporarily broke below its June closing low and ended down 1.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 1.8%. Traders will be closely watching the S&P 500 on Monday for any break below its bear market low. The S&P’s low close for the year in June was 3,666.77. It closed Friday at 3,693.23 after trading briefly below that close. The benchmark’s intraday low for the year is 3,636.87. Any trade below those levels could drive more selling in the market. Another super-sized rate hike by the Federal Reserve last week was the catalyst for the latest leg downward in markets. The central bank indicated it could raise rates as high as 4.6% before pulling back. The forecast also shows the Fed plans be aggressive this year, hiking rates to 4.4% before 2022 ends. Bond yields soared after the Fed enacted another rate hike of 75 basis points. The 2-year and 10-year Treasury rates hit highs not seen in over a decade. On Friday, Goldman Sachs slashed its year-end target for the S&P 500 to 3,600 from 4,300. Rates were surging again on Monday wit the 2-year Treasury topping 4.29%. European markets choppy; sterling slumps against the dollar European stocks were choppy on Monday as investors continued to weigh the deteriorating economic outlook in the region. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was down 0.2% by mid-morning in London, having recouped opening losses of roughly 0.6% before pulling back again. Utilities dropped 1.7% while tech stocks added 1.7%. The British pound plunged to a record low on Monday, following last week’s announcement by the new U.K. government that it would implement tax cuts and investment incentives to boost growth. – Elliot Smith British pound drops to record low The sterling fell to a record low in Asia’s morning, briefly shedding more than 4% to $1.0382. It later recovered slightly to $1.0513. The dollar index — which trades against a basket of six currencies including the euro, yen and sterling — gained about 1%. — Abigail Ng U.S. Treasury yields jump as Asian markets tumble, 2-year Treasury hits 4.3% CNBC Pro: Asset manager says one FAANG stock looks ‘very attractive’ in the medium term Stocks prepare to test their lows in the final week of trading for September Heading into the final week of trading for September, the Dow and S&P 500 are each down about 6% for the month, while the Nasdaq has lost 8%. Both the Dow and S&P are now sitting 1.2% and 1.6%, respectively, above their lows from mid-June. The Nasdaq is 2.9% above its low. — Tanaya Macheel Fear often leads to short-term bottoms, says Truist’s Lerner Investors are mentally preparing to see the S&P 500 test its low of the year, and that could mean a shorter-term bottom, according to Truist’s chief market strategist Keith Lerner. “The increased probability of breaking the June S&P 500 price low may be what it takes to invoke even deeper fear,” Lerner said in a note. “Fear often leads to short-term bottoms. Importantly, as we saw in June, even if the market overshoots, snapbacks can be sharp and hard to time.” He added that with extreme selling having already taken place and stocks being oversold, it’s not the time to press a negative view. “In August, we had been advocating to reduce equities in the 4200-4300 range for the S&P 500 and a continued focus on increasing quality in portfolios,” he said. “In our view, the challenging macro environment is here to stay. This is not the time to be on offense. However, it doesn’t make sense to pile on to the negativity in the short term and become even more defensive after a large selloff has already occurred.” — Tanaya Macheel Futures open lower in pre-market trading Stock futures opened little changed on Sunday evening after the major averages suffered steep losses in the previous week, as Federal Reserve policy, surging interest rates and foreign currency turmoil spooked investors. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down by just 40 points, while S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.1%. Futures tied to all three of the major averages quickly fell much lower soon after premarket trading began. — Tanaya Macheel

Xinhua News Agency Uses VR Technology To Conduct Interactive News Reporting – GlobeNewswire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/xinhua-news-agency-uses-vr-technology-to-conduct-interactive-news-reporting-globenewswire/ September 26, 2022 06:20 ET | Source: Xinhua News Agency Beijing, Sept. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently,Xinhua News Agency innovates the media reporting form, uses VR technology to conduct interactive news reporting, and leads readers to experience China’s 360 ° panoramic news scene. Nowadays, new breakthroughs have been made in technology, and even news information has a new way of communication! Now VR technology can also be used in news reporting to provide everyone with an immersive news experience. Through the virtual reality technology, the process of reading news becomes interesting, and the news is told in a new way, which makes people feel like they are on the news scene. VR news transforms news content and details into stories, creates a scene of news events, and then restores them in a 360 degree panorama, allowing users to explore and restore news events. Click the link to experience VR news and explore together: https://xhnews-static.xinhuaxmt.com/h5hd/qiyouji/index.html There are 8 stops for VR News, including: 1. Cliff Village, Sichuan 2. Yunnan elephants wander north 3. The completion of Huoshen Mountain Hospital in 10 days 4. China Europe Express 5. Making Xinjiang cotton 6. The first gold medal of China’s snowboarding Winter Olympics 7. Rising City of the Future Xiong’an New Area 8. China’s space industry VR news experience through Xinhua News Agency，every time reader finish the news experience, will get tokens. After collecting tokens from 8 stations, reader can get an electronic certificate. In addition, there is a question answering session to test whether reader really understand the news event. There are also some interactive experiences in the process, which let people immerse themselves. Experience tips ： 1. Click experience according to the instructions to lead you to news events. 2. Click “Read More” in the upper right corner to read the detailed content. 3. In the upper right corner, reader can select to open or close music during experience. Company Name: Xinhua News Agency Contact Person: WangJing Yun Email:xhsxmtz52911@sina.com Website: http://xinhuanet.com/

Addiction Awareness Strengthened Through Annual Walk | News – Brazosport Facts https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/addiction-awareness-strengthened-through-annual-walk-news-brazosport-facts/ FREEPORT — A show of support and strength against addiction was seen at Freeport Municipal Park. The fifth Walk for Recovery, hosted Saturday by the Brazoria County Recovery Committee, invited the community to learn everything they could about the resources available in the battle against addiction. Many organizations from around Brazoria County specializing in recovery, counseling, mental health and more participated to speak with everyone and to show their support. “Awareness is really important,” community member Donna Cunningham said. “People see the resources and reach out. Before, they didn’t have anybody to talk to. Here they can talk about everything — counseling, recovery resources, everything.”  Along with the many community organizations, the event featured free food, games, equine therapy, music, a dance performance, as well as the presentation of scholarships. Appreciation awards for two retiring county judges who have helped the committee and the walk’s founder, Brandye Toombs, to grow the event into the community event it is. “We get a lot of people out here trying to bring awareness to the disease of addiction in our community and find resources,” Toombs said. “We are awarding scholarships to those who are going through recovery and just want to make something of their life, and of course, we are celebrating Judge Pat Sebesta and Judge Lori Rickert for their continued support on the process of this program.” The overlaying mission of the program and of the committee is to offer routes to recovery, but it also works to break the stigma against mental health and addiction, which is a main reason that the Walk for Recovery is an all-inclusive community event. “There’s this ‘not in my backyard’ stigma going around and I’m like, come on y’all. Everyone’s human and people make mistakes, and we have to learn from those mistakes in order to better ourselves,” said Roderick Mayfield, Gulf Coast Center representative and recovering addict. “Stuff like this helps those who don’t understand recovery and what it means, and these resources here really help people who are dealing with addiction, PTSD or anxiety, depression, mental health issues also, as well as other things.” Many organizations set up booths to provide pamphlets and educational materials on recovery and the options available, from rehab and counseling facilities to free Narcan training and equine therapy. But another resource that was focused on by Al-Anon was counseling available for family members of those struggling with addiction as they are also affected by the disease. “Addiction is a family disease,” Sheri Denton said. “Every addict or alcoholic has somebody who loves them in the background. Who is typically being affected by the disease. It makes them irritable and unreasonable and very unhappy and the whole family is affected, and we offer an outlet to help them work through that.” Many attendees are repeat visitors and recovering addicts, and they find themselves coming not to find resources but to help support the message and the effort of the committee. “I’ve been coming here every year and every year there’s more and more people showing support of the community for recovering addicts and alcoholics, this is very heartwarming,” visitor Darlene Stuart said. “For me myself, it was extremely important to have the community behind me because alcoholics and addicts feel very isolated and lonely in their recovery, and it’s extremely important for them to have support.”

With New Direct Route To Jamaica, Bradley Airport Eyes More Domestic/international Service, 10M Passengers – Hartford Business Journal https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/with-new-direct-route-to-jamaica-bradley-airport-eyes-more-domestic-international-service-10m-passengers-hartford-business-journal/ Click below for more information about projects that are proposed at Bradley International. More Information Landing Spirit Airlines and a new nonstop service from Bradley International Airport to Jamaica was a deal years in the making, according to Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin A. Dillon. Bringing a new destination and airline together requires a great deal of work behind the scenes — and some financial incentives — before a service can take flight. Dillon is still celebrating the recently announced and long-awaited Jamaica flight, but he’s not resting on his laurels, pushing forward with efforts to add more domestic and international nonstop routes with an ambitious goal to increase Bradley Airport’s annual passenger count to 10 million. That would be significantly higher volume than the 7 million passengers Bradley recorded in 2019 — right before the pandemic upended air travel. “I do believe that if we are successful in continuing to add airlines and destinations, we could become a 10-million passenger airport,” Dillon said. “That would put us in a nice solid position in the medium hub category.” Population demand State and airport officials gathered in early September to announce that Spirit, starting Dec. 15, will offer nonstop service from Bradley to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for the first time. The flights will run year-round, four times a week. Bradley in Windsor Locks is New England’s second-busiest airport after Logan in Boston. Connecticut is home to the fifth-largest population of residents with Jamaican ancestry in the U.S., with more than 56,000 here, according to census data. Dillon said working for a Jamaica flight was “really a reflection of the huge Jamaican population that lives in the Greater Hartford area as well as throughout Connecticut. So, I felt all along that would be a very successful market.” The Jamaica route will also transport cargo and serve residents from Connecticut and surrounding states looking for a convenient, direct flight to a popular vacation destination. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin Dillon at a press conference earlier this month announcing the launch of Spirit Airlines’ new nonstop service to Jamaica. Dillon said securing a new deal is a challenge and takes years of negotiating, not only because the Jamaica route was, at the time, speculative, but since Bradley is also competing with every airport in the country for limited aircraft. “For years, we have been talking to a number of carriers here about what we saw as the potential for Jamaica. But when you have these speculative routes, it needs an added boost to convince an airline that you’re willing to share some of the risk, and that’s why we were very fortunate that the state also felt that this was a very, very important route to deliver here at Bradley,” Dillon said. The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits airports or aviation agencies from offering revenue guarantees, but the state Department of Economic and Community Development could. DECD drafted a $2-million incentive that subsidizes the airline for any per-flight revenue shortfalls in the first two years. “So, in this particular case, we were able to convince Spirit Airlines that we think (Jamaica) is a good route to begin with, and the state was willing to put forward this revenue guarantee, and that’s really what helped us get it done,” Dillon said. Bradley also has its own incentive program to waive certain rates and charges to airlines, as well as provide marketing to promote airlines and destinations. Passenger targets Pre-pandemic, about 7 million passengers used Bradley each year. Passenger traffic is rebounding as the worst of the health crisis continues to fade — through June of this year Bradley saw 2.73 million passengers, up 57% from the same time period a year earlier, but down 18% from 2019. Dillon said his goal is to reach 10 million passengers at some point in the future by recruiting more airlines and direct flights. Breeze Airways this summer started nonstop service between Bradley and Las Vegas, Jacksonville and other cities. Domestically, “Seattle is still a primary market we’re after,” Dillon said, because that city and Connecticut are both aerospace industry epicenters, with Boeing there and Pratt & Whitney here. Demand exists for connectivity between Connecticut and the Pacific Northwest, Dillon said, and Seattle would also serve as an additional jumping-off point for flights to Asia. He’s also aiming for more direct flights to cities like Austin and Milwaukee, “where we’re seeing a fair amount of demand,” from their data collection on passengers, which includes studying zip codes of passengers and flight destinations, whether direct or connecting. This helps the authority know where passengers are coming from and where they are going, and to gauge new potential direct-flight markets. Sometimes passengers are willing to drive to New York or Boston for a direct flight instead of catching a connecting flight from Bradley. “So, when we see that we have enough passengers per day going to a particular destination, that becomes a target city, and that’s information we share with the airlines to try to educate them on the potential market,” he said. “We try to determine why we have people traveling to those destinations … and we have demonstrated time and again that if we have nonstop service, (to a certain destination) we will capture 80% of the ridership.” The airport authority also studies Connecticut’s business environment to see any connection between local and national companies and potential business travel destinations. Bradley’s size and proximity are an added bonus for passengers who might prefer a small airport to New York or Boston, and it was Bradley’s smaller size that perhaps helped it lead the way in airport recovery in the post-COVID world of air travel. “The pandemic set back aviation in general across the country,” he said, with overall air travel at one point falling 97%. International flights The CAA was active throughout COVID negotiating with airlines and working to add more runs. Leisure travel led the recovery, riding on people’s pent-up demand for vacations, Dillon said. “We climbed our way back, and while we’re not fully recovered, we’ve made a lot of progress,” he said. Business travel hasn’t returned as robustly, Dillon said, and it’s now a waiting game to see how that market bounces back. Looking ahead, resuming Aer Lingus flights to Dublin, Ireland, and offering regular direct flights to London are also on his priority list. Aer Lingus suspended flights out of Bradley in 2020, but could resume them next spring, Dillon said. “A lot of that is going to depend on their view of the business travel market … because that’s a very important component to that trans-Atlantic service, but I do feel very confident we’ll see Aer Lingus back here in the very near future,” he said. He’s also trying to get nonstop service to London. “I think that would be one of our most successful routes,” for both business and vacation travelers and due to the high level of connectivity for other spots in Europe, he said. But like the Jamaica deal, putting together all the moving parts, and being patient as well as persistent, is key. “It takes years to educate airlines and get them onboard,” he said. “Some of the work we’ve done with Spirit to educate them on the market, combined with the revenue guarantee, is really what put it over the finish line.” Bradley Airport eyes $225 million in new projects Amid anticipated future growth, Bradley International Airport is poised to undergo two major renovation projects totaling more than $225 million, with the goal of opening up more space for travelers. The airport plans to spend $185 million on the design, development and construction of a new building for TSA baggage inspections and handling. Another $41 million project will pay for additions to the east and west ends of Bradley’s Terminal A, with approximately 20,200 square feet for improved circulation of passenger arrivals and departures. The project also includes renovation and infill of the existing center core of the terminal to allow for expansion of passenger circulation in the main TSA security checkpoint.

LIVE: Ghulam Nabi Azad Names His Party ‘Democratic Azad Party’, Reports ANI – Hindustan Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/live-ghulam-nabi-azad-names-his-party-democratic-azad-party-reports-ani-hindustan-times/ Live Updated on Sep 26, 2022 01:45 PM IST Breaking news LIVE updates September 26, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. Follow all the updates here: Sep 26, 2022 01:45 PM IST No coercive action till Nov 17 against Anil Ambani in alleged ₹420 cr tax evasion matter, says Bombay HC Bombay High Court has given relief to Reliance group chairman Anil Ambani in an alleged ₹420 crore tax evasion matter. HC has asked the income tax department not to take coercive action against Anil Ambani until 17th November. Sep 26, 2022 01:17 PM IST Sensex crashes by over 800 points after US Fed hikes rates Indian stocks extended their losses from the previous week and declined further on Monday morning following the latest policy rates hike by the US Federal Reserve in its fight against high…read more. Sep 26, 2022 12:45 PM IST ‘Democratic Azad Party’: Ghulam Nabi Azad’s new stint after Congress exit Ghulam Nabi Azad announces the name of his party as ‘Democratic Azad Party’ on Monday, a month after his exit from Congress. Read more. Sep 26, 2022 12:20 PM IST ‘Want it to be democratic, peaceful & independent’: Ghulam Nabi Azad on naming party “Around 1,500 names for my new party were sent to us, in Urdu, Sanskrit. The mix of Hindi & Urdu is ‘Hindustani’. We want the name to be democratic, peaceful & independent,” says Ghulam Nabi Azad, in Jammu. Sep 26, 2022 11:43 AM IST Pakistan military chopper crashes killing 6 soldiers: Report A military helicopter crashed killing 6 soldiers onboard in Pakistan on Monday. The plane was carrying two major-rank Read more. Sep 26, 2022 11:13 AM IST ED provisionally attaches immovable assets worth ₹16 Crore in case related to Mandeep Industries Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached immovable assets worth ₹16 Crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in connection with a case against Mandeep Industries, Rajkot, news agency ANI reported. Sep 26, 2022 10:48 AM IST Apple to manufacture latest iPhone 14 in India, says it is ‘excited to…’ Technology giant Apple will be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India, the company said. “Excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India”, the Cupertino-headquartered company said.Apple’s chief executive officer Tim Cook had unveiled the latest iPhone 14 series in India during the company’s annual ‘Far Out’ event on September 7. The latest iPhone 14 series includes iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Read more Sep 26, 2022 10:31 AM IST SDPI denied permission to hold dharna at Jantar Mantar, says Delhi Police: Report Permission denied to SDPI to hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar today, in order to maintain communal harmony and security/law & order arrangements in the jurisdiction of New Delhi District: Delhi Police Sep 26, 2022 10:26 AM IST Actor Jacqueline Fernandez gets bail in ₹200 crore extortion case Actor Jacqueline Fernandez gets bail in ₹200 crore extortion case…read more. Sep 26, 2022 09:57 AM IST Amit Shah inaugurates Bhadaj Bridge in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad Union home minister Amit Shah inaugurates Bhadaj Bridge in Ahmedabad. Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel also present. Sep 26, 2022 09:28 AM IST Assam CM reacts to complaint over Kaziranga National Park night drive After a complaint was filed against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Sadhguru J Vasudev & others over taking a jeep safari at Kaziranga National Park at night, Assam CM said, “there’s no law that people can’t go at night. People can enter the park even at 2 am if wildlife wardens allow.” Sep 26, 2022 08:57 AM IST India reports slight dip in Covid cases with 4,129 fresh infections; active caseload at 43,415 India reported slight dip in Covid-19 cases with 4,129 fresh infections on Monday. The active caseload stands at 43,415 cases. Sep 26, 2022 08:46 AM IST Drugs worth ₹10 lakh seized in Assam by BSF & Assam Rifles in a joint op In a joint operation, Assam Rifles & BSF recovered 2000 Yaba tablets worth ₹10 lakhs in the general area of Lafasail village in Assam’s Karimganj district along the Indo-Bangladesh border, yesterday. Seized contraband drugs handed over to Karimganj PS for further probe, Assam Rifles said. Sep 26, 2022 08:11 AM IST Delhi Police Special Cell averts murder conspiracy to kill rival gang members Delhi Police Special Cell averted a murder conspiracy to kill rival gang members and apprehended four members of Rajesh Bawana Gang from roadside near bus terminal Azadpur, Delhi on Sunday, police said. Sep 26, 2022 07:40 AM IST Centre set to revamp Aarogya Setu, CoWIN The central government is repurposing Aarogya Setu and CoWIN, the two digital health platforms used effectively to monitor and manage the Covid-19 pandemic, to manage other public health…read more. Sep 26, 2022 07:01 AM IST Apple now manufacturing iPhone 14 in India Apple’s newest phone iPhone 14 will be made in India as the global tech titan bets big on the manufacturing prowess of the world’s second-biggest smartphone market after China. Sep 26, 2022 06:33 AM IST World Bank pledges USD 2 billion in aid to flood-hit Pakistan The World bank has said that it will provide USD 2 billion in aid to Pakistan for reconstruction and rehabilitation that includes food, shelter and other urgent needs of the victims of the recent devastating floods. Sep 26, 2022 06:06 AM IST Himachal Pradesh: 7 killed, several injured after tourist vehicle rolls down a cliff Seven people were killed and ten others were injured after a tourist vehicle rolled down from a cliff at 8:30 pm on Sunday on NH-305 in Ghiyagi area of Banjar Valley in Kullu, news agency ANI reported quoting Gurdev Singh SP Kullu. Sep 26, 2022 05:35 AM IST Yamuna water level in Delhi nears warning mark, likely to breach it today The water level in the Yamuna here neared the warning mark of 204.5 metres on Sunday following heavy rain in the upper catchment areas and is expected to breach it  today, officials said. Subscribe to our best newsletters Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV launched at ₹10.45 L, takes on Creta and Seltos Updated on Sep 26, 2022 01:10 PM IST Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara already has at least 55,000 bookings and is promising to be a hot-seller in the upcoming festive season. Grand Vitara is the biggest launch from Maruti Suzuki in quite some time, and that is not just in terms of dimensions of the vehicle but in its sheer significance as well. Uttarakhand teen murder: Resort demolished, but official says ‘evidence safe’ Published on Sep 26, 2022 12:26 PM IST The probe is in connection with the alleged murder of a 19-year-old receptionist working at a property owned by Haridwar BJP leader Vinod Arya’s son Pulkit. Rajasthan crisis: Opposition makes veiled attack at ongoing political drama Published on Sep 26, 2022 12:03 PM IST Deputy leader of opposition in the Rajasthan assembly Rajendra Rathore on Monday termed the crisis amid high-tension political drama in the state unfortunate Assam CM, Sadhguru draw flak for jeep safari inside Kaziranga after sunset Published on Sep 26, 2022 11:02 AM IST Usually, jeep safaris are allowed inside the park in the early morning hours and in the afternoon when the park is open for tourists After 1 lakh bookings in 30 minutes, deliveries of Scorpio-N start Updated on Sep 26, 2022 11:45 AM IST Mahindra Scorpio-N is looking at replicating the success of Thar and XUV700. With over one lakh bookings in 30 minutes on July 30, it seems to have opened its innings on a high. Rajasthan political crisis: All you need to know about the likely scenarios Updated on Sep 26, 2022 11:47 AM IST Central observers, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken, along with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are expected to reach Delhi to discuss the issue with the party leadership Rainfall unlikely over northwest India: IMD Published on Sep 26, 2022 10:18 AM IST A trough is running from the cyclonic circulation over north Punjab and neighbourhood areas to southeast Bihar across Uttar Pradesh in lower tropospheric levels Story Saved New Delhi 0C Monday, September 26, 2022

Germs Everywhere: How Risky Is Using A Public Restroom? | HealthNews – Healthnews.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/germs-everywhere-how-risky-is-using-a-public-restroom-healthnews-healthnews-com/ Germs Everywhere: How Risky is Using a Public Restroom? | HealthNews  Healthnews.com

William M. Paige | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/william-m-paige-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/ William M. Paige, 72, of Dunkirk died Sunday morning (Sept. 25, 2022) at home surrounded by his loving family. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the McGraw-Kowal Funeral Home.

Telefónica And Qualcomm Collaborate To Build The Future Of XR & Metaverse – Telefónica https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/telefonica-and-qualcomm-collaborate-to-build-the-future-of-xr-metaverse-telefonica/ Telefónica and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced a collaboration to strengthen their position as leaders in the future of XR and the Metaverse. Together they will work to develop and grow the XR ecosystem, leveraging the Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform and Telefónica’s advanced fixed and mobile network infrastructure. The agreement also includes exploration of joint commercial opportunities and the launch of XR/metaverse products and services. Telefónica sees many possibilities in combining immersive devices with powerful networks and decentralised Web3 technologies. This agreement opens the opportunity to deliver new experiences to customers merging the digital and analogue worlds, re-imagining commerce, entertainment, and communication in the Metaverse. Qualcomm Technologies has introduced Snapdragon Spaces, a platform that empowers developers to unlock the full potential of wearable AR using industry-leading technology, cross-device SDK, and an open XR ecosystem. This enables developers to pioneer innovative experiences that will lead the next generation of immersive technology. In this regard, both companies are working to bring Snapdragon Spaces to different initiatives which are part of the Telefónica Innovation and Talent Hub, such as its core and open innovation programmes, and the computer programming campus 42. This will help grow the Snapdragon Spaces ecosystem and foster the development of new products and services on XR, which Telefónica can test and commercialise with their consumer and business customers. Daniel Hernández, VP Devices & Consumer IoT of Telefónica, commented, said: “XR will bring a new dimension to the digital and real world, enabling people to communicate, do business, socialise and entertain themselves in new ways.  We are preparing for this future, building the infrastructure, upskilling the teams, evolving our services and putting in place the partnerships which will enable us to bring innovative new devices and services to customers.  Qualcomm Technologies has played a critical role at each stage in development of our industry and our collaboration with Snapdragon Spaces will help to drive growth in the emerging XR ecosystem and realise the next evolution of the internet, the Metaverse”. Dino Flore, Vice President, Technology, Qualcomm Europe, Inc. said: “XR will redefine how we live, work and socialise. At a crucial time in the technology’s development and roll-out, we are excited to be partnering with Telefonica to grow the active communities developing the ecosystems of the future through Snapdragon Spaces, which we believe will unlock the power of XR and take it to the next level”.

Comic Con Africa Sells Out – Gadget https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/comic-con-africa-sells-out-gadget/ The 4-day-long Comic Con Africa festival of popular culture sold out all tickets ahead of Saturday, the third day of the festival, with more than 20,000 visitors arriving at the Johannesburg Expo Centre on the day. on Sunday, the venue was packed out as the event revealed the extent to which comics and gaming culture had gone mainstream. Numerous professional cosplayers, in expertly designed costumes, rubbed shoulders with casual fancy-dressers and regular individuals and families in one of the most colourful gatherings this country has seen, The event saw probably the biggest gathering yet of comic book artists in one place in South Africa. International stars like American Zach Howard (Marvel, DC and Image Comics) and French artist Stephane Roux (DC, Marvel Dark Horse) were joined by numerous established and up-and-coming artists and writers. Cape Town-based Karl Mostert, who has become a regular artist on Batman comics for DC over the last four years, told us that he had been discovered at a previous Comic Con by a DC talent scout. He left Cape Town for Comic Con this year minutes after he had delivered his latest work on the Batman title. (see video) New independent comics by local artists and writers represented not only the talent of South Africans but also their courage in putting out new titles under their own steam. For example, Bill Masuku put out a preview volume of a comic book called Captain South Africa, while Tathokoza Khoza had the first two issues of his “mixed culture” comic, The Calling, on display. 07Tathokoza Khoza with his comic book, The Calling, at Comic Con Africa (Pic: Arthur Goldstuck) Street art also made a splash at this year’s Comic Con Africa, anchored by art supply company Grayscale and its owner, Rasty Knayles, doyen of South African street artists. On the show floor, Marvel fans could step into Disney Plus’ mirror dimension inspired by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Netflix Stranger Things activation continued to pump, and cosplayers filled the aisles. SpongeBob Squarepants paid a visit to fans in the Link. The Cricut Artist Alley Stage brought an all-African panel to give comic fans insight into the realities that African artists face in the industry. The likes of Kudwashe Rwizi, Tafadzwa Shumba, Charles Adesanmi, Bill Masuku, Gerald Basaka, Somto Aljuluchukwa, Moises Junior, and Daniel Oluwale joined the panel for a heartfelt discussion on the importance of empowering African creatives.  Internationally acclaimed Cosplay artist, Taryn Cosplay joined fans for the first time in the Pop Culture Hall for a Q&A session. The Cosplay artist engaged with the audience and answered questions about how he rose to fame. US actor Ross Butler attracted hundreds of fans as he appeared at the festival for the first time. The star chatted about his latest project Shazam 2, and his past projects with Netflix and Disney Channel. Unplug Yourself hosted the tabletop gaming section of the festival, teaching fans to play board games, miniature games, trading card games, and much more. Fan favourites Pokémon, Magic The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh! were on the tables.  At StreetCon, urban influencers appeared on stage with Bathu SA to chat about how street culture influences pop culture, followed by the highly anticipated finale of Barber Wars. The Røde Microphones’ StreamerCon stage in Hall 7 hosted panel discussions, content creation sessions and workshops on how fans can elevate their content. Said Cameron Nyce, Røde brand manager: “Røde’s major focus is to bring studio quality equipment on the market at an affordable price. Being at Comic Con Africa, it’s been a great opportunity for us to connect with content creators of all forms, and we’ve had an amazing time meeting like-minded individuals .” At KidsCon, the Board of Little Experts, who helped plan the festival for the past few months along with the team, made their way to the KidsCon main stage to share what they’ve enjoyed the most at the Con so far, and give away tons of prizes to the kiddies and their parents in the audience, awarded by Bela Bela’s Warmbaths Forever Resort. Show director Carla Massmann said: “We moved to the Johannesburg Expo Centre because we needed a bigger home for Comic Con Africa.  The show offers over 256 hours of content across three halls and seven stages – there is so much to learn and experience at Comic Con Africa. It’s the coming together of so many diverse yet intersected communities and it is our goal to showcase these awesome fandoms that are the very heart of pop culture.”

Interpol Has Issued A Red Notice For Do Kwon, Say South Korean Prosecutors – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/interpol-has-issued-a-red-notice-for-do-kwon-say-south-korean-prosecutors-cryptonews/ Source: Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash The International Criminal Police Organization, known widely as Interpol, has issued a Red Notice on Do Kwon, the co-founder of Terraform Labs and the Terra ecosystem – as the manhunt for the elusive crypto chief continues. South Korean prosecutors confirmed the Red Notice on September 26, per a number of South Korean media outlets including SBS. The prosecution declined to make any further comment on the matter, however. An Interpol Red Notice is the highest level request that Interpol is capable of issuing – and effectively asks police officers in almost every nation in the world to “locate and provisionally arrest” the individual in question “pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.” Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office’s Financial and Securities Crime Unit first approached Interpol for assistance last week after issuing an arrest warrant earlier in the month. The nation’s foreign ministry has also stepped in, and hopes to cancel Kwon’s passport – in a bid to force Kwon’s deportation. Where Is Do Kwon? South Korean authorities claim that Kwon is now a “fugitive” and stated that it was “evident” that Kwon was now “on the run.” Kwon denied this on September 17, the last time he posted on social media. But the evidence appears to indicate otherwise. Kwon, prosecutors say, “fled” to Singapore at the end of April, mere days before the Terra ecosystem crash, along with five Terraform executives. South Korean police say that Kwon’s family flew out to Singapore shortly after. Singaporean police, however, have stated that Kwon is no longer in Singapore. Prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to prove that the Terra ecosystem coins that Kwon sold were “unregistered securities,” even though some domestic lawyers have claimed it will be hard to make these charges stick. South Korean law does not classify any form of cryptoasset as a security. But Beoplyool TV News, a media outlet that focuses on legal affairs, quoted a financial lawyer named Cha Sang-jin as stating that if the prosecution focuses on TerraClassicUSD (UST), it may have more success. Cha claimed that Terraform executives “emphasized” a “value linkage with the US dollar” before UST lost its peg in early May. In proving that promises about a USD-linked stablecoin were untrue, legal experts suggested, prosecutors may be able to prove that Kwon and others “violated the Capital Market Act.”

Iran Says U.S. Trying To Violate Sovereignty Over Unrest, Warns Of Response – Reuters https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/iran-says-u-s-trying-to-violate-sovereignty-over-unrest-warns-of-response-reuters/ Pro-government peoples rally against the recent protest gatherings in Iran, after the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, Iran September 23, 2022. Iranians have staged mass protests over the case of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died last week after being arrested by the morality police for wearing “unsuitable attire”.WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com DUBAI, Sept 26 (Reuters) – U.S. attempts to violate Iran’s sovereignty over the issue of protests triggered by the death of a woman in police custody will not go unanswered, the foreign ministry said on Monday. Iran has been rocked by nationwide demonstrations sparked by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, after she was detained by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic’s strict restrictions on women’s dress. The case has drawn international condemnation. Iran has said the United States was supporting rioters and seeking to destablise the Islamic Republic. “Washington is always trying to weaken Iran’s stability and security although it has been unsuccessful,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told Nour news, which is affiliated with a top security body, in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Christian Schmollinger Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

How The US Can Beat China And Russia In New Energy Tech – Bloomberg Law https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/how-the-us-can-beat-china-and-russia-in-new-energy-tech-bloomberg-law/ America’s energy innovation engine has been a well-oiled machine for nearly 50 years. We’re on the verge of building what could be the greatest energy technologies we’ve ever seen, but you know the saying—it’s hard to find good help. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funded demonstration projects authorized in the Energy Act signed by President Donald Trump in 2020. It was the biggest US Department of Energy project since the Manhattan project. The IIJA included $27 billion for grid infrastructure and $21.5 billion for a new Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). If done right, this investment may be our key to beating China and Russia in the race for next-generation energy technologies. Staffing Needs Historically, DOE has been a giant nuclear defense and science R&D agency. It has focused on building and maintaining nuclear weapons, power plants for subs and carriers, not to mention the Human Genome Project, giant particle colliders, and other world-altering innovations like quantum computing. It owns and operates the 17 National Laboratories, building and running cutting-edge science infrastructure. The Department, however, has little experience with specific ready-for-first-deployment commercial energy technology. In an August report, the Department’s Office of the Inspector General raised similar concerns outlining risk areas such as insufficient staffing, circumvention of project controls, insufficient project oversight, and inadequate internal and recipient-level controls DOE’s team has brilliant minds and policy expertise. But even in the applied offices, they are staffed with early-stage technology R&D funding experts, not people with experience building commercial-scale energy facilities. The agency’s Loan Programs Office, created in 2005 to bridge new technologies with available capital, has had some incredible wins—including Tesla—but also some high-profile losses. Some projects failed simply because the right people weren’t in place to assist with the selection process. The current office has brought in leaders with deep industry experience to fill gaps and get things done. Policy Needs Congressional oversight to ensure these programs succeed is obvious, but there are three internal policy changes DOE could implement. First, DOE needs to immediately hire both political and career employees with experience delivering power plants and other energy facilities on time and on budget. That means senior energy engineers, private sector technology investment leaders, former employees of large utilities or equipment manufacturers, plant developers, corporate capital allocators, and fund investors who have depth in building commercial projects. David Crane, former chief executive officer of NRG who was recently nominated to be Under Secretary for Infrastructure at DOE, indicates this goal is on the right track. Second, the Department needs to use peer-review advisory boards for each technology class. For example, the Office of Nuclear Energy, when creating the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, assembled a blue-ribbon advisory committee of commercial nuclear experts along with investors, ensuring applicants with the best chance of commercial success were selected. This peer review process has been used successfully by DOE’s Office of Science to review funding opportunity proposals for decades and should be looked at for all the new OCED selections. Finally, the new OCED must have strong, defined coordination with the existing applied energy offices. These offices should provide perspective on which technologies are ready for demonstration, while OCED can focus on successful implementation—and getting the money out the door. Vice versa, learnings from OCED can feed into new R&D efforts at the applied energy offices. Big-Picture Goals Earthshots, the Department’s big-picture goal concept, is an organizing principle initiated with SunShot in the Obama Administration and continued as the Energy Storage Grand Challenge in the Trump administration. It can be a useful mechanism for coordinating activity all the way from basic science to the applied programs through to the major demonstrations. We know that investing wisely in innovation pays off. Major advances in new energy technology, from the lithium-ion battery to nuclear energy to renewables, had serious government support in their early stages—even the fracking revolution that caused the gas boom started with a total of $10 billion in research and development plus tax incentives. There are many parts of our energy and industrial systems where we don’t yet have the cheaper, cleaner alternatives needed to build the systems of the future. But this demonstration program with accompanying incentives can help get us there. Staffed with private industry, construction, and operations experience, we’ll be on the way to renewed American energy independence, and the next generation of technologies that could solve both the near-term global energy and geopolitical crises and longer-term emissions challenges. If not, we’ll squander this opportunity to significantly accelerate American energy technology. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners. Write for Us: Author Guidelines Author Information Paul Dabbar served as the Department of Energy’s fourth under secretary for Science and Energy. Rich Powell is CEO of ClearPath, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that develops and advances policies that accelerate breakthrough innovations to reduce emissions in the energy and industrial sectors.

Argyle Police Blotter – The Cross Timbers Gazette https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/argyle-police-blotter-the-cross-timbers-gazette/ The following is a summary of recent incident reports made to the Argyle Police Department as compiled by the staff of The CTG: On July 27 at 4 p.m., a caller reported that two teenage boys were “darting around Country Club Road, throwing rocks and yanking up signs” for about half an hour. A business owner in the shopping center near Hwy 377 said the boys knocked down a pole near the parking lot entrance, and it appeared the boys took off in a gray older model car. The officer was unable to locate the boys, and the pole was put back up. On July 27 at 4:05 p.m., a caller on Shadow Wood Drive reported that a teenager was speeding through the neighborhood on an ATV. She approached him and told him to slow down, and he then walked up to her truck and cussed at her. An officer was unable to locate the teen. On July 28 at 9:28 p.m., a caller on Meandering Creek Drive reported that a neighbor’s dog was barking and it can go “in and out of the doggie door at will.” An officer contacted the dog’s owner, who said the doggie door was locked and the dog was now inside. On July 29 at 10 a.m., a woman stopped by the Argyle police station to show a text she received depicting “a woman posing and requesting to chat online,” and she was concerned it was human trafficking and wanted to alert police. An officer told her that it was a very common spam text and to ignore it. On July 30 at 10:32 p.m., a caller reported a sofa in the middle of the road on I-35W. There were also multiple cushions in the road, and a truck that had apparently been carrying furniture was pulled over on the side of the road. Within 15 minutes, the couch was cleared from the highway. On July 31 at 12:08 a.m., an Instacart driver reported that they didn’t see a ditch on Forest Trail and accidentally drove their Toyota Prius into it. Officers were able to help push the car out of the ditch within 12 minutes with minimal effort. CTG Staff The Cross Timbers Gazette News Department