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GameCenter live: Bemidji State at No. 14 UNDMost pass rushers in the NFL switch sides and rush from various alignments. That includes all the elite players, mainly so that defensive coordinators can get them free from the attention that they will face on a down-to-down basis. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers do not move T.J. Watt around at all. He rushes off the right tackle all season with very little care paid attention to switching sides or rushing over the interior. The question would be, why? According to insider Mark Kaboly, he believes that Watt might be the one who is resistant to flipping sides. "I don’t know how much he wants to do that,” Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show . “I think partially it has to do with him. He just likes coming from...I mean you remember his rookie year, he was on the other side, didn’t really like it. They flipped him and Bud Dupree and then all of a sudden he took off. But at this point, you’re gonna have to do something a little different. I guarantee if you ask Teryl Austin, he’d be like, ‘Oh we move him around.’ Yeah, you move him around two or three times a game, if that.” Watt leads the NFL in chip rate and consistently gets double-teamed. The Steelers have one of the lowest blitz rates in the NFL. When it comes down to it, Watt does need to move around to get himself free and allow the Steelers' pass rush to pop even more. Whether it is his own opinion or the coaching staff’s, something needs to change, or games such as the one that happened in Cleveland could continue to happen. BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks , where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks. More Pittsburgh Steelers News Pittsburgh Steelers open as underdogs in crucial division game vs. Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers future opponent gets reinforcements, including star running back Pittsburgh Steelers coach floated as college head coach candidate Pittsburgh Steelers' future opponent loses star pass rusher for season Browns safety sends bold message to Pittsburgh Steelers: ‘Come get yo get back’Author: Aminthika Dissanayake Publisher: Dharshana Publishers Reviewed by Kamala Wijeratne Aslim volume of poetry, comprising 55 poems is Aminthika Dissanayake’s latest publication. Long ago when she was still a child, I had the honour of reviewing her poetry. The promise shown then, has now blossomed into profound experience and mature insights in well-crafted poetry. The contexts she creates and the emotions she expresses are well beyond her age. The selection of the title itself – Rain in October is suggestive of the broad span of the contents within. In our youth, in the geography lessons, we learnt that October is a dry month – the month between – the monsoon that is blowing away in September and the monsoon that blows in November. It is a period of transition. So are Aminthika’s poems. Some delve into depths which are reflections of great maturity and wisdom, while others are still of the teen that she is. For Aminthika, October is a month of hope, of fulfillment: ‘Glancing up at the heavens, Hoping against hope when The clouds fill the sky That they wouldn’t roll away again Or cast down torrents and lightening But fulfill and satisfy us like the Rain in October’ What is unexpected and spontaneous is treasured. The poems in the collection reflect a young woman’s perception of the world around her, its wants and strengths, corrosions and purities. Some poems are long, some short. Their perspectives are broad, their range varied covering the elements, human experiences, and emotions and the daily drudge of life. Some poems are very short, resembling the precision of the haiku. Take, for example, the poem titled Blue: You locked the door And wept When no one knocked It seems so simple, so ordinary. But the human situation condensed to a miniscule is so powerfully expressive, so deep in meaning. It is tempting to write on each and every poem, but then it will go beyond review, into critical overview. So, one has to be selective. Thematically, the poems broaden from everyday routines to the universal. There are the very light pieces like 3.a.m. where she humourously comments on a young student’s struggle with her studies. The last poem in the selection deals with her vision of the Poet and poetry. She announces her creed: ‘I am a poet I’m only here to gather things To fill my writing with’ A simple creed, to gather things – to store experience. No political or social roles like Lakdas. She is open to the world. Every event, every object is a stimulus. She repeats: ‘I am a poet I’ll take life’s lemons And write stories In invisible ink’ She responds to life’s events and absorbs them and stamps her poems with an element of mystery. But she is aware of the stark realisms of life and opens them up. In the gifted ones, she presents a situation very common to Sri Lanka, specially true of the education system: the Padding up or building up of individuals through artificial means like tuition, favouration, nepotism, what have you! Her character’s cry here is a cry to be left alone to grow up by one’s own effort without being propped up. She ironically presents the character as unable to swim. The falsity of ‘make believe’ is exposed. Without being allowed free growth, the ‘gifted one’ becomes totally helpless: ‘But now we come upon real battles Sailed into open seas And everyone has learnt already through trials To stay afloat But what about me? I must learn mid – battle everything From the beginning Because you’ve set me up Even when I never learned How to win..... The poem ‘The words of a weary solder’ is another poem that delves deep into human psychology. The soldier is war weary: “I only go to war to end it’ he says. He has no fear of losing, His chosen journey of life – was broken by the call of arms. He only fought, ‘to see the fighting ends’ Life has moved on, leaving him on a battlefield ‘locked in starch’ In very simple words, but with a stark succinctness she suggests the tragedy of war. Aminthika’s concerns with the environment is also powerfully expressed. The poem ‘the last tree falls’ is a telling comment on the devastation of forests. The situation is dramatically etched – Far away are the new towns, building after building – the concrete jungle. Here and now, on the spot is: ‘wooden carcass Now forgotten’ The human vandalism is projected in the “sprawling buildings” which has taken the place of trees. The result is: ‘the dust path burns’ Fire and dust; the burning earth. Her vision is penetratingly mature. In the ‘metamorphosis’, she captures the bare paradox of life – that change is no change – Change is going back to square one. So much clamour, so much noise, but the metamorphosis is going back to the old system. ‘You lie in the wreckage of your past selves’ she says. She compares transformation to ‘a moth’ Yu ‘drift down Until you’ve taken back to where You began’ What more profundity could you seek from a poet? And an eighteen year old in that. In her mastery of the English language, in her deep insights into life and the succinctness with which she crafts her poetry, Aminthika is surely heading towards greatness in her chosen art.
MEMPHIS 99, NO. 2 UCONN 97, OT
THE Department of Science and Technology said the Philippines was chosen to host the first International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Conference on Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (Nutec Plastics) in November 2025. "Plastic pollution is a major global concern that necessitates global solutions. Nuclear applications can provide one of them," said Science and Technology Undersecretary Leah Buendia, Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.
AppFolio, Inc. (NASDAQ:APPF) Holdings Trimmed by Thrivent Financial for LutheransIGA shows Aussies that shopping local isn’t a community service but a savvy move made by smart shoppers in its latest brand campaign with creative agency Special. The ‘You Can’t Beat Local’ campaign celebrates the home ground advantages shoppers can expect at IGA matched to the big two competitors through to a product range tailored to the specific needs and wants of each local area. The integrated brand campaign includes a 30-second hero film and three 15-second spots featuring some of the many IGA stores from around Australia, local legend owners, and the custom range and value pricing propositions found in every location. With the festive season fast approaching, a second iteration of the campaign was launched in quick succession, showing how shopping locally helps savvy shoppers swerve the Christmas chaos that occurs in shopping centres every December. “IGA is famous for being local, and always will be, but some Australians still think that shopping local comes at a cost,” Fiona Johnston, Metcash GM Shopper Brand and Loyalty, said. “We want to dispel that myth and flip what local means on its head and are excited to launch this new loud, proud and exciting campaign, showcasing how you can’t beat local for range, ease and value. IGA retailers stock the things their local shoppers need and want, from everyday essentials to hidden gems you can’t get anywhere else. “It’s easy to get into our stores and convenient to get good value through specials that are special to our locals and price matching on the products that count. Shopping locally shouldn’t just feel good – it can also make a real difference on your wallet, and it’s time to tell more Aussies about the game-changing power of local,” Johnston added. Lindsey Evans , partner and CEO at Special, said: “This campaign marks the beginning of Special’s partnership with a team of open, brave and kind marketers who share our independent values. We’re excited to continue redefining what it means to shop locally with IGA – at Christmas and all year long.” “Working closely with IGA and Special to bring to life the new, bold brand positioning has been an incredible experience,” Cassie Broad, Starcom Australia Business Director, said. “The Starcom Australia team have thoroughly enjoyed bringing to life the ‘You Can’t Beat Local’ concept within the media strategy, with targeted screens, OOH and social placements allowing us to hero the power of local,” Broad added. This is the first campaign Special has created for IGA since partnering with the brand in June 2024. The ‘You can’t beat local’ platform debuted recently with an integrated campaign running across TV, social, OOH, earned and owned assets. The complementary Christmas campaign including a 30-second TV spot, OOH, radio, social and owned media launched on 11 November 2024. Credits Client: Metcash, IGA Creative Agency: Special Group Media Agency: Starcom AustraliaBy TravelPulse (TNS) While 2024 was a year that brought about significant, continued post-pandemic recovery for the travel industry, it was also a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. From attacks on the rail lines during the Paris Olympics to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, not to mention the war in Ukraine, the global travel realm in 2024 was fraught with challenges. It is against this backdrop that the international security and medical services provider Global Guardian recently released its 2025 Global Risk Map. Published annually, the map is meant to help travelers better understand the current global risk landscape. In order to develop its guidance, experts at Global Guardian assess a long list of country-specific security risk factors and indicators, including crime, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest and terrorism. For 2025, Global Guardian’s assessment results underscore the reality that disruption globally and domestically continues to increase, and now more than ever travelers need to be prepared when exploring the world. As part of the latest assessment, Global Guardian highlighted a handful of specific global regions that are at particular risk of destabilization over the next year and beyond. Here’s a closer look at those regions, along with insights from Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, who recently spoke with TravelPulse at length about the risks travelers may face in 2025. Here are the regions at risk of destabilization in 2025: Israel’s existential battle against Iran is set to continue into 2025, says the Global Guardian report. “In July 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) safehouse in Tehran, and Iran has pledged revenge,” the report explains. “This comes as Iran and its web of regional proxies took their war on Israel out of the shadows and into the open following October 7, 2023, with seven live fronts.” Global Guardian also predicts that Israel’s regional war will shift from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon in the year ahead, heightening tensions with Hezbollah, while Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean will persist. The report adds that as “we enter 2025, Israel may assess that its strategic window to prevent a nuclear Iran is rapidly closing and choose to act.” The ongoing civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is also of concern, according to Global Guardian’s risk analysis. The conflict “has created a dire humanitarian situation with ethnically motivated violence on the rise,” says the report. Some of the areas of concern in the Latin American region include Venezuela and Mexico, according to Global Guardian. The risk in Venezuela is tied to the country’s long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, says the report. “Since 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended all operations,” explains Buckner. “Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. Simply put, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Western travelers and should be avoided.” In Mexico, meanwhile, the problems include drug cartel-related violence and theft, among other issues, says the report. Mexico recently inaugurated its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and like her predecessors she will face challenges “reining in cartel violence, corruption, extortion, theft and kidnapping,” says the report. “As such, security continues to be a top concern in Mexico’ ” says the report, which categorizes Mexico as “high risk” when it comes to travel for 2025. Countries classified as high risk experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest — and have not effectively managed those risks. The Global Guardian report also suggests there may be heightened risks in Mexico now that Donald Trump has been reelected U.S. president. “Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Mexico could dramatically deteriorate. Trump has promised a mass deportation operation, which could sour relations between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing risks to businesses operating in Mexico,” the report adds. Asked to comment on Mexico’s high-risk designation, Buckner stressed that the situation in the country is extremely nuanced, adding that it’s a vast oversimplification to call the entire country high risk. “There are pockets of Mexico that are wildly safe and wonderful to visit and people shouldn’t hesitate to go,” Buckner told TravelPulse. “And there are also pockets that are unsafe and dangerous.” The good news, added Buckner, is that Mexico’s new president is focusing a great deal of effort and energy on addressing the problems surrounding drug cartels, which are the source of a great deal of the risk. Buckner was quick to add however, that as long as there’s demand for drugs, the drug cartel situation is likely to remain problematic. “The U.S. is driving the drug demand — we consume more drugs then the rest of the world,” explained Buckner. “It’s really overly simplified to paint Mexico as the bad guy, because if there wasn’t demand, we wouldn’t need the supply. But the demand is real and violence comes with that.” Representatives for Global Nexus, a government and public affairs consultancy that advises travel and tourism companies and interests in Southern Mexico, told TravelPulse that while drug-related violence has been known to occur, it involves members of the drug cartel targeting each other, they’re not targeting tourists. “There is an ongoing battle between small drug vendors who use the beach to sell product to tourists hanging out on the beach,” explained Ruben Olmos, Global Nexus president and CEO, in reference to the Quintana Roo region, which is popular with tourists. “There have been cases where gunfire has been exchanged between these groups. They are targeting themselves. They are fighting over ‘This is my beach’ and they initiate a shootout.” However, added Olmos, that the U.S. State Department’s risk categorization for Quintana Roo (which is separate from the Global Guardian risk assessment) has not changed. Located on the State Department’s Mexico page, the risk assessment for Quintana Roo remains in the “Exercise Increased Caution” category, which is below the top risk categories of “Do Not Travel” and “Reconsider Travel.” The Exercise Increased Caution designation means “Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security,” explains the State Department’s website. Olmos also pointed out that Mexico is the only country that has a map on the U.S. State Department website that covers every single state in the country, providing details for travelers about which states are safest. In June 2024, thousands of young people took to the streets in Kenya to protest a controversial tax bill. The protesters were met with heavy-handed policing, including the use of live fire and mass arrests, says the Global Guardian risk report. Despite the local security response, protests continued. The success and tenacity of the Kenyan movement has triggered similar protests or dissent in other countries including Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, says Global Guardian. That is just a portion of the risk Global Guardian sees for Sub-Saharan Africa over the course of 2025. “With multiple conflicts escalating across the continent, aging leaders leaving behind unclear successions, and entrenched regimes with dissipating legitimacy, Sub-Saharan Africa now looks much like the North African and Arab world in the early 2010s,” says the report. “While the dynamic unfolding in Africa might not yet merit the label of “African Spring,” a significant change to the continent’s political status quo is coming.” Several countries received an extreme or high-risk designation on the new Global Guardian risk map for 2025, including more than a few that are popular with leisure travelers or tourists. Extreme risk countries are those that Global Guardian says are “actively engaged in conflict, while also experiencing severe criminal activity and civil unrest.These countries are insecure; state institutions are too weak to manage militant groups or large-scale disasters.” They include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Ukraine, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen. The current list of high-risk countries, which are countries that experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest and have not effectively managed those risks, includes Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela Officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board provided a statement to TravelPulse in response to Global Guardian’s designation of the country. “Last month, Global Guardian, a private security provider, released its 2025 Global Risk Map, which included Jamaica, amongst other destinations,” said the Tourist Board. “It is important to note that the crime rate against visitors is notably low at 0.01% and the majority of Jamaica’s tourism product remains unaffected.” The country’s tourism officials added that Jamaica has welcomed 3 million visitors this year and boasts a high repeat visitor rate of 42%. “The island is consistently ranked among the top destinations for international travel and visitors continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the statement adds. When it comes to Jamaica, Buckner offered similar comments to those of Mexico, noting that the situation is impacted by drug-related violence and the experience on the ground is nuanced and cannot be painted with a broad brush. “In the same vein as Mexico — Jamaica can be a wonderful place to visit,” says Buckner. “There are pockets of beauty and low crime and as long as you are careful, it’s a very low threat.” Buckner, a retired Army colonel, maintains that the world is indeed a more risky place heading into 2025. The challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine are at the forefront of the instability, but are hardly the only cause for concern. “Israel has now gone to Gaza and cleaned out Hamas, they’re now moving north into Lebanon, and we are convinced Israel will strike Iran,” Buckner said during an interview that took place prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. “If that occurs you are going to see violence across the Middle East.” “But there are over 100 conflicts across the globe,” continues Buckner. When you combine that reality with other challenges the world is currently grappling with, including the destabilizing influences of climate change, there are plenty of risks for travelers to bear in mind when planning a journey for the coming year. He wraps up by offering a few tips for travelers, a check-list of sorts, to work through when planning or considering travel to a specific country in 2025: — If you don’t know who to call or how you are going to negotiate if someone is kidnapped, you shouldn’t go there. — Consumers need to read the fine print on travel insurance because it does not cover war zones, terrorism or natural disasters, says Buckner. And travelers are often surprised and find out too late that these types of events are not covered. — If you get stuck or stranded, if you don’t know who you are going to call to get you out of that situation, know what organizations locally or internationally are available to help you. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NoneBy TravelPulse (TNS) While 2024 was a year that brought about significant, continued post-pandemic recovery for the travel industry, it was also a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. From attacks on the rail lines during the Paris Olympics to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, not to mention the war in Ukraine, the global travel realm in 2024 was fraught with challenges. It is against this backdrop that the international security and medical services provider Global Guardian recently released its 2025 Global Risk Map. Published annually, the map is meant to help travelers better understand the current global risk landscape. In order to develop its guidance, experts at Global Guardian assess a long list of country-specific security risk factors and indicators, including crime, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest and terrorism. For 2025, Global Guardian’s assessment results underscore the reality that disruption globally and domestically continues to increase, and now more than ever travelers need to be prepared when exploring the world. As part of the latest assessment, Global Guardian highlighted a handful of specific global regions that are at particular risk of destabilization over the next year and beyond. Here’s a closer look at those regions, along with insights from Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, who recently spoke with TravelPulse at length about the risks travelers may face in 2025. Here are the regions at risk of destabilization in 2025: Israel’s existential battle against Iran is set to continue into 2025, says the Global Guardian report. “In July 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) safehouse in Tehran, and Iran has pledged revenge,” the report explains. “This comes as Iran and its web of regional proxies took their war on Israel out of the shadows and into the open following October 7, 2023, with seven live fronts.” Global Guardian also predicts that Israel’s regional war will shift from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon in the year ahead, heightening tensions with Hezbollah, while Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean will persist. The report adds that as “we enter 2025, Israel may assess that its strategic window to prevent a nuclear Iran is rapidly closing and choose to act.” The ongoing civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is also of concern, according to Global Guardian’s risk analysis. The conflict “has created a dire humanitarian situation with ethnically motivated violence on the rise,” says the report. Some of the areas of concern in the Latin American region include Venezuela and Mexico, according to Global Guardian. The risk in Venezuela is tied to the country’s long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, says the report. “Since 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended all operations,” explains Buckner. “Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. Simply put, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Western travelers and should be avoided.” In Mexico, meanwhile, the problems include drug cartel-related violence and theft, among other issues, says the report. Mexico recently inaugurated its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and like her predecessors she will face challenges “reining in cartel violence, corruption, extortion, theft and kidnapping,” says the report. “As such, security continues to be a top concern in Mexico’ ” says the report, which categorizes Mexico as “high risk” when it comes to travel for 2025. Countries classified as high risk experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest — and have not effectively managed those risks. The Global Guardian report also suggests there may be heightened risks in Mexico now that Donald Trump has been reelected U.S. president. “Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Mexico could dramatically deteriorate. Trump has promised a mass deportation operation, which could sour relations between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing risks to businesses operating in Mexico,” the report adds. Asked to comment on Mexico’s high-risk designation, Buckner stressed that the situation in the country is extremely nuanced, adding that it’s a vast oversimplification to call the entire country high risk. “There are pockets of Mexico that are wildly safe and wonderful to visit and people shouldn’t hesitate to go,” Buckner told TravelPulse. “And there are also pockets that are unsafe and dangerous.” The good news, added Buckner, is that Mexico’s new president is focusing a great deal of effort and energy on addressing the problems surrounding drug cartels, which are the source of a great deal of the risk. Buckner was quick to add however, that as long as there’s demand for drugs, the drug cartel situation is likely to remain problematic. “The U.S. is driving the drug demand — we consume more drugs then the rest of the world,” explained Buckner. “It’s really overly simplified to paint Mexico as the bad guy, because if there wasn’t demand, we wouldn’t need the supply. But the demand is real and violence comes with that.” Representatives for Global Nexus, a government and public affairs consultancy that advises travel and tourism companies and interests in Southern Mexico, told TravelPulse that while drug-related violence has been known to occur, it involves members of the drug cartel targeting each other, they’re not targeting tourists. “There is an ongoing battle between small drug vendors who use the beach to sell product to tourists hanging out on the beach,” explained Ruben Olmos, Global Nexus president and CEO, in reference to the Quintana Roo region, which is popular with tourists. “There have been cases where gunfire has been exchanged between these groups. They are targeting themselves. They are fighting over ‘This is my beach’ and they initiate a shootout.” However, added Olmos, that the U.S. State Department’s risk categorization for Quintana Roo (which is separate from the Global Guardian risk assessment) has not changed. Located on the State Department’s Mexico page, the risk assessment for Quintana Roo remains in the “Exercise Increased Caution” category, which is below the top risk categories of “Do Not Travel” and “Reconsider Travel.” The Exercise Increased Caution designation means “Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security,” explains the State Department’s website. Olmos also pointed out that Mexico is the only country that has a map on the U.S. State Department website that covers every single state in the country, providing details for travelers about which states are safest. In June 2024, thousands of young people took to the streets in Kenya to protest a controversial tax bill. The protesters were met with heavy-handed policing, including the use of live fire and mass arrests, says the Global Guardian risk report. Despite the local security response, protests continued. The success and tenacity of the Kenyan movement has triggered similar protests or dissent in other countries including Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, says Global Guardian. That is just a portion of the risk Global Guardian sees for Sub-Saharan Africa over the course of 2025. “With multiple conflicts escalating across the continent, aging leaders leaving behind unclear successions, and entrenched regimes with dissipating legitimacy, Sub-Saharan Africa now looks much like the North African and Arab world in the early 2010s,” says the report. “While the dynamic unfolding in Africa might not yet merit the label of “African Spring,” a significant change to the continent’s political status quo is coming.” Several countries received an extreme or high-risk designation on the new Global Guardian risk map for 2025, including more than a few that are popular with leisure travelers or tourists. Extreme risk countries are those that Global Guardian says are “actively engaged in conflict, while also experiencing severe criminal activity and civil unrest.These countries are insecure; state institutions are too weak to manage militant groups or large-scale disasters.” They include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Ukraine, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen. The current list of high-risk countries, which are countries that experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest and have not effectively managed those risks, includes Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela Officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board provided a statement to TravelPulse in response to Global Guardian’s designation of the country. “Last month, Global Guardian, a private security provider, released its 2025 Global Risk Map, which included Jamaica, amongst other destinations,” said the Tourist Board. “It is important to note that the crime rate against visitors is notably low at 0.01% and the majority of Jamaica’s tourism product remains unaffected.” The country’s tourism officials added that Jamaica has welcomed 3 million visitors this year and boasts a high repeat visitor rate of 42%. “The island is consistently ranked among the top destinations for international travel and visitors continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the statement adds. When it comes to Jamaica, Buckner offered similar comments to those of Mexico, noting that the situation is impacted by drug-related violence and the experience on the ground is nuanced and cannot be painted with a broad brush. “In the same vein as Mexico — Jamaica can be a wonderful place to visit,” says Buckner. “There are pockets of beauty and low crime and as long as you are careful, it’s a very low threat.” Buckner, a retired Army colonel, maintains that the world is indeed a more risky place heading into 2025. The challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine are at the forefront of the instability, but are hardly the only cause for concern. “Israel has now gone to Gaza and cleaned out Hamas, they’re now moving north into Lebanon, and we are convinced Israel will strike Iran,” Buckner said during an interview that took place prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. “If that occurs you are going to see violence across the Middle East.” “But there are over 100 conflicts across the globe,” continues Buckner. When you combine that reality with other challenges the world is currently grappling with, including the destabilizing influences of climate change, there are plenty of risks for travelers to bear in mind when planning a journey for the coming year. He wraps up by offering a few tips for travelers, a check-list of sorts, to work through when planning or considering travel to a specific country in 2025: — If you don’t know who to call or how you are going to negotiate if someone is kidnapped, you shouldn’t go there. — Consumers need to read the fine print on travel insurance because it does not cover war zones, terrorism or natural disasters, says Buckner. And travelers are often surprised and find out too late that these types of events are not covered. — If you get stuck or stranded, if you don’t know who you are going to call to get you out of that situation, know what organizations locally or internationally are available to help you. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
2024 was a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.Is the world more dangerous than ever for travelers? A global risk expert weighs in
What's On Tap in Chicago Bulls news ? Welcome to the 59th edition of "Tasting Flight," a daily newsletter to keep fans updated on all the latest news in Bulls Nation. Zach LaVine Makes History Becoming the Bulls All-Time Three-Point Leader Zach LaVine officially became the Bulls' all-time three-point leader in the last 2024 NBA Cup group play game against the Boston Celtics. Zach LaVine's record-breaking triple @CHSN__ | @ZachLaVine https://t.co/r1ajyFKI3O pic.twitter.com/dFq72NIVP9 LaVine passed Bulls legend Kirk Hinrich to reach this milestone. Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson contacted Hinrich to inform him of the news, and he shared that the Bull's legend is happy for LaVine. Told Hinrich about this development and he's happy for LaVine. At a game last season, he raved about LaVine's natural scoring ability and range. Hinrich set his franchise record in an era when the 3-point shot wasn't nearly as prevalent. https://t.co/C42oie1SQI Zach LaVine on franchise record for made 3-pointers, passing Kirk Hinrich: “Great accomplishment. Whenever you keep climbing up the ladder on certain things, it’s a tribute to your hard work. Kirk is one of the all-time great guys here, a helluva player. So my hat’s off to him.” Bulls Eliminated from NBA Cup The Bulls NBA Cup aspirations were crushed in Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. Chicago had the opportunity to make it to the knockout round, with the Atlanta Hawks beating the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier that day. Elimination scenarios for East Group C... https://t.co/fj5HMXTwUv pic.twitter.com/HEvaqij5p3 Bulls Continue to Make History Coming off multiple seasons as the team that attempted the fewest three-pointers, Billy Donovan ’s new uptempo offense generated multiple games of 20 or more made three-pointers. After just 21 games, Bulls have already set a franchise record with 5 games of 20 or more 3-pointers. Derrick Rose Sponsors his Alma Mater Derrick Rose and Adidas basketball have announced Simeon Career Academy as the first Rose School in their new sponsorship program. Rose’s famous logo will be featured on Simeon’s uniforms. Bigger than basketball Derrick Rose’s journey began in high school at Simeon Career Academy, where he built the foundation for his career. His Simeon experience laid the groundwork for the legacy he continues to build. Together, we’re proud to announce Simeon as the first... pic.twitter.com/QLzFizSfse Nikola Vučević Opens Up About Previous Shooting Struggles Nikola Vučević is having a resurgent 2024-25 NBA season, shooting 46.9% from the three-point line compared to last season when he shot 29.4% on roughly the same three-point shooting volume. Vucevic: “I wanted to shoot better than I did last season, which isn’t hard to do.” https://t.co/Ys1VVP5C6k Lonzo Ball Played Over Minute Restriction After rehabbing a knee injury for two and half years, Lonzo Ball made his highly anticipated return. In Ball’s return, the Bulls’ medical staff placed a 15-16 minute restriction on his playing time. On Friday’s match against the Boston Celtics, Billy Donovan played Ball for five minutes over the restriction. Billy said he asked Medical about playing Lonzo 20+ minutes and got clearance. Not sure he can do that on a consistent basis but he did check and get clearance on that This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.Looking for a new social media platform because X, Threads and Mastodon just aren't cutting it? You could try Bluesky. People seeking to avoid chaos, noise and political bluster in the aftermath of the U.S. elections are noticing a different mood on the Bluesky social platform, where the vibe is seemingly welcoming and there are noticeably fewer trolls. The site announced it had rapidly added more than a million new users in the week after Election Day, and has emerged as one of the fastest growing rivals to Elon Musk’s X and similar platforms. If you're tempted to check out the new space, here's a guide on how Bluesky works: Maybe you're not ready to commit to adding yet another social media account. No problem — you can still look around on Bluesky without signing up because all posts and profiles are public. You might get a sense of deja vu because the platform's look and feel are very similar to X. That should be no surprise because Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey was an early Bluesky champion. (Dorsey's no longer involved with Bluesky, which is owned and run by its executive team as a public benefit corporation.) If you take the plunge and get an account, you'll need a username. You'll notice Bluesky handles are a little bit different because they end by default in the site's domain, .bsky.social. You can personalize your handle to make it more memorable, by using your own website's domain or buying a custom one through Bluesky. But it might not be something most newbie users need or want to do right away. Bluesky boasts that it gives users “algorithmic choice” to tailor the content they're shown instead of leaving it up to the whims of a centralized system. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see,” it says. What it means is that you can follow custom feeds set up by other users, or design your own. If you tap #Feeds in the menu on the left, you'll see some default offerings like Cat Pics and Gardening. My Bangers is a list of your most popular posts by likes and Catch Up shows the site's most popular posts from the past 24 hours. You can find more by doing a search and tapping the Feeds button. There's also the usual “Discover” feed of suggested posts and a chronological feed of accounts that you follow. To help new users settle in, Bluesky has starter packs of recommended feeds and accounts to follow, which anyone can create and share. They don’t show up in Bluesky's search results but can be found in directories online. Or someone might share one with you. After I signed up, a colleague pointed me to one for major news outlets. There are tens of thousands of starter packs, ranging from broadly appealing topics like Taylor Swift to niche interests like cargo bikes or U.K. comedians. You can follow the whole pack or scroll down the list to choose individual accounts. What about people you followed on X? There's a browser extension tool called Sky Follower Bridge that will help you find X users who've migrated to Bluesky. But check before clicking the follow button to make sure it's not a different user using the same display name or handle. Ready to join the conversation? You can write posts or reply to others but keep it short because there's a limit of 300 characters — 20 more than on X. You can also upload photos and videos, though videos can't be longer than 60 seconds. GIFs and emojis are, of course, available too. You can still @ people by typing in their username, like posts by tapping a heart icon or use hashtags to highlight a theme. Bluesky has added a menu to hashtags, so when you click on one you'll get different options for seeing, or muting, posts on that topic. Bluesky's decentralization ethos extends to the content control options it offers. For starters, users can choose in their settings menu whether to see replies, reposts or quote posts in their feed. Specific words or tags can be muted temporarily, or forever, while accounts can be muted or blocked individually, or in bulk by adding them a moderation list. You can even fine tune the level of adult content that shows up in your feed. Bluesky has a team of content moderators to police the site for material that's illegal or breaks the rules. But it's also taking a different approach by open sourcing its content moderation system in an attempt to resolve problems with traditional moderation services which it says “lack transparency and user control.” So, individuals or groups can set up their own content filters, or labelers, that go beyond what Bluesky offers. These labelers can be used to categorize content or users, which can then be blocked or hidden. But they could also be used for informational or creative purposes, like curating or verifying content. There are labelers to identify images generated by artificial intelligence or to fact check news posts. You can find lists of labelers online. After I subscribed to a U.S. politics labeler, some posts in my feeds were flagged “!Donald Trump” or “!Democrat politician” and hidden unless I click Show.
The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Jaden Green and Geoffrey Jamiel scored on long plays in the fourth quarter and unseeded Lehigh rallied to defeat No. 9 Richmond 20-16 on Saturday in a first-round game of the FCS playoffs. Lehigh advances to a second-round game at eighth-seeded Idaho on Dec. 7. The Mountain Hawks trailed 16-7 early in the fourth quarter after Richmond’s Sean Clarke scored on a 7-yard pass from Camden Coleman. Green dashed 65 yards for a touchdown on the next play from scrimmage and Lehigh trailed 16-14 with 10 1/2 minutes remaining. The Mountain Hawks (9-3) forced a three-and-out, then Jamiel and Hayden Johnson connected on a 56-yard pass play for the go-ahead touchdown. The Spiders were stopped short of midfield on their final drive but nearly came up with a huge play when Lehigh’s Quanye Veney muffed the punt at his own 14-yard line. Ignatious Williams recovered the loose ball for Lehigh to preserve the win. Johnson completed 14 of 18 passes for 199 yards. Jamiel caught 10 for 137 yards. Coleman was 24-of-37 passing for 199 yards. Zach Palmer-Smith had 107 yards rushing for Richmond (10-3). RELATED COVERAGE Sellers’ 20-yard TD run with 1:08 to go lifts No. 16 South Carolina to 17-14 win over No. 12 Clemson No. 7 Tennessee gives up 1st 14 points before rallying to rout Vanderbilt 36-23 Michigan upsets No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 for Wolverines’ 4th straight win over bitter rival Richmond had 249 yards of total offense in the first half but managed only three short field goals by Sean O’Haire. The scoring drives were 76, 70 and 64 yards and Richmond controlled the ball for nearly 21 minutes in the first half. Lehigh took a 7-6 lead on Johnson’s 7-yard TD pass to Logan Galletta, but the Spiders answered with O’Haire’s third field goal for a 9-7 halftime lead. This is 13-time Patriot League champion Lehigh’s first playoff appearance since 2017. Lehigh and Richmond will have a rematch in the 2025 season opener at Lehigh. It will be Richmond’s debut as a member of the Patriot League. __ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballIGA celebrates shopping local in its latest ‘You Can’t Beat Local’ campaign via SpecialClean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) Stock Position Lifted by Cerity Partners LLC
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A new political equation is developing in Sagar district. Two former ministers from Sagar Bhupendra Singh and Gopal Bhargava, who were once against each other, were seen together at a function. To display his strength, Singh organised a Bhajan Sandhya on the birthday of his son Abhiraj. A large number of Singh’s supporters were present at the function. A few politicians were invited to the event where a new equation against Govind Singh Rajput was seen. Rajput was not invited to the function. Legislator Braj Bihari Pateria was also present on the occasion. The BJP leaders in Sagar seem to have been divided into two groups. Bhupendra has recently said those who had come from other political outfits and were causing trouble to the party leaders would not be accepted. The plot of the formation of a new faction was scripted at the function. But a year ago, the leaders from Sagar district came to Bhopal with complaints against Bhupendra. Now, with the changing political scenario, the rivals are coming together. Political rivalry between Bhupendra and Bhargava is old. Although Bhargava was a senior minister in the cabinet, Bhupendra was influential in Sagar. After the change of power, both of them could not become ministers. But Rajput who switched over to the BJP from the Congress became a minister. Now, both are coming together against Rajput.
Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different
Anthony Scaramucci , who briefly served as White House communications director during President-elect Donald Trump ‘s first term, sees promise in Trump’s proposed Cabinet but fears that Trump’s mass deportation plan could have severe economic repercussions . What Happened : During a Friday interview, Scaramucci commended Trump’s intention to nominate Scott Bessent , a billionaire hedge-fund manager, for Treasury secretary. He characterized Bessent as an “extremely intelligent individual” who would be a “reliable figure at Treasury.” Scaramucci also showed support for Trump’s naming Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff and intention to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for Secretary of State and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) for National Security Adviser, labeling them as “astute, practical selections.” But during the discussion with iNews, Scaramucci expressed apprehension about Trump’s deportation plan, which could potentially expel up to 20 million individuals, including those born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants. He is worried that the execution of such a plan could lead to catastrophic economic outcomes. "I think Trump's barometric pressure of how well he's doing is the stock market. So, if you're telling me he's going to start to deport people and ratchet up tariffs, we're going to have a stock market crash," he said during the interview. "The U.S. stock market is saying that Trump's going to run the country like a centrist, moderate, center-right, Republican president. That's what the U.S. stock market is saying. The U.S. stock market is not taking the rhetoric around tariffs and deportations seriously. So, some of the picks have helped me become more optimistic," he added. Also Read: Scaramucci On Trump Win: ‘I Got It Wrong, I’m Not Going To Whine About It’ Scaramucci also conveyed his hope that Trump’s threat to enforce new tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada will not come to pass, as it could trigger a stock market collapse. Despite his reservations, Scaramucci maintains a positive outlook on the future of Trump’s administration, primarily due to the tempering effect of his cabinet choices. Why It Matters : The appointment of a new cabinet and the potential implementation of a mass deportation plan could have significant implications for the U.S. economy. Scaramucci’s comments highlight the importance of these decisions and their potential impact on the country’s economic stability. His optimism about the cabinet appointments suggests confidence in their ability to guide the country effectively. However, his concerns about the deportation plan and potential tariffs underscore the potential risks these policies pose to the economy. Read Next Scaramucci: ‘Trump Is In Trouble And He Knows It' This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.