DP World Callao Strengthens Position as Peru's Gateway for Trade with AsiaFormer PM Manmohan Singh Passes Away At 92
Overhauls of 'heritage brands' raise the question: How important are our products to our identities?
Amsterdam court sentences 5 men for violence linked to Ajax-Maccabi soccer game
, a celebration deeply rooted in African heritage and culture, is not only a festival of unity and community but also a culinary journey through a rich tapestry of flavors and traditions. Originating in 1966 during the Civil Rights Movement by activist , Ph.D., Kwanzaa was created as a holiday specifically for African-Americans. The name "Kwanzaa" derives from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits," harkening back to the times of collective harvest and communal gratitude. Celebrated from December 26 to January 1, each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa is dedicated to a different principle or social value. The sixth night, Kuumba, meaning "creativity," is especially notable for its focus on a festive feast. This feast, or Karamu, is a time for rejoicing in the shared heritage and cultural richness of the African diaspora. While there is no set Kwanzaa menu, it is customary to serve African and African-influenced foods for any Kwanzaa meal. What Food is Eaten on Kwanzaa? The dishes served during Kwanzaa reflect the diverse culinary influences of African, Caribbean, and Southern American cuisines. Some of the traditional and popular dishes include:
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City's players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games. Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw. After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned. While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on. Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head. City's players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium. City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival. ___ James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer James Robson, The Associated Press
Calzada TD to Alexander sends Incarnate Word to FCS quarterfinal with win over VillanovaPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The United Nations raised the death toll of a recent massacre in which dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders were killed by a gang in Haiti, and called on officials to bring the perpetrators to justice. The U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti said in a report published on Monday that between Dec. 6 and 11 more than 207 people were killed by the Wharf Jeremie gang. The gang took people from their homes and from a place of worship, interrogated them and then executed them with bullets and machetes. Earlier this month, human rights groups in Haiti had estimated that in the massacre, but the new U.N. investigation doubles the number of victims. “We cannot pretend that nothing happened” said María Isabel Salvador, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative in Haiti. “I call on the Haitian justice system to thoroughly investigate these horrific crimes and arrest and punish the perpetrators, as well as those who support them,” she said in a statement. Human rights groups in Haiti said the after the son of Micanor Altès, the leader of the Wharf Jeremie gang, died from an illness. The Cooperative for Peace and Development, a human rights group, said that according to information circulating in the community, Altès accused people in the neighborhood of causing his son’s illness. “He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and (Vodou) practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of casting a bad spell on his son,” the group said in a statement released shortly after news of the massacre emerged. In Monday’s report, the United Nations said that people were tracked down in their homes and in a place of worship by Altès’ gang, where they were first interrogated and then taken to an execution site. The United Nations said that the gang tried to erase evidence of the killings by burning bodies, or by dismembering them and throwing them into the sea. The massacre is the latest humanitarian tragedy in Haiti, where gang violence has intensified since the nation’s president was killed in . Haiti has struggled to organize an election that will fill the power vacuum and restore democratic rule. The Caribbean nation is currently governed by a transitional council that includes representatives from the business community, civil society and political parties, but its government has no control over many areas of the capital city, and gangs are constantly fighting over ports, highways and neighborhoods. According to the United Nations, more than 5,350 people have been killed in Haiti’s gang wars this year. The Haitian government acknowledged the massacre against older people in a statement issued earlier this month, and promised to persecute those responsible for this act of “unspeakable carnage.”Pixel 9 Amazon Prices Slashed Below Google’s Own Black Friday Deals
Pakistan fully committed to fulfilling all international human rights obligations, Foreign Office's spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch says Pakistan’s Foreign Office’s (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Tuesday said recent verdicts by the military courts against civilians arrested in connection with May 9 riots were made “under a law enacted by the Parliament of Pakistan and in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan”. FO spokesperson’s statement came hours after the US Department of State showed concern over trial of civilians by the military courts in Pakistan. Last week, the military courts sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in violent attacks on military installations during nationwide riots in May 2023. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), military’s media wing, described the verdicts as “an important milestone in dispensation of justice”. However, the United States, the European Union (EU) , and the United Kingdom (UK) reacted to the trial of civilians by the military courts in Pakistan and asked Islamabad to respect the right to a fair trial and due process. “Pakistan is fully committed to fulfilling all its international human rights obligations,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in Tuesday’s statement. “Pakistan’s legal system is consistent with international human rights law including provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It has remedies of judicial review by the superior courts and guarantees promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. “Pakistan believes in constructive and productive dialogue to promote principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We remain fully committed to implementing our commitments under the GSP Plus Scheme and core international human rights conventions,” she further said.
Players have mixed feelings about being on the road on Christmas
If there's one thing everyone who celebrates Christmas knows, it's that Santa Claus is coming to town. The jolly gift giver is flying around the world, delivering presents to one and all. Now, thanks to the power of technology , we can track Santa's every move and know where he is at all times. In fact, there are two popular services designed to help you keep tabs on jolly ol' St. Nick — Norad and Google . Today, we'll give you a quick rundown of how to use both Santa trackers so you can know where he is at any time. What is a Santa tracker Santa Claus trackers are nothing new — they've been around since long before the internet with call-in hotlines. Now, thanks to the power of the World Wide Web, tracking Santa Claus as he flies around the globe has become even easier. Norad is still an option for tracking Santa online, though it has been doing it since 1958. In 2004, Google rolled out its own tracker, giving everyone two primary choices for their Santa-tracking needs. How to track Santa with Norad How to Use Google's Santa tracker Which Santa tracker is better? Which Santa tracker you use will come down to personal preference. While Norad has the longevity of being the original Santa tracker, Google offers a lot more style and other entertaining elements. I think it's better to use both trackers. After all, the more information you have about Santa's whereabouts, the more prepared you can be for his arrival at your home. Since both are free, there's no reason not to maximize your knowledge. However, if I had to choose one for some reason, I'd lean towards Google's offering just because I prefer the aesthetic, and the extra games and videos create a more festive atmosphere.Steelers QB Change Rumored After Offensive StrugglesThe fifth season of ABC's "Shark Tank" was particularly long — 29 episodes deep. Episode 25 premiered on April 18, 2014, to 6.77 million viewers, according to ratings measured by Nielsen. The first of the week's four pitches was for Ilumi, a smart lightbulb company. Watching the segment is an exercise in how much has changed over a decade, if just how much the price of smart lightbulbs has dropped since the episode was shot. Ilumi's bulbs were close to $100 each, though the company was positioned more as a maker of lighting systems than a singular bulb company, aiming for the high-end market. Ultimately, the ilumi founders would make a deal with Mark Cuban after fielding offers from multiple sharks. This is a case where loyal viewers may be aware that the deal formally closed, as it was the subject of a "Shark Tank Update" segment two seasons later. However, there have been some twists and turns since then. The company still exists, but one of the two co-founders left. Both the name and the mission have changed. By all appearances, the Ilumi name looks like it's on life support, but the rebranded company, Meshtek, seems like it's still going strong after a pivot to specialized Bluetooth technology and other internet-of-things device manufacturers. Swapnil Bora and Corey Egan entered the tank seeking $250,000 for 15% of ilumi, their Bluetooth-connected smart lightbulb business. They demonstrated the smart lightbulb features that we have all become familiar with, from color options to custom routines, before describing how they met while pursuing their MBAs. During that time, they started working on ilumi, and, in the process, won the University of Texas at Dallas's Business Idea Competition, netting a $5,000 prize that they invested back into their business. After explaining that they hadn't hit the market yet, the price point of the bulbs was revealed: $289 for a three-pack of bulbs, with Bora claiming that the bulbs each last up to 20 years and Egan saying that they're aiming for more of a high-end market where the price wasn't an issue and their product was viewed more as a lighting system than a brand of lightbulbs. Barbara Corcoran opted out first, thinking people would not want to control their lights with smartphones or tablets and that the price was too high. Lori Greiner followed, feeling that there were too many competitors to invest without finalized patents. Robert Herjavec, though, offered $350,000 for 35 percent, while Mark Cuban undercut him at 25 percent, and Kevin O'Leary went for 15 percent of licensing deals. Cuban briefly pulled out when Egan wanted to hear the other Sharks' offers, but after Egan asked for a "24 second shot clock" reprieve, they made a deal. Usually, with Mark Cuban deals, the best source to use to determine if the deal closed after the post-shooting due diligence process is the listing of his "Shark Tank" investments on his official website , but Ilumi isn't listed on that page. However, we know that the deal closed because ilumi got an official Shark Tank Update segment during season seven in the episode that opened with the pitch for SmartPlate . In that segment, Cuban joined Swapnil Bora and Corey Egan at the January 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas , where they explained that since the production of their "Shark Tank" episode, ilumi had gone from pre-revenue to $2 million in sales with a pretty extensive network of retail partners. "This isn't a lightbulb company," explained Cuban during the recap segment. "This is a Bluetooth mesh networking company that will be able to control any type of device without having to use the internet." As 2016 rolled on, ilumi seemed intent on following through on what Cuban said in their update, focusing in press releases on their MeshTek branding. Eventually, in 2019, the company was renamed MeshTek Labs, marking its move into the larger "internet of things" market while leveraging its expertise in Bluetooth mesh networking. It's under that name that it's on Cuban's investment list, solving that mystery. When Bora was named Meshtek CEO in 2019, Cuban even lent a quote to the press release, saying MeshTek would "revolutionize how devices are controlled with edge computing and how connectivity will impact daily business activities." MeshTek is still alive and well as a Bluetooth mesh networking company specializing in "internet of things" devices, but the ilumi brand looks like it's more or less dead. As of this writing, there is nothing currently available to order from the ilumi website ; though the website still touts that ilumi products are now available in Best Buy, there are no relevant hits for a search for ilumi on BestBuy.com . Ilumi's official blog has also not been updated since September 2017 despite being updated on a regular basis up to that point. You can still get an ilumi lightbulb at Amazon for $49.99 , but that appears to be long-unsold stock and user reviews are mixed. On the other hand, MeshTek Labs appears to be doing fine. The most recent MeshTek press release in the Gale General OneFile news database (previously InfoTrac) is from November 2023 , and the official company blog is still up-to-date, albeit with less frequent posts than the ilumi blog had in its heyday. Going by the website and most recent press releases, it looks like the company turned into exactly what Mark Cuban predicted, with Meshtek now collaborating with companies that license its Bluetooth mesh technology. As far as the ilumi/MeshTek founders go, their LinkedIn pages indicate that one has left the company. Swapnil Bora is still the CEO of MeshTek, but he assumed that role because cofounder Corey Egan left that post in June 2018, eventually joining Meta in May 2020. Egan's still listed as a co-founder and a member of the board of directors, but he's exited entrepreneurship, working for Meta as a product manager. So far as Meshtek is concerned, if the company blog is any indication, then the company is continuing to make deals with other companies to push Bluetooth mesh networking forward for internet-of-things devices as an alternative to Wi-Fi. The most recent MeshTek press release, from November 2023 , dovetails with this, announcing a partnership with decorative lighting company Minleon USA to bring MeshTek's technology to Christmas lights and the like. "MeshTek's and Minleon's collaboration is leading to a rapid increase of transformative lighting installations that were once cost-prohibitive and complex," said Mark Cuban in the release. " The ability to control and manage hundreds and thousands of devices within millions of sqft area using Bluetooth is a milestone unsurpassed in an everchanging Technological World. The patented, long-range Bluetooth mesh is the brilliance behind the solution and the future of outdoor device connectivity."
Free fishing days in Oregon after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29-30SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is “alert” and conscious after being taken off the field on a stretcher during the team's 1-0 win at Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday, manager Julen Lopetegui said. The game was delayed for around eight minutes as Fabianski received treatment on the field at St Mary's Stadium. The 39-year-old Polish goalkeeper was hurt in a collision from a corner and was replaced by Alphonse Areola in the 36th minute. Southampton 'keeper Aaron Ramsdale had run the length of the field to check on Fabianski amid worrying scenes. Fabianski was then greeted by applause as he was taken off with an oxygen mask on, but did not need to go to the hospital. “He had one big knock around the head, around the neck and he was not very sure about his actions. Fortunately the news is he is talking, he is alert, he is conscious,” Lopetegui said. “I talk with him. The doctors say that he feels better and well. I am positive with him. He showed he more or less recovered his sense. I am not afraid. We feared but now he is better and it is a positive feeling because we were very worried.” West Ham, which also saw defender Max Kilman go off in the first half, scored through Jarrod Bowen in the 59th. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer