ORLANDO, Fla. — It was a season of Iowa State comebacks. And fittingly, that's how it ended for the Cyclones. Game MVP Rocco Becht scored from a yard out on fourth-and-goal with 56 seconds remaining and No. 18 Iowa State capped the best season in school history by rallying past No. 15 Miami 42-41 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday. Becht finished with 270 passing yards and three touchdowns for Iowa State (11-2), a program that entered this season — the 133rd year of Cyclone football — never having won more than nine games in a year. “If you look at this team, it’s really who they’ve been all year,” coach Matt Campbell said. The win marked the fourth time in 2024 that Iowa State got a winning score with less than two minutes remaining. For this one, the Cyclones rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half — with Miami quarterback Cam Ward watching after a record-setting first half — to get win No. 11. Carson Hansen rushed for a pair of touchdowns for Iowa State. And as the MVP, Becht got the honor of choosing which flavor Pop-Tart was to be sacrificed in a giant toaster. “There's only one,” Becht said. “Cinnamon roll.” Ward passed for three touchdowns in his final college game, while Damien Martinez rushed for a career-high 179 yards for Miami (10-3), which dropped its sixth straight bowl game and lost three of four games to end the season — those three losses by a combined 10 points. "Disappointed that we couldn't pull out a victory," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “These guys have always fought and always competed and this was no exception. ... It's painful. It's as painful as it gets when you don't win. But there's a lot to build on.” NEBRASKA 20, BOSTON COLLEGE 15: Dylan Raiola passed for 228 yards and a touchdown as Nebraska built an 18-point lead through three quarters and hung on for its first bowl victory since 2015. Raiola hit Emmett Johnson with a 13-yard TD pass on fourth down with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter for a 20-2 edge and the Cornhuskers (7-6) held on for the win at Yankee Stadium. Raiola completed 23 of 31 passes in front of a sizable Nebraska crowd that celebrated the team's first bowl win since topping UCLA in the 2015 Foster Farms Bowl and first winning season since 2016. Raiola completed passes to 10 receivers, including Jahmal Banks, who finished with four receptions for 79 yards. Grayson James finished 25 of 40 for 296 yards as Boston College (7-6). UCONN 27, NORTH CAROLINA 14: Joe Fagnano threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns to help the Huskies (9-4) beat the Tar Heels (6-7) at Fenway Park, embarrassing incoming coach Bill Belichick's new team in his old backyard. Mel Brown rushed for 96 yards for UConn and Skyler Bell caught three passes for 77 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown that gave the Huskies a 10-0 first-quarter lead. Chris Culliver returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, but that would be Carolina's only production in the first half. TCU 34, LOUISIANA 3: Josh Hoover passed for four touchdowns as the Horned Frogs (9-4) routed the Ragin' Cajuns (10-4) in Albuquerque. Hoover was 20 for 32 for 252 yards with an interception. Eric McAlister had eight catches for 87 yards and a TD for the Horned Frogs. TCU's defense also had a solid day, holding Louisiana-Lafayette to 209 yards, including 61 on the game's final possession. LATE FRIDAY LAS VEGAS BOWL USC 35, TEXAS A&M 31: Jayden Maiava threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Ford with eight seconds left to give Southern California the victory over Texas A&M (8-5) in the Las Vegas Bowl. A graduate of Liberty High School in nearby Henderson and a transfer from UNLV, Maiava helped the Trojans (7-6) overcome a 17-point deficit. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Share Tweet Share Share Email In today’s fast-paced digital age, businesses rely heavily on technology to ensure seamless operations. From managing customer data to optimizing daily tasks, IT systems are the backbone of any successful company. However, keeping these systems running smoothly requires expert care and maintenance. For businesses in Brooklyn, finding reliable IT support Brooklyn is essential to stay competitive and efficient. Why IT Support is Crucial for Brooklyn Businesses Brooklyn is a bustling hub for diverse businesses, ranging from startups to well-established enterprises. In such a competitive environment, downtime due to IT issues can lead to significant losses. Here’s why investing in IT support services is vital: Minimized Downtime: Technical issues can disrupt operations, but a reliable IT support team ensures quick resolutions, minimizing downtime. Enhanced Security: Cyber threats are increasing daily. 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VANCOUVER - British Columbia business owner Joe Chaput will spend $5,500 a month on security guards during the holiday season and plans on upgrading his store’s video camera system for around $5,000 more. He’s not selling luxury brands or expensive jewels. Chaput sells cheese, and at Christmas, cheese is a hot commodity. He is the co-owner of specialty cheese store les amis du Fromage, with two locations in Vancouver. While cheeselifting is rare in their Kitsilano store, the outlet in East Vancouver is hit in waves, with nothing happening for a month, then three of four people trying to steal their inventory within a week. “Sometimes, you miss it. Sometimes, you catch it. The way shoplifters behave ... they tend to gravitate toward expensive things,” said Chaput. Expensive cheese is on shoplifters’ Christmas list, he said. “They tend to do the classic examples of staying away from customer service and trying to go to a different part of the store so they can be left alone to steal.” Chaput isn’t alone. Police say food-related crimes on are the rise in Canada and as prices climb for items such as cheese and butter, they become lucrative on the black market for organized crime groups, not to mention theft for local resale. Sylvain Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-food Analytics Lab, said a black market tends to emerge as soon as food prices surge. “Organized crime will steal anything (if) they know they can sell it and so, they probably would have known who their clients are before even stealing anything at all, and that’s how a black market is organized,” said Charlebois. He said he believes there are two categories of people shoplifting — those who do so out of desperation because they can’t afford the food, or organized criminals, profiting from sales on the black market. Mounties in North Vancouver made cheesy headlines when they ran into a man with a cart of stolen cheese in the middle of the night in September. The cheese, valued at $12,800, was from a nearby Whole Foods Store. While the cheese was recovered, it had to be disposed of because it hadn’t been refrigerated. Const. Mansoor Sahak, with the North Vancouver RCMP, said officers believe cheese is targeted because it’s “profitable to resell.” “If they are drug addicts, they will commit further crimes with that or feed their drug habits. It’s a vicious cycle,” said Sahak. Sahak said meat is also a top target for grocery thieves, with store losses sometimes in the thousands. “So, we’re not surprised that this happened,” said Sahak. Police in Ontario have been chasing down slippery shoplifters going after butter. Scott Tracey, a spokesman with Guelph Police Service, said there have been eight or nine butter thefts over the last year, including one theft last December worth $1,000. In October, two men walked into a local grocer and filled their carts with cases of butter valued at $936, and four days later a Guelph grocer lost four cases valued at $958. Tracey said he has looked at online marketplaces and found listings by people selling 20 or 30 pounds of butter at a time. “Clearly, somebody didn’t accidentally buy 30 extra pounds of butter. So, they must have come from somewhere,” said Tracey, “I think at this point it appears to be the black market is where it’s headed.” He said the thefts seem to be organized, with two or three people working together in each case. Police in Brantford, Ont., are also investigating the theft of about $1,200 worth of butter from a store on Nov. 4. Charlebois said retailers could invest in prevention technologies like electronic tags, but putting them on butter or cheese is rare. He said up until recently grocery store theft has been a “taboo subject for many years.” Stores didn’t wanted to talk about thefts because they didn’t want to alarm people but now they feel they need to build awareness about what is “becoming a huge problem,” said Charlebois. Chaput, the cheese store owner, said he had been running the East Vancouver store for 15 years while managing the store in Kitsilano for 30 years, and he loves his customers. “It’s really one of the best parts of our businesses, seeing familiar faces and making new customers. It’s why we come to work, really. Partly it’s the cheese, and partly it’s the people,” said Chaput. He said his strategy to combat would-be thieves is to give them extra customer service to make it harder for them to steal. He admits, however, that the shoplifting causes him stress. “It’s challenging. You’re busy trying to run your business day to day and take care of customers and take care of employees. Having to deal with criminals, just kind of scratches away. It can be a bit exhausting,” said Chaput. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024.SAIC-Volkswagen plans to launch three new models in 2026 to reclaim the Chinese marketColby Rogers shines as Memphis rolls past Ole Miss

Criminal defense attorney Brian Claypool explains the lawsuit between actress Blake Lively and her former co-star Justin Baldoni during an appearance on ‘America’s Newsroom.’ Blake Lively is continuing to receive support after filing a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment, retaliation and infliction of emotional distress. Lively's "It Ends With Us" costars, Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate, have publicly expressed their support for the actress. On Dec. 23, Sklenar took to his Instagram story to urge his followers to educate themselves on the lawsuit that has been filed. Blake Livelys "It Ends With Us" costars, Brandon Sklenar and Jenny Slate, publicly showed their support to the star amid messy Baldoni lawsuit. (Getty Images) The "1923" star shared a screenshot of New York Times' archive of legal documents and wrote, "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS." Sklenar tagged Lively's Instagram account and added a red heart emoji. BLAKE LIVELY SUES JUSTIN BALDONI FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT, RETALIATION AND INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS Slate shared a statement with Today about her "loyal friend" and noted that she admires "her bravery" as Lively enters a messy legal battle with Baldoni. Brandon Sklenar urged his followers to "read" the lawsuit Blake Lively filed against Justin Baldoni. (Brandon Sklenar/Instagram) Brandon Sklenar starred as Atlas Corrigan, Blake Lively's character, Lily Bloom's, former love interest in "It Ends With Us." (Photo by Nancy Rivera/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) "As Blake Lively’s castmate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation," Slate said in a statement to the outlet. "Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her." "I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side." Slate continued: "What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing, and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side." In "It Ends with Us," Slate portrays Allysa, the sister of Baldoni’s character and the sister-in-law of Lively’s. Skelnar portrays an older version of Atlas Corrigan, a former love interest of Lively's character. Months after rumors of an on-set feud between "It Ends with Us" costars Lively and Baldoni first surfaced, the "Gossip Girl" alum filed a complaint against the actor for sexual harassment. Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment, retaliation and infliction of emotional distress. (Getty Images) According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, the complaint — which was filed with the California Civil Rights department — details allegations of sexual harassment , retaliation, intentional affliction of emotional distress, negligence and more. On Jan. 4, an "all hands" meeting was convened to address the" hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production," the documents state. Attendees included Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni , who is the co-chairman and co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, director and actor Jamey Heath, and more. LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS "Ms. Lively was forced to address concerns about Mr. Baldoni and Mr. Heath's misconduct with them directly, and began doing so months before filming began. The concerns she raised were not only for herself, but for the other female cast and crew, some of whom had also spoken up." In the lawsuit, Blake Lively alleged that she addressed complaints against Justin Baldoni "months" before filming began. (Lia Toby/Getty Images) According to the documents, some of the demands addressed included no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s or Heath's previous ‘pornography addiction,’ no more discussions about personal experiences with sex, no more descriptions of their own genitalia, no more adding sex scenes outside what was in the original script, no more discussions about Blake’s weight or deceased father, and more. At the time, all parties agreed that the outlined conduct would cease. Despite the agreement, Lively claims in the complaint that Baldoni executed and participated in a "social manipulation" campaign to "destroy" her career and reputation. In a statement given to The New York Times , Lively said, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted." Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively starred opposite of each other in "It Ends with Us." (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Additionally, Lively denied that she or any of her representatives planted or spread negative information about Mr. Baldoni or Wayfarer, according to The Times. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer, told The Times, "These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media." Justin Baldoni's laywer alleged that Lively's lawsuit is "another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation." (David Buchan/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images) Freedman added that Wayfarer, and its executives and PR team "did nothing proactive nor retaliated" against Lively. Freedman claims Lively's complaint is "another desperate attempt to ‘fix’ her negative reputation." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Representatives for Baldoni, including Freedman, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. A representative for Lively referred to the New York Times article for additional information. Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to janelle.ash@fox.com .

Lampkin, Freeman power Syracuse past Bucknell, 75-63 in final nonconference tune-upImmigration measures announced as part of Canada’s border response to president-elect Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat are starting to be implemented, beginning with a ban on what’s known as “flagpoling.” This is when someone who was in Canada on a temporary visa leaves for the U.S. then quickly re-enters Canada to access immigration services at a port of entry. The restriction on providing work and study permits to flagpolers takes effect today. Last week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that going forward temporary visa holders will have to apply online to extend their stay in Canada. The Canadian Border Services Agency processed more than 69,300 people who engaged in flagpoling in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. There are still rare exceptions where a person will be granted a work or study permit even though they meet the definition of flagpoling, including international truck drivers with a work permit, professionals under certain free trade agreements and American citizens. Miller first announced the plan to ban the practice on Dec. 17, alongside Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc who promised a border control package worth $1.3 billion. This includes removing the point value for having a job offer in Canada’s express entry immigration system. The stated goal of this change is to reduce and prevent immigration fraud. In a social media post, Miller said this will take effect in the spring and that it will be a temporary measure. A broader review of the express entry program is being conducted, and a future decision on the value of a job offer in that system will be made at that time. A labour market impact assessment, a key document required for an employer to hire a foreign worker, is currently worth 50 to 200 points in the express entry system. Applicants are not supposed to pay for these, but a black market has emerged where people are charging tens of thousands of dollars for these documents. Applications that are already in progress won’t be affected once this change takes effect. Miller also said the government is looking at ways to streamline Canada’s asylum system at that Dec. 17 press conference. This includes exploring options to “quickly deal with” illegitimate claims. The government’s broader border measures plan to respond to Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat also includes enhanced aerial surveillance and drug detection efforts.

Will Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco Play vs. Panthers?The Cardiff loanee fired a shot across goalkeeper Luke McGee and inside the bottom left corner for his sixth goal of the season. The first half was cagey, with neither side able to create much in the way of clear-cut chances. Robins defender Sam Stubbs blocked well from Luke Norris in the seventh minute and goalkeeper Joe Day collected a header from Omari Patrick five minutes later as Tranmere threatened. Day parried well from Patrick in the 14th minute before Colwill went down in the box looking for a penalty at the other end but his appeals were ignored. Colwill then fired two efforts off target and he also had the ball in the net before half-time, but the offside flag was raised. Cheltenham winger Jordan Thomas saw a shot blocked by Connor Wood early in the second half before Norris forced Day into another diving save in the 58th minute. But with the game seemingly heading for a stalemate, Colwill – the game’s outstanding player – had the final say to secure the Robins’ sixth win of the campaign.

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Ohio State AD: Ryan Day ‘absolutely’ back in 2025NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday after being recognized for the second time by Time magazine as its person of the year. Watch Trump speak at the New York Stock Exchange in the player above. The honors for the businessman-turned-politician are a measure of Trump's remarkable comeback from an ostracized former president who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a president-elect who won the White House decisively in November. READ MORE: Trump invites China's Xi to his presidential inauguration, even as he threatens Beijing with tariffs Before he was set to ring the opening bell at 9:30 a.m., a first for him, Trump spoke at the exchange and called it "a tremendous honor." "Time Magazine, getting this honor for the second time, I think it like it better this time actually," he said. Sam Jacobs, Time's editor in chief, announced on NBC's "Today" show that Trump was Time's 2024 Person of the Year. Jacobs said Trump was someone who "for better or for worse, had the most influence on the news in 2024." "This is someone who made an historic comeback, who reshaped the American presidency and who's reordering American politics," Jacobs said. "It's hard to argue with the fact that the person who's moving into the Oval Office is the most influential person in news." He added that "there's always a hot debate" at the magazine over the honor, "although I have to admit that this year was an easier decision than years past." In an interview with the magazine published Thursday, Trump spoke about his final campaign blitz and election win. "I called it '72 Days of Fury,'" Trump said. "We hit the nerve of the country. The country was angry." Trump was on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading. The Time magazine cover featuring him was projected onto a wall at the stock exchange, flanked by American flags. Trump took the...A 7-year-old boy critically injured Saturday by a falling drone during a holiday show at Lake Eola Park remains in intensive care, his mother said Monday in a post on a GoFundMe page. “Zander is out of surgery and still fighting!” Jessica Lumedge wrote. “I will be missing work at this time, and he will be celebrating Christmas in the ICU.” The boy, Alezander, underwent emergency open-heart surgery Sunday after one of several drones that fell from the sky during the Holiday Drone Show struck him in the chest and mouth. As of Tuesday afternoon, the GoFundMe page for Alezander has raised more than $24,000 of the $50,000 goal through over 840 donations. The Federal Aviation Administration announced Saturday evening on X, formerly Twitter, that it’s investigating. It was remains unclear Tuesday what caused the drones to collide and fall. About 25,000 people attended the evening event. Adriana Edgerton, the boy’s other mother, said in an interview with WESH-TV that her family was watching the show when multiple drones fell from the sky. “Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter,” Edgerton said. “Before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious. He had blood coming out of his face.” An Orlando city spokesperson Tuesday did not return a message seeking comment. The city had said in a news release that there were “technical difficulties” during the show. Just before 7 p.m. the Orlando Fire Department responded to calls that a person was injured by a drone, according to the release. The city then canceled the 8 p.m. show Its third year in Orlando, the show was organized for its second year by Sky Elements based in Fort Worth, Texas. Representatives did not return calls or emails Tuesday seeking comment. A company statement released Sunday said: “Sky Elements Drones wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery for those impacted at our Lake Eola show.” On its website, the company states that one of its missions is safety and “protecting onlookers, staff members and property at all times.” “Safety is our number one priority, borderline obsessed,” the website states. Videos from the Lake Eola show posted on social media show multiple green and red drones falling from the sky. In one video posted to X, user MosquitoCoFL Podcast showed drones falling as Lake Eola’s famous swans vigorously flapped their wings and quickly moved away.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lopsided, shutout loss has left the beat-up New Orleans Saints limping into the final two games of a lost season — and into a rather cloudy future beyond that. Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi figured that a visit to playoff-bound Green Bay would be a tall order for his injury-riddled squad, whose prominent missing players included starters at quarterback, running back and receiver. And when New Orleans’ mostly healthy defensive front struggled against a Packers ground game led by running back Josh Jacobs, the rout was on. Nothing “stuck out on film other than a lack of execution and lack of playmaking,” Rizzi said Tuesday after reviewing video of Monday night’s 34-0 loss at Green Bay . “We played against a playoff team, at their place, that has very few holes on their team,” Rizzi added. “It was a little bit of a perfect storm.” Rizzi, a special teams coordinator who has made no secret that he sees his eight-game interim stint as an opportunity to further his head-coaching ambitions, has two more games left in what has been an up-and-down audition. The Saints are 3-3 on his watch, which includes one of New Orleans’ most lopsided losses since the turn of the century. RELATED COVERAGE Titans QB Mason Rudolph gets another chance at starting, this time against the Jags Texans get visit from longtime foe Derrick Henry when the Ravens visit on Christmas Day Falcons drafting Penix no longer a head-scratcher with rookie QB shining in place of benched Cousins With the playoffs unattainable, and with a lot of reserves pressed into service, the final two weeks will serve primarily as a player-evaluation period heading into the offseason, when there are bound to be myriad changes on the roster and perhaps the coaching staff. Rizzi said the Saints, realistically, have been in evaluation mode “for the last month or so,” but added that there maybe be additional young or practice-squad players getting longer looks in the final two games. “My big thing this week is to see how we can respond,” Rizzi said. “We’re going to find out a lot about a lot of people.” What’s working Of the Saints’ four punts, three were inside the Green Bay 20 and New Orleans did not allow a single punt return yard. The punt team might have been the only unit that executed its job (even the kickoff unit allowed a 38-yard return). What needs help The Saints had trouble protecting the quarterback (three sacks) and protecting the football (two turnovers). They couldn’t run the ball (67 yards). They couldn’t stop the run (188 yards allowed). They couldn’t pass the ball consistently (129 yards) or stop the pass when they needed to. As former Saints coach Jim Mora once said, they couldn’t do “ diddly poo .” Although rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler largely struggled and was responsible for both New Orleans turnovers, he had enough highlights — including a jumping, first-down pass on third-and-long — to keep him penciled in as the starter if the injured Derek Carr remains unable to play, Rizzi said. “It was definitely a performance where we got to take the good with the bad,” Rizzi said. “We’ve got to get rid of those negative plays.” Stock up New Orleans native Foster Moreau has emerged as one of the Saints’ most reliable offensive players. The sixth-year NFL tight end made two catches for a team-high 33 yards on Monday night, giving him 25 catches for 335 yards this season. His four TDs receiving entering the game remain tied for the team lead. Stock down Rizzi was riding high after two wins to start his interim term as head coach, but Monday night’s ugly loss is the club’s third in four games and took a lot of luster off his candidacy for a longer-term appointment. Injury report Center Erik McCoy left the game with an elbow injury, while guard Lucas Patrick hurt his knee in the closing minutes. Rizzi said McCoy won’t need surgery but could miss the rest of the season. The coach said Patrick needs more tests but is not expected to play again this season. While the chances of Carr (non-throwing, left hand) or top running back Alvin Kamara (groin) playing again this season appear slim, the Saints have declined to rule that out. Rizzi said Carr is getting closer to being able to play and wants the opportunity to go against his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, Rizzi said Kamara “is working his tail off to try to come back” this season. “Alvin told me this morning, in my office, that he really would like to play again,” Rizzi said. Key number 24 — The number of years since the Saints suffered a more lopsided shutout loss, 38-0 against San Francisco in 2002. Up next The Saints’ home finale against lowly Las Vegas will be an anticlimactic affair bound to generate a level of fan interest similar to, if not less than, a preseason game. But the game will be important to the current regime, which needs victories in each of the club’s final two games to avoid the franchise’s worst record since it was displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and went 3-13. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

A US appeals court upheld a law on Dec 6 requiring a divestment or ban of TikTok. NEW YORK - TikTok advertisers were in no rush to shift their marketing budgets after a US appeals court upheld a law on Dec 6 requiring a divestment or ban of the popular Chinese-owned short video app , citing TikTok’s continued survival despite years of threats. Chinese tech firm ByteDance must sell TikTok’s US assets by Jan 19 or the app that is used by 170 million Americans will face an unprecedented ban that jeopardises billions in ad revenue. TikTok and ByteDance had argued that the law is unconstitutional and violates Americans’ free speech rights. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the US Supreme Court. With TikTok’s future in the US uncertain, advertising executives said brands are maintaining their activities on the app, while ensuring they have a plan B. “Advertisers have not pulled back from TikTok, though several are developing contingency plans for potential reallocation of investment should there be a ban,” said Mr Jason Lee, executive vice-president of brand safety at media agency Horizon Media. Horizon is working with clients to prepare for a variety of scenarios if the app is sold or banned, Mr Lee said. Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook and Instagram, stands to gain the majority of TikTok’s ad revenue if the app is banned, followed by Alphabet’s YouTube, said Mr Erik Huberman, CEO of marketing agency Hawke Media. Both companies have introduced short-form video features in the past few years to compete with TikTok. Still, “there’s no decision to make until there’s a decision to make,” he said. TikTok’s US ad revenue is expected to reach US$12.3 billion (S$16.5 billion) in 2024, according to estimates from research Emarketer. By comparison, analysts on average expect Meta Platforms’ advertising revenue in 2024 to reach about US$159 billion, according to LSEG data. The potential boon for rivals propelled stocks on Dec 6. Meta Platforms shares rose to an all-time record high of US$629.78 earlier on Dec 6, and were up 2.3 per cent at US$622.85 in late afternoon regular trading. Alphabet shares were up 1.1 per cent at US$176.21. Trump Media & Technology, which operates the Truth Social app and is majority-owned by President-elect Donald Trump, rose 3 per cent to US$34.78. Shares of Snap, owner of messaging app Snapchat, rose 1.89 per cent to US$12.40. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowIran restores access to WhatsApp and Google Play after they were banned amid protests

President-elect Donald Trump has extended a surprising invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his upcoming inauguration. This diplomatic gesture occurs as Trump threatens significant tariffs on Chinese goods, exemplifying his strategy of negotiating with both allies and adversaries. Karoline Leavitt, Trump's incoming press secretary, confirmed the invitation but noted uncertainty about Xi's attendance. Trump's approach to foreign policy mirrors business negotiations, aiming to leverage the United States' relationships with competitors for favorable terms. Reactions to the invitation have been mixed. Some view it as a potential diplomatic breakthrough, while others, including historians, question the appropriateness of inviting adversarial leaders. The move aligns with Trump's brand as a dealmaker, yet poses questions about American values in foreign policy. (With inputs from agencies.)Coal and gas-fired power plants will stay open for longer under the coalition's $330 billion nuclear transition plan. Login or signup to continue reading Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to build seven publicly-owned nuclear power plants across the country, with predictions the first will come online from the mid-to-late 2030s - a timeline rubbished by some experts. Renewables would make up just over half of Australia's energy grid by 2050, with nuclear accounting for just under 40 per cent and the rest a combination of storage and gas, snippets of the plan dropped ahead of its release contend. Labor's plan is to have the grid firmed by just over 80 per cent renewable energy by 2030. This will increase to more than 90 per cent by 2050 with the rest made up of storage and gas. Nuclear energy would provide the "always-on" power to back up renewables and lead to cheaper power bills in the long run, Mr Dutton claimed. But nuclear energy does not offer a good deal for Australia, a report released just ahead of Mr Dutton unveiling his costings found, while postponing coal power station closures would heighten Australia's carbon emissions in the medium term. For the seventh straight year, the GenCost 2024-25 Report found renewable energy sources are the lowest-cost of any new-build electricity-generating technology. Nuclear energy generation would be 1.5 to two times more expensive than large-scale solar, according to the analysis by the national science agency CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator. Energy market operators would also need to establish new connection points to safely supply the national electricity grid, experts have said. The coalition's plan was modelled by Frontier Economics, which cost Labor's transition around $600 billion. Energy Minister Chris Bowen has rubbished this number, saying the government's plan would cost $122 billion, citing a forecast made by the national energy grid operator. "They're making it up as they go along," Mr Bowen told ABC TV of the coalition's costings on Friday. Mr Bowen said preliminary reports of the coalition's plan ahead of Friday's full announcement that nuclear would need fewer transmission lines - therefore bringing down the estimated cost - was incorrect. "I'm not sure how they'll get the nuclear power into the grid, maybe by carrier pigeon if they're going to assert if somehow you'll need less transmission," he said. "They have had to make some very heroic assumptions here and they have had to really stretch the truth to try to get some very dodgy figures." Keeping coal-fired power plants open beyond their lifespan was a threat to energy reliability, with outages and breakdowns happening on a daily basis, Mr Bowen said. "It's a recipe for blackouts to keep ageing coal-fired power stations in the grid for longer," he said. The coalition is pushing for an end to Australia's nuclear ban but has faced opposition from states. Nuclear power doesn't stack up for Australian families or businesses, Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest said on Friday. "As our national science agency has shown, 'firmed' solar and wind are the cheapest new electricity options for all Australians," he said in a statement. "The cost of electricity generated on a grid dominated by firmed renewable energy in 2030 will be half what you would have to pay if it came from nuclear, CSIRO found." Mr Forrest, who is a big player in the non-fossil fuels energy market, said that without continued action on "low-cost, high-efficiency renewable energy" Australians will be left with "pricier power and crumbling coal stations". "We must never forget - Australia has the best renewable resources in the world," he added. 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Local school districts might have to look to taxpayers to solve major special education funding shortfallA political storm erupted within the National Conference as a protest led by MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi over reservation policies sparked a war of words among party leaders. The aftermath of his bold demonstration has left the party deeply divided, with sharp exchanges now taking center stage. National Conference legislator Salman Sagar, speaking at the party’s headquarters in Srinagar, distanced the NC from Ruhulah’s actions, emphasizing that the protest was neither organized nor supported by the party. “It was not a protest of the National Conference. Not a single leader from NC participated,” Sagar stated, accusing Ruhullah of acting independently. Sagar described Ruhullah’s participation as a breach of party discipline and a damaging act, calling the protest “drama and theatrics” orchestrated by detractors to tarnish the party’s image. He reassured that the NC remains committed to resolving the reservation issue under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s leadership and expressed support for the affected students. Salman said that the party only organises protests after instructions from senior leaders such as Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, or after directives from the general secretary’s office. “Such protests are not organised independently by individuals. They must be authorised by the party leadership. What happened yesterday was entirely an individual action and not a National Conference event,” he said. “It was a gathering of our adversaries, of our enemies. Unfortunately, one of our MPs was present there, giving them an opportunity to exploit the situation,” Salman said, adding that such actions inadvertently strengthen the position of political rivals like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also took a dig at political opportunism, stating that the protest gave a platform to individuals who have no real stake in the issue. “People with no mandate, those who have been rejected by the public with barely 200 votes, were speaking on behalf of thousands or even millions. This kind of behavior undermines genuine efforts,” Salman said. “Who are you sitting with? With our enemies, who look for opportunities to turn our good work into a disadvantage,” he said. Salman expressed concern about the damage such actions could inflict on the party’s credibility and unity. “The National Conference is a very large party, and small incidents or dirty politics won’t affect us. But actions like these create unnecessary internal strife. We have faith that under Omar Abdullah’s leadership, the aspirations of the open merit category will be addressed through the reservation policy,” he said. Salman also questioned the role of those who organised and participated in the protest. “If genuine stakeholders had been engaged, it would have been meaningful. But this was clearly about internal issues and political point-scoring,” he said. The controversy deepened with Aga Ruhullah’s post on X formerly Twitter), where he shared Malcolm X’s quote contrasting the “House Negro” and the “Field Negro,” seemingly portraying himself as the latter. The post read, in part, “Back during slavery... you still have house Negroes and field Negroes. I’m a field Negro,” which many interpreted as a rebuke to his critics. Omar Abdullah’s post on X, after meeting a delegation of representatives on Monday, also hinted at his disapproval of Aga Ruhullah’s involvement in the demonstration. “Today I met the representatives of the Open Merit Students Association. The beauty of democracy is the right to be heard & dialogue in a spirit of mutual cooperation. I have made certain requests of them & given them a number of assurances,” he wrote, adding that this this channel of communication will remain open without any ‘intermediaries’ or ‘hangers-on’. The tweet, while making a commitment to resolving the students’ concerns, appeared to be a subtle critique of Ruhullah’s role in organizing the protest, signaling possible friction within the party. Omar Abdullah also tweeted lines from Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If,’ apparently emphasizing composure and resilience in the face of blame and criticism, signalling an apparent attempt to downplay the tensions. However, Ruhullah’s Malcolm X reference took a more confrontational tone. By aligning himself with the “field Negro,” Malcolm X’s metaphor for those resisting oppression, Ruhullah drew a clear line between himself and what he implied were “house Negroes”—a term historically associated with those complicit in maintaining oppressive systems. Political observers have noted the potency of Ruhullah’s rhetoric in challenging both internal and external critics. “He is positioning himself as a voice of the oppressed, refusing to back down despite mounting pressure,” one analyst said. While the post drew attention, its timing raised questions, with some viewing it as a bold stance against the establishment and others criticizing it as divisive rhetoric. The incident highlighted internal divisions within the NC, with Sagar openly denouncing Ruhullah and expressing disappointment over the setback to the party’s image. Political analysts say as the debate continues, the focus shifts to how the National Conference and its leadership address both the internal dissent and the broader challenges surrounding reservation reforms. Congress leader and MLA Dooru, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, added to the criticism, terming Ruhullah’s demonstration a “camera show.” Speaking at a press conference, Mir criticized Ruhullah for staging a protest instead of directly engaging with the Chief Minister. “He could have walked into the Chief Minister’s office, which was minutes away, and discussed the issue seriously. Instead, he opted for a spectacle,” Mir said, accusing the MP of seeking media attention rather than meaningful dialogue.