Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors’ Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 seasonNoDerog/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images This article has been coproduced with Kody Kester. I've said it in the past, and I'll say it again: The Safest Dividend is the One That's Just Been Raised. Essential Utilities ( NYSE: WTRG ) is Introducing iREIT® Join iREIT® on Alpha today to get the most in-depth research that includes REITs, mREIT, Preferreds, BDCs, MLPs, ETFs, Builders, and Asset Managers. Our iREIT® Tracker provides data on over 250 tickers with our quality scores, buy targets, and trim targets. We recently added an all-new Ratings Tracker called iREIT Buy Zone to help members screen for value. Nothing to lose with our FREE 2-week trial . And this offer includes a 2-Week FREE TRIAL plus my FREE book . Brad Thomas has over 30 years of real estate investing experience and has acquired, developed, or brokered over $1B in commercial real estate transactions. He has been featured in Barron's, Bloomberg, Fox Business, and many other media outlets. He's the author of four books, including the latest, REITs For Dummies. Brad, along with HOYA Capital, lead the investing group iREIT®+HOYA Capital. The service covers REITs, BDCs, MLPs, Preferreds, and other income-oriented alternatives. The team of analysts has a combined 100+ years of experience and includes a former hedge fund manager, due diligence officer, portfolio manager, PhD, military veteran, and advisor to a former U.S. President. Learn more Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of WTRG either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
DALLAS (AP) — Boopie Miller scored 24 points and added seven assists and Yohan Traoire posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds to help power SMU to its seventh straight win, closing out its nonconference schedule with a 98-82 victory over Longwood on Sunday. The Mustangs (11-2) shot 62% from the field for the game, knocking down 10 of 20 shots from behind the 3-point arc to earn their seventh win in eight home games. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
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The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in France, organised Sri Lanka’s participation at SIAL Paris 2024 – one of the world’s leading F & B exhibitions held once in two years in France. It was held from October 19-23 in Paris. Local F & B businesses representing a wide range of sectors such as coconut-based products, confectionery items, cashew and savoury products, frozen and processed food, and value-added innovative products made use of this opportunity to enhance their business opportunities. This year, the EDB enabled the participation of 19 companies via the Sri Lanka Country Pavilion in two halls. The participant firms were: Alpex Ceylon Tea, Adamexpo, Adamjee Lukmanjee Exports, Consolidated Business Systems, Planto Ceylon, Samagi Spice Exports, Bespice, Rancrisp Marketing, Expo Commodities, Maliban Biscuit Manufactories, Tropikal Life International, Global Trading Services, Unistar International, Ceylon Plant Food, Healing Life International, Enrich Tea & Food Exports, New Lanka Cinnamon and HJS Condiments. A special feature of Sri Lanka’s presence at the 2024 edition of the premier French F & B trade fair was the EDB, organised A special feature was a dedicated promotional area for EU PGI-certified Ceylon Cinnamon products of 10 business entities to enable their entry to the EU market. The International Finance Corporation provided financial assistance for this. Samagi Spice Exports, Pasanka, Jaith Ceylon Cinnamon, Kurunegala Plantations, Saviru Spices & Naturals, Cenica Exports, Uruwala Estate, Aikya Agro, K.P. Somadasa and Company and SDS Spice were the beneficiaries of this initiative. The Sri Lankan Embassy in France, led by the Sri Lanka Ambassador, Manisha Gunasekera visited the Sri Lanka Pavilion. The Embassy also organised a social media campaign in French and English for period for over five weeks. The EDB also organised a webinar series before the exhibition for individual participants/companies highlighted by SIAL Paris. A promotional video was produced by the Embassy featuring well-known French Chef Dominique Pambrun promoting PGI-certified Ceylon Cinnamon in the French market. The participating firms secured confirmed orders to the value of over US$ 2.8 million from the EU and other region buyers by the end of the show, an EDB spokesman said. This year’s edition was bigger than ever, with 11 halls for 10 food industry sectors that brought together 7,500 exhibitors representing 127 countries, displaying over 400,000 products.
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Andrej Jakimovski converted an off-balance layup with 8 seconds left, and Colorado handed No. 2 UConn its second loss in two days at the Maui Invitational, beating the two-time defending national champion 73-72 on Tuesday. A day after a 99-97 overtime loss to Memphis that left Huskies coach Dan Hurley livid about the officiating, UConn (4-2) couldn't shake the unranked Buffaloes (5-1), who shot 62.5% in the second half. With Colorado trailing 72-71 in the closing seconds, Jakimovski drove to his right and absorbed contact from UConn’s Liam McNeeley. He tossed the ball toward the glass and the shot was good as he fell to the floor. Hassan Diarra missed a 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer for UConn. Elijah Malone and Julian Hammond III scored 16 points each for Colorado, and Jakimovski had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Huskies led 40-32 at halftime and by nine points early in the second half, but Colorado quickly closed that gap. McNeeley led UConn with 20 points. UConn: Hurley's squad is facing its first adversity in quite a while. The Huskies arrived on Maui with a 17-game winning streak that dated to February. Colorado: The Buffaloes were held to season lows in points (56) and field goal percentage (37%) in a 16-point loss to Michigan State on Monday but shot 51.1% overall and 56.3% (9 of 16) from 3-point range against the Huskies. Hurley called timeout to set up the Huskies' final possession, but the Buffs forced them to take a contested 3. Colorado had a 28-26 rebounding advantage after being out-rebounded 42-29 by Michigan State. Colorado will play the Iowa-Dayton winner in the fifth-place game on Wednesday. UConn will play the loser of that matchup in the seventh-place game. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball .The US dollar is gradually falling from grace in the global financial architecture on account of rising distrust and diversification efforts made by countries that are ditching the hegemony of the greenback. Simultaneously, world's population is rising; therefore international trade in other currencies may augur well. The share of the US dollar in the global foreign exchange reserves has slid to its lowest in 29 years, according to the latest data published by the International Monetary Fund. Although the dollar is slowly losing its grip, it is still strong because of liquidity, stability and the established mechanism. The greenback's long-standing status as the world's dominant currency has been jeopardised in recent years amid concerns over the soaring US debt and its sanctions on rivals such as Russia, according to the RT news channel. As part of Russia sanctions that followed the escalation of Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the US cut off the country's central bank from dollar transactions. It later banned the export of dollar banknotes to the country and spearheaded a drive to freeze Russian assets abroad. Foreign Affairs magazine wrote in June that the sanctions on Russia had "undoubtedly left other central banks wondering whether their own dollar-denominated rainy-day funds would be locked up should their governments run afoul of Washington." In a speech at the BRICS summit in Kazan in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Washington's weaponisation of the dollar through sanctions and denying countries access to the Western financial system was a "big mistake" that would force them "to look for other alternatives, which is what is happening." Economic and public policy expert, corporate and management consulting firm Director Qanit Khalilullah said the global economy was witnessing increasing de-dollarisation as countries diversify their trade and foreign exchange reserves. "This trend is driven by US actions to weaponise the dollar, such as imposing sanctions and freezing reserves, as seen in the case of Russia." These actions have eroded trust and raised fears of over-dependence on the dollar. Additionally, rising calls for a multipolar economic world, regional trade blocs like BRICS and technological advancements in digital currencies have created alternatives. De-dollarisation reflects a desire for greater financial autonomy and reduced exposure to the US monetary policies, signaling a shift towards a more decentralised global monetary system. Countries are moving away from the US dollar to reduce vulnerability to geopolitical risks and sanctions. The US tendency to use the dollar as a political tool has alarmed nations, prompting them to seek monetary independence. Furthermore, reliance on the dollar exposes countries to the US Federal Reserve policy actions, which impact exchange rates and trade balances. Emerging economies are forming regional partnerships and adopting alternative currencies like the yuan or euro. Digital currencies and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) further enable nations to bypass dollar-based financial systems, secure sovereignty and facilitate localised trade settlements. "The decline in the dollar's share in global reserves to a three-decade low reflects a broader shift in the international monetary landscape. While this signals reduced dominance, it does not necessarily mean the dollar is falling from grace. Its role as a global reserve currency will remain strong due to its liquidity, stability and established infrastructure," Khalilullah said. "However, diversification into other currencies reflects diminishing reliance on the dollar amid geopolitical tensions and economic shifts. The dollar's status may gradually decline but will remain central to the global economy in the foreseeable future," he said. Although "non-traditional" currencies are gaining ground, despite the downward trend, the dollar has so far remained the pre-eminent reserve currency. On the one hand, it highlights a structural change in the global monetary system, where non-traditional currencies like the yuan and digital alternatives are gaining ground in trade and reserves. This signals an evolving multipolar world order. On the other hand, it underscores the enduring dominance of the US dollar, which continues to serve as the pre-eminent reserve currency due to its long entrenched use in international settlements, high liquidity, global trust and the absence of comparable alternatives. The distinction lies in recognising the growing diversification versus sustained reliance on the dollar's unique advantages. Rising sanctions have coerced Russia to de-dollarise. September data shows that Moscow and its allies in the BRICS group are making a better use of national currencies, which are utilised in 65% of mutual trade settlements. BRICS' growing use of national currencies signals significant progress towards de-dollarisation. This trend shows efforts to reduce dependence on the dollar, especially in light of the sanctions and geopolitical dynamics. However, the dollar's deeply entrenched role as a global reserve currency, supported by liquid markets and historical trust, is unlikely to be displaced substantially in the short term. Instead, the global economy may move towards a diversified system where the dollar coexists with regional currencies, fostering a multipolar monetary order where no single currency dominates entirely. International trade expert and economic analyst Aadil Nakhoda said there had been several instances of de-dollarisation throughout history, starting with the yen, then the euro, the yuan and now a currency being planned by BRICs. The yen and the euro have made a little impact. The availability of an alternative currency in the global market is a key factor in de-dollarisation. Rather than ditching the greenback, countries are trying to create their own narrative for dominance in the global market. With US policies becoming more trade restrictive, this narrative will likely grow. The trade deficit generated by the US results in higher supply of the US dollar in foreign markets. As efforts are made to curtail it, it may result in lower supply and consequently its reduced dominance. An international currency must not only be easily available but also involves less government intervention through policies. The yuan is heavily state-controlled while other currencies are unlikely to reach eminence. "We may see mutual agreements becoming more common as they reduce the risk involved with a third currency. However, trade between countries not involving BRICs is likely to continue in dollars. It is when these countries adopt other currencies, will we see non-dollar-based trade becoming more eminent. Consider how the dollar is prevalent in informal trade," Nakhoda said. The writer is a staff correspondent COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourLondon: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani paid a visit on Tuesday, December 3, to the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the UK Parliament. Addressing both Houses of the UK Parliament, HH the Amir expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to the House of Commons Speaker, Lord Speaker, MPs and the friendly British people for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to His Highness and the accompanying delegation during the visit. His Highness' speech started with a highlight of the State of Qatar's constitutional system update aligning with the country's traditions and cultural specificity. Moving to the Qatar-UK relations, HH the Amir said they have been growing and seeing multiple partnerships since both countries marked their first-ever interaction with the 1868 Agreement. In this regard, His Highness recalled that during a previous visit Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II commended the bilateral relations as those of two long-standing and trusted friends. The feelings of mutual affection between the two ruling families are manifested in the ties that unite the Qatari and British peoples through education, diplomacy, business, culture and tourism, HH the Amir elaborated. His Highness also spoke about his educational experience at Sherborne School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an opportunity to build long-lasting friendships and fond memories of training and educational sessions, which in turn inspired ongoing cooperation between the two countries. This cooperation has been exemplified in the participation of the Qatar Amiri Air Force in the joint Qatar-UK Typhoon squadron, which helped secure the country's airspace during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, HH the Amir said. His Highness elaborated that a new joint squadron is delivering jet training to Qatari pilots in the new Hawk trainer aircrafts. This visit will facilitate deliberations to boost military, defense and security cooperation by strengthening defense policies, strategies and practices, in terms of equipment and training, His Highness added. Regarding bilateral collaboration on the state level, HH the Amir said both governments have been cooperating for decades to solve many major global challenges - a particularly important unified approach with the global diplomacy on its last legs. His Highness highlighted the State of Qatar's mediation efforts alongside its partners since the first day of the war on the Gaza Strip to stop the violence, release hostages and detainees, and enable a humanitarian aid delivery. In this respect, His Highness said that further work is still needed, especially in the Gaza Strip, which was almost completely destroyed. Yet, His Highness hailed the successes accomplished over the past year. HH the Amir said the two countries share a position to settle the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution through the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, regarding the envisioned solution as the path to achieving true peace and coveted prosperity. Regarding the Qatar-UK strategic investment partnership, HH the Amir underscored his keenness to elevate cooperation, noting that Qatari companies have invested over 100 billion Pounds in the British economy and work to pump billions of dollars annually into the tourism sector. His Highness also expressed Qatar's aspiration to increase investment in the areas of infrastructure, science and technology including AI, defense, education and healthcare technology. Commenting on the bilateral education cooperation, HH the Amir said it catalyzes long-run fruitful relations, especially with tens of thousands of Qatari students having graduated and over three thousand others currently studying at universities across the United Kingdom. His Highness also hailed the British universities operating in the State of Qatar and offering their programs to students from Qatar and beyond. In their speeches, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith welcomed HH the Amir and the accompanying delegation, stressing the strength of Qatari-British relations and expressing their countrys keenness to consolidate these relations across various fields and aspirations to continue close cooperation on regional security and stability. HH the Amir is accompanied by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Their Excellencies members of the official delegation.
The Republican who ran for a House seat representing Roseville and Shoreview is contesting his election loss by challenging the residency of the Democrat who defeated him Nov. 5. Republican Paul Wikstrom filed the challenge in Ramsey County District Court Wednesday alleging that Democrat Curtis R. Johnson doesn’t live in District 40B. Johnson easily defeated Wikstrom to win the seat, receiving 65% of the vote. Wikstrom is asking the court to “invalidate and revoke any certificate of election issued to Johnson.” The challenge, if successful, could have implications for control of the House during the coming legislative session. The 134-member chamber is currently split between 67 Democrats and 67 Republicans for the first time since 1979. Minnesota law requires candidates to reside in districts they want to represent for six months prior to the election. If Wikstrom’s challenge succeeds, a special election would likely be called in February. Johnson, a Roseville Area Schools board member, faced questions about his residency during the campaign . He owns a home outside the district in Little Canada and began renting an apartment on Rice Street last spring to establish residency so he could run for the 40B House seat. In October, Johnson said in a statement that he was renting the Rice Street apartment while looking for a “forever home” in the district. His wife and their oldest child continued to live in their Little Canada house so they were not unnecessarily uprooted, he said. Johnson did not respond to a voicemail on Friday seeking comment. In a statement, a DFL spokesperson said Johnson lives in the district and expects the case to be dismissed. Wikstrom’s residency challenge alleges that Johnson continued to reside in Little Canada after renting the Roseville apartment. His campaign conducted surveillance of Johnson’s home and regularly saw his vehicle out front, according to affidavits filed with the case. Wikstrom’s campaign established an “investigative team” which put a piece of tape on Johnson’s apartment door to see if it was being used, looked into the window and slid a camera phone under the door. The challenge also alleges that Johnson never hooked up utilities at the apartment. Wikstrom deferred questions about the case to his attorney, who declined to comment. His case will be decided by the Minnesota Supreme Court, which handles election challenges. Residency questions are common during campaigns for state legislative seats. Republican Bob Barrett was the last candidate to be found ineligible when the Supreme Court ruled in 2016 he didn’t live in the Taylors Falls district he wanted to represent.
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With more than half of the 16 teams still mathematically alive to make the conference championship game, the Big 12 will command a lot of attention in the final week of the regular season. No. 14 Arizona State and No. 17 Iowa State would play for the Big 12 title and likely College Football Playoff spot on Dec. 7 if they both win Saturday and there's a four-way tie for first place. There are seven other teams that begin this week with hopes, slim in most cases, of getting into the game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Last week it was No. 19 BYU and No. 23 Colorado that had the inside track to the championship game. Arizona State beat the Cougars and Kansas knocked off the Buffaloes, and here we are. "Everybody counted us out, I think, two weeks ago," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said after his team beat Utah 31-28. "We didn't flinch. We didn't waver. And we just keep fighting." The Cyclones were national darlings the first half of the season as they won seven straight games to match the best start in program history. Back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas followed. Now they've won two straight heading into "Farmageddon," their rivalry game against Kansas State at home. "Right now they've got the pen and they continue to write the story," Campbell said of his players, "and I hope they will continue to write it the way they've got the ability to write it. Unwavering. Tough, mentally tough, physically tough. This group has stood for it every step of the way." Arizona State has been an even better story than the Cyclones. The Sun Devils have six more wins than they did last season, when they went 3-9. They were picked to finish last in their first year in the Big 12. They'll go for their fifth straight victory when they play at Arizona on Saturday. "These guys came off no momentum and everybody doubting them, and everybody is still doubting them. That's what makes this special," second-year coach Kenny Dillingham said. "Hopefully the expectations become higher. I don't know if there's a way we can exceed expectations more than we're exceeding them right now." Checking in on five of the Top 25: The Ducks were idle Saturday after clinching a spot in the Big Ten championship game with their win at Wisconsin on Nov. 16. Oregon can go 12-0 in the regular season for the first time since 2010 if it beats Washington at home this week. Oregon's only two losses last season came against the Huskies, both decided by three points. The first was a top-10 matchup in the regular season and the second was a top-five matchup in the Pac-12 championship game. The Ducks are 19 1/2-point favorites this time, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Buckeyes' showdown with upstart Indiana combined with Michigan's dropoff after winning the national championship have lowered the volume on this week's meeting with the Wolverines at the Horseshoe. If Michigan beats Ohio State a fourth straight time and it keeps the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten championship game and playoff ... well, there'll be lots of noise in Columbus then. The Lone Star Showdown returns to the gridiron for the first time since 2011, when Texas and Texas A&M were in the Big 12. The Longhorns head to No. 20 Texas A&M on a four-game win streak. The Aggies have lost two of three after Saturday's four-overtime loss at Auburn. The winner advances to the Southeastern Conference championship game against Georgia. The Broncos are tied with Notre Dame for the second-longest active win streak, at nine games, and they seem to have adopted a survive-and-advance mantra. They trailed 23-point underdog Wyoming in the fourth quarter before winning 17-13 and clinching a spot in the Mountain West championship game. They won their previous game, 42-21 against San Jose State, but didn't pull away until the fourth quarter. Two weeks ago they beat a three-win Nevada team 28-21. Just when you think Illinois is about to cash in for the season, they do what they did against Rutgers. The Illini were down 31-30 when they lined up for a 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds left. Ethan Moczulski missed. But wait. Rutgers called timeout before the snap, and Bret Bielema thought better of trying another kick and sent his offense back on the field. Luke Altmyer passed to Pat Bryant for the winning 40-yard touchdown. The Illini won't play for the Big Ten title, but they have a chance for nine wins and a nice bowl. Ohio State played in three of the five regular-season top-five matchups and won three of them. The Buckeyes lost to Oregon and beat Penn State and Indiana. ... Kansas' 37-21 win over Colorado made the Jayhawks the first FBS team with a losing record to beat three straight Top 25 opponents. The Jayhawks, who were 2-6 a month ago, will be bowl eligible if they win at Baylor. ... Nebraska ended the longest power conference bowl drought with its 44-25 win over Wisconsin. The Cornhuskers haven't played in a bowl since 2016. Get local news delivered to your inbox!CAIRO: The Arab League regional bloc called on Iran on Thursday (Dec 26) not to fuel "strife" in Syria, after the ouster of Tehran ally President Bashar al-Assad ended decades of rule by his clan . Assad's government crumbled on December 8 and he fled for Russia, another key backer of his rule, after an Islamist-led coalition of fighters wrested control of city after city until they reached Damascus. With Assad's fall, Iran lost a key ally in the region, just as its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah emerged massively weakened but not crushed from a year of war with Israel. The Arab League, which last year welcomed back Assad after a decade of isolation, emphasised the need to "respect Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability, to restrict weapons to the hands of the state, dissolve all armed formations and reject all destabilising foreign interventions". Syria's new authorities on Thursday launched an operation in a stronghold of Assad, after deadly clashes pitting their fighters against gunmen affiliated with the former government. The Arab League said it was "following with concern the events taking place in several Syrian cities and areas with the aim of igniting the sparks of conflict." It also said it "rejects the Iranian statements aimed at fuelling strife among the Syrian people", according to a statement from the secretariat. It did not specify which statements it was referring to. On Sunday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted "the emergence of a strong, honourable group" in Syria following the ouster of Assad, saying the country's young men had "nothing to lose". Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei lashed out on Thursday against unspecified media reports on Iran "interfering in Syria's internal affairs" as "baseless". Iran was committed to "supporting the territorial integrity and national unity of Syria and the formation of an inclusive political system," he said in a statement. Syria's new leaders have criticised Iran over its role in Syria over the years. "Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and the sovereignty and safety of its country," Syria's new foreign minister wrote on social media site X on Tuesday. "We warn them against spreading chaos in Syria and hold them responsible for the consequences of their recent statements," he added.