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NoneSyrian President Bashar Assad has vowed to defeat the jihadists currently rampaging through the north of his country, “no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are.” Assad’s comments came as the Syrian Army geared up to defend the city of Hama from the attackers. In a phone call with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on Saturday, Assad stressed that “Syria continues to defend its stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists,” according to a readout published by his office. Syria “is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are,” Assad added, according to the statement. The Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) terrorist group – formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra – and a collection of allied militias attacked government-controlled territory in northern Syria on Wednesday, breaking a fragile truce established by Russia and Türkiye in 2020. By Friday, HTS fighters had entered Aleppo, which had been under Syrian government control since 2016. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian General Command said that the attack was “supported by thousands of foreign terrorists, heavy weapons, and a large number of drones,” and that dozens of Syrian Army personnel had been killed defending Aleppo. Syrian government forces succeeded in preventing the total loss of Aleppo, and have withdrawn from the city to prepare a counterattack, the general command said. According to unconfirmed reports on social media, Syrian forces have started arriving in the city of Hama – around 80km south of Aleppo – in preparation for this counteroffensive. Sporadic clashes have broken out on the outskirts of Hama as the jihadists advance on the city, Turkish media reported on Saturday. Iranian military advisers and volunteers have arrived in Hama to assist the Syrian military, according to both pro- and anti-Assad Telegram news groups. Sheikh Mohammed told Assad that the UAE “stands with the Syrian state and supports it in combating terrorism and extending its sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability,” according to Assad’s office. Iran has vowed to issue a “serious” response to HTS, after the group attacked its consulate in Aleppo and killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Kiyumars Pourhashemi earlier this week. Russia, which has maintained a military presence in Syria since 2015, has been carrying out airstrikes against the jihadists, killing at least 600 militants since Thursday, according to Colonel Oleg Ignasyuk, the deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria.
Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgenderA fire broke out Wednesday in the Tokyo apartment building where Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kuniko Inoguchi lives with her family, and two unidentified bodies have been found at the scene, police said, noting that her husband and one of their daughters remain unaccounted for. Four people were living in the 72-year-old House of Councillors member's residence and contact was made with Inoguchi and her other daughter, the metropolitan police said. Inoguchi's husband, Takashi, 80, is a professor emeritus of politics and international relations at the University of Tokyo. A report was made after 7 p.m. that a fire had started at the six-story apartment building in Bunkyo Ward of the Japanese capital. More than 30 firetrucks and other emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene, located in an area lined with apartment buildings and houses, about 500 meters north of Tokyo Dome. The fire was subdued before 1 a.m. Thursday. Inoguchi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005 after being a professor at Sophia University. She served as minister in charge of addressing the declining birthrate and promoting gender equality. She has been a member of the House of Councillors since 2010 and is currently in her third term.
Rethinking government
Joey Ayala sings his classics, ‘field tests’ new songs at My Bro’s show, Nov. 23Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) ruled out vs. Rams
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De Beers has accumulated the biggest stockpile of diamonds since 2008, the Financial Times reported. Weak demand and rising competition from lab-grown products are weighing on the diamond titan. The firm is betting on a gradual market recovery next year. De Beers has built up its largest stockpile of diamonds since the Great Financial Crisis, as sinking demand and tougher competition weigh on the industry giant. "It's been a bad year for rough diamond sales," chief executive Al Cook told the Financial Times . According to the outlet, the firm's diamond trove has stood at around $2 billion for most of this year. Headwinds have piled high against De Beers since the pandemic. As post-COVID demand cooled and prices plunged, the world's largest diamond producer started stockpiling unsold inventory to weather the moment. "We build up stocks of those because we are confident that over time the diamond price will increase and we will be able to sell that supply into the growing demand that we believe will come," Cook said at a briefing last year, quoted by Bloomberg . So far, that demand hasn't shown up. Cooling consumption in China is part of this year's problem. As the country's population keeps shrinking, so have marriage rates — that's caused diamond imports into China to slump 28% in the first half of 2024 , compared to the first half of 2023. De Beers found that Chinese jewelers were dealing with their excess supply and exporting polished stones to alleviate the issue. Lab-grown diamonds are also adding pressure. While looking virtually identical, man-made stones cost a fraction of naturally mined diamonds and have swept into the mainstream market. Loose demand has impacted pricing of this side of the market as well, and analysts told Business Insider that these lab-grown stone prices could fall by double-digits through next year. The same experts previously projected that the lab-grown "fad" will lose its shine over time, offering natural diamonds some breathing room. De Beers has embraced this notion with marketing that emphasizes its raw product. Cook is holding out for a "gradual recovery" next year, as evident in US credit card data, he told the FT.
CyberACE Introduces Yu'e Bao Feature for Flexible and Efficient Fund ManagementANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced the appointment of Mr. Gerardo Hernandez as the Company's Chief Financial Officer, effective December 2, 2024 . In this role, Mr. Hernandez joins the TransMedics executive leadership team, succeeding Mr. Stephen Gordon . To enable a smooth transition, Mr. Gordon will remain a non-executive employee of the Company until March 31, 2025 , before serving as a non-employee senior advisor to the Company focusing on national transplant stakeholder engagement until March 31, 2026 . TransMedics also updated its 2024 financial outlook. Dr. Waleed Hassanein , Mr. Gerardo Hernandez and Mr. Stephen Gordon will attend the upcoming Piper Sandler Conference on December 3, 2024 , the TransMedics Investor & Analyst Day on December 10, 2024 , as well as the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January 2025 . Mr. Hernandez is an accomplished finance leader with over 25 years of experience across the healthcare and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors. He most recently served as Vice President Finance, Head of Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on RNAi therapeutics. In this role, Mr. Hernandez led a global team as the company scaled rapidly. Prior to his role at Alnylam, Mr. Hernandez spent nearly a decade at Shire, where he rose through the organization, eventually leading corporate FP&A. During his tenure, Shire was acquired by Takeda in a $62 billion transaction, after which he was instrumental in the integration effort. Mr. Hernandez began his career at Unilever where he held several finance roles of increasing responsibility before joining Shire in 2010. Mr. Hernandez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin , La Crosse and an MBA in Strategy and Economics from Fundação Getulio Vargas , Sao Paulo, Brazil . "Stephen has been an exceptional partner to me as a member of the TransMedics leadership team for nearly a decade. During his tenure we transitioned the Company from a clinical stage organization to a high growth, publicly traded commercial business," said Waleed Hassanein , M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "On behalf of the entire management team and the Board, I want to thank Stephen for his countless contributions to our business that will have lasting benefits for the Company. I am grateful for Stephen's dedication and efforts to advance our corporate strategy while delivering considerable shareholder value, and I look forward to his continued partnership to affect a smooth transition as we start our next chapter at TransMedics." "I am delighted to welcome Gerardo to the TransMedics leadership team as our new Chief Financial Officer," added Dr. Hassanein. "His proven record over two decades of leadership across FP&A functions within high-growth, complex global organizations makes him an ideal addition to our team. I am looking forward to partnering with Gerardo as we continue to deliver significant long-term corporate growth and shareholder value." "I am thrilled to join TransMedics as Chief Financial Officer," said Mr. Hernandez. "I look forward to working with the entire leadership team to expand access to the Company's unparalleled products and services in the organ transplant field while enhancing operational efficiency and delivering lasting value to both our shareholders and the patients we serve." Dr. Hassanein concluded, "As we enter the final weeks of the fourth quarter, we are also updating our financial outlook for the full year 2024. Our updated guidance reflects our continued expectation for considerable year-over-year revenue growth. We look forward to providing additional context at our upcoming Investor & Analyst Day." 2024 Financial Outlook TransMedics now expects revenue for the full year 2024 to be in the range of $428 million to $432 million, which represents 77% to 79% growth compared to the Company's prior year revenue. Piper Sandler 36th Annual Healthcare Conference Members of the TransMedics management team will participate in a fireside chat at the upcoming Piper Sandler 36th Annual Healthcare Conference at the Lotte New York Palace. The fireside chat will take place on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 , at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time . A live and archived webcast of the fireside chat will be available on the "Investors" section of the TransMedics website at https://investors.transmedics.com . The Company's standard investor presentation is also available through this link. TransMedics Investor & Analyst Day Details TransMedics will discuss the transition and updated financial outlook, as well as the Company's growth strategy, clinical pipeline, and operations, in greater detail at its Investor & Analyst Day in New York City on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 , at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time . A live and archived webcast of presentations and Q&A sessions will be available on the "Investors" section of the TransMedics website at https://investors.transmedics.com . Please note management will only take questions from the live audience during the question-and-answer session following formal presentations. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, a leadership transition and our full-year guidance. For this purpose, all statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "could," "target," "predict," "seek" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Our management cannot predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ include: our ability to maintain profitability on a sustained basis; our ability to attract, train and retain key personnel; our existing and any future indebtedness, including our ability to comply with affirmative and negative covenants under our credit agreement to which we will remain subject until maturity; the fluctuation of our financial results from quarter to quarter; our need to raise additional funding and our ability to obtain it on favorable terms, or at all; our ability to use net operating losses and research and development credit carryforwards; our dependence on the success of the Organ Care System or OCS; our ability to expand access to the OCS through our National OCS Program or NOP; our ability to scale our manufacturing and sterilization capabilities to meet increasing demand for our products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the OCS; our ability to educate patients, surgeons, transplant centers and private and public payors on the benefits offered by the OCS; our ability to improve the OCS platform and develop the next generation of the OCS products; our dependence on a limited number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue; our ability to maintain regulatory approvals or clearances for our OCS products in the United States , the European Union, and other select jurisdictions worldwide; our ability to adequately respond to the Food and Drug Administration or FDA, or other competent authorities, follow-up inquiries in a timely manner; the performance of our third-party suppliers and manufacturers; our use of third parties to transport donor organs and medical personnel for our NOP and our ability to maintain and grow our logistics capabilities to support our NOP and reduce dependence on third party transportation, including by means of attracting, training and retaining pilots, and the acquisition, maintenance or replacement of fixed-wing aircraft for our aviation transportation services or other acquisitions, joint ventures or strategic investments; our ability to maintain Federal Aviation Administration or FAA or other regulatory licenses or approvals for our aircraft transportation services; price increases of the components of our products and maintenance, parts and fuel for our aircraft; the timing or results of post-approval studies and any clinical trials for the OCS; our manufacturing, sales, marketing and clinical support capabilities and strategy; attacks against our information technology infrastructure; the economic, political and other risks associated with our foreign operations; our ability to protect, defend, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights relating to the OCS and avoid allegations that our products infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of third parties; the pricing of the OCS, as well as the reimbursement coverage for the OCS in the United States and internationally; regulatory developments in the United States, European Union and other jurisdictions; the extent and success of competing products or procedures that are or may become available; our ability to service our 1.50% convertible senior notes, due 2028; the impact of any product recalls or improper use of our products; our estimates regarding revenues, expenses and needs for additional financing; and other factors that may be described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Additional information will be made available in our annual and quarterly reports and other filings that we make with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and we are not able to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston Laine Morgan 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-appoints-gerardo-hernandez-as-chief-financial-officer-and-provides-updated-2024-financial-outlook-302320060.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.
President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday nominated Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as the US ambassador to France, in the latest of several controversial picks. Kushner "is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests," Trump said on his Truth Social website, adding that Jared "worked closely with me in the White House." The choice is in keeping with Trump's pattern, so far, of selecting people, often wealthy, who are close to his family or of proven loyalty. Kushner is a multimillionaire real estate executive and former attorney; his son was a senior adviser during Trump's first term. Trump did not mention, however, that the elder Kushner once served jail time -- a two-year sentence, most of it served in a federal prison. Kushner, who is now 70, pleaded guilty in 2004 to 18 counts of tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign contributions. The case, which was prosecuted by then US attorney Chris Christie, included sordid details, to which Kushner admitted: that he had hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, a man cooperating in a campaign finance inquiry, and then videotaped the encounter and sent it to the man's wife, Kushner's sister, to dissuade her from testifying against him. Christie, who worked on Trump's first presidential transition team and then opposed him in this year's Republican primary contests, later said Kushner had committed a "loathsome" and "disgusting crime." In 2020, Trump issued a pardon to Kushner, whose conviction had resulted in him being disbarred in three states. Nominees for key ambassadorships are often business associates of a president-elect, or major political donors. But it is rare, if not unprecedented, to name a convicted felon. The first two men to fill the prestigious Paris post were famed inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin and a future president, Thomas Jefferson. If confirmed, Kushner would succeed Denise Bauer, a former ambassador to Belgium who was a major Democratic fundraiser and donor. md/bbk/md
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NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 p.m.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi . Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on the social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.
Pull the other one, John! Swinney ridiculed for claiming health minister Neil Gray took limo to glitzy premiere because movie 'was about addiction'As we Americans begin the holiday season with thankfulness for our abundance, many of us also turn to the season of giving. For people of faith, the season of giving is tied to the celebration of Christmas and, for some, the preparation time of Advent. Our very environment, filled with lights, song and gifts, draws us into this most “wonderful time of the year.” We gift our families, yes, and invite friends and families into our homes and everywhere we look we are challenged to be particularly attentive to others in need, be they material, social, friendship or spiritual needs. Our giving grows out of our inner belief that in some way we are responsible for building a just world, not only one in which each person has what they deserve, but that each one has what they need. Our human nature drives us to seek the good and the just for the world. For those who take part in formal worship regularly, words of justice and comfort call to us. This first Sunday of Advent, in assemblies that follow the common lectionary, we hear the words of Jeremiah: “I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land ... Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure ... this is what they shall call her: ‘The Lord our justice.’” Later in Advent, we hear the words of John the Baptist, quoting from Isaiah, words of hope, promising that our valleys will be filled and the rough ways made smooth. John continues with words to the tax collectors: “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed” and “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” The days ahead will challenge us all with the struggle for justice. As our country moves from one political pole to another, I need to hear the challenge of justice and the comfort of Isaiah. I will be singing with so many others: “O come, Desire of nations, bind in one the hearts of all humankind; bid our sad divisions cease and be our Prince of Peace.” Sister Mary Jo Quinn is a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth. She is a member of the pastoral staff of Blessed Trinity Catholic Community and may be contacted at maryjoq@blessedtrinitymissoula.org . Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
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