Yoshiharu Global Co. ( NASDAQ:YOSH – Get Free Report ) was the target of a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,800 shares, a growth of 146.2% from the November 30th total of 5,200 shares. Approximately 1.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 32,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days. Yoshiharu Global Price Performance NASDAQ YOSH opened at $3.27 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $3.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.18, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.31. Yoshiharu Global has a one year low of $2.73 and a one year high of $8.46. Yoshiharu Global Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Yoshiharu Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yoshiharu Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Lea Miller-Tooley hopped off a call to welcome the Baylor women’s basketball team to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, where 80-degree temperatures made it easy for the Bears to settle in on Paradise Island a week before Thanksgiving. About 5,000 miles west of the Caribbean nation, similar climes awaited Maui Invitational men's teams in Hawaii. They’ve often been greeted with leis, the traditional Hawaiian welcome of friendship. College basketball teams and fans look forward to this time of the year. The holiday week tournaments feature buzzworthy matchups and all-day TV coverage, sure, but there is a familiarity about them as they help ward off the November chill. For four decades, these sandy-beach getaways filled with basketball have become a beloved mainstay of the sport itself. “When you see (ESPN’s) ‘Feast Week’ of college basketball on TV, when you see the Battle 4 Atlantis on TV, you know college basketball is back,” said Miller-Tooley, the founder and organizer of the Battle 4 Atlantis men's and women's tournaments. “Because it’s a saturated time of the year with the NFL, college football and the NBA. But when you see these gorgeous events in these beautiful places, you realize, ‘Wow, hoops are back, let’s get excited.’” The Great Alaska Shootout was the trend-setting multiple-team event (MTE) nearly five decades ago. The brainchild of late Alaska-Anchorage coach Bob Rachal sought to raise his program’s profile by bringing in national-power programs, which could take advantage of NCAA rules allowing them to exceed the maximum allotment of regular-season games if they played the three-game tournament outside the contiguous 48 states. The first edition, named the Sea Wolf Classic, saw N.C. State beat Louisville 72-66 for the title on Nov. 26, 1978. The Maui Invitational followed in November 1984, borne from the buzz of NAIA program Chaminade’s shocking upset of top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 star Ralph Sampson in Hawaii two years earlier. Events kept coming, with warm-weather locales getting in on the action. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Cayman Islands Classic. The Jamaica Classic. The Myrtle Beach Invitational joining the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Numerous tournaments in Florida. Some events have faded away like the Puerto Rico Tipoff and the Great Alaska Shootout, the latter in 2017 amid event competition and schools opting for warm-weather locales. Notre Dame takes on Chaminade during the first half of a 2017 game in Lahaina, Hawaii. Miller-Tooley’s push to build an MTE for Atlantis began as a December 2010 doubleheader with Georgia Tech beating Richmond and Virginia Tech beating Mississippi State in a prove-it moment for a tournament’s viability. It also required changing NCAA legislation to permit MTEs in the Bahamas. Approval came in March 2011; the first eight-team Atlantis men’s tournament followed in November. That tournament quickly earned marquee status with big-name fields, with Atlantis champions Villanova (2017) and Virginia (2018) later winning that season’s NCAA title. Games run in a ballroom-turned-arena at the resort, where players also check out massive swimming pools, water slides and inner-tube rapids surrounded by palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s just the value of getting your passport stamped, that will never get old,” Miller-Tooley said. “Watching some of these kids, this may be their first and last time – and staff and families – that they ever travel outside the United States. ... You can see through these kids’ eyes that it’s really an unbelievable experience.” ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock knows that firsthand. His Louisville team finished second at Atlantis in 2012 and won that year’s later-vacated NCAA title, with Hancock as the Final Four's most outstanding player. “I remember (then-coach Rick Pitino) saying something to the effect of: ‘Some of you guys might never get this opportunity again. We’re staying in this unbelievable place, you’re doing it with people you love,’” Hancock said. “It was a business trip for us there at Thanksgiving, but he definitely had a tone of ‘We’ve got to enjoy this as well.’” Maui offers similar vibes, though 2024 could be a little different as Lahaina recovers from deadly 2023 wildfires that forced the event's relocation last year. North Carolina assistant coach Sean May played for the Tar Heels’ Maui winner in 2004 and was part of UNC’s staff for the 2016 champion, with both teams later winning the NCAA title. May said “you just feel the peacefulness” of the area — even while focusing on games — and savors memories of the team taking a boat out on the Pacific Ocean after title runs under now-retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. “Teams like us, Dukes, UConns – you want to go to places that are very well-run,” May said. “Maui, Lea Miller with her group at the Battle 4 Atlantis, that’s what drives teams to come back because you know you’re going to get standard A-quality of not only the preparation but the tournament with the way it’s run. Everything is top-notch. And I think that brings guys back year after year.” That’s why Colorado coach Tad Boyle is so excited for the Buffaloes’ first Maui appearance since 2009. “We’ve been trying to get in the tournament since I got here,” said Boyle, now in his 15th season. And of course, that warm-weather setting sure doesn’t hurt. “If you talk about the Marquettes of the world, St. John’s, Providence – they don’t want that cold weather,” said NBA and college TV analyst Terrence Oglesby, who played for Clemson in the 2007 San Juan Invitational in Puerto Rico. “They’re going to have to deal with that all January and February. You might as well get a taste of what the sun feels like.” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo argues a call during the first half of a Nov. 16 game against Bowling Green in East Lansing, Michigan. Mi zzo is making his fourth trip to Maui. The men’s Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, got things rolling last week with No. 11 Tennessee routing No. 13 Baylor for the title. The week ahead could boast matchups befitting the Final Four, with teams having two weeks of action since any opening-night hiccups. “It’s a special kickoff to the college basketball season,” Oglesby said. “It’s just without the rust.” On the women’s side, Atlantis began its fourth eight-team women’s tournament Saturday with No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Baylor, while the nearby Baha Mar resort follows with two four-team women’s brackets that include No. 2 UConn, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi and No. 20 N.C. State. Then come the men’s headliners. The Maui Invitational turns 40 as it opens Monday back in Lahaina. It features second-ranked and two-time reigning national champion UConn, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 North Carolina. The Battle 4 Atlantis opens its 13th men’s tournament Wednesday, topped by No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Arizona. Michigan State Hall of Famer Tom Izzo is making his fourth trip to Maui, where he debuted as Jud Heathcote’s successor at the 1995 tournament. Izzo's Spartans have twice competed at Atlantis, last in 2021. “They’re important because they give you something in November or December that is exciting,” Izzo said. Any drawbacks? “It’s a 10-hour flight,” he said of Hawaii. Mike Tyson, left, slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal serves during a training session at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, in Malaga, southern Spain, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) A fan takes a picture of the moon prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Uruguay and Colombia in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich) Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark reacts after missing a shot on the 18th hole in the final round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) fails to pull in a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson) Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, top right, scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) India's Tilak Varma jumps in the air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20 International cricket match between South Africa and India, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski warms up before facing the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A fan rapped in an Uruguay flag arrives to the stands for a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) People practice folding a giant United States flag before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Marquinhos attempts to stop the sprinklers that were turned on during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental stadium in Maturin, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, right, attempts to score while Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) keep the puck out of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario misses the third goal during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and France, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova hits a return against Danielle Collins, of the United States, during a tennis match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Malaga, southern Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) falls after driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) England's Anthony Gordon celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DJ Turner, right, tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, left, on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) UConn's Paige Bueckers (5) battles North Carolina's Laila Hull, right, for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Georgia's Georges Mikautadze celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League, group B1 soccer match between Georgia and Ukraine at the AdjaraBet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. 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About 5,000 miles west of the Caribbean nation, similar climes awaited Maui Invitational men's teams in Hawaii. They’ve often been greeted with leis, the traditional Hawaiian welcome of friendship. College basketball teams and fans look forward to this time of the year. The holiday week tournaments feature buzzworthy matchups and all-day TV coverage, sure, but there is a familiarity about them as they help ward off the November chill. For four decades, these sandy-beach getaways filled with basketball have become a beloved mainstay of the sport itself. “When you see (ESPN’s) ‘Feast Week’ of college basketball on TV, when you see the Battle 4 Atlantis on TV, you know college basketball is back,” said Miller-Tooley, the founder and organizer of the Battle 4 Atlantis men's and women's tournaments. “Because it’s a saturated time of the year with the NFL, college football and the NBA. But when you see these gorgeous events in these beautiful places, you realize, ‘Wow, hoops are back, let’s get excited.’” MTE Madness The Great Alaska Shootout was the trend-setting multiple-team event (MTE) nearly five decades ago. The brainchild of late Alaska-Anchorage coach Bob Rachal sought to raise his program’s profile by bringing in national-power programs, which could take advantage of NCAA rules allowing them to exceed the maximum allotment of regular-season games if they played the three-game tournament outside the contiguous 48 states. The first edition, named the Sea Wolf Classic, saw N.C. State beat Louisville 72-66 for the title on Nov. 26, 1978. The Maui Invitational followed in November 1984, borne from the buzz of NAIA program Chaminade’s shocking upset of top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 star Ralph Sampson in Hawaii two years earlier. Events kept coming, with warm-weather locales getting in on the action. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Cayman Islands Classic. The Jamaica Classic. The Myrtle Beach Invitational joining the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Numerous tournaments in Florida. Some events have faded away like the Puerto Rico Tipoff and the Great Alaska Shootout, the latter in 2017 amid event competition and schools opting for warm-weather locales. Atlantis rising Miller-Tooley’s push to build an MTE for Atlantis began as a December 2010 doubleheader with Georgia Tech beating Richmond and Virginia Tech beating Mississippi State in a prove-it moment for a tournament’s viability. It also required changing NCAA legislation to permit MTEs in the Bahamas. Approval came in March 2011; the first eight-team Atlantis men’s tournament followed in November. That tournament quickly earned marquee status with big-name fields, with Atlantis champions Villanova (2017) and Virginia (2018) later winning that season’s NCAA title. Games run in a ballroom-turned-arena at the resort, where players also check out massive swimming pools, water slides and inner-tube rapids surrounded by palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s just the value of getting your passport stamped, that will never get old,” Miller-Tooley said. “Watching some of these kids, this may be their first and last time – and staff and families – that they ever travel outside the United States. ... You can see through these kids’ eyes that it’s really an unbelievable experience.” ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock knows that firsthand. His Louisville team finished second at Atlantis in 2012 and won that year’s later-vacated NCAA title, with Hancock as the Final Four's most outstanding player. “I remember (then-coach Rick Pitino) saying something to the effect of: ‘Some of you guys might never get this opportunity again. We’re staying in this unbelievable place, you’re doing it with people you love,’” Hancock said. “It was a business trip for us there at Thanksgiving, but he definitely had a tone of ‘We’ve got to enjoy this as well.’” Popular demand Maui offers similar vibes, though 2024 could be a little different as Lahaina recovers from deadly 2023 wildfires that forced the event's relocation last year. North Carolina assistant coach Sean May played for the Tar Heels’ Maui winner in 2004 and was part of UNC’s staff for the 2016 champion, with both teams later winning the NCAA title. May said “you just feel the peacefulness” of the area — even while focusing on games — and savors memories of the team taking a boat out on the Pacific Ocean after title runs under now-retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. “Teams like us, Dukes, UConns – you want to go to places that are very well-run,” May said. “Maui, Lea Miller with her group at the Battle 4 Atlantis, that’s what drives teams to come back because you know you’re going to get standard A-quality of not only the preparation but the tournament with the way it’s run. Everything is top-notch. And I think that brings guys back year after year.” That’s why Colorado coach Tad Boyle is so excited for the Buffaloes’ first Maui appearance since 2009. “We’ve been trying to get in the tournament since I got here,” said Boyle, now in his 15th season. And of course, that warm-weather setting sure doesn’t hurt. “If you talk about the Marquettes of the world, St. John’s, Providence – they don’t want that cold weather,” said NBA and college TV analyst Terrence Oglesby, who played for Clemson in the 2007 San Juan Invitational in Puerto Rico. “They’re going to have to deal with that all January and February. You might as well get a taste of what the sun feels like.” Packed schedule The men’s Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, got things rolling last week with No. 11 Tennessee routing No. 13 Baylor for the title. The week ahead could boast matchups befitting the Final Four, with teams having two weeks of action since any opening-night hiccups. “It’s a special kickoff to the college basketball season,” Oglesby said. “It’s just without the rust.” On the women’s side, Atlantis began its fourth eight-team women’s tournament Saturday with No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Baylor, while the nearby Baha Mar resort follows with two four-team women’s brackets that include No. 2 UConn, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi and No. 20 N.C. State. Then come the men’s headliners. The Maui Invitational turns 40 as it opens Monday back in Lahaina. It features second-ranked and two-time reigning national champion UConn, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 North Carolina. The Battle 4 Atlantis opens its 13th men’s tournament Wednesday, topped by No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Arizona. Michigan State Hall of Famer Tom Izzo is making his fourth trip to Maui, where he debuted as Jud Heathcote’s successor at the 1995 tournament. Izzo's Spartans have twice competed at Atlantis, last in 2021. “They’re important because they give you something in November or December that is exciting,” Izzo said. Any drawbacks? “It’s a 10-hour flight,” he said of Hawaii.Former Bulldog defensive coordinator Nick Toth isn’t returning to Fresno State and will remain at Air Force, where he oversees the defense. Toth wrote on : “Despite what is circulating on social media. I am fired up to be coaching at the United States Air Force Academy and have not taken another coaching job. Go Falcons!” Reports circulated Wednesday night that Toth would replace Fresno State defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle. According to The Barkboard, new head coach Matt Entz is interviewing candidates for his staff, but nobody has been hired. Toth spent five seasons at Fresno State (2012-2016) under Tim DeRuyter, four of which were as defensive coordinator. Related Story: Josiah Freeman Enters Transfer Portal Fresno State junior wide receiver Josiah Freeman entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, making him the 16th Bulldog to signal their intentions to exit the program. Freeman wrote on : “Thank you, Red Wave, for an incredible journey. I’m grateful to the coaching staff for believing in me and giving a small-town kid a chance to chase his dreams.” Freeman spent three seasons at Fresno State (2022-2024) and was predicted to be a playmaker but was plagued with injuries. He only played four games in 2024, making eight catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Related Story: Phoenix Jackson Commits to Auburn Linebacker Phoenix Jackson said on Wednesday that he has left Fresno to join Auburn. He played four seasons at Fresno State, (2021-2024) recording 101 total tackles, five sacks, and three interceptions. Related Story: Cam Lockridge Declares for NFL Draft Senior cornerback Cam Lockridge declared to enter the 2025 NFL Draft on Tuesday. He has no remaining eligibility. He announced via : “First off, I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to play the sport I love. I want to thank my family for the support they provided throughout this journey. I’d like to thank Reedley College, the University of Hawai’i, and Fresno State for the opportunity to earn my degree as well display my talent on the field.” Lockridge concluded, “Finally, I’d like to thank my mother for giving me life. Without her, none of this would be possible. Even though God called her name, and she is no longer with us on earth, her presence is felt by many. She is my reason why I haven’t given up on my dream to play in the NFL.” This comes after he missed the last three regular season games after a series of disgruntled social media posts that the coaches called “personal stuff.” Lockridge was named to the All-Mountain West conference first team. He’s ranked No. 1 (MW) & No. 6 in the FBS in passes defended (7 passes broken up); No. 1 (MW) & No. 2 (FBS) in interceptions (5); and No. 7 (MW) in fumbles recovered.

It seems the Opposition politicians are hard at work these days, trying to whip up a storm over ‘Mahaviru Naa’ celebrations in the North—much like the recent Bay of Bengal depression, which after wreaking havoc here, conveniently blew its cyclonic rage straight into Tamil Nadu. But. the deep depression having intensified into cyclone Fengal over the Bay of Bengal petered out rather predictably before slamming into Indian shores last Monday. As the Indian Meteorology Department had forecast, it faded into a modest low-pressure area over Northern Tamil Nadu—hardly the devastating ending some might have anticipated from a cyclone. Prof. Abeysinghe Lasantha Sandika When a storm dumps enough rain to flood the country, you might think it would spark some collective empathy or at the very least, a serious conversation about disaster relief. But no—welcome to the South, where the political playbook dictates that the best response to agricultural devastation is a healthy dose of communal tension. After all, what is a few thousand hectares of rice and vegetables and crop cultivations going under water when there is ‘tense’ issue such as the ‘Mahaviru Naal’ in the North to milk for political theatrics? Simmer the communal hot pot Never mind the farmers, whose cultivations, including 64,000 hectares of paddy in the Northern and Eastern Provinces alone now resembling lakes going underwater. Forget the fact that these regions bore the brunt of nature’s fury and that over two million farmers in the country depend on rice farming to keep their families fed and the country afloat. Who cares about livelihoods when you can simmer the communal hot pot to cause nationwide discontent? And so, as the water recedes and farmers stare at their ruined fields, the political stage shifts to the tried-and-tested formula: whip up a little communal tension and fan the flames. You would have successfully diverted attention from an agricultural crisis to a convenient political spectacle. Or are we having a South-style master class in political misdirection? So here we are, wading through the aftermath of a devastating flood, while the political scriptwriters dream up their next act. The country has 2.3 million hectares of agricultural land, with 80 percent dedicated to non-plantation food crops such as rice, maize, vegetables, fruits and other crops, according to the Agriculture Department. The sector employs 28 percent of the country’s labour force, with small-scale farmers contributing the bulk of the agricultural output. It’s too early to quantify the full extent of crop damage or the economic fallout from the floods, but assessments are underway, according to Dr. Chamila Chandrasiri, Director of the Socio-Economic and Planning Centre at the Agriculture Department. “Give us a week or two to get the assessments rolling,” she stated, noting that water must first recede from the flood-affected paddy fields and farmlands. Only then will agricultural officers be able to compile a complete report on the affected farmers, farmlands and crop losses. Speculation, however, is rife. Critics argue that the National People’s Power Government may struggle to address the crisis, with murmurs of a looming food shortage due to flood-induced crop damage. Rumours also swirl about potential price spikes in rice, vegetables and fruit during the festive season and possibly well into next year. And if that’s not enough, a so-called ‘coconut mafia’ is reportedly emerging, threatening to hike prices alongside the notorious rice cartels. While these projections aren’t entirely baseless, they remain speculative. The Government has ramped up support for farmers, providing access to fertiliser and better agricultural inputs. The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) has also initiated long-term strategies to promote climate-smart agriculture and ensure food security and resilience. HARTI Director and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Abeysinghe Lasantha Sandika said they did not expect a flood-induced weather during this cultivation season. He said the relevant agenciesat no point of time forecast the kind of heavy rains that triggered floods. According to him the weather forecasters did not forecast the severity of the weather. The recent floods across Sri Lanka have left paddy fields and farmlands submerged, causing significant damage to crops and irrigation systems. While the Meteorology Department issued a heavy rain warning on November 19, HARTI’s Prof. Sandika believes such forecasts need to be communicated at least a month in advance to allow farmers to adapt their sowing schedules. Effort washed away Farmers had sown seeds on November 15, just days before the rains struck. “The entire effort was washed away,” said Prof. Sandika. Now, farmers face the costly task of re-cultivating, with seed paddy and fertiliser costs doubling. This burden extends to the Government, which must support the recovery effort through subsidies and aid. It is essential to study climate changes more closely and reassess when farmers should plant crops, instead of strictly conforming to traditional farming schedules Farmers now face the daunting task of restarting their cultivation processes and repeat the entire sowing procedure. This has effectively doubled their costs, creating additional financial strain not only to farmers but also for the Government, which has pledged to support recovery efforts. Prof. Sandika highlighted that activating the Government’s fertiliser subsidy program was a key step to alleviate the burden. He assured that measures to restart cultivation are already in motion, with the subsidy program set to play a pivotal role. Interestingly, the delayed activation of the subsidy program in certain areas has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Since the initial crops in those regions were destroyed by floods, the program can now be implemented without the risk of losses on the prematurely ruined harvests. This timing allows the Government to focus its resources more effectively on supporting re-cultivation efforts. Paddy cultivation in low-lying areas of the Northern and Eastern Provinces has been among the hardest hit by the recent floods. Extensive damage has also been reported to paddy and vegetable fields in districts such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ampara and Jaffna, while fruit and vegetable farming in the Nuwara Eliya and Badulla Districts has suffered significant setbacks. The impact extends beyond farmers and their families, affecting urban populations, particularly in Colombo, who rely on rural agricultural produce. Vegetable prices have soared, forcing consumers in urban areas to pay significantly more for basic food items. Nutrient-rich sediment However, there is a silver lining amidst this crisis. According to Professor Sandika, receding flood waters often leave behind nutrient-rich sediment that can improve soil fertility. This natural enrichment can enhance soil productivity, though the benefits depend on factors such as the flood type, the affected region and the pre-existing soil condition. These nutrients deposited by floodwaters have agricultural importance. For example Nitrogen, which is an organic matter from decaying, plants and sediment, is essential for plant growth. Nitrogen is a critical component of chlorophyll, which is vital for photosynthesis. Then Phosperous- which aids in root development and improves flowering and fruiting. Phosphorus is crucial for energy transfer within plants. Also Potassium, micronutrients such as Zinc, Iron, Magnesium and Calcium are also found in this fertile sediment. They contribute to natural soil enrichment, and replenish nutrient-depleted lands, he said. This means once they re-start cultivation, there will be an increase in their crop yield. There will be marked improvement in food security. The floods’ aftermath presents an opportunity for improved agricultural yields in the future, provided the recovery and replanting efforts are managed effectively. This underscores the need for comprehensive support systems and climate-adaptive agricultural strategies. Prof. Sandika said as for crop damage, the Agriculture Department was working on it. Meanwhile, the Department of Irrigation has carried out a rough assessment indicating that the floods have significantly damaged irrigation infrastructure, with repairs potentially costing over Rs. 6,000 million. In response to the immediate recovery needs of farmers, the Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board will provide compensation through its insurance schemes. Compensation will be available for six key crops – paddy, maize, potato, soybean, onion, and chilli – with a maximum payout of Rs 40,000 per acre. However, many farmers are unlikely to receive full compensation, since their crops were lost shortly after sowing, meaning they could receive less than Rs. 16,000 per acre, depending on their specific insurance agreements. Prof. Sandika said that his personal view was that rice farmers should be compensated more and he is aware that the Government was taking steps to compensate vegetable farmers in the upcountry and the low country. Meanwhile, free seed paddy is to be distributed to farmers. Flood risk When asked about measures to mitigate future flood risks to paddy fields and farmlands, Prof. Sandika said the importance of developing a forewarning system was paramount. He said that even the monsoon patterns were shifting, making it crucial to adapt by adjusting the crop calendar to align with changing weather patterns. “We cannot change Mother Nature, but we must learn to adapt to it,” he said. He also pointed out that it is essential to study climate changes more closely and reassess when farmers should plant crops, instead of strictly conforming to traditional farming schedules such as the Yala and Maha seasons. This approach would help farmers move away from outdated methods and embrace more flexible, climate-resilient practices. To mitigate future climate risks, Prof. Sandika advocates the adoption of climate-smart agriculture, emphasizing the use of technology. While farmers traditionally rely on experience to determine planting schedules, he said that it’s time to shift to farming based on empirical evidence and research. This transition will allow farmers to make more informed decisions and better manage climate-related challenges. He also highlighted the vulnerability of farmers cultivating crops on open land, which are more prone to weather extremes. To address this, Prof. Sandika suggests identifying entrepreneurs and guiding them towards protective agricultural practices. Many young farmers in the country are already using modern technology such as net houses and greenhouses to cultivate crops, to protect crops from adverse weather, pests and disease. Some of them have become successful exporters. Net houses and greenhouse farming are forms of controlled-environment agriculture that optimise growth conditions, improve crop quality, and allow for off-season cultivation. These methods differ in design, materials, and functionality but share the goal of enhancing yields and providing a more resilient farming model in the face of climate change. HARTI is leading a program to promote climate-smart agriculture by supporting young, entrepreneurial farmers. In collaboration with the Government, HARTI helps aspiring farmers’ access loan schemes of up to Rs. 3 million to start greenhouse farming. This initiative is supported by global partners, including the World Bank, which backs climate-protected agricultural practices. Through specialised training programs, HARTI is guiding traditional farmers to embrace modern, resilient farming techniques. These efforts are intended to improve economic stability and the country’s food security. The training helps farmers transition from traditional methods to more sustainable, climate-smart practices. The program is a key opportunity for young farmers to develop skills, boost welfare and contribute to the country’s agricultural and economic growth. By providing guidance, resources, and financial support, HARTI is helping create a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs who can tackle climate challenges and enhance food production systems.Long known for its portfolio of artisan labels, Richemont has entered the industrial-design market. Its recent introduction, Via Arno , brings the same attention to detail and craftsmanship seen in its other offerings—including Van Cleef & Arpels, Alaïa, and Jaeger-LeCoultre—to the homewares sector. “We wanted to provide independent artisans and makers with a way to distribute their work,” says CEO Annia Spiliopoulos, a jewelry and entertainment-industry veteran who cofounded the label with Hanneli Rupert, the current vice executive chair at the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity & Craftsmanship. The two met after Spiliopoulos joined the foundation’s executive committee to help shape its future vision. “Makers of everyday items often have trouble commercializing and branding their work, so we hope to be a good conduit for that.” In October at the 2024 edition of Homo Faber, Venice’s annual celebration of handmade work curated by the Michelangelo Foundation, Via Arno launched the namesake Via Arno Salon to present its artisan goods and services, ranging from homewares to sports equipment from more than 100 independent creators. Robb Report caught up with Spiliopoulos on the heels of the show, where the brand curated five spaces, including two studios, the Homo Faber Gift Shop, and La Cichetteria Bar and gelato stand, at the fair. “The Via Arno Salon offered artisan talks and gave them a place to tell their stories,” she says. “It was a way to showcase our concept, creative direction, and the experience we want to give through the brand. It’s all about connecting through human making.” Richemont is known for its dealings in luxury jewelry and watches. Why enter the design market now? It all comes down to craftsmanship, which is very much in the group’s DNA. I think there’s a sense of responsibility to look at the skills that may be needed to make these quality, long-lasting pieces and support those crafts... A lot of professionals [wonder] whether there will be a seminal shift or transformation in their industry because of technology. In that case, why not think about a new era of human making? Why don’t young people see carpentry or glass-making as a relevant or compelling profession? We hope that we can bring more value to craft. What services will Via Arno offer? We have a corporate channel—say, if you’re a hotel, hospitality, or retail group and want to work with our brands, we can facilitate that. We have options for private clients who are looking to invest in craft, whether that’s through something that’s already made or working directly with an artisan to create a custom commission. There will also be a trade channel for property developers, architects, or interior designers... We will also be offering services such as engraving, embroidery, and mending. And products? Via Arno is very much about offering a lifestyle, it’s not just home-focused. Obviously, home goods and decor are a big part of it... But we will also have sports equipment—handmade tennis rackets, skis, and golf clubs. Games such as chess and backgammon sets. Handmade duvets and some specialty clothing like outdoor climbing jackets or hiking boots. The focus is mostly human-made goods from independent designers who have worked for 10 years on their craft and are creating functional pieces, which range from a wood spoon in the tens of dollars to a handmade boat. I hope we keep finding new makers as the years go on and that more generations of people will want to become artisans. Why is it important to return to this idea of slow making, or studied craftsmanship? I think it’s an opportunity. There’s a different sense of story in handcrafted items. People are interested in provenance and how that can bring them closer to people or nature, where most artisans get their materials from... All the energy that goes into that through materials, which are usually local and good quality, is passed on through the items to someone who is using it every single day. That human making puts beauty and meaning into the end product... It might take three months to get an order, but it’s a more mindful way of consuming and purchasing and making.

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Tony Osburn’s 23 points helped Omaha defeat Lamar 65-59 at the Akron Basketball Classic in Akron, Ohio on Sunday. Osburn shot 7 of 13 from the field, including 5 for 9 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line for the Mavericks (3-5). Ja’Sean Glover added 14 points while going 4 of 9 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range, and 3 for 5 from the line while they also had five rebounds. Marquel Sutton had 13 points and shot 4 of 14 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line. The Mavericks ended a five-game losing streak with the victory. The Cardinals (1-5) were led in scoring by Alexis Marmolejos, who finished with 15 points and four assists. Cody Pennebaker added 11 points and six rebounds for Lamar. Andrew Holifield finished with nine points, three steals and four blocks. NEXT UP Both teams play on Saturday. Omaha hosts Abilene Christian and Lamar hosts Our Lady of the Lake. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

You’ve got to be a pretty big deal to get an arena like SAP Center to blow up its entire concessions menu. Billie Eilish is that big of a deal. When the Grammy and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter brings “Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” to San Jose for two sold-out shows Tuesday and Wednesday, fans will find only vegan and vegetarian options, in line with Eilish’s advocacy for plant-based diets. So what does that mean? Vegan hot dogs, chicken tenders and pizza will be on the menus, along with popcorn, pretzels and chips and salsa. Vegan Mob will be offering vegan soul food options; Arteaga’s will be making its burritos and tacos with sofritas or veggies and serving them with vegan cheese and sour cream; and Sushi Confidential will be offering veggie rolls, teriyaki veggie bowls and fried tofu for at least Tuesday night. Even the soft serve ice cream at Sugar + Ice will be made out of oat milk. And, the suites will get in on the action, too, by serving a non-meat menu with vegan chicken tenders, Impossible sliders and a crudite with hummus offered along with vegan versions of ranch dip, aioli and ketchup. SAP Center regularly has some vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, but this is believed to be the first time the arena has changed its entire menu for an artist. (The willingness to do this could even be a selling point for SAP Center should Paul McCartney, who is a vegetarian, decide to bring his “Got Back” tour to the Bay Area next year.) What if you’re not a vegetarian? Well, you could give it a try for the night or at least consider yourself forewarned and make plans to eat before the show. As part of the push, Eilish also has partnered with Google Maps to recommend vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the cities on her tour. For San Jose, her picks are Vegetarian House (520 E. Santa Clara St.), Good Karma Fine Ales (37 S. First St.), Veggie Grill at Santana Row and Merit Vegan Restaurant (548 Lawrence Expy. in Sunnyvale). I’ll add to the list Tofoo Com Chay , a great Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant at 388 E. Santa Clara St., and Vegan Bistro and Donuts , which also houses Aina’s Vegan Banh Mi , on 10th and Santa Clara Streets (though it’s regularly closed Monday through Wednesday). Pizza My Heart at 117 E. San Carlos St. also offers lots of vegan and vegetarian specialty pizzas including a vegan version of its garlic-filled Big Sur pizza. If concertgoers want to make their trip even more sustainable, they should remember that both VTA and Caltrain are good, climate-friendlier ways to get to SAP Center. ON THE RIGHT TRACK: On the subject of Caltrain, state Sen. Dave Cortese can’t believe the transit agency has agreed to transfer its entire retired fleet — 90 gallery cars and 19 diesel locomotives — to Lima, Peru after finally getting its entire fleet electrified this fall. “This is no way to run a railroad by taking the diesel off California’s carbon footprint then putting it right back on in Peru. Are we not all fighting to decarbonize the same air?” Cortese, who chairs the state Senate Transportation committee, said in a release. He introduced a bill Monday that states the intent of the Legislature to restrict the resale of decommissioned diesel trains and rolling stock for continued use. I still like the idea of planting a locomotive and gallery car on permanent display at San Jose’s Diridon Station as part of a transit museum. NINETEEN TIMES TWO FOR THE HOLIDAYS: San Jose musician Gus Kambeitz is being a tuneful Santa Claus this season, with his jazzy Nineteen Big Band performing benefit concerts for two downtown theater companies. On Dec. 10, Nineteen will provide the tunes at City Lights Theatre Company for seven actors who’ve performed in “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Kinky Boots” and other City Lights musicals. Go to www.cltc.org for tickets. Then, a week later on Dec. 17, Nineteen will be at San Jose Stage Company for its “Sounds of the Season Holiday Bash,” performing jazzy versions of holiday favorites along with some familiar San Jose Stage voices: Adrienne Herro, Allison F. Rich, Will Springhorn Jr. and Jonathan Rhys Williams. Tickets are available at www.thestage.org/tickets . And if that’s not enough, vocalist Ren Geisick has two chances to catch her 10th annual “Winter Wonderland” show at City Lights this month, bringing a mix of classic holiday tunes and originals on Dec. 8 and 15. MUSICAL TRAFFIC JAM: After the 49ers last couple of games, you might be looking for a less stressful way to spend your Sunday afternoon than seeing if they can beat the Chicago Bears. If so, there is a trio of musical options on Dec. 8 — but they’re all at 3 p.m. at different South Bay venues. The San Jose Metropolitan Band will be playing its “Holiday Spectacular” concert at the Hammer Theatre, the San Jose Wind Symphony has “Hollywood Holidays” at the McAfee Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, and the First Congregational Church of San Jose, at 1980 Hamilton Ave., is welcoming chamber orchestra Harmonia California for its Concerts on the Corner series (which will include the world premiere of Bay Area composer Alan Hebert’s “The Orchestra and the Orchard.”) Take your pick. If you don’t get to the First Congregational Church, though, you can always stop by Dec. 13 when it has its holiday program, “Carols on the Corner,” with the church’s Bell Choir, Chancel Choir and Family Band joined by guest musicians. Donations of non-perishable food items will benefit the Campbell United Church of Christ Food Pantry.

Courtesy call on Chinese Chamber of CommerceBusiness combination closed November 13, 2024 Raised $10 million of gross proceeds in connection with the business combination Agreements are in place with Yorkville for up to a $50 million standby equity purchase agreement, to raise an additional $2 million in debt financing and the sale of up to 500,000 shares of common stock pursuant to forward purchase agreement Financing will support advancement of Abpro's pipeline of its next-generation antibody therapies for cancer, ophthalmology, and infectious diseases WOBURN, Mass., Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abpro Holdings, Inc. ABP ("Abpro"), a biotech company with the mission of improving the lives of mankind facing severe and life-threatening diseases with next-generation antibody therapies, celebrated the closing of its business combination with Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corp II ("ACAB"), a special purpose acquisition company, with a Nasdaq bell ringing ceremony. Abpro also celebrated the consummation of a PIPE offering raising $7 million in gross proceeds and a $2.76 million convertible note financing with YA II PN, LTD ("Yorkville") to cover expenses in connection with the closing of the business combination. As previously announced, Abpro also has entered into a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement with Yorkville (the "SEPA") pursuant to which Abpro has the right, but not the obligation, to issue up to $50 million in shares of its common stock to Yorkville upon registration of such shares, provided that no balance is outstanding on any promissory note to Yorkville (currently $3 million dollars outstanding). Among other restrictions and conditions set forth in the SEPA, the number of shares Abpro may request may not exceed the average of the daily traded amount of its shares of common stock during the five consecutive trading days preceding such request, and shall not cause Yorkville's ownership to exceed 4.99% of the then outstanding common stock of Abpro, and the maximum amount of shares issued under the SEPA cannot exceed 19.99% of the outstanding common stock of Abpro without prior shareholder approval. Upon registration of the shares subject to the SEPA, Abpro has the right to receive financing for an additional $2 million. As previously announced, Abpro also has entered into a forward purchase agreement for the sale of up to 500,000 shares of common stock. Abpro believes that the various financings should significantly improve Abpro's financial flexibility as it advances the development of its pipeline of its next-generation antibody therapies. "Becoming a public company represents a major milestone in our journey to provide solutions for patients with difficult-to-treat oncology and ophthalmology indications," said Ian Chan, CEO and co-founder of Abpro. "The funds are expected to help accelerate the advancement of our pipeline to clinical trials. The financing will also provide the foundation for ongoing development of novel immunotherapies and next-generation antibody treatments in our pipeline with the aim of improving the lives of patients in need." Abpro is advancing its pipeline of next-generation antibody therapies for HER2+ breast, gastric, and colorectal cancers, non-HER2+ gastric and liver cancer, wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME), and infectious diseases. These next-generation antibodies are developed using Abpro's proprietary DiversImmune® platform, which creates antibody therapies against traditionally difficult targets. Abpro has partnered with Celltrion , a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company, in an exclusive global collaboration to further advance ABP 102, a T-cell engager, which is being developed for the treatment of HER2+ breast, gastric, and pancreatic cancers. Soo Young Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the New Drug Division of Celltrion Inc. and a member of Abpro's Board of Directors, remarked, "Abpro's ABP 102 drug candidate has shown preclinical data indicating the potential for better efficacy and less toxicity. We look forward to working closely with Abpro to advance ABP 102 into clinical trials." Tony Eisenberg, who serves as a Director of Abpro, and had served as Chief Strategy Officer of ACAB prior to the business combination, added, "It's an honor to be part of Abpro and the groundbreaking work they are doing. The Atlantic Coastal team is excited to have successfully completed this business combination with Abpro and to work with the Abpro management team to execute their long-term operational and strategic objectives as they develop next-generation antibody therapies with the potential to save lives and generate real return for investors." Abpro's Chairperson, Miles Suk, stated, "As the chairperson of the board, I am honored to guide Abpro through this landmark achievement. This listing marks a new chapter of growth and opportunity, and we remain committed to delivering sustainable value to our shareholders." About Abpro Abpro's mission is to improve the lives of mankind facing severe and life-threatening diseases with next-generation antibody therapies. Abpro is advancing a pipeline of next-generation antibody therapies, for HER2+ breast, gastric, and colorectal cancers, non-HER2+ gastric and liver cancer, wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME), and infectious diseases. These antibodies are developed using Abpro's proprietary DiversImmune® platform. Abpro has partnered with Celltrion, which is a leading South Korean biotechnology company, ranked top 25 in the world by market capitalization, in an exclusive collaboration to further advance ABP 102, a T-cell engager, which is being developed for the treatment of HER2+ breast, gastric, and pancreatic cancer. Abpro is located in Woburn, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.abpro.com . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "aim," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result" and similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including general economic, financial, legal, political and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; Abpro's ability to raise additional capital; the outcome of judicial proceedings to which Abpro or its subsidiaries is, or may become a party; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, including difficulty in, or costs associated with, integrating the businesses of ACAB and Abpro; risks related to the rollout of Abpro's business and the cost and timing of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on Abpro's future business; and those factors discussed in Abpro's public filings under the heading "Risk Factors," and other documents of Abpro filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that will be described in the "Risk Factors" section of Abpro's public filings and other documents to be filed by Abpro from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward- looking statements, and while Abpro may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, they assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law. Abpro does not give any assurance that Abpro will achieve its expectations. Actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially, and potentially adversely, from any projections and forward-looking statements and the assumptions on which those forward-looking statements are based. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a predictor of future performance as projected financial information and other information are based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to various significant risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Community First Housing is the name chosen by a group of interested Southgate residents. So, it’s no surprise that member Nola Marion told a regional housing forum that “the fix” for the housing crisis will work best by taking an approach specific to each community. At the same time, she is herself a member of the Institute of South Georgian Bay. The forum aimed to share approaches to making progress on housing, and see the place of residents in making a change. SOUTHGATE SPEAKER Housing staff from Simcoe, Bruce and Grey county were on the call and also three community speakers, including Ms Marion. “Housing for everyone is vital to rural economics,” Ms Marion said, adding that across the region, almost 40 percent of working residents live in unaffordable housing. She said that reality has changed a lot, and most people’s picture of who needs affordable housing hasn’t changed. But the average maximum affordable housing payment is $1,575, she said, and the average rent is $1,866. “So, the numbers simply don’t work.” Under that pressure, housing costs can “quickly translate to housing precarity and increased food bank use”. Affordable housing is often considered to be a maximum of 30 percent of your income, not including utilities. The online forum on Nov. 13 was attended by about 70 people, including staff, municipal councillors, institute members and other members of the public. Ms Marion encouraged going to the community to address the shortfall of housing. “Consider the cost of doing nothing,” she said. Chair of the local residents group, Community First Housing, Gerry McNalty said later that it was heartening to hear about the work being done at the County level and the collaborative efforts of the Institute of South Georgian Bay. “Locally, there are glimmers of hope,” he said. “Nola Marion’s message was clear. It’s about the community we would like to have and we will all have to work together to solve this complex housing crisis.” Mr. McNalty said, “I have faith that when the right time comes, those who need to make the right decisions will do just that.” LUTHERAN HOUSING A representative from Lutheran not-for-profit housing spoke about their builds. The first, St. Francis Place, was done in the 1980s, when there was federal and provincial money available, she said. It’s almost 80 units are offered at different rates: 70 percent of units are rent geared to income, and 30 percent are at market rents, which is $1,700 for a two bedroom and $1,450 for a one bedroom. (Rent geared to income means that the rent is set at 30 percent of the person or household’s income.) The average income of someone in the rent geared to income apartments is $23,000, she said. Another larger project was 10 years ago, Corbet Place, which uses the “life lease” approach. It has 24 units and is self-funding. The next project of the Lutheran housing group has been taking a lot of work and patience. That’s St. Clare place, to have about 40 units, where the split will be 50/50 between market rents and rent geared to income. The project received some funding that Grey County had set aside for affordable housing in 2021. Still, presenter Sylvia Statham, the executive director, encouraged people to step up and get involved with trying to provide affordable housing for people. “It’s a lot of fun,” she said. An Owen Sound city councillor, Carol Merton, said that it was important to ask whose voices are missing from the conversation. How will those people be offered the opportunity to contribute, she asked. GREY COUNTY Liz Buckton of Grey County spoke on “non-market” (not privately built) rentals with a mix of market and affordable units is being tried and working. It’s even more viable with access to municipal surplus lands, she said. Another approach to the financial challenges is to use social financing, and for municipalities to support such builds with their Community Improvement Fund grants and incentives. To talk about the co-operation needed, she used the image of drops of water flowing together in the same direction, “they really have the power to shape the landscape,” she said. She mentioned three upcoming projects in Grey that are related to housing. In 2025 Grey County will update its growth management strategy, she said, looking at the amount of growth. As well there will be a county-wide housing needs study and a housing strategy. That strategy will include other approaches such as groups like the Institute of Georgian Bay, and build co-ordination. It will look at when and how government and community groups will work together, and make sure information is shared. The Simcoe County spokesperson looked to changes on the administrative side to make builds easier, mentioning pre-approved housing design catalogues that the province and the federal government are developing, and combining zoning changes, site plans and other applications into one in a new planning permit system.Trailblazing model Dayle Haddon dies from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning

Super Eagles' 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers suffer major blowIndonesia has agreed to return to Australia the five remaining members of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug smuggling ring who are currently serving life sentences, senior government officials said over the weekend. On Friday, The Australian newspaper quoted Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the coordinating minister for law, human rights, immigration, and correctional institutions, saying President Prabowo Subianto had “approved the steps” to settle the matter. He said that the transfer was expected to be done next month. Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas subsequently told several media outlets that Prabowo had agreed to the repatriation in principle. However, the details were yet to be worked out, given that the two nations do not have a prisoner swap arrangement. It was likely that in return, Jakarta would seek the repatriation of Indonesian prisoners held in Australia, he added, although this was disputed by some Australian officials. The Guardian quoted Supratman as saying that the remaining members of the Bali Nine would “hopefully” be home by the end of the year, although the president would have the final word. “It’s based on humanitarian grounds and also about good relations between Australia and Indonesia,” he added. Scott Rush, Matthew Norman, Si-Yi Chen, Martin Stephens, and Michael Czugaj were among the nine Australians arrested for attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin into Australia from the island of Bali. They are currently serving life sentences in prisons on the islands of Bali and Java. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese raised the issue of their repatriation during a meeting with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Peru earlier this month, Australian Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said in a press conference on Saturday. He reportedly also discussed the five Australians with Prabowo’s predecessor, Joko Widodo, whose term ended in October. The Albanese government says it is still discussing the details of the prisoners’ repatriation. The announcement came less than a week after the Philippines announced that Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino woman on death row for drug trafficking in a separate case, would be allowed to serve the rest of her sentence in her home country. Indonesia confirmed the arrangement. Veloso, now 39, has been on death row in Indonesia since her arrest for heroin trafficking in Yogyakarta in 2010. The mother of two enjoyed a last-minute reprieve in 2015, when she was scheduled to be executed along with eight other drug convicts at Nusa Kambangan prison off the coast of Java. These included Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the ringleaders of the “Bali Nine.” Of the remaining two members of “Bali Nine,” Tan Duc Than Nguyen died of cancer in June 2018, and the sole female member of the group, Renae Lawrence, was released and deported to Australia in November 2018. The Albanese government has now enjoyed considerable success in securing the release of Australian nationals held in overseas prisons. These included the economist Sean Turnell , who was released by Myanmar’s military junta in November 2022, journalist Cheng Lei , who was freed from prison in China in October 2023, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange , who flew home to Australia in June after his release from prison in the United Kingdom. There is a lot that needs to happen before the five Australians return home – the prisoners’ release has already become the subject of political sniping by Albanese’s opponents, who have demanded that he divulge the details of its agreement with the Indonesian government – and there will almost certainly be conditions attached to their return. As in Veloso’s case, the Indonesian government will expect its Australian counterparts to respect the Indonesian court verdicts. Appearing on Sky News yesterday, Special Minister of State Don Farrell said that the prisoners would likely not be released . “They would continue to serve their sentence, except they’re serving them in Australia,” Farrell said. However, the fact that the new Indonesian government has approved repatriation deals for both Veloso and the remaining “Bali Nine” members could be a sign that it intends to take a more flexible approach to foreigners serving long drug-related sentences in Indonesian prisons. These compromises could perhaps be interpreted as a low-cost gesture of friendship to longstanding partners, on the part of a leader who is expected to take a much more active interest in foreign affairs than his predecessor. At the same time, Jakarta has given no sign that it plans to slacken its notoriously severe drug laws.

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Yogi: Youth can use tech to serve nation & societyFormer major league pitcher Roberto Gomez died in a traffic accident in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, according to Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital . Roberto Gomez was 35. The pitcher was signed as an amateur by the Tampa Bay Rays out of Santiago, DR., in 2010 at the relatively advanced age of 20. He made his minor league debut that same year. More news: Popular MLB All-Star Outfielder, Broadcaster, Coach Dies By 2014, Gomez had reached the Rays' Double-A affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits. A 6-foot-5 pitcher described in scouting reports as having "easy" velocity, an elbow injury curtailed his trajectory in the Tampa Bay organization. After missing the entire 2015 and 2016 minor league seasons following Tommy John surgery , Gomez signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants in Nov. 2016. That proved to be the fresh start Gomez needed. The Giants challenged him, assigning him to Triple-A in his first full season back on the mound. Gomez ultimately thrived in his new role as a relief pitcher, touching 96-98 mph with his fastball and limiting home runs — a problem he encountered often in the Rays' system. More news: MLB News: Former World Series Champion Outfielder, Coach Dies at 81 By midseason, he was striking out nearly a batter an inning. The Giants were intrigued enough by his cross-body delivery to promote him to the major leagues on Sept. 5, 2017, for his big league debut in relief against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. He had a 2.22 ERA in 12 Triple-A appearances prior to his promotion. Coincidentally, Gomez's first major league promotion came on the same day as another hard-throwing reliever on the Giants' Triple-A roster — Reyes Moronta, who died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic earlier this year. Now Roberto Gomez makes his MLB debut! pic.twitter.com/8atAYNaXmz Gomez made three more appearances out of the Giants' bullpen in Sept. 2017, and allowed a total of five runs in 5.1 innings, walking one batter and striking out six. The following year, San Francisco optioned Gomez to the minor leagues in spring training but ultimately decided to include him as part of their 2018 Opening Day roster. His only major league win came on April 7, 2018, in an extra-innings game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gomez allowed a home run in the top of the 14th inning before an Andrew McCutchen home run in the bottom of the inning won the game for the Giants. More news: Legendary Chicago Slugger, Television Analyst, Dies at 79 Gomez was optioned to the minor leagues for the final time between games of a doubleheader against Los Angeles on April 28, 2018. He made 18 minor league appearances afterward, then became a free agent at the end of the season. The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Gomez to a minor league contract in Jan. 2019 and invited him to spring training. However, in February, the Pirates announced they had voided his contract due to concerns that arose from his physical. According to data from the World Health Organization , the Dominican Republic is the second-most deadly country in the Americas in which to drive, behind only Haiti, with an estimated death rate of 27.4 deaths per 100,000 people. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports .