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FLARE-CARRYING ultras from Greek giants Panathinaikos are about to invade Shrewsbury. At least 900 of the Athens giants’ fans look set to descend on the Shropshire town to watch their club take on Welsh Premier League minnows The New Saints at The Croud Meadow. The Greek side’s Gate 13 ultras are famous for the noise, passion and atmosphere they create home and away . TNS are playing their Conference League games at the home of the League One club because their own Park Hall Ground in Oswestry does not meet Uefa regulations. And 19 miles along the A5, the locals are gearing up for tonight’s showdown in the hope that Craig Harrison’s players will smash some plates in their history-making campaign. As SunSport paid a visit, the only proper Greek restaurant in Shrewsbury — Exo Poli, just over a mile away from the ground — promises “a little bit of Crete” for customers heading to the match. Closer still is the Charles Darwin pub, named after the “theory of evolution” naturalist who was born in the town. Manager Katy Hutchings coped with plenty of visiting supporters after 1,800 Swedes descended on Shrewsbury for last month’s visit of Djurgarden. Those fans left The Croud Meadow in a mess — despite the visitors winning 1-0 — with graffiti sprayed on three sides of the ground and damage in Smithy’s Bar while two dozen seats were ripped out. But in the Charles Darwin there were no problems. Hutchings said: “We had some bouncers on the doors but we didn’t need them. “And I’m pretty good at throwing customers out myself anyway! “We’re well-used to visiting fans coming in here for Shrewsbury’s games and the Swedish lads were fine. “These games are great for the local economy — and in this town we’re proud of the way we always welcome visitors.” At the Oxon Priory pub close to the Roman Road, general manager Pam Hayward said: “The more the merrier. We’ll have extra staff in. “And we look forward to entertaining as many Greeks as want to join us before the game. Everybody around here is hoping The New Saints stay in the competition.” The Croud Meadow safety officer Lawrence Ellerby added: “There was talk on social media that there might be as many as 4,000 Panathinaikos fans coming. What we know is about 900 visitor tickets have been sold, with plenty of Greek ex–pats here buying them. “Damage done by Djurgarden fans was disappointing but we know how to cope with big numbers at this club. “We’ve had the likes of Liverpool and West Ham and never had any big problems. “We’re looking forward to the Panathinaikos game and their fans and good luck to TNS, we’re happy to give them a temporary home.” The campaign is not just a money-spinner for the town but also for 16-time domestic champs TNS — the first-ever Welsh League club to qualify for a European competition proper — as they made £4.1million in reaching the league stage. Goals from Rory Holden and Declan McManus gave them a 2-0 victory over Astana from Kazakhstan at The Croud Meadow to register another first by a Welsh outfit in a major European competition and a £330,000 win bonus. There was the TNS trip of a lifetime to Florence and a 2–0 loss to Fiorentina plus the 2-1 Dublin defeat to Shamrock Rovers . But a win over 20-time Greek title winners Panathinaikos would open the way to another Welsh League first — qualification for a European knockout stage. Last up is a visit to Celje in Slovenia and TNS are just one point off the Conference League’s play-off zone. Boss Harrison said: “Panathinaikos is huge for this club but if we could even come away from our last two games with four points to reach a total of seven we could have a chance of going through. “We’ve lost games but we haven’t conceded more than two in any — goal difference could be the deciding factor, if we can get seven points or more!”
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GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Kimani Hamilton led High Point with 18 points and Bobby Pettiford made a contested shot in the lane with 10.9 seconds remaining as the Panthers knocked off Hampton 76-73 on Tuesday. Hamilton also added eight rebounds for the Panthers (7-1). Trae Benham scored 17 points while shooting 4 for 5 (4 for 4 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Kezza Giffa shot 4 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. George Beale led the way for the Pirates (3-5) with 17 points. Noah Farrakhan added 16 points for Hampton. High Point went into halftime ahead of Hampton 38-33. Giffa scored 11 points in the half. Hamilton scored a team-high 13 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .It didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level MediaPrep boys' basketball previews
Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon that will take effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday. Moments after U.S. President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire deal , which Israel's Cabinet approved late Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike slammed into the Lebanese capital. Residents of Beirut and its southern suburbs have endured the most intense day of Israeli strikes since the war began nearly 14 months ago, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold. At least 24 people have killed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday, according to local authorities. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Hezbollah began attacking Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. The fighting in Lebanon escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Here's the Latest: WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s senior national security team was briefed by the Biden administration as negotiations unfolded, according to the senior U.S. official. The official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity in a White House-organized call, added that the incoming Trump administration officials were not directly involved in the talks, but that it was important that the incoming administration knew “what we were negotiating and what the commitments were.” The official said “all fire will stop from all parties” at 4 a.m. local time. The next step would be what the official described as a “phased withdrawal” by the Israeli military. As the Israelis pull back, Lebanese national forces will occupy the territories. The process is slated to finish within 60 days. Lebanese forces is supposed to patrol the area and remove Hezbollah weaponry and infrastructure there. “Hezbollah is incredibly weak at this moment, both militarily and politically,” the official said. “And this is the opportunity for Lebanon to re-establish its sovereignty over its territory.” The official said the ceasefire agreement will strengthen what’s known as the “tripartite mechanism” by including the United States and France. The goal is to address violations of the ceasefire without a return to hostilities. UNITED NATIONS – The top U.N. envoy for Lebanon welcomed the ceasefire announcement and urged Israel and Hezbollah militants to take concrete actions to fully implement the 2006 agreement that ended their last war. U.N. Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said the agreement “marks the starting point of a critical process” that must see both sides fully implement U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. It called for the deployment of Lebanese armed forces in the south bordering Israel and the disarmament of all armed groups including Hezbollah – neither of which has happened in the past 17 years. “Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” Hennis-Plasschaert said. “Neither side can afford another period of disingenuous implementation under the guise of ostensible calm.” She commended the parties for “seizing the opportunity to close this devastating chapter,” stressing that “Now is the time to deliver, through concrete actions, to consolidate today’s achievement.” UNITED NATIONS — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is calling for urgent international intervention to stop what he described as “an ongoing genocidal war” in Gaza. Abbas heads the Palestinian Authority which has limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, but not Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas. The U.S. and others want a reinvigorated Palestinian Authority to run Gaza when the war ends. In a speech on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Abbas accused Israel of repeating what happened to the Palestinians in 1948 and 1967 – displacing them and seizing their land and resources. Abbas demanded to know how long the world will remain silent and refuse to compel Israel to abide by international law. The speech to U.N. member nations was read by Palestinian U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour. “The only way to halt the halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” Abbas' speech said. This must be done in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions which call for a two-state solution, he said. BEIRUT -- Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah, describing it as a crucial step toward stability, the return of displaced people to their homes and regional calm. Mikati made these comments in a statement issued just after U.S. President Joe announced the truce deal. Mikati said he discussed the ceasefire agreement with Biden by phone earlier Tuesday. The prime minister reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing U.N. resolution 1701, strengthening the Lebanese army’s presence in the south, and cooperating with the U.N. peacekeeping force. He also called on Israel to fully comply with the ceasefire and withdraw from southern Lebanon in accordance the U.N. resolution. JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect. Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announced details of the deal in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas militants in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran. Netanyahu vowed to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal. WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump’s designate to be national security adviser, credited Trump’s victory with helping bring the parties together toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” he said in a post on X on Tuesday. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.” He added: “But let’s be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.” BEIRUT — Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut for the first time since the start of the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. The strike on Hamra is around 400 meters (yards) from the country’s central bank. A separate strike hit the Mar Elias neighborhood in the country’s capital Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties from either strike, part of the biggest wave of attacks on the capital since the war started. Residents in central Beirut were seen fleeing after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in the city. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on at least 30 targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including two strikes in the Jnah neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 13 people were injured in the strikes on the southern suburbs. BEIRUT — Hezbollah has said it accepts the ceasefire proposal with Israel, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Among the issues that may remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country’s east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were “completely civilian places” and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted “We are all hostages,” and “Deal now!” waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. “Of course that didn’t happen,” he says. “This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.” FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn’t refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity . Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a signatory to the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” However, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.” And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.” It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.” The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital’s commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea’s beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut’s suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.” It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country’s only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel’s cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes. FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. (edited)
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Mobile-first customer experience company Airship today announced the winners of the 2024 Airship Altitude Awards. Asda, bol, CIMB Singapore, Sally Beauty Holdings and The Vitamin Shoppe each won their respective award categories for exceptional value creation across acquisition, activation, value impact, unified experience and mobile mastery. Acquisition: Online marketplace bol was recognized for its strategies and results in driving app downloads with its “Price Alert Push as Acquisition Strategy.” bol created a price alert push campaign to acquire new app users and gain opt in for alerts when there is a discount on an item in a user’s wish list. The team encouraged customers to download the app, opt-in to notifications and add items to their wish list in the run up to major sales campaigns, like their bol 10 Days Campaign. The effort drove a significant uplift in price alert notifications, driving nearly 3X higher opt-in rates than average, an above average open rate of 27% and a conversion rate of 9%. Activation: Sally Beauty Holdings, a global distributor and retailer of professional beauty products, is honored for “Sally Beauty and CosmoProf Engagement and Opt-in Growth,” which showcased the brand’s ability to onboard new app users, drive ongoing engagement, opt-ins and registrations. Sally Beauty Holdings wanted to grow opt-ins and expand app engagement to provide more value to Sally Beauty and CosmoProf app users. The company implemented Airship’s no-code experiences and cross-channel engagement solutions, including eye-catching native, multiscreen experiences showing videos and quizzes, app store events, early access, sneak-peek programs and exclusive offers. The effort helped the brand increase the number of active users on the Sally Beauty app by 7% and CosmoProf by 16.6% year-over-year. Additionally, Sally Beauty app revenue grew from 12% to 22% of ecommerce revenue and CosmoProf revenue increased from 20% to 32% of ecommerce revenue. Value Impact: Leading ASEAN bank CIMB Singapore won top honors for driving revenue and creating valuable app customer experiences with its entry, “Empowering Simplicity with CIMB Clicks.” The brand’s vision was to make the CIMB Clicks mobile app in Singapore the go-to choice for simple, secure and seamless banking. The team went beyond simple app upgrades and fostered greater collaboration with their team, simplifying processes and reducing development time from months to weeks and days. CIMB Singapore established a dialogue with customers to educate them on security risks like phishing scams and promote new app features. As a result, monthly active users (MAU) grew 162% from early 2023 to early 2024 and 9 out of 10 retail customers now use digital banking with 75% regularly making monthly transactions. Unified Experience: Asda, one of the largest supermarket chains in the UK, was recognized for achieving exceptional customer engagement from cohesive, contextually connected experiences with its “Multichannel Rewards Round-Up” campaign. To strengthen the value exchange among its loyal Asda Rewards customers, Asda wanted to increase awareness and engagement with its loyalty program and build customer anticipation for future cash rewards. The team deployed data-driven multichannel campaigns with push notifications, in-app messages and email marketing to provide relevant, timely and consistent updates of personalized rewards progress across channels. As a result, Asda saw a 100% increase in direct open rates of push notifications and a 50% uplift in customers responding to in-app messages. Additionally, Asda’s 2024 email campaign saw an 8% increase in open rates and 39% growth in click-through rate. Mobile Mastery: The Vitamin Shoppe, a leading retailer of nutritional supplements in the U.S., transformed its mobile app experience to improve customer engagement and e-commerce revenue. The retailer worked diligently to improve every touchpoint along the customer journey, increasing loyalty members and identified users, boosting in-app engagement through gamification, increasing notification opt-in rates, improving conversion rates with an abandoned cart campaign and expanding app traffic with SMS. The Vitamin Shoppe is the first to be recognized in this new award category that celebrates meaningful achievements across the entire customer lifecycle. “This year’s Altitude Award winners represent teams from across the globe that are capturing greater value from mobile customer experiences,” said Brett Caine, CEO of Airship. “From several dozen award entries to an elite group of 12 finalists, all with very impressive results, these five winning brands are helping to define how to get mobile-first customer experience right in ways that matter most for their customers and their businesses.” A distinguished group of industry experts reviewed the 2024 Altitude Award entries and scored them based on overall performance, amplification, innovation and degree of difficulty. This year’s judges included: Pietro Lambert , VP of Product Management at OneFootball; Lauren Hensley , Director of Mobile App Marketing and Lifecycle at VML; Tom Burrell , independent retention marketing consultant formerly with DAZN; and Di Wu , VP of Audience Engagement and Lifecycle Marketing at Pandora. To learn more about the 2024 Altitude Award winners, read the blog post . About Airship Airship helps brands master mobile-first customer experiences to build lasting relationships and accelerate business growth. Since 2009, Airship has enabled thousands of the world’s leading brands to be at the forefront of the customer experience revolution with industry-first support for push notifications, in-app messages and mobile wallet boarding passes — all now the norm in elevating experiences everywhere. Today, the Airship Experience Platform provides an end-to-end solution for unifying experiences across apps, websites and all channels, including email, SMS, mobile wallet and more. Its no-code Experience Editor and Journeys AI solutions enable marketers and product managers to get work done in minutes instead of months, capturing more value across the entire customer lifecycle without ongoing developer support. With the Airship Experience Platform and App Store Optimization technology and expertise, brands now have a complete set of solutions to optimize the entire customer lifecycle – from the point of discovery to loyalty – driving greater value for everyone involved. For more information, visit www.airship.com , read our blog or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) , LinkedIn and Facebook . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121113161/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact North America: Deidre Wright Airship +1 415-223-0832 deidre.wright@airship.comKali Myrick Kali Myrick Communications +1 503-580-4645 kali@kalimyrick.comEMEA : Ana Williams Airship +44 (0)20 3405 5160 press@airship.comPauline Delorme Tyto PR +44 (0)20 3934 8882 Airship@tytopr.com KEYWORD: OREGON UNITED STATES SINGAPORE CANADA NORTH AMERICA ASIA PACIFIC EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY MARKETING MOBILE/WIRELESS ADVERTISING SUPERMARKET COMMUNICATIONS FOOD/BEVERAGE COSMETICS HOME GOODS RETAIL FITNESS & NUTRITION FINANCE BANKING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH SECURITY APPS/APPLICATIONS DIGITAL MARKETING SOFTWARE ONLINE RETAIL INTERNET DATA MANAGEMENT SOURCE: Airship Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 02:58 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 02:58 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121113161/en
Kobe Sanders tied a season high with 27 points as Nevada claimed fifth place in the Charleston Classic with a 90-78 victory over Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon in South Carolina. Sanders helped the Wolfpack (6-1) earn a second win following one-possession games against Vanderbilt and VCU. After hitting the decisive 3-pointer with five seconds left in Friday's 64-61 win over VCU, Sanders made 7 of 10 shots, hit three 3s and sank 10 of 13 free throws Sunday. Nick Davidson added 223 points as Nevada led by as many as 19 and shot 58.9 percent. Brandon Love contributed 11 on 5-of-5 shooting as the Wolfpack scored 46 points in the paint and scored at least 85 for the fourth time this season. Marchelus Avery led the Cowboys (4-2) with 15 points and Arturo Dean added 13. Robert Jennings and Abou Ousmane added 11 apiece but leading scorer Bryce Thompson was held to seven points on 1-of-9 shooting as Oklahoma State shot 42 percent and 73.2 percent (30-of-41) at the line. After Avery's 3 forged a 12-12 tie with 13:41 remaining, Nevada gradually gained separation. The Wolfpack took a 24-15 lead on Chuck Bailey's jumper in the paint with 8:28 left but the Cowboys inched back, getting within 33-31 on a dunk by Avery with 4:11 left. Another Bailey jumper staked Nevada to a 40-33 lead by halftime. Nevada began pulling away early in the second half as it scored eight in a row for a 52-40 lead on a basket by Love with 16:44 left. A 3 by Sanders opened a 62-43 lead with 14:06 remaining before Oklahoma State charged back. After Nevada made eight straight shots, the Cowboys countered with 11 straight points and trailed 62-54 with 11:19 left on a 3-pointer by Avery. Thompson made his first basket by sinking a jumper with 10:37 left to get Oklahoma State within 64-56 left, and Keller's triple cut the margin to 70-64 nearly three minutes later. The Cowboys were within 78-72 on a basket by Avery with 3:56 remaining, but he fouled out about a minute later and the Wolfpack outscored Oklahoma State 12-6 the rest of the way as Sanders sank five free throws. --Field Level Media
FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox believes Texas QB Quinn Ewers’ potential exit from Austin via the transfer portal after the College Football Playoff could lead the Longhorns into a Jackson Arnold situation with Arch Manning. “It’s a real possibility Ewers departs to another program and is the missing piece to get them over the hump. If Ewers enters the transfer portal his phone would blow up from all the calls he’s going to be getting to lure him to a prospective program. And he could very well pull a Dillon Gabriel and prove why it was a mistake to force him out. I’m sure when Texas got Arch Manning they were planning for Ewers to enter the draft. So with that philosophy, it made sense to usher Manning in as the incumbent,” Wilcox wrote. “But with Ewers’ draft stock falling to the wayside, it wouldn’t benefit him to leave now. And now that Texas is sending subliminal signs that they’re ready to turn to Manning, it could come back to haunt them. Oklahoma turned to Jackson Arnold and that was a mistake. At one point, Arnold was benched this season for a true freshman to replace him. That’s not quite what the Sooners envisioned when they groomed him to replace Gabriel. Texas could have that same fate. Arnold, too, was a five-star prospect in high school like Manning. For what it’s worth, Manning is better than Arnold, at least he’s shown more potential. But there’s still the chance he’s not better than what Ewers would have been.” Manning, like Arnold, is a threat with his legs. Oklahoma’s QB1 just went for 131 rushing yards in a shocking Week 13 win over Alabama. Manning, though, already has more 300-yard passing games than Arnold, who has yet to have one. The Arnold situation in Norman has a lot to do with the Denton, Texas native not gelling with Seth Littrell and the Sooners’ offensive staff. Manning brings a different dynamic to the Longhorns and has an exponentially higher ceiling. He also is a proven success working with Texas offensive coordinator Kyle Flood. Don’t expect anything close to an Arnold situation in Austin. The ingredients just aren’t there.Wall Street eyes 2025 with confidence as JPMorgan declares the U.S. will remain the global growth leader. While Europe wrestles with structural woes, the emerging markets face headwinds from high interest rates and a strong dollar. Meanwhile, the U.S. is powering ahead, fueled by an AI-driven spending spree and robust capital market activity. Artificial intelligence is sparking a capital expenditure boom that dwarfs anything seen in decades. The Magnificent 7 — Amazon.com Inc AMZN , Microsoft Corp MSFT , Meta Platforms Inc META , NVIDIA Corp NVDA , Alphabet Inc GOOGL GOOG , Tesla Inc TSLA and Apple Inc AAPL — plan to invest over $500 billion into capex and R&D next year, roughly 25% of their combined sales. JPMorgan estimates the broader AI ecosystem could surpass $1 trillion in spending by the end of the year. This includes costs for infrastructure, engineering talent and data center upkeep. While this AI frenzy promises to drive earnings growth, JPMorgan analysts warn of potential pitfalls. Capital misallocation and lofty growth expectations could draw investor skepticism by late 2025. Still, the long-term AI opportunity is undeniable, and JPMorgan sees key players poised to capitalize. Read Also: 2025 US Economy Outlook ‘Cloudier Than Normal,’ JPMorgan Says: Boom, Bust Scenarios JPMorgan projects a bounce-back year for earnings growth in 2025. S&P 500 companies are projected to achieve an 11.4% earnings increase with all 11 sectors turning positive after 2024’s uneven performance. Meanwhile, small-cap Russell 2000 firms should see rebounding with double-digit earnings growth after enduring two years of declines. Even the Magnificent 7 are expected to sustain a 15% growth rate. JPMorgan analysts note a surprising upside could emerge if borrowing costs or the U.S. dollar ease. This should boost S&P 500 earnings by 1% for every 2% drop in the dollar. Here are a few of the top picks per theme, from JPMorgan’s 2025 outlook, which the firm has an Overweight (OW) rating on: AI Winners: Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Meta, Qualcomm Inc QCOM , Salesforce Inc CRM . Deregulation Darlings: Apple, ExxonMobil Corp XOM , Baker Hughes Co BKR , Bank of America Corp BAC . America First Beneficiaries: Boeing Co BA , Lockheed Martin Corp LMT , General Motors Co GM , Ford Motor Co F , Caterpillar Inc CAT , and more. With an AI boom, a broad earnings recovery, and pro-American policies potentially reshaping the landscape, JPMorgan's 2025 vision sets a bold tone for the year ahead. Read Next: JPMorgan’s Volatility Play: Long VIX Calls, Short SPY Puts Photo: Sutthiphong Chandaeng via Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
MCDONALD'S has assured some customers it's looking into a discrepancy with their recent coffee orders. Those who bought the fast food giant's affordable morning staple were expecting a different cup design than what they got. Earlier this month, it was announced that McDonald's McCafé would be featuring some holiday-themed cups starting on November 18. It's all part of the company's new "Good Mornin" campaign, honoring "the simple act of saying good morning and spreading a little joy through daily coffee moments." To create designs perfect for the season, McDonald's collaborated with artist Scott Martin and Doodles , an entertainment company anointed by Pharrell Williams that started as an NFT project, to create three variations for small, medium, and large McCafé coffees. Each features unique, colorful characters enjoying the winter and getting last-minute gifts. Read More on McDonald's "We're excited to bring a fun experience to our community, to introduce millions of fans to Doodles, and to spread some joy with morning coffee this holiday season," Julian Holguin, CEO of Doodles, said in a statement. While the Doodles holiday cups have been given out nationwide since Monday, some have claimed they still haven't gotten theirs when they've ordered coffee at McDonald's . MISSING OUT "Got bamboozled at our local @McDonalds no gm for us @doodles," a customer cried out in a post on X. "We too got rugged by @McDonalds," another wrote . Most read in Money Both customers included pictures of the standard yellow McCafé cups, searching for answers. McDonald's quickly responded to the first customer, noting that they would be looking into why their local chain didn't have the Doodles cups available for their morning coffees. "Hey! we hear ya. send us the restaurant address via DM, and we'll look into it for you," the official McDonald's account replied . While it's unclear why the customers weren't given the Doodles holiday cups, it's possible their local McDonald's hadn't gotten them yet after the nationwide distribution. DIGITAL DEAL There's also other ways to take advantage of the Doodles partnership in the meantime, per Food & Wine . Those who buy a coffee can use the McDonald's mobile app to get the exclusive "pack ripping" experience, which includes an assortment of Doodles-themed items, like digital wearables for avatars, access to Doodles animated content on the Stoodio platform, and more. This year, we're making our coffee even more special by giving our seasonal packaging a fresh and unexpected collaboration with Doodles, the perfect partner, as so much of their content revolves around mornings and coffee moments. There's even co-branded accessories and apparel from McDonald's and Doodles set to come out in early December, along with the music video to a new song called "Good Mornin'" from Marley Bleu. The song was produced by none other than Pharrell, a former McDonald's crew member. Tariq Hassan, chief marketing officer at McDonald's, emphasized that the Doodles collection was created as an effort to make the company's coffee even more "special" after working hard on the recipe for years. "It may not be the first thing you think about when you talk about McDonald's, but coffee is an integral part of the McDonald's experience," Hassan said in statement. "We've relentlessly worked to make it taste better year over year, investing in new technology and educating crew teams on coffee culture in an effort to deliver a more consistent, fresher cup of coffee every time." More information on the McDonald's and Doodles partnership can be found on the website dedicated for it. Read More on The US Sun McDonald's also recently confirmed the Grinch Happy Meal offering with limited-time plushies. The CEO of Krispy Kreme also noted that around 2,000 McDonald's locations would soon be seeing fresh donuts .
Special Counsel files to drop all federal charges against TrumpFrom twinkling lights to festive sites, happy holidays await you in Charleston
Oaxaca de Juárez, México, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dickey's Barbecue Pit , the world's largest barbecue concept, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its first location in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. The new store, led by local entrepreneur and franchisee Jonathan Rosas Blanco, marks a pivotal milestone in Dickey's international expansion, bringing authentic, slow-smoked barbecue to a new audience of food lovers. This opening is part of an ambitious plan to continue growing the brand's footprint in key Mexican markets, including CDMX and Monterrey. To celebrate the launch, Dickey's pulled out all the stops with a three-day grand opening event, delighting the community with their legendary flavors and famous hospitality. The celebration featured a special Grand Opening (G.O.) offer, with guests enjoying one of Dickey's Classic Pulled Pork or Marinated Chicken Breast Sandwiches for only 99 pesos, available through November 24th. Excitement reached new heights as 83 lucky adults received Big Yellow Tickets, granting them the opportunity to enjoy Dickey's barbecue for the next year. "We are beyond excited to bring our beloved Texas-style barbecue to Oaxaca de Juárez, with more expansion planned in the coming months," said Jonathan Rosas Blanco, local franchisee and visionary behind the Mexico expansion. "It is a privilege to introduce the community to Dickey's rich history, quality food, and warm hospitality. This is just the beginning of our journey in Mexico." Dickey's leadership expressed their enthusiasm for this new chapter in international growth. "We're honored to bring authentic barbecue to Oaxaca de Juárez and support passionate entrepreneurs like Jonathan as he spearheads our expansion into Mexico," said Roland Dickey , Jr., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group. "The energy and excitement around this opening show that there is a real appetite for our brand's flavors and traditions." Laura Rea Dickey , CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., added, "We're incredibly proud to continue sharing our pit-smoked heritage with the world, and this new location in Oaxaca de Juárez is a testament to the strong demand for Dickey's experience internationally. We look forward to building lasting connections in Mexico." Jim Perkins, Executive Vice President of International Development for Dickey's, commented on the significance of this launch. "This store represents an important step in our international strategy, and it showcases our ability to adapt and thrive in new markets with the help of dedicated franchisees like Jonathan." The Oaxaca de Juárez opening is the first of many planned locations for Mexico, with additional stores expected in CDMX and Monterrey in the near future. Dickey's continues to bring its signature blend of authentic, pit-smoked barbecue and exceptional service to communities worldwide. About Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Founded in 1941 by The Dickey Family, Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. is the world's largest barbecue concept and continues as a third-generation family-run business. For over 80 years, Dickey's Barbecue Pit has served millions with its signature Legit. Texas. Barbecue.TM Slow-smoked over hickory wood-burning pits, Dickey's barbecued meats are paired with a variety of southern sides. Committed to authentic barbecue, Dickey's never takes shortcuts—because real barbecue can't be rushed. With over 866 restaurants across eight concepts in the U.S. and several countries, Dickey's Barbecue Franchise and Dickey's Restaurant Brands continues to grow under the leadership of Roland Dickey, Jr ., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group, and Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Inc. Dickey's has been recognized on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Favorite Restaurant Chains" list, Nation's Restaurant News 2024 top fast-casual brands for value, and USA Today's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. The brand has also ranked in the Top 20 of Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" for four of the past five years. Additional accolades include Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchise and Hospitality Technology's Industry Heroes list. The brand has been featured by Fox News, Forbes, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine . For more information, visit www.dickeys.com . For information about becoming a franchise partner, visit www.dickeysfranchise.com. Attachment Jonathan Rosas Blanco and Abril © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking heat this weekend for being seen partying at a Taylor Swift concert while pro-Palestinian protesters were coursing through downtown Montreal and burning and looting as they went. Trudeau, who, along with being Labor Party Leader and the nation’s PM, also represents Papineau, a portion of Montreal, in the nation’s Parliament, but critics are blasting him for being about 330 miles away in Toronto for the Swift concert as his hometown burned. A viral video shows a carefree Trudeau dancing to Swift’s song, “You Don’t Own Me,” as news was breaking about the riot in Montreal, Fox News reported. As Trudeau danced, a mob of people protesting against NATO and Israel paraded through the streets of Montreal setting off smoke bombs, burning effigies of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, causing property damage to buildings and cars, and holding pro-Palestinian flags and banners. Montreal Police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc said at least three people were arrested for interfering with the police. And one civilian and several police officers suffered minor injuries. But protesters said nearly half a dozen were injured by police and had to seek medical treatment. The riot was reportedly organized by Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles. Trudeau called the riot “appalling” and on X wrote, “Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them. There must be consequences, and rioters held accountable.” But several members of Parliament blasted Trudeau for dancing the night away while the crisis brewed. Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called for Canada to “bring back law and order.” “Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances. This is the Canada built by the Liberal government,” he wrote on X. “Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also blasted Trudeau over the concert frivolity and said that Trudeau was “too busy to condemn a violent Hamas takeover of our streets.” He also accused Trudeau of making Canada into “a playground for foreign interference.” Quebec Premier François Legault also took aim at Trudeau, saying, “Burning cars and smashing windows is not about sending a message, it’s about causing chaos. Such acts have no place in a peaceful society like Quebec.” Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
Harris has ‘no knowledge’ anyone tried to get RTE to take down viral clipMiddle East latest: Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in LebanonElias Cato scores 23 as Central Arkansas tops UNC Asheville 92-83 in double OT
FLARE-CARRYING ultras from Greek giants Panathinaikos are about to invade Shrewsbury. At least 900 of the Athens giants’ fans look set to descend on the Shropshire town to watch their club take on Welsh Premier League minnows The New Saints at The Croud Meadow. The Greek side’s Gate 13 ultras are famous for the noise, passion and atmosphere they create home and away . TNS are playing their Conference League games at the home of the League One club because their own Park Hall Ground in Oswestry does not meet Uefa regulations. And 19 miles along the A5, the locals are gearing up for tonight’s showdown in the hope that Craig Harrison’s players will smash some plates in their history-making campaign. As SunSport paid a visit, the only proper Greek restaurant in Shrewsbury — Exo Poli, just over a mile away from the ground — promises “a little bit of Crete” for customers heading to the match. Closer still is the Charles Darwin pub, named after the “theory of evolution” naturalist who was born in the town. Manager Katy Hutchings coped with plenty of visiting supporters after 1,800 Swedes descended on Shrewsbury for last month’s visit of Djurgarden. Those fans left The Croud Meadow in a mess — despite the visitors winning 1-0 — with graffiti sprayed on three sides of the ground and damage in Smithy’s Bar while two dozen seats were ripped out. But in the Charles Darwin there were no problems. Hutchings said: “We had some bouncers on the doors but we didn’t need them. “And I’m pretty good at throwing customers out myself anyway! “We’re well-used to visiting fans coming in here for Shrewsbury’s games and the Swedish lads were fine. “These games are great for the local economy — and in this town we’re proud of the way we always welcome visitors.” At the Oxon Priory pub close to the Roman Road, general manager Pam Hayward said: “The more the merrier. We’ll have extra staff in. “And we look forward to entertaining as many Greeks as want to join us before the game. Everybody around here is hoping The New Saints stay in the competition.” The Croud Meadow safety officer Lawrence Ellerby added: “There was talk on social media that there might be as many as 4,000 Panathinaikos fans coming. What we know is about 900 visitor tickets have been sold, with plenty of Greek ex–pats here buying them. “Damage done by Djurgarden fans was disappointing but we know how to cope with big numbers at this club. “We’ve had the likes of Liverpool and West Ham and never had any big problems. “We’re looking forward to the Panathinaikos game and their fans and good luck to TNS, we’re happy to give them a temporary home.” The campaign is not just a money-spinner for the town but also for 16-time domestic champs TNS — the first-ever Welsh League club to qualify for a European competition proper — as they made £4.1million in reaching the league stage. Goals from Rory Holden and Declan McManus gave them a 2-0 victory over Astana from Kazakhstan at The Croud Meadow to register another first by a Welsh outfit in a major European competition and a £330,000 win bonus. There was the TNS trip of a lifetime to Florence and a 2–0 loss to Fiorentina plus the 2-1 Dublin defeat to Shamrock Rovers . But a win over 20-time Greek title winners Panathinaikos would open the way to another Welsh League first — qualification for a European knockout stage. Last up is a visit to Celje in Slovenia and TNS are just one point off the Conference League’s play-off zone. Boss Harrison said: “Panathinaikos is huge for this club but if we could even come away from our last two games with four points to reach a total of seven we could have a chance of going through. “We’ve lost games but we haven’t conceded more than two in any — goal difference could be the deciding factor, if we can get seven points or more!”
Donald Trump Jr is helping his father pick the most controversial cabinet of modern times
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BRYANT 97, TENNESSEE STATE 85
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Kimani Hamilton led High Point with 18 points and Bobby Pettiford made a contested shot in the lane with 10.9 seconds remaining as the Panthers knocked off Hampton 76-73 on Tuesday. Hamilton also added eight rebounds for the Panthers (7-1). Trae Benham scored 17 points while shooting 4 for 5 (4 for 4 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Kezza Giffa shot 4 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. George Beale led the way for the Pirates (3-5) with 17 points. Noah Farrakhan added 16 points for Hampton. High Point went into halftime ahead of Hampton 38-33. Giffa scored 11 points in the half. Hamilton scored a team-high 13 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .It didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level MediaPrep boys' basketball previews
Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon that will take effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday. Moments after U.S. President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire deal , which Israel's Cabinet approved late Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike slammed into the Lebanese capital. Residents of Beirut and its southern suburbs have endured the most intense day of Israeli strikes since the war began nearly 14 months ago, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold. At least 24 people have killed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday, according to local authorities. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Hezbollah began attacking Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. The fighting in Lebanon escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Here's the Latest: WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s senior national security team was briefed by the Biden administration as negotiations unfolded, according to the senior U.S. official. The official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity in a White House-organized call, added that the incoming Trump administration officials were not directly involved in the talks, but that it was important that the incoming administration knew “what we were negotiating and what the commitments were.” The official said “all fire will stop from all parties” at 4 a.m. local time. The next step would be what the official described as a “phased withdrawal” by the Israeli military. As the Israelis pull back, Lebanese national forces will occupy the territories. The process is slated to finish within 60 days. Lebanese forces is supposed to patrol the area and remove Hezbollah weaponry and infrastructure there. “Hezbollah is incredibly weak at this moment, both militarily and politically,” the official said. “And this is the opportunity for Lebanon to re-establish its sovereignty over its territory.” The official said the ceasefire agreement will strengthen what’s known as the “tripartite mechanism” by including the United States and France. The goal is to address violations of the ceasefire without a return to hostilities. UNITED NATIONS – The top U.N. envoy for Lebanon welcomed the ceasefire announcement and urged Israel and Hezbollah militants to take concrete actions to fully implement the 2006 agreement that ended their last war. U.N. Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said the agreement “marks the starting point of a critical process” that must see both sides fully implement U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. It called for the deployment of Lebanese armed forces in the south bordering Israel and the disarmament of all armed groups including Hezbollah – neither of which has happened in the past 17 years. “Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” Hennis-Plasschaert said. “Neither side can afford another period of disingenuous implementation under the guise of ostensible calm.” She commended the parties for “seizing the opportunity to close this devastating chapter,” stressing that “Now is the time to deliver, through concrete actions, to consolidate today’s achievement.” UNITED NATIONS — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is calling for urgent international intervention to stop what he described as “an ongoing genocidal war” in Gaza. Abbas heads the Palestinian Authority which has limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, but not Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas. The U.S. and others want a reinvigorated Palestinian Authority to run Gaza when the war ends. In a speech on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Abbas accused Israel of repeating what happened to the Palestinians in 1948 and 1967 – displacing them and seizing their land and resources. Abbas demanded to know how long the world will remain silent and refuse to compel Israel to abide by international law. The speech to U.N. member nations was read by Palestinian U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour. “The only way to halt the halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” Abbas' speech said. This must be done in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions which call for a two-state solution, he said. BEIRUT -- Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah, describing it as a crucial step toward stability, the return of displaced people to their homes and regional calm. Mikati made these comments in a statement issued just after U.S. President Joe announced the truce deal. Mikati said he discussed the ceasefire agreement with Biden by phone earlier Tuesday. The prime minister reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing U.N. resolution 1701, strengthening the Lebanese army’s presence in the south, and cooperating with the U.N. peacekeeping force. He also called on Israel to fully comply with the ceasefire and withdraw from southern Lebanon in accordance the U.N. resolution. JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect. Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announced details of the deal in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas militants in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran. Netanyahu vowed to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal. WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump’s designate to be national security adviser, credited Trump’s victory with helping bring the parties together toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” he said in a post on X on Tuesday. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.” He added: “But let’s be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.” BEIRUT — Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut for the first time since the start of the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. The strike on Hamra is around 400 meters (yards) from the country’s central bank. A separate strike hit the Mar Elias neighborhood in the country’s capital Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties from either strike, part of the biggest wave of attacks on the capital since the war started. Residents in central Beirut were seen fleeing after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in the city. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on at least 30 targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including two strikes in the Jnah neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 13 people were injured in the strikes on the southern suburbs. BEIRUT — Hezbollah has said it accepts the ceasefire proposal with Israel, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Among the issues that may remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country’s east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were “completely civilian places” and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted “We are all hostages,” and “Deal now!” waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. “Of course that didn’t happen,” he says. “This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.” FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn’t refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity . Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a signatory to the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” However, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.” And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.” It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.” The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital’s commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea’s beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut’s suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.” It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country’s only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel’s cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes. FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. (edited)
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Mobile-first customer experience company Airship today announced the winners of the 2024 Airship Altitude Awards. Asda, bol, CIMB Singapore, Sally Beauty Holdings and The Vitamin Shoppe each won their respective award categories for exceptional value creation across acquisition, activation, value impact, unified experience and mobile mastery. Acquisition: Online marketplace bol was recognized for its strategies and results in driving app downloads with its “Price Alert Push as Acquisition Strategy.” bol created a price alert push campaign to acquire new app users and gain opt in for alerts when there is a discount on an item in a user’s wish list. The team encouraged customers to download the app, opt-in to notifications and add items to their wish list in the run up to major sales campaigns, like their bol 10 Days Campaign. The effort drove a significant uplift in price alert notifications, driving nearly 3X higher opt-in rates than average, an above average open rate of 27% and a conversion rate of 9%. Activation: Sally Beauty Holdings, a global distributor and retailer of professional beauty products, is honored for “Sally Beauty and CosmoProf Engagement and Opt-in Growth,” which showcased the brand’s ability to onboard new app users, drive ongoing engagement, opt-ins and registrations. Sally Beauty Holdings wanted to grow opt-ins and expand app engagement to provide more value to Sally Beauty and CosmoProf app users. The company implemented Airship’s no-code experiences and cross-channel engagement solutions, including eye-catching native, multiscreen experiences showing videos and quizzes, app store events, early access, sneak-peek programs and exclusive offers. The effort helped the brand increase the number of active users on the Sally Beauty app by 7% and CosmoProf by 16.6% year-over-year. Additionally, Sally Beauty app revenue grew from 12% to 22% of ecommerce revenue and CosmoProf revenue increased from 20% to 32% of ecommerce revenue. Value Impact: Leading ASEAN bank CIMB Singapore won top honors for driving revenue and creating valuable app customer experiences with its entry, “Empowering Simplicity with CIMB Clicks.” The brand’s vision was to make the CIMB Clicks mobile app in Singapore the go-to choice for simple, secure and seamless banking. The team went beyond simple app upgrades and fostered greater collaboration with their team, simplifying processes and reducing development time from months to weeks and days. CIMB Singapore established a dialogue with customers to educate them on security risks like phishing scams and promote new app features. As a result, monthly active users (MAU) grew 162% from early 2023 to early 2024 and 9 out of 10 retail customers now use digital banking with 75% regularly making monthly transactions. Unified Experience: Asda, one of the largest supermarket chains in the UK, was recognized for achieving exceptional customer engagement from cohesive, contextually connected experiences with its “Multichannel Rewards Round-Up” campaign. To strengthen the value exchange among its loyal Asda Rewards customers, Asda wanted to increase awareness and engagement with its loyalty program and build customer anticipation for future cash rewards. The team deployed data-driven multichannel campaigns with push notifications, in-app messages and email marketing to provide relevant, timely and consistent updates of personalized rewards progress across channels. As a result, Asda saw a 100% increase in direct open rates of push notifications and a 50% uplift in customers responding to in-app messages. Additionally, Asda’s 2024 email campaign saw an 8% increase in open rates and 39% growth in click-through rate. Mobile Mastery: The Vitamin Shoppe, a leading retailer of nutritional supplements in the U.S., transformed its mobile app experience to improve customer engagement and e-commerce revenue. The retailer worked diligently to improve every touchpoint along the customer journey, increasing loyalty members and identified users, boosting in-app engagement through gamification, increasing notification opt-in rates, improving conversion rates with an abandoned cart campaign and expanding app traffic with SMS. The Vitamin Shoppe is the first to be recognized in this new award category that celebrates meaningful achievements across the entire customer lifecycle. “This year’s Altitude Award winners represent teams from across the globe that are capturing greater value from mobile customer experiences,” said Brett Caine, CEO of Airship. “From several dozen award entries to an elite group of 12 finalists, all with very impressive results, these five winning brands are helping to define how to get mobile-first customer experience right in ways that matter most for their customers and their businesses.” A distinguished group of industry experts reviewed the 2024 Altitude Award entries and scored them based on overall performance, amplification, innovation and degree of difficulty. This year’s judges included: Pietro Lambert , VP of Product Management at OneFootball; Lauren Hensley , Director of Mobile App Marketing and Lifecycle at VML; Tom Burrell , independent retention marketing consultant formerly with DAZN; and Di Wu , VP of Audience Engagement and Lifecycle Marketing at Pandora. To learn more about the 2024 Altitude Award winners, read the blog post . About Airship Airship helps brands master mobile-first customer experiences to build lasting relationships and accelerate business growth. Since 2009, Airship has enabled thousands of the world’s leading brands to be at the forefront of the customer experience revolution with industry-first support for push notifications, in-app messages and mobile wallet boarding passes — all now the norm in elevating experiences everywhere. Today, the Airship Experience Platform provides an end-to-end solution for unifying experiences across apps, websites and all channels, including email, SMS, mobile wallet and more. Its no-code Experience Editor and Journeys AI solutions enable marketers and product managers to get work done in minutes instead of months, capturing more value across the entire customer lifecycle without ongoing developer support. With the Airship Experience Platform and App Store Optimization technology and expertise, brands now have a complete set of solutions to optimize the entire customer lifecycle – from the point of discovery to loyalty – driving greater value for everyone involved. For more information, visit www.airship.com , read our blog or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) , LinkedIn and Facebook . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121113161/en/ CONTACT: Media Contact North America: Deidre Wright Airship +1 415-223-0832 deidre.wright@airship.comKali Myrick Kali Myrick Communications +1 503-580-4645 kali@kalimyrick.comEMEA : Ana Williams Airship +44 (0)20 3405 5160 press@airship.comPauline Delorme Tyto PR +44 (0)20 3934 8882 Airship@tytopr.com KEYWORD: OREGON UNITED STATES SINGAPORE CANADA NORTH AMERICA ASIA PACIFIC EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY MARKETING MOBILE/WIRELESS ADVERTISING SUPERMARKET COMMUNICATIONS FOOD/BEVERAGE COSMETICS HOME GOODS RETAIL FITNESS & NUTRITION FINANCE BANKING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH SECURITY APPS/APPLICATIONS DIGITAL MARKETING SOFTWARE ONLINE RETAIL INTERNET DATA MANAGEMENT SOURCE: Airship Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 02:58 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 02:58 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121113161/en
Kobe Sanders tied a season high with 27 points as Nevada claimed fifth place in the Charleston Classic with a 90-78 victory over Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon in South Carolina. Sanders helped the Wolfpack (6-1) earn a second win following one-possession games against Vanderbilt and VCU. After hitting the decisive 3-pointer with five seconds left in Friday's 64-61 win over VCU, Sanders made 7 of 10 shots, hit three 3s and sank 10 of 13 free throws Sunday. Nick Davidson added 223 points as Nevada led by as many as 19 and shot 58.9 percent. Brandon Love contributed 11 on 5-of-5 shooting as the Wolfpack scored 46 points in the paint and scored at least 85 for the fourth time this season. Marchelus Avery led the Cowboys (4-2) with 15 points and Arturo Dean added 13. Robert Jennings and Abou Ousmane added 11 apiece but leading scorer Bryce Thompson was held to seven points on 1-of-9 shooting as Oklahoma State shot 42 percent and 73.2 percent (30-of-41) at the line. After Avery's 3 forged a 12-12 tie with 13:41 remaining, Nevada gradually gained separation. The Wolfpack took a 24-15 lead on Chuck Bailey's jumper in the paint with 8:28 left but the Cowboys inched back, getting within 33-31 on a dunk by Avery with 4:11 left. Another Bailey jumper staked Nevada to a 40-33 lead by halftime. Nevada began pulling away early in the second half as it scored eight in a row for a 52-40 lead on a basket by Love with 16:44 left. A 3 by Sanders opened a 62-43 lead with 14:06 remaining before Oklahoma State charged back. After Nevada made eight straight shots, the Cowboys countered with 11 straight points and trailed 62-54 with 11:19 left on a 3-pointer by Avery. Thompson made his first basket by sinking a jumper with 10:37 left to get Oklahoma State within 64-56 left, and Keller's triple cut the margin to 70-64 nearly three minutes later. The Cowboys were within 78-72 on a basket by Avery with 3:56 remaining, but he fouled out about a minute later and the Wolfpack outscored Oklahoma State 12-6 the rest of the way as Sanders sank five free throws. --Field Level Media
FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox believes Texas QB Quinn Ewers’ potential exit from Austin via the transfer portal after the College Football Playoff could lead the Longhorns into a Jackson Arnold situation with Arch Manning. “It’s a real possibility Ewers departs to another program and is the missing piece to get them over the hump. If Ewers enters the transfer portal his phone would blow up from all the calls he’s going to be getting to lure him to a prospective program. And he could very well pull a Dillon Gabriel and prove why it was a mistake to force him out. I’m sure when Texas got Arch Manning they were planning for Ewers to enter the draft. So with that philosophy, it made sense to usher Manning in as the incumbent,” Wilcox wrote. “But with Ewers’ draft stock falling to the wayside, it wouldn’t benefit him to leave now. And now that Texas is sending subliminal signs that they’re ready to turn to Manning, it could come back to haunt them. Oklahoma turned to Jackson Arnold and that was a mistake. At one point, Arnold was benched this season for a true freshman to replace him. That’s not quite what the Sooners envisioned when they groomed him to replace Gabriel. Texas could have that same fate. Arnold, too, was a five-star prospect in high school like Manning. For what it’s worth, Manning is better than Arnold, at least he’s shown more potential. But there’s still the chance he’s not better than what Ewers would have been.” Manning, like Arnold, is a threat with his legs. Oklahoma’s QB1 just went for 131 rushing yards in a shocking Week 13 win over Alabama. Manning, though, already has more 300-yard passing games than Arnold, who has yet to have one. The Arnold situation in Norman has a lot to do with the Denton, Texas native not gelling with Seth Littrell and the Sooners’ offensive staff. Manning brings a different dynamic to the Longhorns and has an exponentially higher ceiling. He also is a proven success working with Texas offensive coordinator Kyle Flood. Don’t expect anything close to an Arnold situation in Austin. The ingredients just aren’t there.Wall Street eyes 2025 with confidence as JPMorgan declares the U.S. will remain the global growth leader. While Europe wrestles with structural woes, the emerging markets face headwinds from high interest rates and a strong dollar. Meanwhile, the U.S. is powering ahead, fueled by an AI-driven spending spree and robust capital market activity. Artificial intelligence is sparking a capital expenditure boom that dwarfs anything seen in decades. The Magnificent 7 — Amazon.com Inc AMZN , Microsoft Corp MSFT , Meta Platforms Inc META , NVIDIA Corp NVDA , Alphabet Inc GOOGL GOOG , Tesla Inc TSLA and Apple Inc AAPL — plan to invest over $500 billion into capex and R&D next year, roughly 25% of their combined sales. JPMorgan estimates the broader AI ecosystem could surpass $1 trillion in spending by the end of the year. This includes costs for infrastructure, engineering talent and data center upkeep. While this AI frenzy promises to drive earnings growth, JPMorgan analysts warn of potential pitfalls. Capital misallocation and lofty growth expectations could draw investor skepticism by late 2025. Still, the long-term AI opportunity is undeniable, and JPMorgan sees key players poised to capitalize. Read Also: 2025 US Economy Outlook ‘Cloudier Than Normal,’ JPMorgan Says: Boom, Bust Scenarios JPMorgan projects a bounce-back year for earnings growth in 2025. S&P 500 companies are projected to achieve an 11.4% earnings increase with all 11 sectors turning positive after 2024’s uneven performance. Meanwhile, small-cap Russell 2000 firms should see rebounding with double-digit earnings growth after enduring two years of declines. Even the Magnificent 7 are expected to sustain a 15% growth rate. JPMorgan analysts note a surprising upside could emerge if borrowing costs or the U.S. dollar ease. This should boost S&P 500 earnings by 1% for every 2% drop in the dollar. Here are a few of the top picks per theme, from JPMorgan’s 2025 outlook, which the firm has an Overweight (OW) rating on: AI Winners: Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Meta, Qualcomm Inc QCOM , Salesforce Inc CRM . Deregulation Darlings: Apple, ExxonMobil Corp XOM , Baker Hughes Co BKR , Bank of America Corp BAC . America First Beneficiaries: Boeing Co BA , Lockheed Martin Corp LMT , General Motors Co GM , Ford Motor Co F , Caterpillar Inc CAT , and more. With an AI boom, a broad earnings recovery, and pro-American policies potentially reshaping the landscape, JPMorgan's 2025 vision sets a bold tone for the year ahead. Read Next: JPMorgan’s Volatility Play: Long VIX Calls, Short SPY Puts Photo: Sutthiphong Chandaeng via Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
MCDONALD'S has assured some customers it's looking into a discrepancy with their recent coffee orders. Those who bought the fast food giant's affordable morning staple were expecting a different cup design than what they got. Earlier this month, it was announced that McDonald's McCafé would be featuring some holiday-themed cups starting on November 18. It's all part of the company's new "Good Mornin" campaign, honoring "the simple act of saying good morning and spreading a little joy through daily coffee moments." To create designs perfect for the season, McDonald's collaborated with artist Scott Martin and Doodles , an entertainment company anointed by Pharrell Williams that started as an NFT project, to create three variations for small, medium, and large McCafé coffees. Each features unique, colorful characters enjoying the winter and getting last-minute gifts. Read More on McDonald's "We're excited to bring a fun experience to our community, to introduce millions of fans to Doodles, and to spread some joy with morning coffee this holiday season," Julian Holguin, CEO of Doodles, said in a statement. While the Doodles holiday cups have been given out nationwide since Monday, some have claimed they still haven't gotten theirs when they've ordered coffee at McDonald's . MISSING OUT "Got bamboozled at our local @McDonalds no gm for us @doodles," a customer cried out in a post on X. "We too got rugged by @McDonalds," another wrote . Most read in Money Both customers included pictures of the standard yellow McCafé cups, searching for answers. McDonald's quickly responded to the first customer, noting that they would be looking into why their local chain didn't have the Doodles cups available for their morning coffees. "Hey! we hear ya. send us the restaurant address via DM, and we'll look into it for you," the official McDonald's account replied . While it's unclear why the customers weren't given the Doodles holiday cups, it's possible their local McDonald's hadn't gotten them yet after the nationwide distribution. DIGITAL DEAL There's also other ways to take advantage of the Doodles partnership in the meantime, per Food & Wine . Those who buy a coffee can use the McDonald's mobile app to get the exclusive "pack ripping" experience, which includes an assortment of Doodles-themed items, like digital wearables for avatars, access to Doodles animated content on the Stoodio platform, and more. This year, we're making our coffee even more special by giving our seasonal packaging a fresh and unexpected collaboration with Doodles, the perfect partner, as so much of their content revolves around mornings and coffee moments. There's even co-branded accessories and apparel from McDonald's and Doodles set to come out in early December, along with the music video to a new song called "Good Mornin'" from Marley Bleu. The song was produced by none other than Pharrell, a former McDonald's crew member. Tariq Hassan, chief marketing officer at McDonald's, emphasized that the Doodles collection was created as an effort to make the company's coffee even more "special" after working hard on the recipe for years. "It may not be the first thing you think about when you talk about McDonald's, but coffee is an integral part of the McDonald's experience," Hassan said in statement. "We've relentlessly worked to make it taste better year over year, investing in new technology and educating crew teams on coffee culture in an effort to deliver a more consistent, fresher cup of coffee every time." More information on the McDonald's and Doodles partnership can be found on the website dedicated for it. Read More on The US Sun McDonald's also recently confirmed the Grinch Happy Meal offering with limited-time plushies. The CEO of Krispy Kreme also noted that around 2,000 McDonald's locations would soon be seeing fresh donuts .
Special Counsel files to drop all federal charges against TrumpFrom twinkling lights to festive sites, happy holidays await you in Charleston
Oaxaca de Juárez, México, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dickey's Barbecue Pit , the world's largest barbecue concept, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its first location in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. The new store, led by local entrepreneur and franchisee Jonathan Rosas Blanco, marks a pivotal milestone in Dickey's international expansion, bringing authentic, slow-smoked barbecue to a new audience of food lovers. This opening is part of an ambitious plan to continue growing the brand's footprint in key Mexican markets, including CDMX and Monterrey. To celebrate the launch, Dickey's pulled out all the stops with a three-day grand opening event, delighting the community with their legendary flavors and famous hospitality. The celebration featured a special Grand Opening (G.O.) offer, with guests enjoying one of Dickey's Classic Pulled Pork or Marinated Chicken Breast Sandwiches for only 99 pesos, available through November 24th. Excitement reached new heights as 83 lucky adults received Big Yellow Tickets, granting them the opportunity to enjoy Dickey's barbecue for the next year. "We are beyond excited to bring our beloved Texas-style barbecue to Oaxaca de Juárez, with more expansion planned in the coming months," said Jonathan Rosas Blanco, local franchisee and visionary behind the Mexico expansion. "It is a privilege to introduce the community to Dickey's rich history, quality food, and warm hospitality. This is just the beginning of our journey in Mexico." Dickey's leadership expressed their enthusiasm for this new chapter in international growth. "We're honored to bring authentic barbecue to Oaxaca de Juárez and support passionate entrepreneurs like Jonathan as he spearheads our expansion into Mexico," said Roland Dickey , Jr., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group. "The energy and excitement around this opening show that there is a real appetite for our brand's flavors and traditions." Laura Rea Dickey , CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., added, "We're incredibly proud to continue sharing our pit-smoked heritage with the world, and this new location in Oaxaca de Juárez is a testament to the strong demand for Dickey's experience internationally. We look forward to building lasting connections in Mexico." Jim Perkins, Executive Vice President of International Development for Dickey's, commented on the significance of this launch. "This store represents an important step in our international strategy, and it showcases our ability to adapt and thrive in new markets with the help of dedicated franchisees like Jonathan." The Oaxaca de Juárez opening is the first of many planned locations for Mexico, with additional stores expected in CDMX and Monterrey in the near future. Dickey's continues to bring its signature blend of authentic, pit-smoked barbecue and exceptional service to communities worldwide. About Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Founded in 1941 by The Dickey Family, Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. is the world's largest barbecue concept and continues as a third-generation family-run business. For over 80 years, Dickey's Barbecue Pit has served millions with its signature Legit. Texas. Barbecue.TM Slow-smoked over hickory wood-burning pits, Dickey's barbecued meats are paired with a variety of southern sides. Committed to authentic barbecue, Dickey's never takes shortcuts—because real barbecue can't be rushed. With over 866 restaurants across eight concepts in the U.S. and several countries, Dickey's Barbecue Franchise and Dickey's Restaurant Brands continues to grow under the leadership of Roland Dickey, Jr ., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group, and Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Inc. Dickey's has been recognized on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Favorite Restaurant Chains" list, Nation's Restaurant News 2024 top fast-casual brands for value, and USA Today's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. The brand has also ranked in the Top 20 of Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" for four of the past five years. Additional accolades include Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchise and Hospitality Technology's Industry Heroes list. The brand has been featured by Fox News, Forbes, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine . For more information, visit www.dickeys.com . For information about becoming a franchise partner, visit www.dickeysfranchise.com. Attachment Jonathan Rosas Blanco and Abril © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking heat this weekend for being seen partying at a Taylor Swift concert while pro-Palestinian protesters were coursing through downtown Montreal and burning and looting as they went. Trudeau, who, along with being Labor Party Leader and the nation’s PM, also represents Papineau, a portion of Montreal, in the nation’s Parliament, but critics are blasting him for being about 330 miles away in Toronto for the Swift concert as his hometown burned. A viral video shows a carefree Trudeau dancing to Swift’s song, “You Don’t Own Me,” as news was breaking about the riot in Montreal, Fox News reported. As Trudeau danced, a mob of people protesting against NATO and Israel paraded through the streets of Montreal setting off smoke bombs, burning effigies of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, causing property damage to buildings and cars, and holding pro-Palestinian flags and banners. Montreal Police spokesperson Véronique Dubuc said at least three people were arrested for interfering with the police. And one civilian and several police officers suffered minor injuries. But protesters said nearly half a dozen were injured by police and had to seek medical treatment. The riot was reportedly organized by Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles. Trudeau called the riot “appalling” and on X wrote, “Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them. There must be consequences, and rioters held accountable.” But several members of Parliament blasted Trudeau for dancing the night away while the crisis brewed. Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called for Canada to “bring back law and order.” “Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances. This is the Canada built by the Liberal government,” he wrote on X. “Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also blasted Trudeau over the concert frivolity and said that Trudeau was “too busy to condemn a violent Hamas takeover of our streets.” He also accused Trudeau of making Canada into “a playground for foreign interference.” Quebec Premier François Legault also took aim at Trudeau, saying, “Burning cars and smashing windows is not about sending a message, it’s about causing chaos. Such acts have no place in a peaceful society like Quebec.” Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
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