How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Stock market today: Stocks waver in thin trading after US markets reopen following a holiday pause Stocks are wavering on Wall Street as gains in tech companies and retailers help temper losses elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500, Nasdaq composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average were down by less than 0.1% in afternoon trading Thursday. Trading volume is lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell. U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finnish police say authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. It was the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure. Police and border guards boarded the Eagle S and took control as they investigate damage to the Estlink-2 undersea power cable. The cable brings electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea. The cable went down on Wednesday. The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Both have been termed sabotage. Russian ship that sank in the Mediterranean was attacked, owner says MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian operator of a cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria says it has been hit by a series of explosions in an act of sabotage. Oboronlogistica is a state-controlled company that operated the Ursa Major freighter. The company said the vessel was wrecked by three powerful explosions just above the water line in what it described as a “terrorist attack” that caused it to sink on Monday. The company said in a statement carried by Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency on Thursday that the explosions left a hole in the ship’s starboard and filled the engine room with acrid smoke. That hampered the crew’s attempts to access it. Undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia hit by outage, prompting investigation FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finland’s prime minister says authorities are investigating an interruption in a power cable under the Baltic Sea between his country and Estonia. Petteri Orpo said on X that power transmission through the Estlink-2 cable suffered an outage Wednesday. Authorities have been on edge about undersea infrastructure in the Baltic after two international data cables were severed in November and the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany were blown up in September 2022. Japan to maximize nuclear power in clean-energy push as electricity demand grows TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese government panel has largely supported a draft energy policy calling for bolstering renewables up to half of Japanese electricity needs by 2040. It also recommends maximizing the use of nuclear power to accommodate the growing demand for power in the era of AI while meeting decarbonization targets. Cabinet is expected to formally approve the plan by March following a period of public consultation. The policy says nuclear energy should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040, with renewables expanded to 40-50% and coal-fired power reduced to 30-40%. Working Well: Returning to the office can disrupt life. Here are some tips to navigate the changes NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of workers are facing an unsettling reality heading into 2025. After years of working from the comfort of home, they're being told it’s time to return to the office full-time for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. That can bring a host of challenges, including losing time with family. Workers at Amazon, AT&T and other companies have been called back to the office five days a week. Experts have advice to share about how to navigate the changes when an employer calls you back to the office. Workers can convey what they need, seek flexibility and if all else fails, consider other options. US applications for unemployment benefits hold steady, but continuing claims rise to 3-year high WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. The US Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications ticked down by 1,000 to 219,000 for the week of Dec. 21. That’s fewer than the 223,000 analysts forecast. Continuing claims, the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, climbed by 46,000 to 1.91 million for the week of Dec. 14. That’s more than analysts projected and the most since the week of Nov. 13, 2021. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs.Miami QB Cam Ward sets Div. I record for career passing TDsDear mid-Willamette Valley community, I send this on behalf of a local organization of which I am a member, Mid-Valley Jews for Peace. We, along with dozens of other Jewish groups around the country, continue to demand that the U.S. should follow international law and hold Israel accountable for its human rights violations in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon. Separate surveys from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, and Election Day exit polls show that over half of American Jews support some forms of arms embargo and ceasefire. We are not a tiny, fringe movement. We include Israeli citizens, descendants of Holocaust survivors, Jews both observant and secular, and Jews who grew up with Hebrew school and Jewish Day School. Please follow Mid-Valley Jews for Peace on Instagram under the handle of midvalleyjews4peace and consider taking action on our website. Ryssa Parks Corvallis Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

The Philadelphia Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season, but a fresh challenge awaits Thursday when they host the defending champion Florida Panthers. Philadelphia is 4-0-1 over its last five games with three overtime wins during that stretch. Rookie winger Matvei Michkov has scored OT goals in two of those victories. The 19-year-old Russian has three OT tallies in the last nine games, including Saturday's 3-2 win at St. Louis. "We've had some confidence with (overtime)," Philadelphia coach John Tortorella said. "Michkov has helped us quite a bit there. Last year, we struggled with it." The Flyers have had a nice break since Saturday's victory, though, so it remains to be seen if their recent momentum will carry over into Thursday's contest. One area that could help against Florida is the potential return of No. 1 goaltender Samuel Ersson, who has been out since Nov. 11 with a lower-body injury. Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have split time in net during Ersson's absence with mixed results. Tortorella is grateful for the opportunity to evaluate both of his team's backup goalies, but he also wants to continue assessing Ersson, who is in his first full season as a team's primary netminder. "All this stuff with the injuries, the goalie, our No. 1 guy gone, it gives us an idea of what we have," Tortorella said. "And that's a big part of this year and, quite honestly, next (year) because there are no free agents coming. We have to keep on evaluating what we have in the organization." Florida, of course, knows what it has in its top goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. However, the Russian netminder has been out lately while awaiting the birth of his child. He likely will miss Thursday's contest, as well, which could mean another start for Spencer Knight. Knight allowed five goals on 16 shots in Tuesday's overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins that left Panthers coach Paul Maurice with mixed emotions. "It was alright. I think that's how we felt about it," Maurice said. "I don't think we gave up a tremendous amount. I don't think we took advantage of some things that we normally do. I'm not 100 percent sure how I feel about that one." After winning their previous three games by a combined margin of 17-4, the Panthers trailed the Penguins 4-1 with under 14 minutes remaining. However, Matthew Tkachuk registered a goal and two assists in the third period to help force the extra session before his team ultimately fell short. "I guess it's a point that we're happy to get," said Tkachuk, who finished with two goals and two assists to surpass 600 points for his career. He now has 603 in his ninth season. "But when we fight back, you just really want to get that win." Joining Tkachuk with a multi-point effort was Jesper Boqvist (two assists), while his brother Adam Boqvist was among the other goal scorers for Florida. "We just know when we go out there that we can wear teams down," Adam Boqvist said. "I think we almost showed that tonight with the third period. Just move on from this." The Panthers defeated the Flyers 4-3 in a shootout last month in Florida. The teams will meet again Jan. 13 in Philadelphia. --Field Level MediaNo. 6 Vols rally past Vandy

The Buccaneers led for the last four minutes of the first half and deep into the second half before a 3-pointer from Austin Swartz gave Miami a 76-75 lead with 3 minutes left in the game. A three-point play by Lynn Kidd gave the Hurricanes a 79-75 lead with 2:11 remaining. Berry hit a 3-pointer to make it 79-78 and Johnson followed with a 3 that gave the Buccaneers an 81-79 lead. Kidd missed in the paint for Miami but came up with a steal a few seconds later. With 15 seconds left, Swartz missed a 3-pointer and the Buccaneers rebounded. Miami put Berry on the line and he made both free throws for a four-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. Miami's Jalen Blackmon missed a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left, the Hurricanes' A.J. Staton-McCray grabbed the rebound and he missed a 3 as time ran out. Taje Kelly had 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Buccaneers (2-7), who snapped a five-game losing streak and defeated a Division I opponent for the first-time this season. Thompson Camara made five 3-pointers and scored 21. Brandon Johnson made six 3-pointers and scored 23 for Miami (3-4). Swartz scored 15 points off the bench and Staton-McCray had 13 points. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballWinners and Losers of Team USA Full Roster for 2025 4 Nations Face-Off

Patterdale MRT were called out on Saturday, December 21, to the campers who were stuck in poor weather conditions in the Harstop Valley area. A mountain rescue team spokesperson said: "The Team were contacted by Cumbria Police to a report of two Males who were in a tent wet and cold after they had failed to find the Priest Hole on Dove Crag in the Hartsop Valley. "The duty leader contacted the couple and established their exact location by Phone Find technology and called the Team out to go and locate the males. "The weather that day had been very windy and wet and was to continue for the next 24 hours and turn to snow so it was deemed necessary to locate the couple and escort them down off the hill to safety. "Eight team members made their way on foot in poor conditions ascending to the side of Dove Crag where they found the two males and assisted them back down to the valley bottom and the Team Land Rovers. "The couple had travelled a good distance by car earlier that day to the area with the intention of walking up and staying overnight in the Priest Hole. "Unfortunately due to the time of day when they set off and darkness falling they did not manage to locate it successfully and decided to pitch their tent in the worsening weather, as the night wore on they decided to phone for help. "Nine team members were involved in the incident which lasted four hours in total."

Young men swung to the right for Trump after a campaign dominated by masculine appeals

Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left and Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday, likely ending the Buckeyes ’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game. Late in the game, Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines (7-5, 5-4) at Ohio State’s 17-yard line with two minutes remaining. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot. Ohio State (10-2, 7-2, No. 2 CFP) got the ball back but couldn’t move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines’ fourth straight win over their bitter rival. After the game, Michigan players attempted to plant their flag at midfield and were confronted by Ohio State players. A skirmish ensued as both teams pushed and shoved before being separated. The on-field brawl between the teams required the intervention of police with pepper spray. A fight has broken out between Michigan and Ohio State after The Game pic.twitter.com/XPwdAjfYzN This loss might have been the toughest of those four for Ohio State because the Wolverines were unranked and were wrapping up a disappointing season. The Buckeyes were supposed to win, but records rarely mean much when these two teams meet. Ohio State need No 4 Penn State and No 10 Indiana to lose later Saturday in order to make it into the Big Ten title game next week. The Buckeyes were off all afternoon. Howard was 19 for 33 for 175 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and Jayden Fielding missed two field-goal attempts. The run game was hardly there. Full Postgame Video from Columbus 〽️ #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/YE9vSPDmAH Mullings was Michigan’s primary weapon. He rushed for 116 yards and the Wolverines only touchdown of the game in the first half as neither team could get much going offensively on the frigid afternoon. Howard was clunky all day. In the first half he threw an interception from deep in his own territory that led to Michigan’s touchdown. After the game, Michigan players attempted to plant their flag at midfield and were confronted by Ohio State players. A skirmish ensued as both teams pushed and shoved before being separated.Avalanche, Hurricanes hunting better consistency

‘Let’s not panic’: Canada picks up the pieces after Latvia loss at world juniorsHehe culture's message of ecological harmony: living in symbiosis with nature: Global Times article

Georgia Tech knocked off two top-10 teams, and Vanderbilt toppled then-No. 1 Alabama. The two opponents in Friday’s Birmingham Bowl have taken highly ranked teams into multiple overtimes. They also are led by mobile quarterbacks who throw few interceptions. There’s a reason that Vandy coach Clark Lea calls the teams “mirror images” of each other, from playing styles to how their seasons went. “We’ve upset some people, they’ve upset some people,” Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia said. “We’ve had close losses. I think it’s a perfect matchup for Vanderbilt.” The Commodores (6-6) are playing in their first bowl game since 2018 and made national headlines with that upset of the Crimson Tide, then pushing then-No. 7 Missouri to double overtime and falling by a field goal to playoff team Texas. “This is a culmination of a special year for us,” Lea said “And there’s been a lot of effort and sacrifice to get this team to this point. It’s also a great opportunity to launch our team into what’s next.” The Yellow Jackets (7-5) took another playoff team, in-state rival Georgia, to eight overtimes before falling in the regular-season finale. They have wins over then-No. 10 Florida State and then-No. 4 Miami. “When you look at a bowl game, you look at the matchup,” Georgia Tech coach Brent Key said. “I believe they got this one right. This will be a good matchup between two very similar football teams in a lot of ways.” The Commodores are playing in their 10th bowl game and seeking their first postseason win since the 2013 victory over Houston, also in Birmingham. It’s bowl No. 47 for the Yellow Jackets but the first time in a decade they have made the postseason in consecutive years. Pavia appears eligible to return for a fifth season of college football based on a federal judge’s ruling, though the NCAA is appealing. “We’ve just got bigger dreams,” Pavia said. “We want to be playing in January come next season.” Lea said he saw Pavia in the hallway after they heard the news and “gave him a kiss on the side of his head, which shows you how excited I was.” “I’m happy for him. I’m happy for our sport, too. I think college football is better when guys like Diego play as long as they possibly can play.” Georgia Tech’s Haynes King has told reporters he will “probably” be back next season. Both quarterbacks are running threats. King has run for 578 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also could be 90 passing yards from becoming the third FCS player since 1959 with 10 touchdown passes, 2,000 yards and no more than one interception if he avoids a pick in the meantime. Pavia, the SEC Newcomer of the Year, tops all Power 4 quarterbacks with 716 rushing yards, and his 2,147 career yards on the ground is also tops among active QBs. He has been intercepted only four times. The Yellow Jackets have lost edge rusher Romello Heights (Texas Tech) and leading receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (Auburn) among their transfer portal departures. But Key thinks his team has the depth to overcome those losses in the bowl game. “You see some of these teams that are in dire straits right now as far as their ability to play a game,” he said. “That’s not the case at all.” Both teams have been among the nation’s best at avoiding turnovers. Vanderbilt has lost only seven turnovers, fewest in the FBS. Georgia Tech has only lost eight turnovers and is tied for second.

The Boxing Day Test is currently slightly tilted in Australia's favour, but India managed to pull things back on Day 3. The IND vs AUS 4th Test 2024 is being played at The Melbourne Cricket Ground and starts at 4:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST). The broadcasting rights for the IND vs AUS Test 2024 are with Star Sports Network and will provide live telecast viewing options on Star Sports TV channels. Fans can switch over to the Disney+Hotstar for the live streaming viewing option of IND vs AUS 4th Test Day 4 of the BGT 2024-25 series on their app and website, which will need a subscription. ‘One of The Best Centuries Under Pressure’: Fans Praise Nitish Kumar Reddy For His Heroic Century During IND vs AUS 4th Test 2024 . #NitishKumarReddy 's scintillating 💯 highlights Day 3 of the #BoxingDayTest ! 🙌🏻 #AUSvINDOnStar 👉 4th Test, Day 4 | SUN, 29th DEC, 4:30 AM | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/HG9PoGTJWu — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 28, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter (X), Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

What’s behind Mumbai’s haze?

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that Russian air defenses shot down the plane while attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference Saturday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner "repeatedly" attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace." The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that "relevant services" from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while attempting to land. There were 29 survivors. According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev's press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," though he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses. Part of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane lies on the ground Thursday near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Aliyev noted the plane had holes in its fuselage and the occupants sustained injuries "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight." He said that a team of international experts began a probe of the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny. On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. U.S. President Joe Biden, responding Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: "Apparently he did but I haven't spoken to him." Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. Yadrov said after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau. People attend a funeral Saturday for Mahammadali Eganov, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's airport of Aktau at the age of 13, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier this past week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board. In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed "physical and technical interference" and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didn't say where the interference came from or provide any further details. If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. Russia denied responsibility but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base. The grave of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport, is seen Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities. Several other airlines made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month. Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian country's flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this past week, Israel's El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Review: Inflation, interest rates and investments