The women’s wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday staged a protest near Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener chief Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, accusing him of “cheating the women of Delhi” with the proposed Mahila Samman Yojana, a scheme which offers ₹ 2,100 per month to the Capital’s women. The AAP hit back, claiming that the BJP’s opposition reflects their lack of commitment to women’s empowerment. The Delhi government, in its 2024-25 budget, announced the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana for a monthly payment of ₹ 1,000 for all women voters in the Capital. Though the scheme is yet to take off, Kejriwal on December 12 said that the amount would be raised to ₹ 2,100 if the AAP retains power in Delhi, and the party has been running a registration drive for the scheme over the last four days. However, the state women and child development (WCD) department on December 25 issued a public notice, warning against the AAP holding registration drive for the scheme, and said that the project is “non-existent” and is yet to be notified by the Delhi government. On Thursday, BJP workers marched from Ashoka Road to 5, Feroze Shah Road — Kejriwal’s current residence — to protest against the scheme, but were stopped en route by police. BJP women’s wing president Richa Pandey said the AAP gathering personal information is part of a larger “scam”. “Under the guise of the Mahila Samman scheme, the AAP is organising camps to collect Aadhaar numbers, voter IDs and phone numbers, which is part of a larger scam,” she alleged. Meanwhile, BJP councillor Shikha Rai said that the scheme is a sign of “desperation”. “For the last decade, Arvind Kejriwal has only misled women in Delhi for political gains. The sudden announcement of ₹ 2,100 without cabinet sanction, particularly with clear signs of impending electoral defeat, highlights AAP’s desperation, especially when similar promises in Punjab remain unfulfilled even after 2.5 years of governance,” she said. During the demonstration, some protesters climbed atop the police barricades and raised slogans against Kejriwal and the AAP, and were briefly detained by police, but were released later on. Responding to the BJP’s protest, the AAP said that the scheme is a “ground-breaking initiative” which has seen an overwhelming response. “The BJP has consistently resisted measures that uplift our mothers and sisters... The public has faith in Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership, trusting that once he is re-elected as chief minister, ₹ 2,100 will be deposited monthly into the accounts of every woman,” Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said. “The BJP has always been against women. They don’t want women to be empowered, to become strong, or to have some money in their hands. The BJP doesn’t want this; that’s why they are opposing it,” he said.jili gcash 。

Homelessness much worse than before COVID leaves agencies battling a perfect stormHow major US stock indexes fared Monday, 12/23/2024The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against Walmart , accusing the retail giant and its partner, Branch Messenger, of defrauding delivery drivers out of millions of dollars. The lawsuit claims that Walmart ( WMT -2.00% ) coerced gig workers in its Spark Driver program to use expense accounts to receive their pay, misleading them about how quickly they could access their earnings. The filing claims that Walmart and Branch opened deposit accounts for drivers without their consent, using personal information like Social Security numbers. They then told drivers they had no choice but to use these accounts to get paid. Despite promises of “instant access” to earnings, many drivers faced delays or were charged with high fees to transfer their money into their regular bank accounts. As a result, drivers were hit with over $10 million in fees, including charges for fund transfers and instant access to pay, over a two-year period starting in 2021. These fees were also subject to daily and monthly transfer limits. The lawsuit also claims that Branch, which Walmart partners with to handle driver payments, mishandled accounts, ignored error reports, and required drivers to waive their rights to take legal action. “Companies cannot force workers into getting paid through accounts that drain their earnings with junk fees,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, in a statement. The lawsuit sheds light on how large companies can use loopholes to exploit vulnerable workers in the gig economy. Walmart and Branch’s alleged actions have drawn criticism and come shortly after the CFPB sued the operator of Zelle, along with Bank of America ( BAC -1.03% ), JPMorgan Chase ( JPM -0.01% ), and Wells Fargo ( WFC +0.04% ), accusing them of failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the payment platform. Walmart did not immediately respond to Quartz’s request for comment. The retailer is considered to be the leading private sector employer. It launched the “ Spark Driver ” delivery program in 2018. The gig economy-based delivery service hires independent contractors (drivers) to deliver groceries and other products from Walmart stores to customers’ homes. Drivers in the program can choose when and where they work, similar to jobs like Uber ( UBER +2.04% ) or Doordash ( DASH -0.45% ). Workers are paid per delivery and can also earn tips. 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.

Manmohan Singh had joined a pre-medical course as his father wanted him to become a doctor but pulled out after a couple of months, losing interest in the subject, according to a book on the former prime minister by his daughter. Singh died here on Thursday night at the age of 92 after he had sudden loss of consciousness at home. In her book 'Strictly Personal: Manmohan and Gursharan', published in 2014, Daman Singh also said economics was a subject that appealed to him. She also wrote that her father was a funny man saying he had a good sense of humour. In April 1948, Singh was admitted to Khalsa College in Amritsar. "Since his father wanted him to become a doctor, he joined the two-year FSc course that would lead to further studies in medicine. After just a couple of months, he dropped out. He had lost interest in becoming a doctor. In fact, he had also lost interest in studying science," Daman wrote. "I didn't have the time to think,' the author, who based her book on conversations with her parents and hours spent in libraries and archives," quoted her father as saying. "I went and joined my father in his shop. I didn't like that either, because I was not treated as an equal. I was treated as an inferior person who ran errands – bringing water, bringing tea. Then I thought I must go back to college. And I entered Hindu College in September 1948," Singh was quoted as saying. Economics was a subject that appealed to him immediately. "I was always interested in issues of poverty, why some countries are poor, why others are rich. And I was told that economics is the subject which asks these questions," Singh told his daughter. While studying at Cambridge University, money was the only real problem that bothered Singh. "His tuition and living expenses came to about 600 pounds a year. The Panjab University scholarship gave him about 160 pounds. For the rest he had to depend on his father. Manmohan was careful to live very stingily. Subsidised meals in the dining hall were relatively cheap at two shillings sixpence," Daman wrote. She said her father never ate out, and seldom indulged in beer or wine yet he would be in crisis if money from home fell short or did not arrive on time. "When this happened, he skipped meals or got by on a sixpence bar of Cadbury’s chocolate," she said. He also asked a friend to lend him 25 pounds for two years but the friend could send only 3 pounds. Daman found her father a very funny man. "When in a reflective mood, he sat with an index finger perched on the side of his nose. He was completely helpless about the house and could neither boil an egg, nor switch on the television." He also had a sense of humour of sorts, she said. "This was evident when he was with friends, even if they were economists. It was comforting to know that he could laugh and crack jokes as well. With us, he rarely did either." "The lighter side of him liked to give nicknames to people. Unknown to them, one of our uncles was John Babu, another was Jewel Babu and a third - to commemorate his pointed turban - was Chunj Waley. My mother was Gurudev, and the three of us were Kick, Little Noan and Little Ram. Some of the other names he coined were less charitable," Daman wrote.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, will participate in a fireside chat on December 4, 2024, at the Goldman Sachs Industrials and Materials Conference in New York. Representing Lear will be: Lear's webcast will begin at 9:20 AM EST and will run approximately 35 minutes. The webcast link will be available on the Company's website at . About Lear Corporation Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear's diverse team of talented employees in 38 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive betterTM by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 174 on the Fortune 500. Further information about Lear is available at . View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Lear Corporation

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Katz’s confirmation on Monday about Israel's involvement in the killing of Haniyeh marks the first public admission of responsibility for the assassination drive on Iranian soil. "We will strike hard at the Huthis... and decapitate their leadership -- just as we did with Haniyeh, (Yahya) Sinwar, and (Hassan) Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon, we will do so in Hodeida and Sanaa," Katz was quoted as saying during an event at the war ministry. "Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have his hand cut off, and the long arm of the Israeli military will strike him and hold him accountable," Katz warned Yemen’s Ansarullah by stating that Sana’a and Hudaydah will have a similar fate to Gaza and Lebanon. Until now Israel had never admitted to killing Haniyeh, but Iran and Hamas had blamed it for the Hamas political leader's assassination. However, a US media report had broken a story before that Israel while declined to publicly comment on Haniyeh's killing had informed the US administration that it was behind the assassination of the Hamas leader in the Iranian capital n. Haniyeh, who was seen as leading Hamas's negotiation efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, was killed along his bodyguard in a guesthouse in Tehran on July 31, reportedly by an explosive device that had been placed by Israeli agents there. A day before his martyrdom, Haniyeh had attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. On September 27, Israel also assassinated Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Nasrallah in a Beirut bombing, which was followed by the assassination of Haniyeh's successor Yahya Sinwar on October 16 in Gaza. 4399

Vincent Price’s favorite holiday was Christmas, and the horror icon couldn’t resist pulling a prank on his wife each December, according to his daughter. Victoria Price told Fox News Digital that her father, the star of classic horror movies like “House on Haunted Hill” and “Edward Scissorhands,” had a “weakness for large jewelry that he loved buying his wives,” and after going to Poland in 1974 he gifted her stepmother a chunky bone butterfly necklace. “My stepmother hated it,” Price said. “That wasn’t her cup of tea. And unlike us, she just said it. ‘I will never wear this. I hate it.’” She said that her stepmom also likely wasn’t “endeared” by the fact that he also gave a necklace to her mom, Mary Grant Price. She continued, “My dad loved Christmas; he was like Father Christmas. Christmas was his favorite holiday. They were married for 18 years. Every year for the next 18 years, [her stepmother] would get in her thing of Christmas packages some beautiful Tiffany box or something, and there it was, every damn year that bone necklace, so that was my dad’s humor.” She said her dad was a habitual prankster, once leaving a “disgusting corroded denture” under her pillow when she expected a nickel from the Tooth Fairy, and jumping out and surprising candy givers when he took her trick-or-treating. Price said her family celebrated a “very traditional” Christmas that involved opening stockings with their family, sweet rolls and eggnog, lunch and exchanging presents all day long with their extended family, and finally a big New Year’s Eve party with a band and dancing. “The Christmas tree was always a big deal,” she said. “We lived in a very large house. It had very high ceilings, so [her mother] had to buy Christmas trees where the department stores bought theirs.” She said their whole house was decorated, and her mother turned their tree into a “work of art,” and she even got her own little “Charlie Brown” tree that she could decorate. “All the artwork had bows on it and, you know, different figures had, you know, ornaments on them. And, it was a very joyful time,” she said. Price said they also traveled together for a lot of Christmases as a child, including places like London and Boston. She got one of her favorite gifts, a portable typewriter, while they were spending Christmas in England one year, but her favorite gift was one she got from her dad every Christmas – a $10 gift certificate to a bookstore in Beverly Hills where she was able to buy a stack of books. “My dad and I would go to Hunter’s Books after I got my certificate, and he would amuse himself for as long as it took. There was no time limit,” she remembered. “He would look at the art books, have a lovely time, and I would just spend so much time trying to figure out the perfect 10 books I wanted with my $10 worth. And then I would go home, lock myself in the room and be done with them, I don’t know, like 24 hours later. And then my dad would always be sort of pretend-angry. ‘I can’t believe I just spent $10, and you run through it like that,’ you know?’ . . . and I knew he loved how much I loved to read.”Syria's president Bashar al-Assad fled Syria as Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus Sunday, triggering celebrations across the country and beyond at the end of his oppressive rule. Russian news agencies late Sunday said Assad and his family were in Moscow. Crowds toured Assad's luxurious home after the rebels declared he had fled, a spectacular end to five decades of brutal Baath party government. The government fell 11 days after the rebels began a surprise advance more than 13 years after Assad's crackdown on anti-government protests ignited Syria's civil war, which had become largely dormant until the rebel push. "This victory, my brothers, is historic for the region," Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) that spearheaded the advance, said in an address at the landmark Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. US President Joe Biden said Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," Biden said from the White House. Residents cheered in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of "tyrant" Assad, saying: "We declare the city of Damascus free." Celebratory gunfire sounded along with shouts of, "Syria is ours and not the Assad family's". AFP correspondents saw dozens of men, women and children wandering through Assad's modern, spacious home whose rooms had been stripped bare. "I can't believe I'm living this moment," tearful Damascus resident Amer Batha told AFP by phone. "We've been waiting a long time for this day," he said. The rebel factions on Telegram proclaimed the end to "50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and displacement". It is, they said, "the start of a new era for Syria." The foreign ministry of Assad's key backer, Russia, had announced earlier Sunday that Assad had resigned from the presidency and left Syria. The head of war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP: "Assad left Syria via Damascus international airport before the army security forces left" the facility. Later Sunday, a Kremlin source told Russian news agencies that he and his family had arrived in Moscow where they had been granted asylum "on humanitarian grounds". Around the country, people toppled statues of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's father and the founder of the repressive system of government he inherited. For the past 50 years in Syria, even the slightest suspicion of dissent could land one in prison or get one killed. During their advance, the rebels said they had freed prisoners, including on Sunday at the Sednaya facility, notorious for the darkest abuses of Assad's era. UN war crimes investigators urged those taking charge in the country to ensure the "atrocities" committed under Assad's rule are not repeated. Amnesty International called this a "historic opportunity" for those responsible for the abuses in Syria to face justice. The end of Assad's rule came just hours after HTS said it had captured the strategic city of Homs. Homs was the third major city seized by the rebels, who began their advance on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took place in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Hezbollah had supported Assad during the long civil war but has been severely weakened by Israeli strikes. The group's forces "vacated their positions around Damascus", a source close to the group said Sunday. HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda but has sought to soften its image in recent years. It remains listed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments. On Sunday afternoon the rebels announced a curfew in the capital until 5:00 am (0200 GMT) Monday. The commander of Syria's US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of northeast Syria, hailed the fall of Assad's "authoritarian regime" as "historic". A military council affiliated with the SDF clashed Sunday with Turkish-backed Syrian fighters in Syria's north, leaving 26 fighters from both sides dead, the Observatory said, as the Turkish-backed group launched an offensive on the Manbij area. The Observatory said Israel had struck government security buildings and weapons depots Sunday on the outskirts of Damascus, as well as in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Assad was a "historic day in the... Middle East" and the fall of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil". "This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad's main supporters," he added. The UN envoy for Syria said the country was at "a watershed moment". Turkey, which has historically backed the opposition, called for a "smooth transition". Iran said it expected "friendly" ties with Syria to continue, even as its embassy in Damascus was vandalised. Since the start of the rebel offensive, at least 910 people, mostly combatants but also including 138 civilians, have been killed, the Observatory said. Syria's war has killed more than 500,000 people, and forced half of the population to flee their homes. Millions fled abroad. "I can barely remember Syria," said Reda al-Khedr, who was only five years old when he and his mother escaped Syria's Homs in 2014. "But now we're going to go home to a liberated Syria," he told AFP in Cairo. Liberated, but facing enormous challenges. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday the bloc would help rebuild a Syria that safeguards minorities after Assad's fall. bur-it/jjEntrepreneur and political figure, Vivek Ramaswamy , recently addressed the reasons why top tech companies often hire foreign-born and first-generation engineers amid ongoing controversy surrounding immigration and high-skilled worker visas . Posting on his social media account on X, he also emphasised that the issue is not because of an IQ difference, but rather a cultural one. “Top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH” Ramaswamy said that American culture has long celebrated mediocrity over excellence, a trend that dates back at least to the 90s, if not earlier. He also argued that this mindset doesn't begin in college but is instilled from a young age. “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” he stated. He further argued that a culture which favours characters like Cory from "Boy Meets World," Zach and Slater from "Saved by the Bell," or Stefan over Steve Urkel from "Family Matters" will not produce the best engineers. He mentioned that he knows several immigrant parents from the 90s who deliberately restricted how much TV their children could watch, as they believed shows promoting mediocrity hindered success. Their children, he pointed out, went on to become highly successful STEM graduates. “More movies like Whiplash, fewer reruns of “Friends.” More math tutoring, fewer sleepovers. More weekend science competitions, fewer Saturday morning cartoons. More books, less TV. More creating, less “chillin.” More extracurriculars, less “hanging out at the mall.” The Republican also stated that while most typical American parents view "those kinds of parents" with scepticism, if people grow up aiming for normalcy, that is what they will ultimately achieve. He also asked the public to compare the families that raised their kids according to different models. “Normalcy” doesn’t cut it in a hyper-competitive global market for technical talent. And if we pretend like it does, we’ll have our asses handed to us by China.” The Republican politician also said that under Trump’s presidency America can soar to its golden heights again provided that the culture “wakes up” and prioritizes achievement over normalcy, excellence over mediocrity, nerdiness over conformity and hard work over laziness. “That’s the work we have cut out for us, rather than wallowing in victimhood & just wishing (or legislating) alternative hiring practices into existence. I’m confident we can do it.” Ramaswamy is set to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency alongside billionaire Elon Musk during Trump’s second term. Born on August 9, 1985, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy is a biotech entrepreneur, author, and former Republican presidential candidate. He is best known for founding Roivant Sciences in 2014, where he built his wealth by acquiring and advancing underdeveloped pharmaceutical companies. Ramaswamy gained national attention for his outspoken views on corporate America's involvement in social issues and his criticism of environmental, social, and governance investing.

Luke Littler continues scintillating form by thrashing Rob CrossTrump says he'll seek the death penalty for 'rapists, murderers, and monsters'The National Labour Commission (NLC) has organised a sector-specific labour education initiative, beginning with the education sector, in response to the rising number of industrial disputes and strikes within the industry. The forum, which brought together key stakeholders from the public education sector, including the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), and the Ministry of Education, marked the first time the National Labour Commission has tailored its educational efforts to a specific sector. The initiative seeks to address long-standing challenges, foster more harmonious labour relations, and promote effective cooperation between labour and management within the education sector. Speaking at the programme last Friday in Accra, the Executive Secretary of the NLC, Mr Ofosu Asamoah, revealed that the education sector accounts for approximately 80 per cent of industrial disputes leading to strikes in Ghana over the past four years. He emphasised the importance of labour education in fostering understanding of the Labour Law, managing disputes, and maintaining harmony in the workplace. “Today it’s UTAG, tomorrow it’s TUTAG, then it’s the Teacher Unions, FUSA, or the Senior Staff Association. The education sector has a myriad of associations, and this has made it a focal point for disputes,” he explained. According to him, the NLC has also engaged key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the FWSC and the Ministry of Employment, since many of the recurring disputes stem from unfulfilled promises made during negotiations. Mr Asamoah highlighted the lack of adequate labour law knowledge among union leaders and government officials as a significant challenge. He noted that union leaders are often elected for their vocal nature rather than their negotiation skills, leading to ineffective engagements with management and other social partners. He also called for enhanced labour education for government appointees and media practitioners, citing misinterpretation and lack of knowledge in labour-related reportage as a concern. Despite the importance of labour education, Mr Asamoah lamented the lack of financial support from the government, which has limited the commission’s ability to organise such programmes regularly. “If we had enough funding, we could undertake these sessions quarterly or even every other month. This would significantly reduce industrial disputes and strikes,” he noted. He added that the NLC plans to expand its sector-specific education initiative to other industries, such as health, in the near future. Mr Asamoah urged the media and the public to prioritise discussions on labour issues alongside politics, arguing that a harmonious industrial front is key to national development. “When we have a harmonious industrial front, production can go on, businesses will expand, taxes will be paid, and more people will be employed,” he concluded. The event featured a series of presentations, focusing on key aspects of Ghana’s Labour Law, Act 651, and practical approaches to labour relations. A member of NLC, Mr Francis Kofi Davoh in his presentation, underscored the importance of communication, negotiation skills, and stakeholder engagement in fostering transparency and trust. BY RAISSA SAMBOU