blackjack apprenticeship
2025-01-11   

blackjack apprenticeship Efforts to catch up with competitors, providing further support to Ukraine, and boosting defence capabilities are the main challenges facing the European Union in 2025, during which Croatia will continue its further progress to reach the EU average in the economic sense. This outgoing year in European politics has been exceptionally eventful. In June, elections for the European Parliament were held, which, along with elections in some member states, brought a shift to the right in the balance of power. In the European Parliament elections, right-wing centrist parties gathered in the European People’s Party (EPP) reinforced their dominant position, while left-wing centrist parties (Socialists and Democrats) managed to maintain their previous number of representatives. Meanwhile, the liberals (Renew) and the Greens were big losers in the elections. The far-right parties (Patriots for Europe) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) pushed the liberals from third to fifth place in terms of strength. In the new 27-strong European Commission, which was inaugurated on 1 December with German Christian Democrat Ursula von der Leyen at its helm for a second term, the EPP has 15 members. For the first time in the Commission, there is one representative from the right ECR and one from the extreme right, Patriots for Europe (PfE). On 1 December, Portuguese Socialist Antonio Costa took over as the new president of the European Council, and Estonia’s Liberal Kaja Kallas became the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. In the European Council, the highest political body of the EU, which gathers the heads of state or government of member states, the EPP is also the largest group, with 11 members, and there are prospects that this number will increase next year. Four members of the European Council, from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Ireland, currently hold the status of acting leaders, as governments have yet to be formed following parliamentary elections. In Germany, the government led by the Social Democratic Chancellor will remain in power until the early elections scheduled for 23 February ,and the Christian Democrat Friedrich Merz stands the best chances of becoming the new German Chancellor. According to Romania’s Constitution, the country is represented in the European Council by the President. The first round of the presidential elections, in which the pro-Russian right-wing candidate Călin Georgescu surprisingly won, was annulled, and new elections are expected to be held in February or March. For the European Union, a particularly significant problem is the leadership vacuum in its two largest member states, Germany and France, which have always been considered the driving forces of European integration. In Germany, after the elections in February, it will certainly take several months to form a new government, and it remains uncertain how stable it will be. In France, President Emmanuel Macron is significantly weakened, and the parliament is divided into three irreconcilable blocs, none of which has a necessary majority. The current government depends on the support of the far right. This vacuum is being attempted to be filled by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the leader of an increasingly important and powerful member state, as well as by the heads of EU institutions Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, and Kaja Kallas, along with the new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Biggest challenge – increasing the competitiveness of EU economy One of the main topics in the EU, not just next year but throughout the entire term of the new European Commission, will be the competitiveness of the economy, as the EU is increasingly lagging behind the United States and China, particularly in high technologies and innovations. For example, of the 50 largest technology companies, only four are European. The agenda of the new Commission will largely rely on the report on the future of European competitiveness, prepared by former President of the European Central Bank and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The Commission is expected to publish the Competitiveness Compass on 15 January, which will be based on three pillars from Draghi’s report: closing the innovation gap with the US and China; decarbonisation and competitiveness; and increasing economic security while reducing dependencies. Then, in February, the Commission is expected to unveil the Clean Industry Plan, a sort of European Green Deal 2.0, which will aim to integrate climate protection with industrial policy. The budget In order for the European economy to be able to compete with the United States and China, according to Draghi’s report, additional investments of around €750-800 billion annually will be needed. Therefore, a key issue in the upcoming period will be how to secure these funds. This is closely linked to the question of the next seven-year budget (MFF or multiannual financial framework) for the period 2028-2034. The Commission will present a proposal for the new MFF in the second half of next year. Croatia getting closer to EU average, its GDP increases 19% since Q4 of 2019 Croatia is slowly approaching the European average, but there is still a long way to go to reach that goal. Since 2019, the last year before the pandemic, until today, Croatia has experienced the highest growth in the EU. From the fourth quarter of 2019 to the third quarter of 2024, Croatia’s GDP has increased by over 19%. During the same period, the GDP of the Eurozone grew by just over 5%. According to the report from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Croatia, measured by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) for 2023, reached 76% of the EU-27 average, with actual individual consumption (AIC) per capita also matching the EU average. It is expected that this year, real GDP per capita will reach 78% of the European average. This represents significant progress compared to 2013, the year of Croatia’s EU accession, when GDP per capita was 61% of the EU average. However, a new population census was published in the meantime, showing that in 2021, Croatia had over 400,000 fewer residents than a decade earlier, which has partly contributed to the increase in GDP per capita. Croatia’s economy continues to grow about four times faster than the EU average. A large part of this success is attributed to EU recovery funds following the pandemic, as Croatia has been a leader in drawing these funds, which must be spent by the end of 2026. On the other hand, very little has been drawn from the regular seven-year EU budget (2021-2027) so far, as the absolute priority was to secure recovery funds as quickly as possible. However, funds from the seven-year budget can be drawn until 2030, which guarantees that EU funds will continue to play a major role in development even after the recovery fund is depleted. It is crucial to create conditions for long-term growth, even after the inflow of European funds slows down.

Australia will have two drivers in Formula One in 2025, with Jack Doohan set to benefit from one team’s major overhaul. Doohan’s debut will come earlier than expected at this weekend’s season ending Abu Grand Prix after Esteban Ocon and Alpine parted ways with one race left this season. Every qualifying session and race from the 2024 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipTM LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Doohan will benefit from the hit-out to get some nerves out of his system and experience the pressure of an F1 race ahead of next year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix. It is a big gamble though, given Alpine is just five points ahead of Haas in the constructors championship heading into the final race of the season. Ocon, 28, signed with Haas earlier this season for 2025 but will end his five-year stint with Alpine early as part of an agreement that allows him to do postseason testing with his new team. The Frenchman’s abrupt departure took the F1 paddock by surprise and brings down the curtain on a tumultuous season for Alpine. F1 pundits have been reflecting on the downfall of Alpine, who at the start of 2022 boasted one of the most solid driver line-ups. At the start of the 2022 season, Alpine unveiled their trio of drivers — Fernando Alonso and Ocon along with reigning F2 champion and reserve driver Oscar Piastri, who was front and centre at the unveiling of the team’s car for that season. Less than two years later, all three are gone and the team has transformed, or capitulated, depending on which way you look at it. Alonso left to join Aston Martin at the end of the 2023 season and is holding out hope car designer Adrian Newey can give him a car that can deliver him a world championship two decades after he won two titles with Renault. Alpine announced Piastri would join the team, only for the Aussie to rebuke that claim , declaring “I will not be driving for Alpine next year” in a post that will go down in F1 social media folklore. Then Pierre Gasly joined Ocon at Alpine on 2023. On paper it was a dream combination — two French drivers driving for a French team. They both began their full-time F1 careers in 2017 and they have very similar records, with one race win each. But Gasly and Ocon have never got on since their relationship deteriorated during their junior karting days. The duo collided on the opening lap of this year’s Monaco Grand Prix and Ocon endured a season from hell. He signed a deal with Haas earlier this year to join the team from 2025. Ocon and Gasly both finished on the podium at the rain affected Brazilian Grand Prix but that was a rare highlight for Ocon, who claimed his sole race win in Hungary in 2021. So where did it all go wrong for Alpine? It’s not just the drivers where Alpine has had significant turnover. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer was sacked mid-season in 2023. Bruno Famin served in that role before Oli Oakes was appointed team principal in August. Alpine’s technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer left the team after the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. In May, Alpine announced Flavio Briatore was returning to the team as special advisor. Briatore managed Doohan, so it would seem the Aussie’s future is tied to Alpine for now. The pairing of Ocon and Gasly was a dream for a motorsport outfit steeped in French history, but the team is losing its French soul made iconic by the Renault brand. When the new era of F1 regulations commence in 2026, Alpine will no longer be a ‘works’ team using a Renault power unit and will instead become a customer team. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo ordered a review into the F1 operation and in September, it was confirmed staff would continue working on power units for 2025 but the team’s engine base in Viry, France would shut down. The F1 project that has run since the 1970s will cease and resources and around 200 staff would be allocated elsewhere. Alpine has a base in Enstone, England and will have a customer power unit supply for the first time since 2015, when they had a Mercedes engine. The F1 team will work solely out of their factory in the UK. Ocon and Gasly both finished on the podium at the rain affected Brazilian Grand Prix but that was a rare highlight for Ocon, who claimed his sole race win in Hungary in 2021. Not everything is bad for Alpine though. Gasly is in arguably career-best form, qualifying better than ever and helping move Alpine up to sixth in the constructors standings after a fifth-place finish in Qatar. Alpine does have a strong presence in F1 Academy, where Great Britain’s Abbi Pulling is set to clinch this year’s championship for female drivers. Mick Schumacher will race for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship next year. Doohan will be one of five drivers starting their first full season on the grid in 2025, along with Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Ollie Bearman (Haas), Liam Lawson (VCARB) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber). Judging by the year Alpine has had, the 21-year-old son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan might have his work cut out for him.Just How Worried About Social Security Should You Be Right Now?

A Vancouver-based real estate developer has proposed a 37-lot single-family housing development just south of Northeast 88th Street in Northeast Hazel Dell. County planning documents show Provision Group proposed the Hidden Pine Compact Subdivision on a 3.57-acre site west of Northeast St. Johns Road, north of Northeast 78th Street and east of Northeast Highway 99. Lots would range from 2,800 square feet to 4,600 square feet. While Hidden Pine would add to the county’s housing stock, building has dropped overall. In the past 12 months, Clark County approved about 900 lots for development in unincorporated areas. That’s a decline from three years ago when construction was booming. About 1,500 lots were approved during the same period in 2021. The Clark County Council opened about 2,100 acres to new residential development in the Interstate 5-Northeast 179th Street area in 2019. A county spokeswoman said this likely influenced the number of lots approved for development in the following months. But higher interest rates and inflation have squeezed developers ever since, hindering the homebuilding industry. “It is a very challenging environment to get new development projects underwritten and approved,” Phil Wuest, president and chief development officer at Vancouver developer Ginn Group, told the Columbian in November 2023. Alaina Robertson, Portland division president of Arizona-based Taylor Morrison construction company, said last month interest rates are still having an impact on the industry, especially residential projects. The state projects Clark County needs to build 100,000 more homes , apartments or other dwellings in the next 20 years to meet demand. The county council approved a Housing Options Study and Action Plan earlier this year, which allowed development on smaller lots than previously allowed to help boost the area’s affordable housing supply.In response to the recent article on Robin Hood Park renovation including adding new play structures and multi sport courts: The diamond in the ring of Robin Hood Park is the pond. Beautiful to see in all the different light of day, it provides a habitat for wildlife, a spot for kids and adults alike to fish, endless frogs and turtle sightings, ice skating if the winter’s cold enough, and a peaceful place to sit and contemplate. With the surrounding forests including hiking and biking trails, a natural amphitheater, picnic grove and large open grassy field, RHP is a natural gem not far from the city center. But the pond is shrinking. Over the past 40 years I have watched a substantial alluvial fan of gravel, sand, silt and forest debris form in the pond as a result of runoff during heavy rain from the hill above the pond and below Roxbury Road. The pond is filling in. I urge the City and Parks and Recreation Department to address this problem before the planned renovation of the park. There are several playgrounds and multi sport areas in Keene but only three natural areas with forest, pond and open space: Ashuelot River Park, Robin Hood Park and Goose Pond wilderness area. With RHP being so close to schools and downtown it would be a shame to lose or substantially change such a natural wonder. Allow Robin Hood to remain the rough gem of the Keene parks. Fix the pool, save the pond and don’t add too much. W. DAN GILLARD Keene

Biden approved a controversial plan for an off-reservation casino. It could start a gambling war among tribesWith the help of new scientific and technological developments , the HIV/Aids research community is increasingly turning to an ambitious goal: finding a cure for HIV/Aids. If the world is to get close to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing HIV infections and Aids-related deaths by 90% between 2010 and 2030, a cure for HIV/Aids would be a game changer. Much progress has been made during the 30 years in the fight against HIV/Aids. An HIV diagnosis is no longer the death sentence it was in the 1990s. Antiretroviral treatment – which targets and suppresses the replication of the virus within the body – means people living with HIV are able to live long, fulfilling lives , without the risk of spreading the HIV virus to others. However, even with antiretroviral treatments, living with HIV increases the risk of other serious health issues. All of this is ends up putting an economic burden on states, through increased healthcare spending and losses in workplace productivity. South Africa is a good example of a country that would benefit from the discovery of a cure. South Africa’s been providing free antiretrovirals through the public healthcare system since 2004 . It is the largest factor behind the 50% drop in the number of new HIV infections in South Africa from 2010 to 2021. But the programme is expensive. In 2023, South Africa’s total budget for HIV response was R30-billion (around US$1.5 billion). This amount includes funding from international sources, such as the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief , better known as Pepfar. Consider that the country’s total national healthcare budget for 2022/23 was approximately R64.5 billion (around US$3.5billion). Also, we never know when the external funding, or part of it, might dry up. Funding for HIV/Aids response is heavily dependent on political will and leadership . Recent political developments in high income countries, such as the US presidential election, would suggest a reluctance and even opposition towards pumping funds into healthcare beyond their own borders, and especially in Africa. I work in HIV prevention and cure research. My work focuses specifically on understanding interactions between HIV and the immune system and how these may be harnessed and translated for HIV prevention or cure. There is hope and optimism that HIV can be cured, with various strategies beginning to show some promise, with partial successes reported. Finding a cure Cure research is in its infancy, but there are exciting hints that gene therapy and immunotherapies might lead us to a cure. So far, there have been an seven people , worldwide, cured of HIV. They were persons living with HIV who developed cancer, and were treated for the cancer through bone marrow transplantation, a form of gene therapy, and this also led to elimination of HIV because the bone marrow transplants were from donors lacking HIV coreceptors – proteins on cell surfaces that viruses use to bind and enter cells. But a bone marrow transplant is a radical , expensive and often dangerous procedure . There is no way we can view it as an avenue for developing a cure when there is reliable ART on hand. In contrast, some strategies involving a combination of early treatment and immunotherapy are also showing some promise and these could be developed further for long-term control of HIV without antiretroviral therapy. While curing a viral infection is difficult, medical science is already able to eradicate some viral infections, such as hepatitis C . Others, such as the common cold and Covid-19 , are effectively eliminated by a well-functioning immune system. The challenge with HIV is that it locks into an individual’s DNA , making it particularly difficult to get rid of. It also mutates a lot , which is why it is so difficult to develop a vaccine against it. That has led us to explore why some people appear able to neutralise HIV when not taking antiretroviral therapy but on once-off or temporary therapy that boosts their immune system. This seems to happen in some people who are diagnosed with HIV early on in their infection and immediately go on ART, and then interrupt the treatment but simultaneously take the special immune-boosting treatments with antiviral properties. So far, the HIV research community is unable to predict who will react in this way, but the Africa Health Research Institute and the HIV Pathogenesis Programme, within the University of KwaZulu-Natal, are conducting research among a group of young women from a community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with a high HIV infection rate. These young women are invited to participate in a socio-economic empowerment programme that has them attend a clinic twice weekly for training in basic computer skills, HIV prevention and other life skills. At each attendance, each woman is tested for HIV. If one is found to have acquired the HIV virus, she is immediately given a standard course of ART. After a while, immune-boosting therapies that include broadly neutralising antibodies are added, and then the woman is asked to stop ART treatment under strict monitoring to establish whether she is able to control the virus on her own. If not, she is immediately returned to ART. Of more than 2,500 attendees since the study began a decade ago, 108 have become HIV-positive. Of these 108 living with HIV, 20 are participating in the cure clinical trial. The study is ongoing , and our hope is that this strategy will lead to long-term control of the virus in the absence of ART in some of the women. This can then help us to better understand the immune mechanisms that may control the virus without antiretroviral therapy, and this could lead to a cure. Much work still needs to be done but finding a cure is important, especially for the 40-million people across the world living with HIV. The world is not on track to meet the UN goal of ending the HIV/Aids pandemic by 2030. While the rate of HIV infection has dropped remarkably, it is still much higher than the targets the global healthcare community has set itself. For example, in 2023 there were 1.3-million new HIV infections worldwide against a target of 500 000 to achieve the aim of nearly eradicating HIV by 2030. It is vital that HIV/Aids research continues in Africa because, while the incidence of HIV infection is reducing markedly , this status quo could change at any time and we could be back fighting a pandemic. It would be good to do so with better tools. Also, we must find a cure or vaccine that is tailored to Africa, where HIV is a young woman’s disease , while also seeking the same for the regions where HIV infection is rising – Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. We’re playing a long game, but there is definitely hope, and that is definitely something to celebrate.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — 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. 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 in the game. 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. “You come to Michigan to play this game,” Zvada said. “So, it's the biggest one of the year. It's the one that everyone looks forward to, and to be able to come in here and take the win, it's amazing.” This Ohio State loss in the “The Game” might have been the toughest of the past four because Michigan was unranked and wrapping up a disappointing season. The Wolverines were also playing without a couple of top players: tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for this rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Records — and point spreads, for that matter — rarely mean much when these two teams meet. “Our defense played outstanding," Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. "We held a high-powered offense to 10 points, 77 rushing yards.” 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. “It's hard, man,” an emotional Howard said. “I really don’t have much right now. I do know we're a two-loss team. We're going to get into the playoffs and make a run. But, I mean, this one hurts.” 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. “They made plays, we made plays, so as the game wore on you could definitely, slowly feel them starting to lose confidence, lose that energy and lose that faith,” Mullings said. 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. He went out for a play in the second quarter to be checked for a head injury. After the game, he said he was fine. “We're very disappointed, and never thought this would happen right here,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We expected to win this game and go play in the Big Ten championship game.” 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. Michigan: Did just enough and caught Ohio State on an off day. Ohio State: It's inexplicable how badly the Buckeyes played in their biggest game of the season. They would 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. There has been talk all season about how many of the Ohio State team leaders, including receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive end Jack Sawyer, chose to return for another year instead of entering the NFL draft because they wanted to beat Michigan at least once. Those players were inconsolable after the game. One of them, linebacker Cody Simon, was asked how he felt. “I just can't speak that right now,” Simon said. “I feel like we let the whole Buckeye nation down.” Michigan will wait for a minor bowl game. Ohio State, assuming either Penn State or Indiana wins on Saturday, will see how the final College Football Playoff rankings shakeout on Dec. 8. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

Nevada vs. UNLV FREE LIVE STREAM (11/30/24): Watch college football, Week 14 online | Time, TV, channelPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Makenzie McGill II ran for 155 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns and North Texas ended a five-game losing streak beating Temple 24-17 on Saturday in a regular-season ender for both teams. The win helped North Texas (6-6, 3-5 American Athletic Conference) reach bowl eligibility. Prior to Saturday, the Mean Green hadn't won since Oct. 12 when they beat Florida Atlantic 41-37. The game's scoring outcome was settled by halftime. Chandler Morris threw a 14-yard touchdown to DT Sheffield on the game's opening drive for a 7-0 UNT lead. Kali Nguma added a 36-yard field 19 seconds later following a Temple turnover. The Owls (3-9, 2-6) got on the board with Maddux Trujillo's 44-yard field goal. McGill made it 17-3 with a 39-yard scoring run. Eight seconds into the second quarter, McGill ran 51 yards to the end zone for a 24-3 edge. Temple got two touchdowns before the half ended when Joquez Smith and Evan Simon each ran it in from the 1 to reduce the deficit to 24-17. North Texas clinched a bowl berth for the 15th time in program history and eighth time since 2013. It's the first time in the Eric Morris era North Texas has qualified for a bowl. Temple hasn't posted a winning season since 2019 when it went 8-5 and ended the season with a 55-13 loss to North Carolina in the Northrop Grumman Military Bowl. The Owls have ended the last four seasons with records of 3-9. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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