lucky 777 online casino real money The centennial celebration of F. Sionil JosePerson-to-person e-money transfers of $1.8 billion as at 30 June 2024, 87 per cent population with active mobile money accounts as at December 2023, percentage of adult population making or receiving digital payments other than mobile money in 2023 at 45.4 per cent, currency in circulation as at 31 July 2024 at $1.1billion and inward personal remittances increasing by 8.8 per cent to $1.2billion in the 2023-2024 financial year, an increase of 23.2 per cent from the previous are some of the key data presented in the Reserve Bank of Fiji August 2023-July 2024 annual report that was released this week. THE RBF Governor Ariff Ali states in the report the Fijian economy exhibited resilience in dealing with ongoing risks stemming from restrictive monetary policy in its trading partner economies and the escalation of inflationary pressures from both domestic and international factors. He said after registering a record-high growth of 19.8 per cent in 2022, followed by a 7.5 per cent expansion last year, the domestic economy growth is projected to grow for the third consecutive year in 2024. He adds this is at a slower pace, stating the positive economic activity is driven by a robust tourism sector, supported by an increase in Government expenditure and historically low rates in the financial sector. The commercial banking industry RBF reports prudential assessment of the commercial banking industry’s capital, earnings and liquidity positions were satisfactory, with asset quality indicators rated as marginal as of June 30 2024. RBF reports total assets of the commercial banks grew over the year by 5 per cent to $14.8billion as of 30 June 2024, underpinned by the increase in loans and advances by $974.9million, and balances due from banks by $109.6million. Commercial banks’ loans and advances continued with its growth momentum conducive to the Fijian economy’s recovery, increasing over 12 months by 11.8 per cent to $9.3billion, said the RBF. The majority of the commercial banks’ lending were to the private individuals’ sector at 27.6 per cent, followed by wholesale, retail, hotels and restaurants, and real estate sectors at 22.4 per cent and 19.8 per cent, respectively. The RBF states total deposits of the commercial banks’ rose by 7.4 per cent to $11.6billion over the 2023-2024 period, attributed to demand and time deposits which grew by $0.5billion and $0.3billion, respectively. Credit institutions The RBF reports performance indicators of the credit institutions industry were satisfactory for capital, earnings and liquidity positions, while asset quality was rated as poor. Credit institutions industry’s total assets grew annually by 4.3 per cent to $777.6million as at June 2024, mainly attributed to the $58.5million increase in loans and advances, while decreases were noted in balance due from banks by $35.5million and fixed assets by $10.7million. The RBF adds the growth in loans and advances to $561.9million was largely driven by the private individuals, professional and business services, and wholesale, retail, hotels and restaurants sectors. Credit institutions’ balance due from banks, on the other hand, reported a reduction of 21.3 per cent when compared to the same period in 2023, to $130.8million, said the RBF. Total deposits of the credit institutions increased by 7.1 per cent over 12 months, to $447.2million. Payment service providers The RBF states the uptake and usage of digital payment platforms in Fiji remains promising, driven by technology advancements and an increase in consumer demand for convenient, efficient and accessible financial solutions. The RBF added this is supported by the high volume of inward remittances. As of June 30 2024, the total value of electronic money (e-money) in circulation was reported at $94.8million (June 2023: $80.1m), with an average of $97.4million in circulation on a monthly basis during the 12-month period. RBF adds while the number of registered e-money accounts declined by 0.3 per cent to 945,390 in June 2024 compared to the same period last year, the number of active e-money users increased from 454,092 in June 2023 to 655,493. Person-to-person (P2P) transfers significantly increased by 56.1 per cent over the 12-month period, to $1.8billion as of June 30 2024. E-money platforms The RBF states the increase in the usage of e-money platforms indicate the general shift in behaviour of consumers towards digital financial services largely due to its convenience and accessibility. International inward remittances via e-money platforms stood at $551.2million as of June 30 2024, increasing by 36.6 per cent (or $147.8m) over the year, largely supported by the increase in the volume of inward remittances from Australia, the United States of America, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Total transactions acquired via payment service providers payment platforms increased by 151 per cent to $550.5million as of June 30 2024, said the RBF. The significant increase in the volume of acquired transactions indicate local businesses’ uptake of payment service providers payment platforms as a means for accepting payment transactions. The RBF states the Fijian Government’s regulated public transport fare payment system, e-Transport, continues to operate on Vodafone Fiji’s M-PAiSA platform. Aggregate value of top-up transactions for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2024 was reported at $292.4million, declining by 17.1 per cent from $352.6million worth of top-up transactions recorded in the same period last year. Currency in circulation The RBF states as of July 31 2024, total currency in circulation stood at just above $1billion. The value of notes in circulation increased by 4.4 per cent to $982.8million during the financial year, with the $5, $10 and $100 denominations being the highest circulated notes. The value of coins in circulation increased by 6.3 per cent to $78.9million during the financial year. The $2 and $1 coins registered a growth of 7.7 per cent to $23.8million and 7.4 per cent to $20.3million, respectively. The RBF states for the financial year ended July 31 2024, the value of currency issued to commercial banks was $1,118.4million, of which $1,112.4million was in notes and $6million in coins. The RBF adds the $100 and $50 notes issued continued to be the highest in value, driven by its increasing usage in automated teller machines. The $2 and $1 coins issued continued to be the highest in value, reflecting the shift in public demand from low to high-value coins.Your Horoscope for the New Moon in Sagittarius Has Arrived

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London Drugs will help curb loneliness among older Canadians this year with its annual Stocking Stuffers for Seniors campaign. In dozens of London Drug stores in Western Canada, including those in Victoria, gift tags for select items will hang from Christmas trees. Kind customers can purchase one of these gifts, which will then be delivered to a lucky senior. The 11-year-old initiative, which began on Nov. 12 and runs until Dec. 8, began in 2015, intends to reduce the loneliness felt by seniors during the holiday season. The retailer has delivered gifts to over 75,000 seniors so far. “Loneliness affects a significant number of seniors across Canada, and we’re committed to working with our customers to bring joy to those without family or friends this holiday season,” Clint Mahlman, the president and chief operating officer of London Drugs, said in a news release. “The Stocking Stuffers for Seniors program allows us to collectively make a positive difference in the lives of those who need it most, especially during what can be a challenging time of year. We encourage customers to join us in rekindling the spirit of giving and ensuring no senior is forgotten this year.” This year, London Drugs has partnered with over 200 care homes in Western Canada to deliver presents to seniors. LDExtras members who donate a gift will receive 1,000 LDExtras points before Dec. 1 and 500 points until the end of the program. More information can be found at .

Minnesota will try to bounce back from two straight losses when it hosts Bethune-Cookman on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers (5-3) are coming off a 57-51 loss against Wake Forest on Friday, which followed a 68-66 overtime loss against Wichita State on Thursday. Both games took place at the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Minnesota coach Ben Johnson cited inconsistency on offense as the main reason for his team's recent skid. "We're painfully figuring that out," Johnson said. "I thought our defense, though, (Thursday and Friday) has proven this is a top-40 or top-30 defense. We've got to be able to show up with offense and free throws." Golden Gophers starter Lu'Cye Patterson said he and his teammates remain confident in their potential as the Big Ten conference season approaches. "We just have to keep doing what we're supposed to do and keep our level of defensive play up," Patterson said. "It's going to win us a lot of games. The offense is going to come." Bethune-Cookman (2-5) will try to play spoiler on the road. The Wildcats have split their past two games as they beat North Dakota 79-67 on Tuesday and lost to Gardner-Webb 79-64 on Wednesday, both games played in the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico. Four players for Bethune-Cookman scored in double digits in their most recent game. Reggie Ward Jr. and Daniel Rouzan led the way with 14 points apiece, Trey Thomas scored 13 and Brayon Freeman chipped in 10. Bethune-Cookman is coached by Reggie Theus, who enjoyed a long NBA career and coached the Sacramento Kings for parts of two seasons. Theus said the Wildcats were in better position to compete this season compared with a season ago. "We've got a lot of depth, and we have age and experience," Theus said. "One of the biggest differences in our team is that we have great size now, where last year we were pretty small." Dawson Garcia leads Minnesota with 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Patterson is next with 10.1 points per contest. Bethune-Cookman is led by Freeman, who is averaging 15.9 points per game. Thomas (11.7 points per game) and Ward Jr. (11.0) also are scoring in double digits. --Field Level MediaNone

NoneEDMONTON — Mark Kilam, the newly hired head coach of the Edmonton Elks, grew up in Lethbridge, playing for junior high and high school football teams decked in green and gold — the same colours he wore with the University of Alberta Golden Bears." At the U of A, he was coached by legendary Edmonton quarterback Tom Wilkinson. With his deep Alberta roots and long-standing ties to green and gold, Kilam’s move from Calgary to Edmonton to lead the Elks feels like a natural fit. He was introduced to the media Monday at Commonwealth Stadium, quickly making a pitch to any CFL players listening. “We’re going to be a group that’s accountable,” said Kilam. “Not only to each other but to everybody who came here before us. We’re going to stand on the shoulders of the people who built this place and represented the double-E the right way. If that sounds like a group that you want to be a part of, come on down to Edmonton.” Kilam joined the rival Stampeders in 2005, became special teams coach in 2010, and was named assistant head coach in 2019. Now, he switches allegiances in the Battle of Alberta to join the Elks. He had previously been interviewed for the Elks coaching job, but the second time was the charm. General manager Ed Hervey, hired in November, quickly found the Elks' new coach. Despite suggesting the search might take time, he called Kilam the clear choice on Monday. “Mark’s excitement about coaching the players, and all the stuff that came with it, was just so different than anyone else," said Hervey. "The few that were down to the final process met many of the things that we would want. But (Mark was} the overwhelming choice for this organization — for right now and what we want to do moving forward.” Hervey noted that the modern CFL features frequent player movement and short-term contracts, so the team needed a coach with a strong reputation among players. As part of the process, he reached out to current and former players who had worked with Kilam, and the feedback he received was overwhelmingly positive. Some of the praise also made its way to social media “I don’t have social media. I have a LinkedIn account that I am never on,” said Kilam. “My mom would screenshot things to me, and my wife would show me things. It really reinforced that I did things the right way, growing up and working with these guys. That’s what I took from it. Those relationships were real. Those connections were real.” Kilam said the spark between Hervey and him was there as soon as they started talking. “When you put like-minded people into a room, and they start spitballing about something they have passion for, the energy jumps up right away,” said the Elks’ new coach. “If we’re not aligned, this job is very difficult, it’s a difficult job anyway. But when we can line up our beliefs and we see things the same way —what a winning culture and a winning program looks, acts and sounds like on a day-to-day basis — that’s a really exciting opportunity.” Kilam’s hire closes the door on Jarious Jackson, who served as interim head coach after Chris Jones was let go after losing five straight games to start the 2024 season. Under Jackson, the Elks finished 7-6 but couldn't recover from a poor start. He was open about wanting the "interim" tag removed and returning for 2024. The Elks have not been to the playoffs since 2019. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024. Steven Sandor, The Canadian Press

Vasko's 4 TDs power Coastal Carolina past Georgia State 48-27 to become bowl eligibleVasko's 4 TDs power Coastal Carolina past Georgia State 48-27 to become bowl eligibleNEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.Any day but Tuesday: KC, Patrick Mahomes bracing for three games in 11 days

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Food Bites: Esca Bimbadgen's new chef is a familiar face( ) stock took another hit Wednesday on investors' robotaxi jitters. Shares of the ride-hailing giant fell after ( ) wind down its Cruise self-driving-taxi efforts. GM will focus instead on developing advanced driver-assistance systems for use in personal vehicles, the company said late Tuesday. The automotive giant cited growing competition in the robotaxi market. Cruise has faced several setbacks, while ( )-owned Waymo is already providing more than . ( ), meanwhile, is to launch a ride-hailing service. Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, Tuesday that the Cruise announcement looked like good news for Tesla and Google and bad news for Uber and its top U.S. rival, ( ). "This is further evidence that the robotaxi market will be winner take most," Munster wrote. "The likely winners are Tesla and Waymo. The losers will likely be Uber and Lyft." Uber stock slipped more than 4% to 62.01on the . In late August, Uber announced it would partner with Cruise to offer . Uber Stock's Robotaxi Woes This is the second time in the past seven days that Uber stock has sold off in response to robotaxi news. Shares sank more than 10% last Thursday after it would expand its Waymo One app to Miami. Waymo has partnered with Uber to offer rides through the Uber app in Phoenix and for its upcoming expansions in Austin and Atlanta. So investors appeared startled when Uber was not mentioned in Waymo's announcement Uber is pitching its app as a way for self-driving-car developers to find demand for their vehicles. Uber's app powered nearly in its third quarter alone. It also has a partnership with Avride, part of ( ), and last week launched robotaxis in Abu Dhabi with China-based mobility company ( ). But investors have largely taken a more bearish view this year on Uber, mostly because of The concerns have shares of both Uber and Lyft since Chief Executive Elon Musk first teased the company's in the spring. Musk has previously described the effort as an ( ) and Uber hybrid. With Wednesday's decline, Uber stock is now down a 0.5% year-to-date and 1% from its price 12 months ago. That's a significant reversal after Uber's and bookings growth powered a 150% rally in 2023. Lyft stock is down 5% at 15.40. Its year-to-date gain has been knocked down to just 2%.

By CLAIRE RUSH PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Googly eyes have been appearing on sculptures around the central Oregon city of Bend, delighting many residents and sparking a viral sensation covered widely by news outlets and featured on a popular late-night talk show. On social media, the city shared photos of googly eyes on installations in the middle of roundabouts that make up its so-called “Roundabout Art Route.” One photo shows googly eyes placed on a sculpture of two deer, while another shows them attached to a sphere. It’s not yet known who has been putting them on the sculptures. “While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art,” the city said in its posts. The Facebook post received hundreds of comments, with many users saying they liked the googly eyes. “My daughter and I went past the flaming chicken today and shared the biggest laugh,” one user said, using a nickname for the “Phoenix Rising” sculpture. “We love the googly eyes. This town is getting to be so stuffy. Let’s have fun!” Another Facebook user wrote: “I think the googly eyes on the deer specifically are a great look, and they should stay that way.” Others said the city should focus on addressing more important issues, such as homelessness, instead of spending time and money on removing the googly eyes. Over the years, the city’s sculptures have been adorned with other seasonal decorations, including Santa hats, wreaths, leis. The city doesn’t remove those, and views the googly eyes differently because of the adhesive, Bend’s communications director, Rene Mitchell, told The Associated Press. “We really encourage our community to engage with the art and have fun. We just need to make sure that we can protect it and that it doesn’t get damaged,” she said. The post and its comments were covered by news outlets, and even made it on a segment of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert .” The city regrets that its post was misunderstood, Mitchell said. “There was no intent to be heavy-handed, and we certainly understand maybe how that was taken,” she said. “We own this large collection of public art and really want to bring awareness to the community that applying adhesives does harm the art. So as stewards of the collection, we wanted to share that on social media.” The city has so far spent $1,500 on removing googly eyes from seven of the eight sculptures impacted, Mitchell said, and has started treating some of the art pieces, which are made of different types of metal such as bronze and steel. The “Phoenix Rising” sculpture might need to be repainted entirely, she said. For some, the googly eyes — like the other holiday objects — provide a welcome boost of seasonal cheer. “I look forward to seeing the creativity of whoever it is that decorates the roundabouts during the holidays,” one social media commenter said. “Brings a smile to everyone to see silliness.”

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