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slot machine jackpot meter Canadians don’t need substantial capital to invest in the Toronto Stock Exchange. You can invest in stocks and other like real estate investment trusts (REITs) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The latter has risen in popularity because of the incredible benefits, especially diversification and risk management. If there are buy-and-hold stocks, there are ETFs for long-term investors, too. A top ETF to own forever is ( ). Even a $2,000 investment is enough to take a position and stay in the market for the long haul. BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited is the fund manager for the iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index ETF. XIU replicates the performance of the (net of expenses) and is ideal for investors seeking long-term capital growth and income streams. According to BlackRock, XIU started trading in 1990 and is the world’s first ETF. It is one of the largest ($15.7 billion in net assets) and most liquid Canadian ETFs today. Only healthcare among the 11 primary sectors has no representation. Because of the diversified exposure, the risk rating is medium. The Fund’s exposure is most significant in TSX’s two heavyweight sectors: financial (36.4%) and energy (16.8%). Information technology (11.2%), the top performer thus far in 2024 with 38.5%-plus year-to-date, is well represented. and are the top high-growth sector holdings. The portfolio has 60 stock holdings (obviously), including banking giants the , and the four others in the Big Six. Energy stalwarts and are in the basket. Railroad operator in the industrial sector (+11.05%) is a top 10 holding. As of December 11, 2024, XIU trades at $38.83 per share or unit. The year-to-date gain is 25.1%-plus compared to the TSX’s 22.4%-plus. Also, the overall return in five years is a decent 77.66%-plus, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2%). If you invest today, the dividend yield is 3.3%, while the payout frequency is quarterly. A $2,000 investment converts to $16.35 in quarterly passive income. The Bank of Canada has reduced its benchmark rate five times this year; the latest was December 10. Many market analysts and experts forecast the to perform better than the in 2025. Brian Belski, chief investment strategist, said in a BNN Bloomberg interview, “We think Canada offers value and cyclicality and increase in stock picking, especially relative to the U.S.” Belski’s team forecast 28,500 by year-end 2025. For longforecast.com, the low-to-high range is between 31,228 and 35,928. The TSX has achieved multiple high records in 2024, and the momentum should carry over into the following year. Given the bright outlook for Canadian stocks, many of the XIU’s holdings will likely outperform. An ETF tracking the S&P/TSX 60 Index is the ultimate beneficiary.

moved up to second in the table after beating . scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half after turning home Leandro Trossard’s cross. The Gunners dominated possession all match, but they were unable to double their lead and . The victory moves Arsenal up to second in the league and they are now six points off leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. 6 Had little to do all game as Arsenal dominated possession. Almost caught out early in the second half right from kick-off when playing out from the back. 7 One of Arsenal’s most consistent performers and players of the season so far. Tested Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric with a great solo run and shot. 7 Had a good battle with Ipswich striker Liam Delap, who tried to impose himself. Saliba dealt well with him, though, and was rarely troubled. 6 Somehow missed from just yards out when Declan Rice’s corner found him unmarked at the back post. A remarkable miss. 7 Handed a third Premier League start in a row and could easily get a fourth. Looks so composed at this level, despite being only 18. 6 His performance kind of summed up Arsenal’s night. Had the odd bright moment, but never really got going. 7 Back in the starting lineup and saw plenty of the ball playing at the base of midfield. Denied a wondergoal in the second half by a big block. 7 | Star player Opened the scoring midway through the first half by getting on the end of Trossard’s cross. Now has 12 goals this season as he continues to silence any remaining doubters. 6 Charged with filling the hole left by Bukayo Saka on the right flank. Put in a few dangerous crosses, one of which eventually led to Arsenal’s goal. 6 Could not continue his remarkable form in front of goal, but put in a solid performance. Drifted out wide to create space for others. 7 Starting to look a bit more like his usual self after an indifferent few months. Created Havertz’s goal by beating his man and picking out a cross. (for Jesus 71’) 7 A really bright cameo. Helped create a good chance for Havertz and denied a goal himself after a fine save. (for Rice 86’) N/AFILE – Author Percival Everett attends the 75th National Book Awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File) FILE – Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour” on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) FILE – Riley Keough, left, and her mother Lisa Marie Presley arrive at the 24th annual ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards on Oct. 16, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) FILE – First lady Melania Trump stands next to the 2020 Official White House Christmas tree as it is presented on the North Portico of the White House, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – This cover image released by FSG shows “Intermezzo” by Sally Rooney. (FSG via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Random House shows “From Here to the Great Unknown” by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. (Random House via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Simon & Schuster shows “War” by Bob Woodward. (Simon & Schuster via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Dey Street Books shows “Cher: The Memoir, Part One,” releasing on Nov. 19. (Dey Street Books via AP, File) FILE – This cover image released by Random House shows “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” by Salman Rushdie. The book, about the attempt on his life that left him blind in his right eye, will be published April 16, 2024. Rushdie’s first book since the 2022 stabbing he thought might end his life is both explicit in the violence Rushdie sustains and heroic in the will to live that Rushdie retains. (Random House via AP, File) FILE – Author Percival Everett attends the 75th National Book Awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File) By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time to read books. Related Articles Nikki Giovanni, poet and literary celebrity, has died at 81 Trivially Speaking: Novel suggestions for Christmas gifts with meaning Percival Everett, 2024 National Book Award winner, rereads one book often Gift books for 2024: What to give, and what to receive, for all kinds of readers Our critic’s picks: Best mystery fiction books of 2024 U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up Taylor Swift’s tie-in book to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: digital screens that have drawn kids away from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. Bob Woodward books have been an election tradition for decades. “War,” the latest of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. Former (and future) first lady Melania Trump, who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, unexpectedly announced she was publishing a memoir: “Melania.” The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond posting a video expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. Taylor Swift was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to her global tour isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo.” The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir at the time of her death , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. “From Here to the Great Unknown” is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of son Benjamin Keough. To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, during an interview with Winfrey, said of her mother. Meanwhile, Cher released the first of two planned memoirs titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. “James,” winner of the National Book Award, is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. In “Knife,” he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” he told The Associated Press last spring. “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”

‘They’ve done everything right’: Matt Rhule takes stock of Nebraska football’s week in NYC

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Willy Adames wasted little time making one thing clear: He wants to play all 162 games for the San Francisco Giants. So when introduced as their new shortstop Thursday, Adames looked to his left and gently put a hand on manager Bob Melvin's right shoulder, smiled and said, “if he lets me.” Melvin might not need much convincing, thrilled to suddenly have stability at a position that lacked continuity this year in his first season as skipper. Adames didn't hesitate to also offer a thought to new boss Buster Posey: He plans to win a few championships with the Giants just like the catcher-turned-executive did here. Surrounded by his parents and other family and friends, Adames was formally introduced and welcomed at Oracle Park after signing a $182 million, seven-year contract — the first big, splashy move made by Posey since he became President of Baseball Operations in late September. “There’s no words to describe my feeling right now to be here in this beautiful city, I’m just so happy to be here,” Adames said. "... This is a dream come true for me. I’m thrilled to be here, I’m so excited. Hopefully we can win a few championships like you did, and that’s one of the main reasons I’m here.” Everyone who has encountered Adames so far can’t wait for him to get to work as an example both on the diamond and in the clubhouse. “He’s a unique connector of people,” Posey shared from Craig Counsell's description of the 29-year-old infielder from the Dominican Republic. “That really struck me because I think to win championships you have to have personalities like Willy that they're able to identify with everybody in the clubhouse, and that's not just players. I heard from multiple people that Willy treats everybody with the utmost respect. He plays with energy, he plays with joy and I know that our fans are just going to be thrilled to watch him compete on a daily basis.” Adames' deal marks the richest contract for San Francisco since Posey reached a $167 million, nine-year pact in 2013. “I didn’t know 'til it was done. I was like ‘wow,’" Adames said. From afar, Adames watched the legacy left by his hero Derek Jeter that went far beyond the baseball diamond. And that's as important to Adames as playing all 162 after he appeared in 161 games last season for Milwaukee. He considers part of his role to help the young players learn “to be a professional" and lead a club that has missed the playoffs the past three years in winning the right way. “For me that comes first, it comes first to be a great human being. I've got to thank my parents for that, they raised me the right way, to try to treat everybody the same, it doesn't matter what you're doing,” Adames said. “I think that's something that I'm really proud of, just to be the same guy every day, to be kind, just to give love back to people because there's a lot of hate out there and I don't really like that.” The Giants know Adames' positive influence could go far. Asked about the instability at shortstop, Melvin noted, “Well, it's not a problem now.” Adames gives the Giants a power bat and reliable defense at his position. This year for the Brewers, he produced his best offensive season in the big leagues, batting .251 with a career-high 32 home runs and 112 RBIs. “Look, every team wants a Willy Adames on their team. I think the thing that strikes me the most is when I'd watch him play a couple times a year on the other side was he never looked like he had a bad day,” Melvin said. “It always looked like every day was opening day to him. That enthusiasm when your best players are like that — Matt Chapman is like that, too — it's easy for everybody to have to fall in and play in that type of style. It's easier said than done but really for me that's the thing that struck me most is how much he loved playing baseball.” Adames is close friends with former Giants third baseman Matt Duffy, who shared his own experiences being part of the San Francisco franchise. It all became real when Adames pulled on his new cream-colored Giants jersey and buttoned it up, saying, “I'm a little nervous about this." A few moments later, the cap went on his head and he felt right at home. “It looks amazing.” AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBReforms in Nigeria will improve Africa’s economic prospects – TinubuAssisted dying will heap pressure on broken services, ministers warnReport: Institutional neutrality favored at Carolina, Wake, Duke

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Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega has urged Nigerian politicians to emulate the exemplary lifestyle of the country’s founding fathers. Jega spoke at a book launch in Bauchi at the weekend where he emphasised the importance of responsible leadership and the need for politicians to lead by example. The book, which chronicles the political struggles of Umar Launi Usman and Sa’adu Zungur, highlighted the selfless contributions of the two political icons to Nigeria’s development. Represented by Dr. Habu Mohammed, Jega explained that the stories of the two icons served as a reminder to all, particularly Nigerian politicians, on the importance of integrity, honesty, and selflessness in leadership. He said, “Malam Aminu Kano and Sa’adu Zungur are among the leading Northern Nigeria’s heroes who catapulted social consciousness among the people of northern Nigeria about their inhuman treatment by the colonial state and its allies, the feudal lords. “To Malam Aminu Kano, Sa’adu Zungur was not only a teacher, but also a mentor and an inspiring person, in short, a “guiding light”, because of his wisdom and phenomenal insights on public issues. “In addition to the gift of knowledge and intellectualism, Malam Sa’adu Zungur was also a fearless person who not only expressed his views and contempt with colonial rule, but also a very frank person who told what he considered as the truth without any hesitation.” Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Kasim Ibrahim, reiterated the state government’s commitment to emulating the exemplary leadership of Nigeria’s founding fathers. He told the occasion graced by notable politicians and top government officials that his administration has executed numerous developmental projects across the state, and solicited the support of the citizens in its bid to continue delivering excellent results. Bala stressed that any effort made to recapture the lost glory and history, as well as inform the people about happenings of the past with its heroes is commendable. “It is good that somebody has come with the idea of writing about our heroes and highlighting their contributions to the development of the society”, the governor noted. The Vice Chancellor, Federal University Kashere in Gombe State, Prof. Umar Pate who was the book reviewer and represented by Ibrahim Isa, described the book as a “driver that present leaders should use to lead.”

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Macom technology director sells $233,375 in common stockBy Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.ROME (AP) — In 2020, it was a run to the Champions League quarterfinals just as Bergamo was becoming the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic . Last season, it was an upset victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final to end the German club’s European-record unbeaten run at 51 games. Atalanta keeps on surprising and its latest exploit was moving atop Serie A following a 3-1 win at Parma on Saturday for its seventh straight win in the Italian league. And to think that coach Gian Piero Gasperini considered leaving Atalanta toward the end of last season. Now, Gasperini has the chance to guide “La Dea” (The Goddess), as the team is nicknamed, to its first ever Italian league title. There’s a long way to go, though, and it should be noted that Atalanta is level on points with second-place Inter Milan, which routed Hellas Verona 5-0 earlier, and that Napoli has a chance to reclaim the lead when it hosts Roma on Sunday. Also Saturday, AC Milan and Juventus drew 0-0 at the San Siro in a match with few chances from both sides. Milan produced one shot on goal and Juventus created two. Atalanta's Mateo Retegui scored his league-leading 12th goal of the season, Ederson made it 2-0 before the break and Europa League final hero Ademola Lookman restored the two-goal advantage after Matteo Cancellieri had pulled one back for Parma. Retegui’s fourth headed goal of the season put him atop that category across Europe’s five major leagues, according to Opta, while Lookman volleyed in a cross from Juan Cuadrado after having two goals disallowed. Gasperini was sent off midway through the second half for protests. But he was smiling in the stands at the final whistle. Atalanta's 34 goals are the most in Italy, and trail only Barcelona (42), Bayern Munich (36) and Paris Saint-Germain (36) across Europe's top five leagues. Atalanta has won two and drawn two in the Champions League this season. Marcus Thuram scored twice for defending champion Inter at Verona. Inter was missing top striker Lautaro Martinez, who was out sick. But five goals in the first half made Lautaro’s absence a non-issue. Joaquin Correa opened the scoring 17 minutes in, Thuram then scored twice before more goals from Stefan de Vrij and Yann Aurel Bisseck. Correa nearly added another in second-half stoppage time but his effort hit the woodwork. Inter's only loss across all competitions this season was a derby defeat to Milan in September. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer