Croatia ́s left-leaning president, an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, is running for reelection in the Adriatic Sea state, but is unlikely to get an outright majority in the first round of voting on Sunday. President Zoran Milanovi ́c, who is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents, faces seven other contenders, including Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union. The two are expected to face off in the second round on Jan. 12 if no contender gets more than 50% of the vote, according to pre-election polls. The most popular politician in Croatia, 58-year-old Milanovi ́c had served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, Milanovic has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi ́c and continuous sparring between the two has lately marked Croatia ́s political scene. “Since the election silence is still on, I just want to call on people to get out and vote. To support me,” Milanovi ́c said after he voted on Sunday. He predicted there would be a second round in two weeks. Plenkovi ́c, the prime minister, has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia ́s future in the EU and NATO. He has labeled Milanovi ́c “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia ́s international standing. “The difference between him and Milanovi ́c is quite simple: Milanovi ́c is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military. Milanovi ́c has criticized the NATO and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, thought it is a member of both NATO and the EU. Milanovi ́c has also blocked Croatia ́s participation in a NATO-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else ́s war.” His main rival in the election, Primorac, has stated that “Croatia ́s place is in the West, not the East.” His presidency bid, however, has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia ́s health minister in jail last month and which featured prominently in pre-election debates. During the election campaign, Primorac has sought to portray himself as a unifier and Milanovi ́c as divisive. “Today is an extremely important day,” Primorac said after casting his ballot. “Croatia is going forward into the future. Croatia needs unity, Croatia needs its global positioning, and above all Croatia needs peaceful life.”FORMER Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote has sparked concern among fans after revealing her five-day illness. The soap star, 33, pleaded for help to cure her "upset stomach and cramps" after admitting her condition was "so painful." 6 Ex Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote has revealed she hasn't eaten for five days while battling a mystery illness Credit: instagram/@georgiamay 6 The 33-year-old made an appeal to fans for help on her Instagram Stories Credit: instagram/@georgiamay 6 Georgia sounded hoarse in her video as she snuggled on her sofa Credit: instagram/@georgiamay Georgia first alerted fans to her physical state when she posted a snap showing her giving a thumbs-up from bed to her Instagram Stories. She then added the words: "Day 5 of having a really bad stomach. "Tried to eat my first proper meal since Xmas Day and belly said no. "Anyone else got this, how do I stop it? The cramps are so painful. read more corrie party pals Corrie legend Charlie Lawson opens up about wild nights out with Katie Price GRIM DEATH Fury as teen who killed mum in Corrie copycat attack could be moved to open jail "Literally out here looking for tips now cause this is long." Georgia, who played Katy Armstrong in the ITV soap, then filmed herself from her sofa, cosying up in a grey fluffy jumper. She told the camera in a hoarse voice: "Guys this seems to be my most-ever replied to story, this is crazy. "I've heard so much about this flu going around but I don't have the flu. Most read in Soaps SOAP SHOCK Emmerdale star retiring after being axed by soap bosses in shock Xmas death plot CORRIE CASH CRISIS Corrie crisis as stars get short contracts 'and struggle to pay bills' SCHOOL'S OUT Grange Hill star is unrecognisable 36 years after starring as angel-faced kid COBBLES CHAOS Nightmare neighbours joining Corrie from the wrong side of the alleyway "So I don't know what it is, and obviously with the doctors being shut there's no point in ringing, I don't think they could do anything anyway. Georgia May Foote reveals two year battle with secret health condition "I just can't keep anything in and it's so painful." She then detailed her attempts to solve the "grim" condition with items such as a hot water bottle and flat coke. After her loyal followers suggested a slew of other options including peppermint tea and ginger biscuits, she told how she would be heading to the shop to stock up. Georgia starred in Corrie from 2010 to 2015. Coronation Street Christmas and New Year schedule ITVX won't host early episodes for some days, but soap bosses have yet to confirm which dates won't have an early release Monday December 23 - 8pm ITV1 & ITVX Tuesday December 24 - 8:45pm ITV1 & ITVX Christmas Day - 7pm ITV1 & ITVX Boxing Day - No episode Friday December 27 - 8pm ITV1 & ITVX Monday December 30 - 8pm ITV1 & ITVX Tuesday December 31 - 8:15pm ITV1 & ITVX New Year's Day - 7pm ITV1 & ITVX The year she left, the Bury-born beauty was a runner-up in Strictly Come Dancing. HEALTH BATTLES Yet it is not the first time she has addressed her health battles online. She recently opened up on her Vitiligo , sharing a picture of the skin pigmentation on her wrist. Posting a video of her hand, Georgia said on Instagram: "So many new patches appearing on this holiday. And you know what I've seen someone on the last two holidays with it. "To say it only affects 1% of people I don't believe." According to the NHS, Vitiligo is a long term condition that is caused by a lack of melanin, a pigment in the skin. It can affect any area and those who suffer might develop patches on their skin and on the scalp too. Vitiligo is caused by the lack of a skin pigment called melanin. Read more on the Scottish Sun GHOST TOWN Former Scots shopping hotspot 'decaying' as multimillion pound revamp ‘failing’ VAX HORROR Striken Scots 'gaslit' by health bosses after complications from Covid vaccine Georgia proudly showed the patches across her skin and said she's found the "beauty" in it. Earlier this year, she begged fans to "be kind" as she told how the condition had spread. 6 She is best-known for playing Corrie's Katy Armstrong Credit: ITV 6 Georgia previously pleaded for fans to 'be kind' as she opened up on her Vitiligo Credit: Instagram 6 Georgia now works as a nail technician Credit: InstagramIt was easier to take a charge back then, and Steven Ashworth tried as often as he could. Every day was a competition in practice for Utah State’s freshman point guards, Ashworth and Rollie Worster. They came from different backgrounds. Ashworth was a knockdown shooter. Worster, once a high school quarterback, was bigger and burlier. But the skinny Ashworth had timing and willingness to take a hit from Worster’s 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. It was a common sight and emblematic of their contrasting approaches challenging one another, forcing development. Creighton's Steven Ashworth (1) goes up for a 3-pointer against Tennessee's Zakai Zeigler (5) during an NCAA Tournament game last March. Worster and Ashworth were only teammates for one season, which ended in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Four years, three trips into the transfer portal and 188 games later, their paths again converge in Omaha on Friday, likely for the last time in their college careers as Worster’s Nebraska plays Ashworth’s Creighton at 7 p.m. inside CHI Health Center. People are also reading... “You always hear it’s a small world," Worster said, 'but especially in athletics it’s really small." Said Ashworth: “Obviously, we’ve followed each other’s careers, and we started off together in the same spot then went our separate ways. But a lot of respect for him and his game, and (I’m) excited to see him on Friday.” Worster came to Utah State as the two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year. Ashworth, originally from Lone Peak, Utah, had just finished a two-year mission in Indianapolis for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He progressed rapidly over the course of his freshman season, settling back in the daily grind of basketball. Rarely did they share the floor during games. Of Utah State’s 10 most used lineups that season, two of them included both, according to KenPom. The combinations added up to 6% of the Aggies’ total minutes. With Ashworth on the court, the Aggies often pushed the pace. Worster was slower, more methodical. But Worster got an up-close look at Ashworth from playing on opposite teams in practice and watching when Ashworth ran the offense. Worster tried to learn from his teammate’s shooting ability. He watched the way Ashworth moved when he had the ball, the high basketball IQ of someone who was small even by Mountain West point guard standards. “Some nights were my night, some nights were his, and I think just being able to grow from each other,” Worster said. “We both had freshman mistakes and a little bit different playing styles, but I think just to see how you watch everyone play and pick up on things or see things that maybe you do or don’t do that you can get better at.” Nebraska's Rollie Worster (24) shoots a layup while defended by Texas Rio Grande Valley's Marshal Destremau (left) and Trey Miller (right) on Nov. 4 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Aggies made the NCAA tournament as an 11 seed, falling to Texas Tech in Bloomington, Indiana, an hour from where Ashworth had completed his mission. Then they scattered. USU coach Craig Smith, a former Nebraska assistant, took a new job at the University of Utah. Worster joined Smith while Ashworth played at Utah State for another two years, leaving for Creighton after the 2022-23 season. Life, in Utah and Nebraska, has gone on for both. Worster transferred to Nebraska in April to finish his college career at his third school. Ashworth is now married and has a son. They’ve stayed in occasional contact in the four years since, sometimes running into each other in Utah airports. Friday will serve a full-circle moment, one more connection to their previous lives. “We’ve talked a little bit,” Worster said. “We’re rivals now so it’s a little different, but I just wish him the best success going forward.” Photos: Nebraska men's basketball vs. Fairleigh-Dickinson — Nov. 13 Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (right) loses control of the ball while guarded by Fairleigh Dickinson's Jameel Morris (1) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Rollie Worster (right) shoots against Fairleigh Dickinson's Jo'el Emanuel (13) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3), Rollie Worster (24) and Sam Hoiberg (1) defend a shot by Fairleigh Dickinson's Terrence Brown (2) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. A foul was called on Nebraska during the play. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (center) runs out onto the court before the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3) waits for his name to be called during lineup announcements before the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Williams shaved his beard since the last game. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (left) celebrates a 3-pointer by his teammate during the second half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Juwan Gary (right) shoots while guarded by Fairleigh Dickinson's Jo'el Emanuel (13) on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska fan Brenda John, of Lincoln, wears a corncob shirt as she cheers during the first half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Andrew Morgan (23) shoots the ball while defended by Fairleigh Dickinson's Jacob Warren (35) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (1) and Cale Jacobsen (31) celebrate a point during the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3) shoots a 3-pointer during the first half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3) shoots a free-throw during the first half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Ahron Ulis (2), Andrew Morgan (23) and Gavin Griffiths (12) wait for play to resume after a timeout during the second half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (1) celebrates during the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (left) shoots a layup while defended by Fairleigh Dickinson's Bismark Nsiah (7) during the first half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Berke Büyüktuncel (9) shoots the ball while guarded by Fairleigh Dickinson's Josiah Francis (15) during the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (31) shoots the ball during the first half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska assistant coach Nate Loenser (left) speaks to Berke Büyüktuncel (9) during the second half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Fairleigh Dickinson's Cameron Tweedy (21) knocks the ball loose from Nebraska's Ahron Ulis (2) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Berke Büyüktuncel (9) celebrates during the second half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Brice Williams (3) shoots the ball during the second half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg watches his team play during the second half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Sam Hoiberg (1) drives to the basket while guarded by Fairleigh Dickinson's Jacob Warren (35) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Henry Burt (35) goes up for a shot against Fairleigh Dickinson's Ahmed Barba-Bey (8) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Jeffrey Grace III (8) shoots the ball over Fairleigh Dickinson's Jacob Warren (35) during the second half of the game on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Jeffrey Grace III (8) looks back and reacts at his bench after being fouled during the second half of the game against FDU on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska's Cale Jacobsen (31) drives to the basket during the second half of the game against Farleigh Dickinson on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Subscribe for the best Husker news & commentary Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
By Jody Godoy NEW YORK (Reuters) – Facebook owner Meta Platforms will face trial in April over the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s allegations that the social media platform bought Instagram and WhatsApp to crush emerging competition, a judge in Washington said on Monday. The FTC sued in 2020, during the Trump administration, alleging the company acted illegally to maintain a monopoly on personal social networks. Meta, then known as Facebook, overpaid for Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to eliminate nascent threats instead of competing on its own in the mobile ecosystem, the FTC claims. Judge James Boasberg set trial in the case for April 14. Boasberg earlier this month rejected Meta’s argument that the case should be dismissed as it depends on an overly narrow view of social media markets. The lawsuit does not account for competition from ByteDance’s TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube, X, and Microsoft’s LinkedIn, Meta had argued. Boasberg said that while the case should go forward to trial, “time and technological change pose serious challenges” to the FTC’s market definition. “The Commission faces hard questions about whether its claims can hold up in the crucible of trial. Indeed, its positions at times strain this country’s creaking antitrust precedents to their limits,” the judge said in the Nov. 13 ruling. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );
( MENAFN - GetNews) Miami, FL - December 16, 2024 - Magic Publishers , creator of unique spiritual tools, announces the release of its Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck, a new tarot deck that merges traditional art with the power of AI-generated art. Developed using OpenAI's DALL-E technology, this deck brings the culturally rich symbolism of Santa Muerte to life through AI-generated designs, offering a modern twist on spiritual practices. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck raises a critical discussion in the art world today: Does AI art require an artist to create it? For Magic Publishers founder Nait Sabes, the answer is yes. “While AI technology provides powerful tools, it is the artist's vision and craftsmanship that guide the process. Just as photography was once questioned as an art, AI art is an extension of human creativity, not a replacement,” Sabes explained. The deck's creator emphasizes that this project, which took over 400 hours to complete, is a testament to the collaboration between technology and artistic mastery. Santa Muerte, a figure with deep cultural significance, traces its origins back to the colonization of Mexico when indigenous devotees secretly worshiped her during times of persecution. The figure of Santa Muerte embodies love, protection, and the connection between life and death, unlike the traditional grim reaper, making her a symbol of profound spiritual strength. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck is unique in that it highlights the colors and symbolism that devotees of Santa Muerte hold dear, offering a fresh perspective on tarot. It challenges traditional tarot imagery, such as the Rider-Waite tarot deck, while embracing Santa Muerte's powerful narrative. By combining AI with rich cultural storytelling, Magic Publishers opens up new possibilities for tarot cards with guidebooks, offering users a deeper understanding of spiritual practices. While AI art has been met with some skepticism, it is clear that when used thoughtfully, Sabes believes that AI can enhance human artistry. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck demonstrates this intersection, offering a harmonious blend of innovation and tradition. “Just like a translator of poetry from one language to another must themselves be a poet, an artist creating computer-art must themselves be an artist,” Sabes explained. For more information on the deck's physical copy on Amazon, visit this link . To download the digital version on Deckible, click here . About Magic Publishers Magic Publishers creates unique spiritual tools that combine tradition and innovation. The Santa Muerte Colors Tarot Deck features 78 beautifully designed cards, inspired by the powerful Santa Muerte tradition. Each card offers vibrant artwork and rich symbolism, providing clarity and intuitive insights for readers of all levels. Available in both physical and digital formats, this new tarot deck empowers individuals on their spiritual journey, blending mystery and self-discovery with every reading. MENAFN16122024003238003268ID1108999855 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Supporting Government in an Era of Digital Service Delivery
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