NoneIreland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records show

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Tesla Inc TSLA is the top stock pick in the automotive sector for 2025, Morgan Stanley analysts led by Adam Jonas said in a note covering electric vehicles (EVs). Tesla Top Stock Pick: Jonas’ note came ahead of Tesla hitting new all-time highs Wednesday. Jonas reiterated an Overweight rating on Tesla and raised the price target from $310 to $400. "Elon Musk's entry into the political sphere has expanded investor thinking around Tesla's fundamental outlook," Jonas said of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Tesla stock rallied since the 2024 presidential election. The big question is whether the move is temporary or the start of more to come. "Will Tesla begin to play a greater role in the US renewable/autonomous industrial complex?" Jonas asks. Jonas said client conversation see enthusiasm for AI, data centers, renewable energy and robotics. The conversations acknowledge that it's important for the U.S. to be a leader in these sectors, Jonas added. "Based on our discussions, at least, Tesla is very frequently excluded from the potential paths of expression in a portfolio." Tesla's total addressable market outside of its core automotive market is likely to expand. It might not be included in financial models for the stock, Jonas said. Jonas said there could be risks on Tesla's autonomous vehicles and more items over time. But the close relationship between Musk and President-elect Donald Trump could prove key to unlocking value. Government and industrial partnerships could prove key for growth in EVs, autonomous vehicles and robotics, Jonas added. "Elon Musk's emergence from a political ‘outsider' to having a voice in potential policies may, at some level, accelerate Tesla's journey beyond autos." You may not be a billionaire like Elon Musk, but you can uncover hidden gems in the stock market using our proprietary data and pattern recognition — check out five stocks flying under the radar that deserve your attention. Other Auto Picks: Outside of Tesla, Jonas and team see a "bumpy road" ahead for EVs and autonomous vehicles. "The US election result has extended the ‘ICE is Nice' trade for a bit longer but keep on the lookout for hidden value in the EV ecosystem into the 2H," Jonas said. Jonas upgraded General Motors GM from Underweight to Equal-Weight and raised the price target from $46 to $54. The analyst said smaller EV companies could be the most at risk with the new administration. Trump promised to end EV credits . "While Tesla may see share gain long term even with a less supportive EV regulatory backdrop, smaller scale EV start-ups Rivian and Lucid may see greater risks to production." Jonas has an Equal-Weight rating on Rivian Automotive RIVN and an Underweight rating on Lucid Group LCID . Rivian's valuation has the appropriate risk/reward for the balance between trying to achieve profitability and trying to get value out of its technology, the analyst added. Price Action : Tesla stock closed Wednesday 5.93% higher at $424.77, hitting new all-time highs of $424.88 during the trading session. Tesla stock is up 71% year-to-date in 2024. Read Next: Tesla Q3 Earnings Highlights: EPS Beat, Revenue Miss, Shares Climb On 2025 Timeline For Lower-Cost EVs Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Irish civil servants compiled a list of “major leaks” they claimed originated from the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and Special Branch officers in the region, records show. The confidential briefing note is part of the tranche of documents made public in the annual release of State papers from the Irish National Archives. An Irish Department of Foreign Affairs official focusing on justice and security created the list in October 2002. The document starts by referencing a 1999 interview given by George Mitchell, the chairman of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, in which he claimed the British and Irish governments, as well as Northern Ireland’s political parties, had leaked information to manipulate public opinion. However, he further accused the NIO of attempting to sabotage the process by leaking information on British Government policy to the media. Mr Mitchell, a former US senator, is said to have expressed alarm and anger over the frequency of leaks from the NIO – saying they were uniquely “designed to undermine the policy of the British Government of which they were a part”. The Irish civil servant notes Mr Mitchell himself was subjected to an attempted “smear” when he first arrived in Northern Ireland, as newspaper articles falsely claimed his chief of staff Martha Pope had had a liaison with Sinn Fein representative Gerry Kelly with ulterior motives. The Irish civil servant goes on to list several “leaks”, starting with the publication of a proposed deal in a newspaper while “intense negotiations” for the Downing Street Declaration were under way. Next, the Department lists two “high-profile and damaging leaks issued from the NIO”. A so-called “gameplan” document was leaked in February 1998, showing papers had been prepared weeks before the Drumcree march on July 6, 1997. In the preceding years, there had been standoffs and clashes as nationalists opposed the procession of an Orange parade down Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The gameplan document showed then secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam, who was publicly expressing a desire for a negotiated solution to the 1997 parade, advocated “finding the lowest common denominator for getting some Orange feet on the Garvaghy Road”. In 1997, a large number of security forces were deployed to the area to allow the march to proceed. The incident sparked heightened tension and a wave of rioting. The document further describes the release of a document submitted by the NIO’s director of communications to the secretary of state as a “second major leak”. It claims a publicity strategy was released to the DUP in the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement and showed how the UK Government would support a yes vote in a referendum following any talks agreement. In addition, it is claimed unionists used leaked sections of the Patten report on policing to invalidate its findings ahead of its publication in 1999. The report recommended the replacement of the Royal Ulster Constabulary with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the changing of symbols, and a 50-50 recruitment policy for Catholics and Protestants. At the time, UUP leader David Trimble said the recommendations would lead to a corruption of policing in Northern Ireland. Chris Patten, chairman of the independent commission on policing, said some of the assertions were a “total fabrication” and designed to “muddy the waters” to create a difficult political atmosphere. Elsewhere, the author notes it was leaked to the media there was serious disagreement between the governments of the UK and Ireland on the composition of that commission – with not a single name submitted by the Irish side being accepted by the other. The author notes this incident, still under the heading “NIO leaks”, was believed by British officials to have emanated from the Irish side. The report turns to leaks of other origin, claiming “disgruntled Special Branch officers in Northern Ireland” were blamed by the British Government for a series of releases about the IRA which were designed to damage Sinn Fein in the 2001 general election in Northern Ireland. One senior Whitehall source was quoted in the Guardian as complaining that Special Branch was “leaking like a sieve” after details of an IRA intelligence database containing the names of leading Tories – described at the time as a “hit list” – was passed to the BBC in April 2002. The briefing note adds: “This was followed days later by a leak to The Sunday Telegraph which alleged that senior IRA commanders bought Russian special forces rifles in Moscow last year. “The newspaper said it was passed details by military intelligence in London.” The briefing note adds that other Special Branch leaks were associated with the Castlereagh break-in. The final incident in the document notes the Police Ombudsman’s Report on the Omagh bombing was also leaked to the press in December 2001. Then Northern Ireland secretary John Reid said at the time: “Leaks are never helpful and usually malicious – I will not be commenting on this report until I have seen the final version.” The reason for creating the list of leaks, which the Irish National Archives holds in a folder alongside briefing notes for ministers ahead of meetings with officials from the UK Government and NIO, is not outlined in the document itself. – This document is based on material in 2024/130/6.

Paulo Dybala could return to the Roma starting lineup when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League in North London on Thursday night. The elegant attacker played just three minutes off the bench in the 1-0 defeat to Napoli at the weekend, after missing the previous outing against Bologna, and the international break with Argentina. When on the field, Dybala has been magical for the Giallorossi, contributing to 53 goals in just over two years at the club, but he is not on it enough, starting just seven of Roma's 17 games so far this season. Dybala also has history with Spurs, as he was the man who scored the winning goal at Wembley when Juventus knocked them out of the Champions League in 2018 - the only previous time they have lost at home to an Italian club in UEFA competition. The Argentine is one of a number of players who could start behind Artem Dovbyk in attack, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Matias Soule also in contention to start. New manager Claudio Ranieri only made one change for his first game in charge, replacing Soule with Pellegrini, but there were big changes tactically, as he has reverted to a 4-4-2 system, binning Juric's 3-4-3 approach. Nicola Zalewski , Tommaso Baldanzi and Enzo Le Fee have all seen their game time greatly reduced recently, so will hope that the new manager will give them an opportunity to prove themselves here. Mats Hummels is another player who could return to the fold, because he was not seen for a month after scoring an own goal and conceding five against Fiorentina, but looked much more competent as a second-half substitute against Napoli on Sunday. Mario Hermoso could also return in defence soon, with Alexis Saelemaekers making good progress in his recovery from an ankle injury too, but Eldor Shomurodov will not be available until next month. Roma possible starting lineup: Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Hummels, Angelino; Soule, Baldanzi, Cristante, Zalewski; Dybala, Dovbyk Click here to see how Spurs could line up for this Europa League clash.PL fairytale hits near 30-year first as former powerhouse’s bid to rediscover glory days ramps up

Picket line blocks bus from Woolworths’ warehouse despite Fair Work rulingCopy link Copied Copy link Copied Key Posts NSW moves to protect worship sites after synagogue attack and protest Trump welcomed by Macron, joined by Zelensky for talks Syrian rebels advance on Damascus threatening Assad’s rule AAP Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Most Viewed In Politics— BORN: Oct. 1, 1924, at the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia, the first U.S. president born in a hospital. He would become the first president to live for an entire century . — EDUCATION: Plains High School, Plains, Georgia, 1939-1941; Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Georgia, 1941-1942; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1942-1943; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 1943-1946 (class of 1947); Union College, Schenectady, New York, 1952-1953. — PRESIDENCY: Sworn-in as 39th president of the United States at the age of 52 years, 3 months and 20 days on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. — POST-PRESIDENCY: Launched The Carter Center in 1982. Began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in 1984. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Taught for 37 years at Emory University, where he was granted tenure in 2019, at age 94. — OTHER ELECTED OFFICES: Georgia state senator, 1963-1967; Georgia governor, 1971-1975. — OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Served in U.S. Navy, achieved rank of lieutenant, 1946-53; Farmer, warehouseman, Plains, Georgia, 1953-77. — FAMILY: Wife, Rosalynn Smith Carter , married July 7, 1946 until her death Nov. 19, 2023. They had three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff); a daughter, Amy Lynn; and 11 living grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Source: Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

Shares of UnitedHealth Group ( UNH -5.07% ) fell for the second session in a row today as investors seem to be reckoning with the backlash against the company following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday morning. UnitedHealth stock finished the day down 5.1% after losing 5.2% on Thursday. Other health insurance stocks also slipped, even as the broad market gained on a strong jobs report. Is the business model under threat? Today's sell-off comes even as some analysts raised their price target in response to the company's earlier 2025 guidance, which it released after hours on Tuesday ahead of an investor conference that was canceled after Thompson, who headed the company's insurance division, was killed. Across social media and in comments sections in news articles, there has been a substantial outcry against the company's insurance practices, in particular its denial rate and its use of AI to deny coverage. One widely shared chart showed UnitedHealth denies 32% of claims, more than any other insurer and double the industry average. Dean Phillips, the congressman representing UnitedHealth's home district in Minnesota, acknowledged the insurance crisis in a post on X, and concluded, "The real culprit is Congress and money in politics, and it's time for change." What's next for UnitedHealth? It's unclear what the ultimate fallout will be from the event, or if anything will change for the health insurance industry. For the moment, however, the issue has captured the nation's attention, and investors seemed to be surprised by the level of outrage directed at the company. There could be ESG -related calls for institutional investors to divest from UnitedHealth and other health insurance stocks, or there could be changes at the regulatory level that impact profits at UnitedHealth and its peers. In its filing, UnitedHealth forecast adjusted earnings of $29.50 to $30 in 2025, up from the $27.50-$27.75 it's forecasting for 2024, showing the company continues to expect steady bottom-line growth even as it faces rising costs from an aging population.(The Center Square) – The U.S. Government Accountability Office says leadership is needed to fully define quantum threat mitigation strategy. A new report released by the agency emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive federal leadership to address the emerging cybersecurity risks posed by quantum computing, warning that without prompt and coordinated action, adversarial nations might exploit quantum technology to undermine national security. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Published 9:20 pm Sunday, December 29, 2024 By Data Skrive The New Orleans Pelicans (5-27) are underdogs (+6.5) as they try to stop a nine-game losing streak when they host the Los Angeles Clippers (18-13) at 8:00 PM ET on Monday, December 30, 2024 at Smoothie King Center. The game airs on Gulf Coast Sports and FDSSC. Place your bets on any NBA matchup at BetMGM. Sign up today using our link. Catch NBA action all season long on Fubo. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. Under (221.5) Put your picks to the test and bet on the Clippers with BetMGM Sportsbook. Looking for officially licensed NBA gear? Fanatics has jerseys, hats, apparel, memorabilia, trading cards, collectibles and more. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .I used Amazon noise cancelling headphones on a long haul flight and slept the whole way'

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-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email Melania Trump said her son Barron Trump was a critical part of President-elect Donald Trump 's winning campaign. During a stop by "Fox & Friends" on Friday, the soon-to-be first lady said her 18-year-old son with Trump was “very vocal” about how his father should reach out to young people. "He brought in so many young people," she said. "He knows his generation." "Nowadays, the young generation doesn't sit in front of TV anymore," she continued. "It was incredible how he brought in success. He knew exactly who his father needed to contact and talk to." Melania's interview confirmed a report by Time that Barron acted as his father's unofficial new media consultant. The outlet's post-mortem of the election revealed that Donald Trump was approached in July by a GOP operative carrying a list of podcast appearances to consider. Related How this dark-horse hard seltzer helped reelect Donald Trump "Have you talked this over with Barron?" Trump reportedly said. "Call Barron and see what he thinks and let me know." The morning show also played a viral clip of typically silent Barron speaking, juxtaposing it with a clip of him as an eight-year-old. In the 2010 video, Barron still carries a Slovenian accent to match his mother's. "I'm very proud of him about his [knowledge of politics] and giving advice to his father," she said. Watch the full interview below: Read more about Melania Trump The play behind Melania Trump's delayed defense of her nude pictures "I felt a deep responsibility to respect tradition": Melania Trump recounts Rose Garden revamp "It was a mess": Melania Trump "questions the results" of 2020 election in new memoir MORE FROM Alex Galbraith Advertisement: