WASHINGTON — Ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz allegedly paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and bought and used illegal drugs during more than 20 parties with female escorts, a congressional report said Monday. A final report from the House Ethics Committee accuses the former Florida lawmaker, who was briefly nominated to be President-elect Trump’s attorney general, of illegally paying thousands of dollars for sex with paid escorts, including the underage girl. He also bought and used illegal drugs including ecstasy and cocaine at parties with the women in Florida and on vacation jaunts, the report said. “There is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the 37-page report said. The final report, which says Gaetz likely broke numerous state laws, was released after the House Ethics Committee voted to publicly release it in a reversal of its usual policy. Gaetz sued the committee in federal court on Monday, in a failed effort to block release of the report. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses,” Gaetz tweeted. Gaetz, 42, an outspoken conservative Republican, has denied breaking any laws and says he is being smeared by political enemies, although he admits partying too hard in his younger years. Federal prosecutors investigated Gaetz for violating sex trafficking laws in relation to much of the same conduct but declined to charge him. The report details nearly $100,000 in payments from Gaetz to a dozen women for either sex or drugs during about 20 encounters, all of which took place after he was elected to represent a deep-red congressional district in the Florida Panhandle in 2016. “From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use,” noted the report, which lists payments totaling more than $90,000 to 12 different women. All of the encounters were consensual, although one of the women told the committee the escorts were too impaired to consent to sex at times. “When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated,” one woman told the panel, the report said. A Florida woman told the committee she was just 17 and had recently finished her junior year in high school when Gaetz had sex with her twice at a 2017 house party. He paid her $400 cash after the encounters, the report said. The woman said she didn’t tell Gaetz she was underage and he didn’t ask. He has emphatically denied ever having sex with any underage girl. One the report’s most lurid findings surrounded allegations of a drug-fueled 2018 jaunt to the Bahamas, bankrolled by marijuana lobbyists, during which witnesses said Gaetz took ecstasy and had sex with at least four paid escorts. The trip skirted rules limiting gifts to lawmakers, the report said. Gaetz won reelection in November to what would have been a fourth term in Congress. But he resigned on the day Trump nominated him for attorney general in an apparent ploy to prevent release of the damning report. His bid to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer imploded within a matter of days. Not long after that, Gaetz inked a deal with One America News. He plans to join the right-ring network’s primetime lineup in January. The Republican-led panel initially voted against releasing the report because Gaetz was no longer in Congress. But it made a surprising U-turn at a closed-door meeting and voted to release the final version.

Erik Pratt scores 20 as Milwaukee defeats North Central College 92-57BHP Group expects a global copper deficit of 10 million metric tons a decade from now, a shortfall that is driving its plans to spend at least $11 billion at the world’s biggest copper mine, Escondida, and other projects in Chile. BHP detailed to investors this week plans to spend $10.7 billion to $14.7 billion within about 10 years to extract more copper from Escondida and the smaller Spence mine, and restart the Cerro Colorado mine. The world’s biggest listed miner’s annual production is set to fall by around 300,000 tons to 1.6 million tons by the end of the decade, largely driven by a slump at Escondida that is expected to peak in 2025. Other top copper miners are facing similar challenges to increase output at aging mines. Those difficulties are hitting just as demand for copper, an essential metal for production of electric-vehicle batteries and construction of data centers, is expected to grow. “We think the deficit is going to be around 10 million tons by 2035,” BHP Americas President Brandon Craig told Reuters in an interview on Thursday, estimating a $250-billion cost to develop enough mines to match demand. “That’s quite a challenging task for mining companies.” The amount represents a little under half of current global production, with copper mine output at 22.4 million tons last year. BHP is contending with diminishing ore grades at Escondida, which it aims to offset through expanded and new processing facilities, plus leaching technologies to extract copper from sulphide, rather than oxide where copper is more commonly mined. BHP’s heaviest spending is anticipated around fiscal years 2030 and 2031, Craig said, referring to a schedule that outlines four Escondida projects and three at the Pampa Norte division, which includes Spence and Cerro Colorado. The earliest projects are set for first production between 2027 and 2028, and the latest ones between 2031 and 2032. BHP sought this year to boost its copper portfolio in a $49-billion bid for Anglo American AAL.L, but was rebuffed. BHP has not ruled out a renewed bid. Asked about organic growth versus acquisitions, Craig said BHP is keen on maximizing Escondida, Spence and Cerro Colorado. “Our default is to take that resource and develop it ... We always have a set of investable growth options.” BHP aims to stagger the timing of Chile projects to keep them from “becoming too intense to be able to execute effectively,” he added. BHP is also working with industry associations to press the Chilean government to finalize reforms for faster permitting, but for now anticipates the standard timeline. “The legal time frames that they set out for how long it should take are often exceeded, so it creates a high degree of uncertainty,” he said. Although the company previously explored an underground expansion for Escondida, Craig said the idea was not feasible at current copper prices for at least another decade. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 is down around 20% from its 2024 peak in May, at around $8,995 per metric ton. He also said the miner set aside past interest in selling Cerro Colorado, which was put into temporary care and maintenance late last year amid issues over water use. The miner is now looking for a leaching solution using seawater. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon and Fabian Cambero; Editing by Rod Nickel)

Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released, the White House has announced, in a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration. Login or signup to continue reading The three are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, all of whom had been designated by the US government as wrongfully detained by China. Swidan had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were imprisoned on espionage charges. "Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," the White House said in a statement. The release comes two months after China freed David Lin, a Christian pastor from California who had spent nearly 20 years behind bars after being convicted of contract fraud. US-China relations have been roiled for years over major disagreements on trade, human rights, the production of fentanyl precursors, security issues that include espionage and hacking, China's aggressiveness toward Taiwan and its smaller neighbours in the South China Sea, and Beijing's support for Russia's military-industrial sector. The release of Americans deemed wrongfully detained in China has been a top agenda item in each conversation between the US and China. The development suggests a willingness by Beijing to engage with the outgoing Democratic administration before Republican President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House in January. Trump took significant actions against China on trade and diplomacy during his first term. He has pledged to continue those policies in his second term, leading to unease among many who fear that an all-out trade war will greatly affect the international economy and could spur potential Chinese military action against Taiwan. The State Department on Wednesday lowered its travel warning to China to "level two," advising US citizens to "exercise increased caution" from the norm when travelling to the mainland. The alert had previously been at "level three," telling Americans they should "reconsider travel" to China in part because of the "risk of wrongful detention" of Americans. The new alert retains a warning that the Chinese government "arbitrarily enforces local laws, including exit bans on US citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process under the law." The White House has not confirmed whether any Chinese citizens in American custody had been returned home in a prisoner swap. Senators from both political parties praised the move. Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, where Swidan's mother lives, said he was "overjoyed" and credited senior Biden administration officials for having "worked tirelessly to secure this achievement." Li, a Chinese immigrant who started an export business in the US and lived in New York, was detained in September 2016 after flying into Shanghai. He was placed under surveillance, interrogated without a lawyer and accused of providing state secrets to the FBI. A UN working group called his 10-year prison sentence arbitrary and his family has said the charges were politically motivated. Leung was sentenced last year to life in prison on spying charges. He was detained in 2021, by the local bureau of China's counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19. Swidan had been jailed for the last 12 years on a drug charge and, along with Li and Leung, was considered by the State Department to be wrongfully detained. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!(AP) — Less than a month after winning the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are spending big again to add one of baseball’s best pitchers to their star-studded roster. Blake Snell and the Dodgers agreed to a $182 million, five-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal is subject to a successful physical. The two-time Cy Young Award winner broke the news personally by posting a photo of himself on social media in a Dodgers uniform — No. 7. Snell gets a $52 million signing bonus, payable on Jan. 20, and annual salaries of $26 million, of which $13 million each year will be deferred. Because Snell is a Washington state resident, the signing bonus will not be subject to California income tax. Snell would join two-way star Shohei Ohtani and fellow Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop Los Angeles’ rotation, giving the Dodgers the first megadeal this offseason following Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract and Yamamoto’s $325 million, 12-year agreement last offseason. Ohtani didn’t pitch this year while recovering from right elbow surgery but is expected back on the mound in 2025. He won his third MVP award — first in the National League — following a huge season at the plate exclusively as a designated hitter. Yamamoto went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts as a rookie, then won twice in four October outings. Down to three healthy starting pitchers during the postseason, Los Angeles overcame a string of injuries to its projected rotation in winning the franchise’s second World Series title in five years. Right-handers Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler then became free agents this fall, creating more voids on the staff. But the addition of Snell would fill a large one at the top with a legitimate ace. Snell’s $36.4 million average salary would rank as the fifth-highest among active deals next year behind Ohtani ($70 million), Philadelphia pitcher Zack Wheeler ($42 million), New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge ($40 million) and Texas pitcher Jacob deGrom ($37 million). Among expired contracts, it also was exceeded by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander (both $43.33 million) under deals they agreed to with the New York Mets. ESPN first reported the details of Snell’s contract. Earlier this month, Snell opted out of his deal with San Francisco to become a free agent for the second consecutive offseason after he was slowed by injuries during his lone year with the Giants. The left-hander agreed in March to a $62 milli on, two-year contract that inc luded a $17 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, a $15 million salary for 2024 and a $30 million salary for 2025, of which $15 million would have been deferred and payable on July 1, 2027. Snell, who turns 32 next week, went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts this year, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. He struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings. He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin. Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76 -58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants. Because he turned down a qualifying offer from San Diego last November, the Giants were not eligible to give Snell another one and won’t receive draft-pick compensation. Los Angeles expects All-Star right-hander Tyler Glasnow and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw back in the rotation next year. Other starting candidates if healthy include right-handers Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Bobby Miller. Ohtani is coming off right elbow surgery in September 2023 and left shoulder surgery on Nov. 5. Glasnow didn’t pitch after Aug. 11 because of right elbow tendinitis. Kershaw, who turns 37 in March, had foot and knee surgeries on Nov. 7. He declined a $10 milli on player option in favor of free agency, but is expected to return to Los Angeles. May is coming back from Tommy John surgery in July 2023 and from an operation this past July to repair a tear in his esophagus. Gonsolin spent 2024 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Miller, an 11-game winner as a rookie in 2023, was sidelined early this season by shoulder inflammation. He struggled to a 2-4 record with an 8.52 ERA in 13 big league starts and ended the regular season in the minors. Yamamoto was sidelined by right triceps tightness between June 15 and Sept. 10, then returned and went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four postseason starts.

I'M a Celebrity fans have backed our Jane Moore for calling out Dean McCullough after he threw a strop over camp chores. Tonight's episode of I'm a Celebrity saw Loose Women star and Sun columnist Jane , 62, forced to hit back at Dean , 32. The radio presenter accused Jane of "sleeping all day" following her terrifying trial on Tuesday night. As Dean continued to moan about his own job - collecting the water with Melvin Odoom - Jane pointed out that she got straight to work on camp chores when she returned after the challenge. And fans were quick to jump to Jane's defence on social media, with some recalling Dean's row with Alan Hasall over being woken up . One wrote: "Sorry Dean having a pop at Jane about her sleeping after a trial. More on I'm a Celebrity "Yet we forgetting what happened when Alan asked him to get up when he was sleeping to help??" Another said: "Not Dean saying 'you weren’t your best self, Jane' when his best self is f****** awful." And a third added: "Dean shouting at Jane for being tired after doing a trial meanwhile he hasn’t done one in days and hasn’t been helping with his chores." Dean's fall-out with Alan came after he decided to take a nap instead of helping Jane with chores. Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 After Alan stepped in, Dean squared up to him and said: “Listen to me. If you’re gonna wake me up, you need to give me a minute, alright? "It takes a couple of minutes for my contact lenses to get back working again, alright? "So you don’t need to turn around to me and say, ‘Do you not fancy it, OK?’ And then turn around and walk away.” Alan responded: “I’ve listened to you. Jane was halfway down here, that’s why I went." ITV is logging all votes online at itv.com/vote or you can download the I’m A Celebrity app on your phone. Every time Ant and Dec announce a new trial you can cast five votes. Jane would love you to use all of them to get her another Bushtucker challenge. Later this week, vote to SAVE Jane from eviction.US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, setting another new high above $99,000. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Supreme Court steps into fight over FCC's $8 billion subsidies for internet and phone services WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has stepped into a major legal fight over the $8 billion a year the federal government spends to subsidize phone and internet services in schools, libraries and rural areas, in a new test of federal regulatory power. The justices on Friday agreed to review an appellate ruling that struck down as unconstitutional the Universal Service Fund. The Federal Communications Commission collects money from telecommunications providers, who then pass the cost on to their customers. The Biden administration appealed the lower court ruling, but the case probably won’t be argued until late March. At that point, the Trump administration will be in place and it is not clear whether it will take a different view of the issue. Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, giving the market its fifth gain in a row and notching another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The Dow added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tacked on 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts' estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. Australia rejects Elon Musk's claim that it plans to control access to the internet MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian Cabinet minister has rejected X Corp. owner Elon Musk’s allegation that the government intends to control all Australians' access to the internet through legislation that would ban young children from social media. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Friday that Musk’s criticism was “unsurprising” after the government introduced legislation to Parliament that would fine platforms including X up to $133 million for allowing children under 16 to hold social media accounts. The spat continues months of open hostility between the Australian government and the tech billionaire over regulators’ efforts to reduce public harm from social media. Parliament could pass the legislation as soon as next week. Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 has been federally indicted in connection with alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in California. The Texas-based company is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater containing excessive amounts of oil and grease. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment on Thursday. Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. An arraignment date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company said it was cooperating with prosecutors. US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. New York judge rejects state efforts to shutter bitcoin mine over climate concerns NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge has rejected an effort by state regulators to shutter a bitcoin mine over concerns about its greenhouse gas emissions. The decision will allow the Greenidge power plant to continue operating in the Finger Lakes region of the state. The state had previously found the gas-powered crypto mine ran afoul of a climate law intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But on Thursday, a state Supreme Court judge found Greenidge was entitled to a process to defend its continued operation. Environmental groups have protested the facility, which they allege is pumping emissions into the air while contaminating the nearby Seneca Lake. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. Apple and Google face UK investigation into mobile browser dominance LONDON (AP) — A British watchdog says Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers. The watchdog's report Friday recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year. The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker’s tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. The CMA’s report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers “the clearest or easiest option.” Apple said it disagreed with the findings.

Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestionFor one of the best remaining Cyber Week computer deals , head to Dell right now. Currently, you can buy the a Dell XPS Desktop with GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card for $600 off. Normally $2,345, it’s down to $1,745, which is a great price for a desktop PC that is fairly well suited for gaming. All you need is to add one of the best monitor deals and you’re all set. Here’s what this desktop has to offer. Why you should buy the Dell XPS Desktop Well suited for gaming as well as working effectively from home, this Dell XPS Desktop is packed with great hardware. It has a 14th generation Intel Core i9-14900K CPU , which is the CPU that I personally considered kitting out my new gaming PC with. It also has 32GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. Best of all is its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 12GB of dedicated VRAM. That all makes for a PC that is perfect for gaming even if it doesn’t look like a gaming PC. This is easily one of the best desktop PCs around. The only consideration I’d make for gaming is wishing there was more storage space, but that’s easily added at a later date. The Dell XPS Desktop is designed to be roomy yet stylish. It has increased airflow compared to prior Dell XPS Desktops. There is a lot of room for expandability and great cooling options. Cool air travels through the tower’s large chassis well and quietly, and there are plenty of slots for more RAM, another SSD or other components if you so choose. The Dell XPS Desktop is designed with creators in mind, so it looks good and offers plenty of power. Add on one of the best monitors or the best gaming monitors and you’re all set for plenty of fun and creation opportunities. It’s one of the best desktop computers for video editing in this price range. Usually priced at $2,345, the Dell XPS Desktop is down to $1,745 for a limited time only at Dell. It’s a great system for gaming but also for working on any complex projects or creating your own videos or images. If that sounds like you, tap the button below to buy it.

NoneTeaching courses have surged in popularity among students awaiting a university offer but society, culture and health remain Victoria’s most popular study choices. A record 47,500 year 12 graduates will receive first-round offers by Victorian universities, TAFE institutes and independent tertiary colleges on Monday – nearly 4600 more than last year, with further offers to follow in January and February. Methodist Ladies’ College graduate Kate Zhang is waiting on a commerce offer. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui There will be more than 1500 offers made for teaching courses, up by more than 3 per cent on last year to 4.3 per cent of all the offers made on Monday. The fastest growing area of study is management and commerce, comprising 16.5 per cent of Monday’s offers while health-related courses, which includes nursing and biomedical science, remain much sought-after, making up nearly 17 per cent. However, enthusiasm for studying information technology (IT) appears to be on the wane this year, making up just 4.5 per cent of courses offered, down from 5.3 per cent last year. Extensive data on the first-round offers, featuring students, offers and courses, will be available at theage.com.au from 10am on Monday. The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre said prospective students were flocking to society and culture pathways, with courses like arts, law, politics and economics making up more than a fifth of Monday’s offers. International Baccalaureate students in Australia, who have traditionally been forced to wait until January for their university offers, have been included in the December round for the first time this year. Methodist Ladies’ College graduate Kate Zhang said nerves were running high for some students ahead of Monday’s news. Loading Zhang, who completed the IB this year, already has an offer to attend a university overseas, where she would study either social analysis or economics alongside a shorter course in photography. She is expecting another offer from the University of Melbourne for a degree in commerce and will then consider her options. “I’m very privileged to be thinking about the opportunities that I have upcoming,” Zhang said. “I just hope that [on] Monday, everybody who’s worked hard to get to where they are, get their first preference, and if not, something works out for them in the end. “My friends who may have gotten close to the course requirements, but maybe not comfortably above, are feeling a bit nervous as they go into look at which preferences they got granted.” Zhang, whose ATAR was in the high 90s, hoped to visit extended family in China before university started. VTAC chief executive Teresa Tjia said options were still available for school-leavers who were not offered a course on Monday. “If you haven’t received an offer today or have changed your mind about what you wish to study, you can change preferences in your VTAC account until 4pm tomorrow. VTAC will make further offers throughout January and February,” Tjia said. The VTAC boss urged those who landed the course they wanted on Monday to savour the moment. Loading “Celebrate the offer you have received today with your family, friends and teachers,” she said. “Share this exciting achievement with those who have supported you throughout your educational journey.” The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article University Campus Victoria VCE Noel Towell is Education Editor for The Age Connect via Twitter . Most Viewed in National LoadingNamibia will have its first female leader after VP wins presidential election for the ruling party