BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. As they have advanced, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands rushed the Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those that remained open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some shops were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reach the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. Amid the developments, Syria’s state media denied rumors flooding social media that Assad has left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. Assad's chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. Pedersen said a date for the talks in Geneva on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 2254 would be announced later. The resolution, adopted in 2015, called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were also marching from eastern Syria toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told CNN in an interview Thursday from Syria that the aim is to overthrow Assad’s government. The Britain-based Observatory said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle is looming. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support. The Syrian army said in a statement Saturday that it has carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it is setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. Tartus is home to the only Russian naval base outside the former Soviet Union while Latakia is home to a major Russian air base. In the gas-rich nation of Qatar, the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey met to discuss the situation in Syria. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. On Friday, U.S.-backed fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces captured wide parts of the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq as well as the provincial capital that carries the same name. The capture of areas in Deir el-Zour is a blow to Iran’s influence in the region as the area is the gateway to the corridor linking the Mediterranean to Iran, a supply line for Iran-backed fighters, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah. With the capture of a main border crossing with Iraq by the SDF and after opposition fighters took control of the Naseeb border crossing to Jordan in southern Syria, the Syrian government's only gateway to the outside world is the Masnaa border crossing with Lebanon. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.
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SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nutanix, Inc. ("Nutanix") NTNX , a leader in hybrid multicloud computing, today announced its intention to offer, subject to market conditions and other factors, $750 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2029 (the "notes") in a private placement (the "offering") to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Nutanix also expects to grant the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase up to an additional $112.5 million aggregate principal amount of the notes within a 13-day period from, and including, the initial issuance date of the notes. The notes will be unsecured senior obligations of Nutanix. Interest will be payable semi-annually in arrears. The notes will mature on December 15, 2029, unless earlier converted, redeemed, or repurchased. The notes will be convertible at the option of holders, subject to certain conditions and during certain periods. Upon conversion, the notes may be settled in cash, shares of Nutanix's Class A common stock or a combination of cash and shares of Nutanix's Class A common stock, at Nutanix's election. The interest rate, initial conversion rate and other terms of the notes are to be determined at the time of the pricing of the offering. Nutanix intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to (i) repurchase a portion of its outstanding 0.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027 (the "2027 notes") concurrently with the pricing of the offering in separate and privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of its 2027 notes (the "concurrent note repurchases") effected through one of the initial purchasers of the notes or its affiliate, acting as Nutanix's agent, and (ii) repurchase up to $200.0 million of shares of Nutanix's Class A common stock in privately negotiated transactions with institutional investors effected through one of the initial purchasers of the notes or its affiliate, acting as Nutanix's agent, at a price per share equal to the last reported sale price of Nutanix's Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on the date of the pricing of the notes (the "Share Repurchase"). Any such Share Repurchase would not reduce the amount available for future repurchases under Nutanix's existing share repurchase program. Nutanix intends to use the remaining net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures and potential acquisitions. From time to time, Nutanix evaluates potential acquisitions of businesses, technologies or products. Currently, however, Nutanix does not have any understandings or agreements with respect to any acquisitions. The terms of the concurrent note repurchases are anticipated to be individually negotiated with each holder of the 2027 notes participating in the concurrent note repurchases, and will depend on several factors, including the market price of Nutanix's Class A common stock and the trading price of the 2027 notes at the time of each such concurrent note repurchase. Certain holders of any 2027 notes that Nutanix agrees to repurchase may have hedged their equity price risk with respect to such 2027 notes and may, concurrently with the pricing of the notes, unwind all or part of their hedge positions by buying Nutanix's Class A common stock and/or entering into or unwinding various derivative transactions with respect to Nutanix's Class A common stock. Any repurchase of the 2027 notes, and the potential related market activities by holders of the 2027 notes participating in the concurrent note repurchases, together with the repurchase by Nutanix of any of its Class A common stock concurrently with the pricing of the notes, could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Nutanix's Class A common stock, which may affect the trading price of the notes at that time and the initial conversion price of the notes. Nutanix cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the price of the notes or its Class A common stock. No assurance can be given as to how much, if any, of the 2027 notes or the Class A common stock will be repurchased or the terms on which they will be repurchased. Neither the notes nor the shares of Nutanix's Class A common stock potentially issuable upon conversion of the notes, if any, have been, or will be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements. This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale is unlawful. About Nutanix Nutanix is a global leader in cloud software, offering organizations a single platform for running applications and managing data, anywhere. With Nutanix, companies can reduce complexity and simplify operations, freeing them to focus on their business outcomes. Building on its legacy as the pioneer of hyperconverged infrastructure, Nutanix is trusted by companies worldwide to power hybrid multicloud environments consistently, simply, and cost-effectively. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding Nutanix's financing plans, Nutanix's ability to complete the offering, the timing and size of the offering, the concurrent note repurchases and the Share Repurchase, Nutanix's intended use of the net proceeds of the offering. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, whether Nutanix will be able to consummate the offering, the final terms of the offering, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions with respect to the offering of the notes, prevailing market conditions, the anticipated use of the net proceeds of the offering of the notes, which could change as a result of market conditions or for other reasons, and the impact of general economic, industry or political conditions in the United States or internationally. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words "may," "will," "expect," "intend," and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by Nutanix's management that, although believed to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain and subject to a number of risks. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or predicted by Nutanix's forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to other risks detailed in Nutanix's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, and the risks discussed in Nutanix's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Nutanix undertakes no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law. © 2024 Nutanix, Inc. All rights reserved. Nutanix, the Nutanix logo, and all Nutanix product and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or unregistered trademarks of Nutanix, Inc. ("Nutanix") in the United States and other countries. Other brand names or marks mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s). This press release is for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes a warranty or other binding commitment by Nutanix. Investor Contact: Richard Valera ir@nutanix.com Media Contact: Lia Bigano pr@nutanix.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
YOUR favorite childhood toys might still be on store shelves today - but the price tag could give you sticker shock. While a number of iconic toys from decades past are still being sold, hefty price tags on some beloved items might stop buyers in their tracks this holiday season thanks to rising costs due to inflation . Silly Putty, a stretchy material that debuted in 1955, cost just $1 when it first arrived on the scene in an ounce container. Now, shoppers can get their hands on the blobs for $21.24, which is a 2000% price jump. Today's price adjusted for inflation would be $11.73, meaning it's $9 more than its original cost, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index inflation calculator. Silly Putty isn't the only nostalgic toy affected by "toyflation," according to ABC affiliate WMTW. READ MORE ON TOYS MOVIE-THEMED TOYS Star Wars action figures were a hit after the first movie came out in 1977. At the time, the toys retailed at an average price of $2.28 per toy, which would come out to $10.68 in today's adjusted price. The individual items now go for about $16 each on Amazon , while sets of three cost about $30. Transformers toys ranged between $3 and $5 in 1984, which would be about $12 adjusted with today's prices. Most read in Money Now, the toys cost about $25 each on Amazon. SILLYBANDZ Even Sillybandz, a more modern toy first released in 2009, has fallen prey to toyflation. The rubber bands cost $2.50, about $3.65 in today's prices, per 12-pack at the height of their popularity when kids would collect different shapes of the bracelets and trade them on playgrounds. A six-pack of Sillybandz now cost $3.95 each. While toyflation has upped the cost of Sillybandz and Transformers, other toys have gotten cheaper throughout the years. RUBIK'S CUBE The famously confusing Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian puzzler Erno Rubik and immediately found global popularity among kids and adults alike. Beloved toys have become more expensive over the years thanks to rising costs. Some of the nostalgic items hit by toyflation include: Silly Putty Star Wars action figures Transformers Sillybandz Lego sets Source: Hearst Television The puzzle's original price in 1980 was $7.49, which would be $27.65 today. However, shoppers can find it for $9.36 on Amazon. LITE-BRITE The Lite-Brite, which allowed kids to create glowing artwork with light-up pegs, was introduced in 1966. The popular toy was marketed by Hasbro as a "magic light box" and sold for $7.98 in 1967, which would be a whopping $74.53 today. Shoppers can get a Lite-Brite set for $15.49 on Amazon. POTATO HEAD When Mr. Potato Head debuted in 1952, his plastic body parts came with a real potato as a head. After parents complained about their kids' toys rotting, toymakers made the move to plastic in 1964. The iconic toy continued to be popular throughout the years as it was featured in the Toy Story movies, which first came out in 1995 starring Tom Hanks . The toy, including the real spud, cost less than a dollar when it debuted in 1952. Today's adjusted price would be about $11.59. Read More on The US Sun Potato Head , which rebranded and dropped the "Mr." in 2021, is now on Amazon for $7.99 each. The whole family set is available for $19.99.
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CARROLLTON, Ga. (AP) — Shelton Williams-Dryden had 19 points in West Georgia's 78-73 win against Tennessee Tech on Saturday. Williams-Dryden also contributed six assists for the Wolves (1-10). Malcolm Noel scored 13 points while shooting 4 for 6 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line and added five assists. Rickey Ballard shot 5 for 11, including 2 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. The Wolves broke a 10-game losing streak. Rodney Johnson Jr. finished with 17 points and seven rebounds for the Golden Eagles (4-6). Mekhi Cameron added 15 points and three steals for Tennessee Tech. Jaylon Johnson also had 12 points, six assists and two steals. NEXT UP Both teams play again on Tuesday. West Georgia visits Charlotte and Tennessee Tech travels to play Western Illinois. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Balatro was already a smash success when it laid down its cards for the very first time this February, but a lot has changed since then. The poker-themed roguelike went viral. It was a heavy game of the year contender. Everyone and their mums got hooked when it came to mobile . And all of that momentum has meant that it's now surpassed its previous player peak on Steam. Balatro first reached a concurrent player peak of around 37,000 Joker-chasers when it came out earlier in the year, but just yesterday, the game broke its own record and had more than 38,000 people in-game at the same time, 10 entire months after its debut, according to SteamDB . The game's creator LocalThunk celebrated the news on social media. "Thanks to a crazy December with the Game Awards, two Steam sales, Christmas, and a Markiplier video, we surpassed our all time concurrent player peak on Steam," they tweeted . "The previous peak was around launch in February." Balatro won big at The Game Awards, taking home three trophies, and that aforementioned Markiplier video - "My New Crippling Addiction" - has amassed 2.5 million views in less than a week, obviously pushing the game to new heights. That's Balatro's biggest advantage, I think. It's a card game, so it's obviously hard to get anyone on board just by showing them a trailer. But LocalThunk's phenomenon has spread so far and wide because everyone who's infected by its touch can't help but spread its gospel. I've seen people play this thing on their iPads on a plane, on their Switches on the train, I've seen videos of Balatro runs happening in the middle of concerts. So, realistically, this probably isn't the last time Balatro will surpass itself. In the meantime, check out some of the best roguelike games you can play right now.
Ruben Amorim impressed with Arsenal’s corners after first defeat as Man Utd bossNoneNEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Critical Metals Corp. (Nasdaq: CRML) ("Critical Metals Corp”), a leading mining development company focused on critical metals and minerals and producing strategic products essential to electrification and next generation technologies for Europe and its western world partners, today announced the appointment of Mr. Steven R Parkes as Chief Financial Officer following the agreed transition of Ms. Melissa Chapman from the role, effective 9 December 2024. The Company also announced that Ms. Carolyn Trabuco has stepped down from her position as an Independent Director of the Board. Ms. Chapman, based in Australia, has been serving as Interim Chief Financial Officer since Critical Metals Corp commenced trading on the Nasdaq in February 2024. The Board of Critical Metals Corp would like to thank Melissa for her valuable contribution during the listing process, especially navigating the long hours faced with the time zone issues. Mr. Parkes has over 30 years of diversified international financial management experience as a CFO for public, private equity backed and privately held companies. Following nine years in public accounting for PKF International in Australia, Mr. Parkes has been based in New York City where his career has spanned senior financial positions for global companies including RGP, WPP, Omnicom, Mach7 Technologies and USHealthConnect. His experience spanning both USA and Australian accounting standards will be invaluable moving forward. Mr. Parkes is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) which he earned in 2003. He also earned Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1996 from the University of Newcastle. Separately, the Company announced that Ms. Carolyn Trabuco has stepped down from her position as an Independent Director of the Board to pursue other opportunities. Ms. Trabuco initially joined Critical Metals Corp's Board as part of the Company's successful business combination with Sizzle Acquisition Corp., where she served as a Director and helped guide the SPAC through its merger process. The Board extends its sincere gratitude to Ms. Trabuco for her significant contributions to Critical Metals Corp, particularly during the Company's successful Nasdaq listing and subsequent strategic acquisitions. The Board has initiated a search process and expects to announce Ms. Trabuco's successor in the near term. About Critical Metals Corp. Critical Metals Corp (Nasdaq: CRML) is a leading mining development company focused on critical metals and minerals, and producing strategic products essential to electrification and next generation technologies for Europe and its western world partners. Its initial flagship asset is the Wolfsberg Lithium Project located in Carinthia, 270 km south of Vienna, Austria. The Wolfsberg Lithium Project is the first fully permitted mine in Europe and is strategically located with access to established road and rail infrastructure and is expected to be the next major producer of key lithium products to support the European market. Wolfsberg is well positioned with offtake and downstream partners to become a unique and valuable building block in an expanding geostrategic critical metals portfolio. For more information, please visit https://criticalmetalscorp.com/ . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the financial position, financial performance, business strategy, expectations of our business and the plans and objectives of management for future operations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this news release, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "estimate,” "plan,” "project,” "forecast,” "intend,” "will,” "expect,” "anticipate,” "believe,” "seek,” "target,” "designed to” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical facts. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include statements, among other things, relating to: general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; expansion and other plans and opportunities, including expansion into other strategic assets; and other statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "estimate,” "plan,” "project,” "forecast,” "intend,” "will,” "expect,” "anticipate,” "believe,” "seek,” "target” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors discussed under the "Risk Factors” section in the Company's Shell Company Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC”) on March 3, 2024 and in the Company's proxy statement/prospectus, dated December 27, 2023, as supplemented by that proxy statement/prospectus supplement No. 1, dated February 15, 2024, forming a part of Registration Statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-268970), as amended, which was declared effective on December 27, 2023. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this news release, and expectations, forecasts and assumptions as of that date, involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Critical Metals Corp. Investor Relations: [email protected] Media: [email protected]