Author: MNK News

A high-level delegation from Syria’s transitional government visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking their first foreign trip and signalling a warming of ties with the oil-rich monarchy.The team, including Syria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, the defence minister and intelligence chief, landed in Saudi Arabia Wednesday night, according to Saudi Arabia’s official news agency SPA.On Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhat received al-Shibani in Riyadh prior to their talks, the Saudi state news television al-Ekhbariya reported without giving further details.Al-Shibani said on the social media platform X that he hopes the trip would “open a new and bright…

A days-long resurgence of interest in so-called “grooming gangs” — a polite newspeak for racist child rape gangs — in the UK has seen horror and outrage reignited and X-platform owner Elon Musk weigh in, amplifying the already surging discussion. UK social media has been dominated over New Year’s by attention to the decades-long scandal, but really only made public in the past ten years, of gangs of predominantly but not entirely Pakistani men sexually abusing young English children. In the parlance of the UK media, these gangs are called ‘grooming gangs‘ as a polite shorthand, because the girls are…

CLNKraneShares Key News Asian equities were mixed, as India outperformed, Mainland China and Hong Kong underperformed, and Japan closed for New Year’s. President Trump’s inauguration is creeping closer, causing weak investor sentiment on tariff concerns. The renminbi was slightly weaker versus the US dollar, while the offshore traded renminbi weakened to 7.33 CNH per USD. The 10-year Chinese government bond yield fell to another 52-week and all-time low of 1.62%. The Caixin Manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI)’s “miss” of 50.5 versus expectations of 51.7 and November’s 51.5 was also cited as a factor in the risk off environment, as the…

The best TV shows of 2024.Credit: Netflix / Apple / Hulu My taste in television is wide and varied, but I hew toward mysteries, character dramas and comedies, fantasy and science-fiction. You’ll see what I mean as you scroll the list below. It’s very difficult to do a Best Of list when it comes to something like TV, because there are so many shows to choose from and so little time in the day. Scrolling through my own list below, it certainly seems as though I watched a lot of TV in 2024, but I missed a lot also. There…

A slowdown in trucking M&A was met by interest rate cuts for the first time in more than four years in 2024. The anticipation of lower lending rates fostered more constructive transaction dialogues during the year, but deal count across the industry was still off 5% from 2023, according to data compiled by the research team at Left Lane Associates.The supply chain M&A advisory firm said there is noise in the number as some deals were paused until after the election, which pushed closings into the first quarter of 2025.“We are seeing a lot of positive M&A momentum leading into…

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s backing is a boost for Ben Wikler, who has yet to reveal his level of support among the Democratic National Committee members who will actually elect the next chair. ALLISON ROBBERT/Getty ImagesSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) endorsed Ben Wikler’s bid to lead the Democratic National Committee on Thursday morning.In a series of social media posts announcing the endorsement, Schumer cited Wikler’s achievements as chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin since 2019.Wikler “possesses all the qualities Democrats across the country are looking for in our next DNC Chair,” Schumer wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “He’s a…

The 8Bitdo Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox is on sale via Amazon for just $29. This is a record low price and represents a discount of 36 percent. That’s a pretty good deal, especially when considering that first-party Xbox controllers are around $60.This isn’t a cheap knockoff. 8Bitdo makes fantastic controllers that regularly find a place in our best of lists. It’s licensed by Xbox and compatible with the Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One and Windows 10 and above. In other words, this can double as a PC and Xbox controller.8BitdoThere are two extra buttons on the back…

The 8Bitdo Ultimate Wired Controller for Xbox is on sale via Amazon for just $29. This is a record low price and represents a discount of 36 percent. That’s a pretty good deal, especially when considering that first-party Xbox controllers are around $60.This isn’t a cheap knockoff. 8Bitdo makes fantastic controllers that regularly find a place in our best of lists. It’s licensed by Xbox and compatible with the Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One and Windows 10 and above. In other words, this can double as a PC and Xbox controller.8BitdoThere are two extra buttons on the back…

The high-value, low-price fitness chain has debuted Will Power, a blue and bold character built for Gen Z fitness consumersMascots aren’t usually seen in the fitness industry, but EoS Fitness may be onto something big—especially in a meme-driven era where fictional characters thrive.The high-value, low-price gym brand has introduced its newest “member”—Will Power, a cheerful and determined blue clay character—marking the start of its brand evolution.Along with the new marketing strategy, EoS Fitness offers the chance to join the rapidly growing fitness chain for 25¢ and receive 30 days free.Will Power—who sports a white workout headband atop his Eos Fitness-signature…

The high-value, low-price fitness chain has debuted Will Power, a blue and bold character built for Gen Z fitness consumersMascots aren’t usually seen in the fitness industry, but EoS Fitness may be onto something big—especially in a meme-driven era where fictional characters thrive.The high-value, low-price gym brand has introduced its newest “member”—Will Power, a cheerful and determined blue clay character—marking the start of its brand evolution.Along with the new marketing strategy, EoS Fitness offers the chance to join the rapidly growing fitness chain for 25¢ and receive 30 days free.Will Power—who sports a white workout headband atop his Eos Fitness-signature…