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The new Constitution declares the right to healthcare as a fundamental human right, enabling individuals to seek legal recourse in case of its violation, Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. He made these remarks at the annual social service event organised by the All Ceylon Kidney Patients Association recently at the Mahaweli Centre, under his patronage. In his address, Dr. Jayatissa emphasised the need for structural reforms in the country’s health sector to strengthen its long-standing legacy. He outlined plans to prioritise primary health services as the foundation of the health system, which the Government aims to implement comprehensively within the next decade. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to ensuring access to healthcare for all citizens and highlighted that embedding this right into the constitution would empower individuals to seek legal intervention if it is denied. “This is a significant milestone for the health sector. A well-structured and trustworthy system will also enhance the impact of social services and contributions made by donors for patient welfare,” he stated. Addressing the issue of kidney disease, Dr. Jayatissa identified it as a pressing health challenge that requires urgent solutions. He noted the devastating impact of the disease on patients and their families, calling for measures to provide them with the necessary support and resilience to navigate the condition. He praised the All Ceylon Kidney Patients Association for its extensive efforts over the years in supporting kidney patients, their families, and broader public health awareness initiatives. The Minister further highlighted the need for scientific approaches in diagnosing and treating kidney disease, pointing out that although the exact cause of the condition remains unclear, advancements have been made in its treatment. He called for national and international collaboration to address the issue and emphasised the Government’s focus on prevention and patient care. During the event, Dr. Jayatissa was honoured by the Kidney Patients Association. The association also launched its updated official website, distributed schoolbooks and scholarships to children of kidney patients, unveiled the 29th edition of the Kidney Newspaper, and introduced the 2025 Kidney Calendar. Additionally, vouchers for dialysis treatment were awarded to patients, health benefit entitlement payments were distributed, and benefactors were recognised for their contributions. Tickets for the 2025 Third Suwasara Gee Dahana concert were also launched during the event. Notable attendees included Dr. Sanjaya Heiyanthuduwa, Chief Patron of the All Ceylon Kidney Patients Association; Professor Mandika Wijeratne; Dr. Arjuna Marasinghe, a nephrologist at Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital; government officials; kidney donors; kidney patients and their families; and artistes.Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! I once tested over 40 mascaras in two months for an article. Yes, really . As a beauty writer, I get to find the best formulas and products for beauty enthusiasts like myself to add to their collections. At the time, I was loyal to a mascara I had used since high school, but once Too Faced’s Better Than Sex instantly lifted, curled and enhanced my lashes in a few swipes, I was converted. I always keep one or two extras on my hand, so I had to sound the alarm when I saw this mascara duo for 30% off at Ulta. Better Than Sex Mascara really packs a punch. Once you apply the product, it works to create full, defined lashes that appear significantly longer. How? The film-forming polymer formula keeps hairs in place while the included acacia-senegal-tree extract increases volume. There is also a unique blend of peptides that condition lashes. I even appreciate the brush, which offers an hourglass shape that hits and separates each lash. Get the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Duo for $28 (originally $39) at Ulta Don’t just take my word for it. Ulta shoppers are also repeat buyers of the mascara. “This is a staple in your makeup routine!” one reviewer wrote. “I get so many compliments on how long my natural lashes are when wearing this! This is my third tube and I will buy it again and again!” “Absolutely love this brand of mascara,” another shared. “No smudging no flaking. It is the best out there hands-down. I will never buy another brand. My eyes have never looked better.” A final shopper shared: “I love this mascara. I have super short, super fine lashes but when I put this on, pow, my lashes are full and plush. They almost look fake. It’s a 100% buy.” I was shocked to find the mascara marked down during the holidays. This is the best time to try it for yourself or stock up if you’re already loyal to using this pick. Get the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Duo for $28 (originally $39) at Ulta Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News
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PITTSBURGH , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Wesco International (NYSE: WCC ) today declared a quarterly cash dividend on all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, in an amount equal to $0.4125 per share. The dividend is payable on December 31, 2024 to the holders of record of the common stock at the close of business on December 13, 2024 . In addition, the Board of Directors declared cash dividends on the company's 10.625% Series A Fixed-Rate Reset Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock for the period October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 . The dividend is $664.0625 per preferred share, or $0.6640625 per depository share, and is payable on December 31, 2024 to holders of record at the close of business on December 13, 2024 . About Wesco Wesco International (NYSE: WCC ) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , Wesco is a FORTUNE 500 ® company with $22 billion in annual sales and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 20,000 people, partners with the industry's premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world. With millions of products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, Wesco provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates nearly 800 branches, warehouses and sales offices in more than 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and global corporations. Contact Information Investor Relations Will Ruthrauff Director, Investor Relations 484-885-5648 Corporate Communications Jennifer Sniderman Vice President, Corporate Communications 717-579-6603 SOURCE Wesco InternationalDemocrats openly criticize Biden’s reversal to pardon sonOTTAWA - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will not support a Liberal plan to give Canadians a GST holiday and $250 unless the government expands eligibility for the cheques, saying the rebate leaves out “the most vulnerable.” The Liberals announced a plan last week to cut the federal sales tax on a raft of items like toys and restaurant meals for two months, and to give $250 to more than 18.7 million Canadians in the spring. Speaking after a Canadian Labour Congress event in Ottawa, Singh says he’s open to passing the GST legislation, but the rebate needs to include seniors, students, people who are on disability benefits and those who were not able to work last year. Singh says he initially supported the idea because he thought the rebate cheques would go to anyone who earned under $150,000 last year. But the so-called working Canadians rebate will be sent to those who had an income, leaving out people Singh says need the help. The government intends to include the measures in the fall economic statement, which has not yet been introduced in the House of Commons. The proposed GST holiday would begin in mid-December, lasting for two months. It would remove the GST on prepared foods at grocery stores, some alcoholic drinks, children’s clothes and toys, Christmas trees, restaurant meals, books, video games and physical newspapers. A privilege debate has held up all government business in the House since late September, with the Conservatives pledging to continue a filibuster until the government hands over unredacted documents related to misspending at a green technology fund. The NDP said last week they had agreed to pause the privilege debate in order to pass the legislation to usher in the GST holiday. Singh said Tuesday that unless there are changes to the proposed legislation, he will not support pausing the debate. The Bloc Québécois is also pushing for the rebates to be sent to seniors and retirees. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.If you’re a Hallmarkie, you know that Andrew Walker is one of the faces of the channel. And what a face it is. It’s like The CW used an AI lab to create a leading man made of the best parts of Glen Powell , Ryan Eggold , and a young Clint Eastwood . It’s insulting really, how he just walks around with that thing out in the open, making the rest of us normies look like something out of Middle Earth. Thankfully, Walker is one of the authentically good ones. Humble, engaging, totally Canadian, and a dang workhorse. The Montreal-born actor-producer has shot six movies for Hallmark this year, including Countdown to Christmas’s Jingle Bell Run and Three Wiser Men and a Boy ! On top of that, he’s also a husband, father of two sons, and an entrepreneur, having co-founded the SkinMason skincare line ... which is clearly working, since there are zero signs of fatigue on his matinee-idol mug. “Obviously I use skincare on a daily basis, and when I wrap from set, I’m always washing my face off,” he explains of the inspiration behind SkinMason. “I have used very abrasive products that have given me skin [issues], I’ve broken out, I’ve had rashes. I used to have these little alcohol wipes to take the rest of my makeup off.” During a dinner with his friend Dr. Hussein Kanji, a heart and lung surgeon who’s “always working with different types of products for [organ] detoxification and antioxidants,” the two agreed to partner on a product line. SkinMason “He had an idea for a very simple yet effective skincare brand, ideally targeted to men to start with, because the women’s space is so massive...but women and men can use the same skincare,” Walker continues. “And I said I’d love to venture into this, first off, because my wife [Cassandra] always scolded me for using way too much of her expensive skincare products—I don’t know what to use! It’s like, there’s so many products out there.” Two years later, Walker and Kanji had the first two core products of the line, exfoliating wipes and a serum, which were soon followed by their new moisturizer. “We don’t even call it a moisturizer. It’s a bioactive cream.” Noting that Jean Carruthers, the co-innovator of Botox, has endorsed all of their products, Walker explains that their formula boasts retinoid, Vitamins C, and phospholipids that rebuild collagen. The SkinMason site is having a 40 percent off Black Friday sale and you can order each item individually or as a set, with a VIP subscription for regular refill orders at a 10 percent discount. Better yet, he laughs, “My wife has now turned on to using my products!” Andrew Walker / Instagram Speaking of his wife, how do the Walkers plan to spend the holidays? “With family,” he immediately offers. “We moved up to Vancouver for a year and it’s been amazing. It’s been quiet because we live next to a forest. So the holidays this year are just going to be family and trying to take a moment to put away the phones, put away technology, and just focus my time on my kids and my wife and each other.” Now that is a good look for everyone. Three Wiser Men and a Boy & Jingle Bell Run , Streaming Now, Hallmark+ More Headlines: Hallmark Fave Andrew Walker Goes Inside His Skincare Line and Shares Holiday Plans (VIDEO) ‘The View’ Cohosts Slam Trump Case Dismissals: ‘There’s No Such Thing as Karma’ When Will ‘The Talk’ Final Episode Air? All the Details on Its Last Week of Live Shows Wendy Williams’ Legal Guardian Shares Heartbreaking Health Update Ex-ABC News Anchor Kendis Gibson Says Toxic Work Culture Led to Suicide Attempt
Govt has decided to allocate space for Manmohan Singh's memorial Cong playing cheap politics NaddaPITTSBURGH , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Wesco International (NYSE: WCC ) today declared a quarterly cash dividend on all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, in an amount equal to $0.4125 per share. The dividend is payable on December 31, 2024 to the holders of record of the common stock at the close of business on December 13, 2024 . In addition, the Board of Directors declared cash dividends on the company's 10.625% Series A Fixed-Rate Reset Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock for the period October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 . The dividend is $664.0625 per preferred share, or $0.6640625 per depository share, and is payable on December 31, 2024 to holders of record at the close of business on December 13, 2024 . About Wesco Wesco International (NYSE: WCC ) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , Wesco is a FORTUNE 500 ® company with $22 billion in annual sales and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 20,000 people, partners with the industry's premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world. With millions of products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, Wesco provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates nearly 800 branches, warehouses and sales offices in more than 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and global corporations. Contact Information Investor Relations Will Ruthrauff Director, Investor Relations 484-885-5648 Corporate Communications Jennifer Sniderman Vice President, Corporate Communications 717-579-6603 SOURCE Wesco InternationalThe best women’s snow pants for skiing, sledding and beyond
When Tony Clark first visited Chicago 11 years ago, he said he saw homeless people experience “a different kind of horror.” Winters here, the Australian said, are on another level. “I had never seen horizontal ice,” he says. Clark was in Chicago then, in 2013, to accept an award for the “backpack bed” he co-designed with his wife for the unhoused. The idea, which he said came to him in church, was to give people “warmth, comfort and dignity.” He helped distribute about 150 of his backpacks that convert into tents to homeless people across the city then. Now, Clark has returned to Chicago with the goal of handing out many more of the backpack beds. The goal is 1,632, to be exact. That’s the number of people estimated to be living on the streets according to the city’s last Point in Time survey. Clark says he thinks that count is probably low. But he says it’s a starting point. On a wet Friday morning, Clark demonstrated the backpack tent in Union Park, crawling into one himself. He was flanked by representatives from four homeless advocacy groups that will distribute the tents once they raise funds for the $200,000 price tag. That roughly covers the tent price of $124 for every person living on the street according to the latest survey, Clark says. He is asking people to donate at GoodnightChicago.org . When the money is raised, the beds can be shipped to Chicago in late December or early January, he said. The beds can be distributed by the participating homeless organizations, which currently include Inner Voice, Street Samaritans, Our Moms Mission, Franciscan Outreach. Clark, a former IT entrepreneur who speaks with the enthusiasm of a television pitchman, explained the benefits of such a small tent. The 6-pound tent rolls out from its backpack into something that resembles a sleeping bag. But, unlike a sleeping bag, the tent is hardened for tough weather, including snow, rain and even fire. The bags are made of a fire-retardant material that resists burning, he says. When the tent is rolled up into its backpack, the bag still has unused space for belongings. Each tent includes a clear window and two vents, and sports a small Australian flag. This collapsible tent is designed to avoid the pitfalls of other more permanent camping tents that draw the ire of the community, avoiding what Clark said is an “us versus them” dynamic. Dr. Diane Washington, a retired behavioral health psychiatrist at Cook County Health, has been advocating for emergency room doctors to distribute the backpack bed to homeless people they discharge. The tents are especially needed for surviving the winter months. “The No. 1 problem is frostbite,” she said. She’s seen homeless people suffer amputations during the winter from frostbite. Shelter, including a tent like this backpack, would address that issue. Two years ago she and a philanthropic partner distributed 40 of the backpack beds. Jackie Edens, CEO of Inner Voice, says the tents are needed at a time when the city lacks the funding to meaningfully address homelessness. Last spring, voters shot down Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Bring Chicago Home ballot measure, which would have increased the property transfer tax for $1 million-plus to boost funding for homeless services. “There needs to be political will” to address the problem, said Edens, who was commissioner of former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Office of Workforce Development. Clark speaks of a “philanthropic return on investment” that the tents provide, beyond the sticker price. He points to one estimate that each $124 tent produces $3,319 in “community impact,” when you consider the prevented emergency room visits and potential for employment. Washington said, based on her health care experience, the savings from each prevented ER visits is more likely over $20,000. “The cost of the bed outweighs any of that,” she says. Clark’s nonprofit has expanded since he last visited Chicago over a decade ago. He now sells around 7,000 beds to over 1,000 homeless organization in Australia alone. He says he is connected with 65 groups in the U.S. and hopes to expand to more. “Dignity is the first step to getting people off the streets,” Clark says.Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In losing Sunday’s battle with the Buffalo Bills, perhaps the best team in football, Jerod Mayo won the war. Best I can tell, he’s staying put. For 2025, and maybe beyond. To his angry fan base and incredulous pockets of the New England Patriots’ media corps, remember Mayo’s future doesn’t hinge on winning this season. It’s not about what you want, or what I think. It’s about the Krafts, who hand-picked Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick four and a half years before he actually did, believing in him, and finding reasons to maintain that belief. In the eyes of someone who wants to believe, Sunday supplied enough reason. The Patriots led at halftime, then lost by three as 14-point underdogs. They became the first team since mid-October to hold the Bills under 30 points. Drake Maye outplayed the next MVP of the league for most of the game and took another step toward his destiny as a franchise quarterback, People are also reading... 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If that sounds like a low bar, that’s because it is. Such is life in Year 1 of a rebuild, a multi-year process ownership has committed to seeing through to the end with their organizational pillars now in place: Mayo, Maye and de facto GM Eliot Wolf. As frustrating as this 3-12 campaign has been, there are always nuggets of optimism amid the rubble of a losing season; particularly if you want to find them. The Krafts do, and so does Maye, who loves his head coach, by the way; calling questions about Mayo’s job security “BS.” “We’ve got his back,” Maye said post-game. Maye’s voice matters. Certainly more than any number of fans or media members. Ever since media-fueled speculation that Mayo could get canned at the end of his first season began rising, the caveat has always been the same: if, a Gillette Stadium-sized “if,” the Patriots bomb atomically down the stretch, ownership could pull the plug on Mayo. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport became the latest to join that chorus Sunday with this pregame report: “The Krafts want to keep Jerod Mayo,” he said. “They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right. Now if things go off the rails, if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season, we’ve seen this thing turn. “But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future.” Well, Mayo hasn’t lost the locker room. That’s a fact. To a man, both in public and from those I’ve spoken to in private, Patriots players believe in their head coach. Mayo might be a players’ coach, yes, in the best and worst senses. But the Patriots were a few plays away Sunday from pulling off their largest upset since Super Bowl XXXVI. “I think we’re building something good,” Maye said. The Patriots also played their best half of football this season against their toughest opponent yet. Another fact. Now, to the frustrated, I am with you. To the shocked, I understand. But to the trigger-happy, lay down your arms. Mayo, by all accounts, is returning in 2025. Alex Van Pelt, however, is another story. In the same vein that the Krafts could have viewed Sunday’s performance as a reason to save Mayo — despite his pathetic punt at midfield, down 10 with just eight and a half minutes left — they could have convinced themselves their offensive coordinator is the real problem. After all, team president Jonathan Kraft was visibly exasperated over Van Pelt’s play-calling during the Pats’ loss at Arizona a week earlier. Four days later, Van Pelt told reporters he had yet to hear from his boss. Well, that time may be coming. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter Sunday, Van Pelt called a pass that resulted in an unnecessary lateral and game-winning touchdown for Buffalo. His offense later operated like it was taking a Sunday drive with the game on the line, using up 3:16 of the final 4:19 en route to its final touchdown. Van Pelt, finally, weaponized Maye’s legs in critical situations, something that arguably should have been done weeks ago. Not to mention, Van Pelt’s top running back can’t stop fumbling, and the offensive line remains a hot mess. Call him Alex Van Fall Guy. Because Van Pelt’s offense, for the first time in a while, under-performed relative to Mayo’s defense. On merit, he deserves to stay; a case that’s harder to make for defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. But it’s not about merit this season. It’s not about what you want. It’s not about what I think. It’s about the Krafts; what they see, what they want, what they believe. Even in defeat. ____ Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
The Dow rocketed to a fresh record Friday, extending a post-election US equity rally while the euro retreated against the dollar following weak eurozone data. The blue-chip index piled on one percent to end the day at 44,296.51, narrowly overtaking a record set earlier this month. Major American indices have been at or near record territory since the US election, with investors betting that President-elect Donald Trump's program of tax cuts and regulatory scale-back would more than offset the drag from expected tariff increases. "The trading most of this week has been influenced by the growth agenda," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Capital Management. Market watchers have been cheered this week by a broadening of the rally beyond the tech names that dominated earlier in the year. The dollar also continued to strengthen, reflecting less certainty about additional Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and the US currency's status as a haven asset amid escalating tensions in the Russia-Ukraine war. The euro was also battered by a closely watched survey showing contractions in November business activity in the eurozone. The HCOB Flash Eurozone purchasing managers' index (PMI) published by S&P Global dropped to 48.1 compared to 50.0 in October, the most marked rate of contraction in 10 months. Any reading above 50 indicates growth, while a figure below 50 shows contraction. "Things could hardly have turned out much worse," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank. "The eurozone's manufacturing sector is sinking deeper into recession, and now the services sector is starting to struggle after two months of marginal growth." But as the euro fell both Paris and Frankfurt stocks managed to recover their losses and advance. "The eurozone data has increased the chance of more rate cuts from the ECB next year," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, as well a cut of 50 basis points next month. "Investors have been jolted into recalibrating interest rate expectations on the back of this bleak economic news," she added. London managed to gain 1.4 percent despite data showing that retail sales figures for October undershot forecasts, as the pound fell against the dollar. In Asia, Tokyo climbed as the government prepared to announce a $140 billion stimulus package to kickstart the country's stuttering economy. However, Hong Kong and Shanghai sank on a sell-off in tech firms caused by weak earnings from firms including Temu-owner PDD Holdings and internet giant Baidu. Bitcoin set a new record high above $99,500 Friday, before easing back slightly. The leading digital currency is expected to soon burst through $100,000 as investors grow increasingly hopeful that Trump will pass measures to deregulate the crypto sector. Bitcoin has soared more than 40 percent since the Republican's election victory this month and has more than doubled since the turn of the year. The recent surge has also been "driven by news that Trump could set up an official crypto department that would sit in the heart of US government," said XTB's Brooks. New York - Dow: UP 1.0 percent at 44,296.51 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.4 percent at 5,969.34 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 19,003.65 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 1.4 percent at 8,262.08 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.6 percent at 7,255.01 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.9 percent at 19,322.59 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 38,283.85 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.9 percent at 19,229.97 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 3.1 percent at 3,267.19 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0418 from $1.0474 on Thursday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2530 from $1.2589 Dollar/yen: UP at 154.83 yen from 154.54 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.11 pence from 83.20 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.6 percent at $71.24 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.3 percent at $75.17 per barrel burs-jmb/mlm
Republicans rally around Hegseth, Trump's Pentagon pick, as Gaetz withdraws for attorney generalRepublic Services Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors
If you're too busy to keep monitoring your stock portfolio every other day, then investing in stocks that won't cause you a lot of headache down the road is a necessity. In order to do so, it's important to find reliable businesses that are also on a growth trajectory. Eli Lilly ( LLY -1.38% ) and Novo Nordisk ( NVO -0.32% ) have attracted a lot of attention over the past two years thanks to their advances in the weight loss therapy market. Both companies are longtime leaders in the pharmaceutical industry and have been making breakthroughs and delivering excellent returns for decades. Moreover, both healthcare giants appear likely to have plenty of growth fuel left in the tank, making them worth investing in for the long haul. 1. Eli Lilly Eli Lilly continues to break new ground. Its famous weight loss medicine, Zepbound (tirzepatide), just became the first to earn approval from the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Zepbound's sales were already growing fast. Its approval in this new indication should help increase the medicine's strong performance, and it's pursuing several other label expansions. Eli Lilly can also count on many years of sales growth from its diabetes medicine Mounjaro (a different brand for the same underlying compound, tirzepatide). In the third quarter, Eli Lilly's sales grew by 20% year over year to $11.4 billion, largely thanks to Zepbound and Mounjaro. But the company's portfolio is diversified. Newer products like Kisunla, an early-stage treatment for Alzheimer's disease, will eventually make an impact. So, Eli Lilly's lineup looks strong enough for the company to deliver excellent financial results for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, the pharmaceutical company has a robust pipeline. Its weight loss candidates, including retatrutide, look promising. It's working on a once-weekly insulin product, too. Beyond its core indications, Eli Lilly is developing new drugs in oncology, immunology, and rare diseases. The company's investigational gene therapy for genetic deafness looks particularly promising. For investors, Eli Lilly also has an excellent dividend program. With its latest payout increase, management has now tripled its dividend over the past decade. So, Eli Lilly can offer strong growth and dividends to patient investors. While the company's current medicines are grabbing headlines, its real strength is its ability to develop newer and better ones, as it has done for a long time. Eli Lilly should continue doing so and delivering excellent returns to investors. 2. Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk's shares recently fell by nearly 20% after it reported results from a phase 3 study of a new weight-loss drug candidate that failed to impress the market. These things happen even to the best pharmaceutical companies, but does this episode significantly change Novo Nordisk's prospects? Not at all. Novo Nordisk's investigational weight loss therapy, CagriSema, combines semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) with an additional appetite suppressant, cagrilintide. Patients in the study taking CagriSema experienced a mean weight loss of 22.7% after 68 weeks, compared to 16.1% for those on semaglutide alone and 2.3% for those taking a placebo. For that matter, CagriSema performed better than Eli LIlly's rival drug, Zepbound, which led to a mean weight loss of 20.2% in a 72-week phase 3 study. Investors were still disappointed since Novo Nordisk's management had predicted a 25% mean weight loss for CagriSema, but it still looks like the company has a better product on its hands. NVO Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts . CagriSema is just one of several promising weight loss programs in the company's pipeline, and it should be an improvement over Wegovy (and Zepbound). Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk remains a leader in the diabetes care market, with a 33.9% share of this space as of August, up from the 33.3% it held a year prior. Given its solid pipeline in that niche, it's unlikely to yield its strong position in it anytime soon. And although competition in the space is growing, the company is diversifying. Novo Nordisk is developing therapies across many other indications beyond those that its GLP-1 drugs could target. For example, it is working on medicines for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, two rare blood disorders, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In short, despite its recent share price dip, Novo Nordisk remains an outstanding stock to hold onto for decades. If anything, that setback represents an excellent buying opportunity.
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‘This is a great win’: Forever chemicals to be filtered from tap waterDetermining the country with the most submarines in its military arsenal is a bit tricky. Nations often keep their military statistics classified, so exact numbers aren't always available. However, large vessels are impossible to conceal forever, so the estimates of independent sources can prove fairly accurate — even when the country itself isn't forthcoming. It's also important to recognize that the total number of submarines possessed by a country isn't a great indication of that country's submarine strength. Not all submarines are built the same. If a country wanted to collect World War I relics, they could theoretically possess the most submarines. For example, Russia reportedly has 64 submarines in total, but only around two-thirds are nuclear powered. Meanwhile, the USA has 71 submarines, all of which are nuclear-powered. This isn't to say that diesel-powered submarines are useless. While the most advanced modern subs are largely nuclear-powered, diesel-powered submarines still have their advantages. Furthermore, older vessels are often outfitted with new technologies to modernize them, giving them superior power compared to their original, antiquated designs. [Featured image by Kaijō Jieitai via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 4.0 ] The most direct source for the number of submarines possessed by the United States comes from the US government itself. According to the official US Navy website , its current naval fleet consists of "53 fast attack submarines, 14 ballistic-missile submarines, and four guided-missile submarines." That's a total of 71 operational submarines in the US Navy, a number corroborated by independent sources as well. Thus, not only does the US military have more subs than any other country's military, but it likely also has the most modernized fleet. Every US submarine in service is nuclear powered, and the latest models prove more advanced and deadlier than most people realize. Indeed, the US Navy's submarine fleet is kitted out with all the latest tech, with vessels receiving upgrades and enhancements over time. Furthermore, older vessels are systematically replaced by the latest submarine classes, such as the "Virginia-class" fast-attack subs. The US submarine fleet is undeniably cutting edge . Around half of the 53 fast-attack submarines in the US Navy are Los Angeles-class models. First commissioned in the mid-70s, a total of 25 vessels of this class remain in service. But though these crafts are getting old in age, they're powered by nuclear reactors that allow them to travel exceptional distances before needing to refuel. "Exceptional" might even be an understatement, since submarine crews worry about everything but refueling. According to Nuclear Threat Initiative , Russia possesses a fleet of 64 submarines in total. Within that arsenal, 14 are reportedly nuclear-powered attack subs, 11 are nuclear-powered cruise-missile subs, 16 are nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, and the remaining 23 are diesel-powered attack submarines. Compared to the legendary submarine fleets used in World War II , these numbers might seem unimpressive. However, a fleet of 64 submarines in the 21st century is enough to place Russia second on the list. Considering about one third of the submarines in Russia's naval fleet are diesel-powered rather than nuclear-powered, the modernity of the Russian fleet is questionable. However, many of these Russian boats are far from outdated, and Russia outfits its older vehicles with modern tech and upgrades rather than replacing them, a practice that's common for the largest militaries in the world. For instance, Russia announced in 2019 plans to release a modern class of nuclear submarines, called "Borei-K-class" submarines. Four years later, two of the Borei-K-class subs had reportedly joined the Russian fleet. But adding fancy new vessels to the Russian Navy isn't the country's main practice. Instead, most Russian submarines are upgraded rather than replaced. The latest example is the "Antey-class SSGN" submarines, twelve of which were the subjects of repairs and upgrades. Such upgrades are expected to extend these submarines' service lives by 20 years. Thus, while Russia's submarine fleet isn't entirely modernized, it's nonetheless maintained to competently compete in the modern world of warfare. The Russian submarine fleet is the second largest in the world, and it's certainly a force to be reckoned with. According to independent sources, China has the third largest submarine fleet in the world with 60 vessels in total. It's the perfect example of a country with an impressive number of submarines while the actual strength of the individual craft is questionable. While the United States' subs are entirely nuclear-powered, China reportedly possesses a total of 12 nuclear-powered subs in its fleet. Compared to the United States and Russia, China's submarine arsenal is undeniably inferior. But that doesn't mean it's weak. Six of China's nuclear subs are "ballistic missile" submarines, and the other six are attack submarines. For the rest of the fleet, it appears that China is intent on modernizing. According to Reuters , 48 Chinese subs are diesel-powered attack submarines, and while China's submarine count falls third behind the US and Russia, the country actually has the world's largest navy. China maintains over 370 ships, and the populous nation's plan to expand its naval fleet includes the addition of next-gen nuclear submarines. Insight into China's plans for its navy and submarine fleet emerged from an accident that occurred in 2024 when a nuclear-powered Chinese submarine sank while docked at a pier. Of course, China didn't comment, but news of the sinking spread. The accident exposed China's push for a modernized, nuclear-powered submarine fleet, but it also drew questions about the designs and technologies employed for modern submarine crafts. China may possess the third largest submarine fleet in the world, but the country is clearly on track to expand its naval capacities in the coming years.