enGene Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ENGN, or “enGene” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage genetic medicines company whose non-viral lead investigational product detalimogene voraplasmid, (also known as detalimogene, and previously EG-70), is in an ongoing pivotal study in patients with high-risk, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS), announced its financial results for the full year ended October 31, 2024 and provided a business update. “Having demonstrated a 71% anytime complete response rate in the preliminary data from the LEGEND study’s pivotal cohort of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC patients, initiated three additional NMIBC patient cohorts, and raised an additional $60 million in funding, enGene is in a strong clinical and financial position as we close the year,” said Ron Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of enGene. “With trial recruitment open across all cohorts, the profile of detalimogene continues to become clearer and stronger and, with the protocol enhancements now in place, we look forward to sharing LEGEND study updates across all cohorts expected in the second half of 2025.” In September 2024, the Company announced preliminary data from 21 patients assessed at three months, including 17 patients who were also assessed at six months, in the ongoing pivotal cohort of the LEGEND study. The Complete Response (CR) rate at any time was 71%, the CR rate at three months was 67% and the CR rate at six months was 47%. Detalimogene was generally well-tolerated by patients and no patients discontinued due to treatment-related adverse events. In addition to reporting preliminary clinical data from LEGEND’s pivotal cohort, the Company has implemented protocol changes that affect how disease is managed throughout the trial as well as the criteria for study discontinuation. The Company believes the revised LEGEND protocol better aligns with current treatment standards and real-world practice. enGene initiated recruitment across three additional cohorts of NMIBC patients, including Cohort 2a and 2b (i.e., NMIBC patients with CIS who are naïve to treatment with BCG and NMIBC patients with CIS who have been exposed to BCG, but have not received adequate BCG treatment), and Cohort 3 (BCG-unresponsive high-risk NMIBC patients with papillary-only disease). The above-mentioned amendment to the LEGEND protocol also allows patients from any cohort who are in complete response at 12 months to continue receiving detalimogene on a dose-reduced maintenance schedule throughout their second year of treatment. At the end of year two, patients may optionally elect to remain on maintenance therapy for another year, for a total of three years of therapy. Maintenance treatment will consist of two instillations of detalimogene per three-month cycle, administered at week 1 and at week 2 of each cycle. The Company believes this could provide further evidence of the long-term benefit of detalimogene, with the dose-reduced maintenance regimen lessening the burden of frequent urology visits for instillations. The LEGEND study was selected for inclusion in the SUO-CTC, a U.S. and Canadian-based organization with over 250 trial sites dedicated to the successful enrollment and conduct of clinical trials for their patients with urologic cancers. In October 2024, the Company announced the appointment of Joan Connolly, a seasoned technical operations leader with more than 30 years’ experience, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and member of the corporate leadership team. enGene Co-Founder and former CTO, Anthony Cheung, Ph.D., transitioned to the role of Chief Scientific Officer, while Alex Nichols, Ph.D., previously the Chief Operating Officer, was appointed Chief Strategy and Operations Officer. As of October 31, 2024, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $297.9 million. The Company expects that its existing cash and cash equivalents will fund operating expenses, debt obligations and capital expenditures into 2027. Total operating expenses were $62.3 million for the full year ended October 31, 2024, compared to $26.1 million for 2023. Research and development expenses increased by $21.9 million, mainly due to increasing manufacturing and clinical costs related to our LEGEND study and headcount costs. General and administrative expenses increased by $14.4 million, primarily driven by headcount costs and professional fees and other expenses as the Company scales its general and administrative function to support the operation of a public company. For the full year ended October 31, 2024, net loss attributable to common shareholders was approximately $55.1 million, or $1.46 per share, compared to approximately $104.7 million, or $151.22 per share, for the full year 2023. The decrease in net loss is mainly attributed to other expenses incurred in 2023 related to convertible debentures and warrants, partially offset by the increase in operating expenses during 2024. enGene is a clinical-stage biotechnology company mainstreaming genetic medicines through the delivery of therapeutics to mucosal tissues and other organs, with the goal of creating new ways to address diseases with high clinical needs. enGene’s lead program is detalimogene voraplasmid (also known as detalimogene, and previously EG-70) for patients with Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) – a disease with a high clinical burden. Detalimogene is being evaluated in the ongoing multi-cohort LEGEND Phase 2 study, which includes a registrational cohort studying detalimogene in Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS). Detalimogene was developed using enGene’s proprietary Dually Derivatized Oligochitosan (DDX) platform, which enables penetration of mucosal tissues and delivery of a wide range of sizes and types of cargo, including DNA and various forms of RNA. For more information, visit . Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). enGene’s forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding enGene’s management teams’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, goals or strategies regarding the future. 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. The words “anticipate”, “appear”, “approximate”, “believe”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “foresee”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “seek”, “should”, “would”, and similar expressions (or the negative version of such words or expressions) may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements may include, for example, statements about: the timing and anticipated results of our current and future clinical trials, including preliminary results, beliefs as to the timing and anticipated results of the LEGEND study, including the timing of preliminary data or other updates, the timing of our planned BLA submission to the Food and Drug Administration, the anticipated uses of our cash and cash equivalents, the potential benefits of detalimogene, and the expected period over which we estimate our cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our current operating plan . Many factors, risks, uncertainties and assumptions could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the Company’s ability to recruit and retain qualified scientific and management personnel, establish clinical trial sites and enroll patients in its clinical trials, execute on the Company’s clinical development plans and ability to secure regulatory approval on anticipated timelines, and other risks and uncertainties detailed in filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on EDGAR, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2024 (copies of which may be obtained at www.sedarplus.ca or www.sec.gov). You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. enGene anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause enGene’s assessments to change. While enGene may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, enGene specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, unless required by applicable law. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. For media contact: For investor contact:
Five years after COVID lockdowns supercharged the idea of talking to your doctor or nurse online from home, telehealth has become such a regular part of medical care in New Hampshire that advocates hope the state will loosen laws concerning prescriptions. The final report of the Commission to Study Telehealth Services, a group that was established by the Legislature in 2020, says it should be legal for telehealth providers to prescribe certain medications for mental health and substance use disorders without requiring an in-person visit. “Those types of conditions are treatable through this modality. You don’t need to necessarily lay hands on the patient in order to treat them. It fits very well,” said Dr. Jonathan Ballard, chief medical officer for the state Department of Health and Human Services. In medicine, “modality” means “method of treatment.” Data from 2023, for example, showed that between one-third and one-half of doctors’ visits for mental health and substance use disorders in the state were done via telehealth, compared to 5 percent or less for other types of visits. With that in mind, the commission’s most immediate recommendation is that legislators expand a provision created by Gov. Chris Sununu’s emergency action during the COVID pandemic and later codified into law, which allows providers to prescribe certain drugs for opioid-use disorder without an in-person visit. Similar online-only prescribing should be allowed for a variety of mental health and substance-use disorders, the commission said. The group’s final report was released to Gov. Sununu and legislators on Nov. 26. Ballard said the recommendation was spurred by data and experience from Dr. Audrey Kern, an addiction medicine specialist who was a member of the commission. “For example, a person with anxiety may be treated with controlled medication. They’re perfectly stable but still have to come in for an office visit. Attention deficit disorder is another (example),” Ballard said. The commission found that the use of telehealth services has declined slightly since the pandemic lockdown, when the practice soared from almost zero. It now sits at roughly 60-70 visits per 1,000 members, with Medicaid patients slightly more likely to use online services than private insurance patients. “We were reassured that there was still continued use (of telehealth), settling into an amount that is clinically appropriate, driven by need,” Ballard said. He pointed to the fact that there’s a winter uptick, when it gets harder to drive to the hospital, clinic or doctor’s office. “There’s a spike every single winter. That reassured us the data is valid,” he said. Telehealth is most often used in the populated southeast part of the state, which isn’t a surprise even though it may be of more value in rural areas with less access to providers. “So much of this data follows the map of other health service utilization. You have more providers in the southern part of the state which drives use in all health services, including telehealth,” Ballard said. The commission also recommends that lawmakers extend the group for two more years because many new technologies are coming online that can help telehealth services. Ballard pointed to a movement known as Hospital-at-Home being tested in Massachusetts and other places. “You can treat people with a hospital level of care using advanced technology” such as telemetry of a patient’s vital signs at home that can have a nurse or doctor called there if necessary. “It can let you move people out of the hospital or completely avoid a hospitalization,” he said. “It’s very promising.”
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans on Sunday voted in the second round of the country's presidential election , with the conservative governing party and a left-leaning coalition locked in a close runoff following level-headed campaigns widely seen as emblematic of the country's strong democracy. As polls closed Sunday evening, turnout stood at 89.4% — around the same as during the first round last month in which the two moderate coalitions both failed to win an outright majority. Voting in Uruguay is compulsory. Depending on how tight the vote turns out to be, electoral officials may not call the race for days — as happened in the contentious 2019 runoff that brought center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou to office and ended 15 years of rule by Uruguay’s left-leaning Broad Front by a razor-thin margin. Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate who won nearly 27% in the first round of voting on Oct. 27, has campaigned under the slogan “re-elect a good government." Other conservative parties that make up the government coalition — in particular, the Colorado Party that came in third place last month — notched 20% of the vote collectively, enough to give Delgado an edge over his challenger. Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, who took 44% of the vote in the general election, is promising to forge a “new left” in Uruguay that draws on the memory of stability and economic growth under his Broad Front coalition, which presided over pioneering social reforms that won widespread international acclaim from 2005-2020, including the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and sale of marijuana . With inflation easing and the economy expected to expand by some 3.2% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, surveys show that Uruguayans remain largely satisfied with the administration of Lacalle Pou, who constitutionally cannot run for a second consecutive term. But persistent complaints about sluggish growth, stagnant wages and an upsurge in violent crime could just as easily add the small South American nation to a long list of places this year where frustrated voters have punished incumbents in elections around the world. With most polls showing a virtual tie between Delgado and Orsi, analysts say the vote may hinge on a small group of undecided voters — roughly 10% of registered voters in the nation of 3.4 million people. “Neither candidate convinced me and I feel that there are many in my same situation,” said Vanesa Gelezoglo, 31, in the capital, Montevideo, adding she would make up her mind at “the last minute.” Analysts say the candidates’ lackluster campaigns and broad consensus on key issues have generated extraordinary indecision and apathy in an election dominated by discussions about social spending and concerns over income inequality but largely free of the anti-establishment rage that has vaulted populist outsiders to power in neighboring Argentina and the United States. “The question of whether Frente Amplio (the Broad Front) raises taxes is not an existential question, unlike what we saw in the U.S. with Trump and Kamala framing each other as threats to democracy," said Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America and Caribbean senior analyst for the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. “That doesn't exist in Uruguay.” Both candidates are also appealing to voter angst over the current government's struggle to stem the rise in violent crime that has shaken a nation long regarded as one of the region’s safest, with Delgado promising tough-on-crime policies and Orsi advocating a more community-oriented approach. Delgado, 55, a rural veterinarian with a long career in the National Party, served most recently as Secretary of the Presidency for Lacalle Pou and promises to pursue his predecessor’s pro-business policies. He would continue pushing for a trade deal with China that has raised hackles in Mercosur, an alliance of South American countries promoting regional commerce. "We have to give the government coalition a chance to consolidate its proposals,” said Ramiro Pérez, a street vendor voting for Delgado on Sunday. Orsi, 57, a former history teacher and two-time mayor from a working-class background, is widely seen as the political heir to former President José “Pepe” Mujica , an ex-Marxist guerilla who became a global icon for helping transform Uruguay into one of the region's most socially liberal and environmentally sustainable nations. “He's my candidate, not only for my sake but also for my children's,” Yeny Varone, a nurse at a polling station, said of Orsi. “In the future they'll have better working conditions, health and salaries.” Mujica, now 89 and recovering from esophageal cancer , turned up at his local polling station before balloting even began, praising Orsi's humility and Uruguay’s famous stability. “This is no small feat,” he said of Uruguay's “citizenry that respects formal institutions.” Orsi planned no dramatic changes, and, despite his call for a revitalized left-wing, his platform continues the Broad Front's traditional mix of market-friendly policies and welfare programs. He proposes tax incentives to lure investment and social security reforms that would lower the retirement age but fall short of a radical overhaul sought by Uruguay's unions. The contentious plebiscite on whether to boost pension payouts failed to pass in October, with Uruguayans rejecting generous pensions in favor of fiscal constraint. Both candidates pledged full cooperation with each other if elected. “I want (Orsi) to know that my idea is to form a government of national unity,” Delgado told reporters after casting his vote in the capital's upscale Pocitos neighborhood. He said that if he won, he and Orsi would chat on Monday over some yerba mate, the traditional herbal drink beloved by Uruguayans. Orsi described Sunday's democratic exercise as “an incredible experience" as he voted in Canelones, the sprawling town of beaches and cattle ranches just north of Montevideo where he served as mayor for a decade. “The essence of politics is agreements,” he said. “You never end up completely satisfied.” Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Villa Tunari, Bolivia, contributed to this report.Social media allowed Sina Aghamofid to take control of his life. Growing up with ADHD, the 23-year-old says social media enabled him to connect with other young people with the same condition and to learn coping strategies. “It has been quite helpful to see others go through a similar journey and also to understand the tips and solutions they use that work for them,” Sina said. The law student regularly watches videos on TikTok and Instagram, made by creators who talk candidly about their experience with ADHD. “Some of them have worked for me, some of them haven’t but it has given me access to so many peers and to access their insights,” he said. Sina is an advocate for ReachOut, a youth mental health organisation which provides self-help and peer-based support for people aged 14 to 25. The Sydney resident recently travelled to Parliament House in Canberra to meet with politicians and voice his concern about the Albanese Government’s proposed social media ban for those aged 13 to 16. He sees banning access to social media platforms as a “Band-Aid solution”. “All these harms that we are trying to address with this legislation exist all over the internet, it is not really solely on social media,” he said. Sina wants the Federal Government to instead force tech companies to make online environments safer, and to provide better digital literacy to young people and their parents. ReachOut Director of Service Jackie Hallan is also concerned the proposed ban will restrict young people from accessing mental health support, describing social media as a “front door” for accessing professional services. “ReachOut has done research and found that 73 per cent of young people access mental health supports through social media and so we are really concerned if this ban comes into effect that young people under 16 will have that source cut off to them,” Hallan said. Mental health organisations including ReachOut, RockIt, Beyond Blue, Headspace, Orygen and Prevention United are all signatories to joint statement opposing the proposed age-based ban. Many of the organisations have worked with major social media platforms to educate them about youth mental health. Hallan believes better evidence-based solutions are needed. “Mandating safety by design, limiting sticky features like the infinite scroll that keeps people trapped and doom-scrolling and creating more transparency of the algorithms that drive the content engines on these platforms,” she said. Youth anti-bullying organisation Project RockIt Executive Director and Co-Founder Rosie Thomas OAM believes this is a “knee-jerk”, fear-driven policy. “We are calling on the government to consult with young people, with the youth mental health sector to make sure when we shape this beast, so it can be as fit for purpose and inclusive as possible,” she said. Professor Jo Robinson AM, Head of Suicide Research at Orygen, believes more long-term, causal evidence is needed. “A lot of the evidence we hear spoken about recently and a lot of the kind of conversations that have informed this new legislation has really been correlational evidence – so it has really identified that there has been an increase in youth mental health problems and an increase in social media use and put two and two together,” Robinson said. Robinson said the legislation poses “a real risk of unintended harmful consequences”. “A lot of the young people that we speak to aren’t necessarily in safe home environments so they don’t have the support from their parents and those young people are going to be left behind with this kind of regulation,” Robinson said. “Taking away access to that support through social media is going to leave a big gap for young people and we really need the government to be filling that with other forms of supports that are going to be available.” Some platforms, such as YouTube and WhatsApp, would be exempt from the ban. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X and TikTok would not. The platforms could be fined up to $50 million if they breach the legislation. Speaking about the bill in parliament, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said: “While users can still be exposed to harmful content by other users, they do not face the same algorithmic curation of content and psychological manipulation to encourage near endless engagement.” The government has not indicated how a user’s age would be verified by the platforms. The laws would not take effect for at least 12 months, but the government hopes they will pass Parliament by the end of the week. If this story has raised any issues for you, you can contact: Lifeline on 13 11 14
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Texas and Georgia are battling for recruiting supremacy before duking it out for a Southeastern Conference title. Alabama, which also appears to be headed to the playoffs, is right behind them. The two Atlanta-bound and presumably playoff-bound SEC powers are leading the way in recruiting league-wide and nationally during the early signing period that started Wednesday. They'll meet Saturday in the SEC championship game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They're currently No. 1 (Texas) and No. 2 (Georgia) nationally, but the SEC holds a sweep of the top three with the Crimson Tide ranked third in Kalen DeBoer's first full recruiting cycle. The league holds eight of the top 11 spots. The final rankings are pending the decision of the nation's top uncommitted prospect, defensive tackle Justus Terry, who is expected to choose among three SEC schools: Georgia, Texas and Auburn. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Hezbollah fires about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel in heaviest barrage in weeks BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in one of the militant group’s heaviest barrages in months. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Somalia says 24 people have died after 2 boats capsized in the Indian Ocean MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia's government says 24 people died after two boats capsized off the Madagascar coast in the Indian Ocean. Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said 46 people were rescued. Most of the passengers were young Somalis, and their intended destination remains unclear. Many young Somalis embark every year on dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities abroad. A delegation led by the Somali ambassador to Ethiopia is scheduled to travel to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help survivors. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. Republicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised' FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican lawmakers are pushing back against criticism from some Democrats that President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead U.S. intelligence services is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and a meeting with an ally of that country. The accusation came from Sen. Tammy Duckworth. The Illinois Democrat says she has concerns about the pro-Russian views expressed by Tulsi Gabbard, who was tapped for the post of director of national intelligence. Duckworth’s comments on Sunday drew immediate backlash from Republicans. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Heavy rains in Bolivia send mud crashing into the capital, leaving 1 missing and destroying homes LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Authorities say that a landslide caused by heavy rains has flooded dozens of homes in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. It swept away a young girl, spurred evacuations and left parts of the city without electricity. Torrential rain on Saturday caused a river to spill its banks Sunday, dislodging mud from a southwestern La Paz neighborhood where low-slung, shoddily built dwellings dot the hillside. The torrent of debris and soil surged down a narrow ravine early Sunday, wrecking some two dozen homes and flooding another 40. Hours after the rain subsided, rescuers were still searching for the missing 5-year-old girl. Emergency workers saved six residents suffering from hypothermia. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Cleveland BrownsPAN GLOBAL GRANTS ANNUAL INCENTIVE AWARDS UNDER THE LTIPTrump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions
'Outrageous' price of baked beans on toast at cafe causes a stirStock market today: Wall Street ends little changed after giving up a big morning gain
From the sublime to the ridiculous. Depending on where your Google search lands, the age-old adage is most often attributed to either French diplomat Tallyrand, Napoleon, or historian Jean Francois Marmontel – the latter of whom would have uttered the words in the mid-18th century. Fast-forward 300 years, and the sentiment still applies to the post-results Q&A section of the annual Celtic AGM. From rambling comedic monologues to scathing personal swipes at members of the top table’s family, tongue-in-cheek references to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 gangster epic The Godfather, and genuinely heartfelt complaints about the perceivable ills of pyrotechnics in stadiums – and how the mounting UEFA fines the Parkhead club receive every season could help feed people in need at this time of year – there’s an enduring, simultaneously tragic and pantomime-like element to every one of these occasions. Of course, the tone sits a lot more comfortably when the team are performing on the pitch. An unbeaten start to the Scottish Premiership, combined with a place in this season’s Premier Sports Cup final, seven points from four games in the UEFA Champions League and now within touching distance of a place in the new-look competition’s play-off round, and things could certainly be worse for manager Brendan Rodgers and his players. That tone sits more comfortably still when things are so rosy off it. With £77.2 million in the bank, a group revenue increase from £119.9m to £124.6m, and pre-tax profit of £17.8 year-on-year (it’s worth noting these numbers don’t include this summer’s transfer activity or the club’s 2024/25 UEFA Champions League earnings), Celtic are clearly in the green in more ways the one. Read more: Rodgers addresses Celtic future as he responds over new contract Lawwell bites back at Celtic blogger over 'highly personal question' Much of the opening stretch of the Celtic AGM spoke to the above. Video montages of the men’s and women’s teams scoring goals and lifting trophies were played on screens dotted around a function suite at Celtic Park, punctuated by talking head segments of Rodgers and women’s manager Elena Sadiku illustrating their achievements. Chairman Peter Lawwell did his own piece to camera speaking on off-pitch matters, with chief executive Michael Nicholson flanked by chief financial officer Chris Mackay doing much of the same. Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond was absent on the day – the Irish entrepreneur’s son Ross sat at the table in his stead – as nine boiler-plate resolutions were passed, ranging from the details within the club’s annual report, to the reappointment of Nicholson, non-executive board members Tom Allison and Brian Wilson, and, as you’d expect, Desmond himself. When the meeting was thrown to the crowd for its final hour, things kicked off in earnest. The diversity of the board was first questioned, with Lawwell acknowledging the importance of providing a range of perspectives across race, age and gender among the club’s figureheads in future considerations. A seven-minute question-come-impassioned soliloquy was next delivered by an older gentleman who fired wistful pot shots at the introduction of VAR in Scottish football , while, for some reason, likening Nicholson to Michael Corleone, Rodgers as the “hitman”, and former Lisbon Lion and current kit controller John Clarke as “the kit man”. A serious message punctured the room’s levity when a disabled supporter called for universal transparency at the club – framing his point around experienced issues with Celtic’s Park’s accessible seating, but ultimately extending his sentiments to the wider year-to-year operation of the business . A shareholder’s suggestion that singer Rod Stewart should be more visible in the money he invests in Celtic followed, before two successive fans called for the stadium’s south stand to be redeveloped to increase capacity. One in turn called for the reduction of ticket prices amid the ongoing cost of living crisis; the other suggested one million Celtic fans could crowdfund £100 per head to pay for the required renovations. Nicholson expressed his sympathies and called for “humanitarian aid” following events in Gaza when asked about a fan group who desired to formally meet with the club’s hierarchy, before another shareholder took aim at Mark Lawwell, Peter’s son, suggesting, not in so many words, that the former head of first team scouting and recruitment’s tenure at Celtic was unsuccessful. Peter Lawwell, expectedly, took issue with the poser, saying: “I am not going to give this question any credibility by answering it.” Rodgers, however, did, saying: “Mark did a fantastic job at Celtic. Look at Mark’s influence in bringing Ange Postecoglou to the club was huge. “If that was his only contribution to here, then he’d have done a fantastic job. But it wasn’t – he was an influence in bringing in Ali Johnston and other players. “I sit here in his defence, because he’s a massive Celtic supporter. Like Peter, he comes from a massive Celtic family who want nothing but the best for the club.” The ‘Celtic End’ was thereafter discussed – the North Curve’s proposed safe-standing expansion that would serve to relocate existing season tickets situated in the stadium’s Jock Stein stand. Nicholson duly acknowledged the “demand”, but is still going through the survey results from this summer’s questionnaire, within which the fan-led initiative was indirectly addressed. The subject of the Norve Curve – the collective under which ultras groups The Green Brigade and The Bhoys sit – extended to fines for poor supporter behaviour. Nicholson added: “[Poor behaviour] is a long-standing issue. But [it’s] not just a Celtic issue. It’s not a perfect system.” Which is likely a fair summation of occasions like the annual Celtic AGM as a whole. Yes, the numbers look great. Yes, the montages illustrate a club in rude health . Yes, shareholders have their chance to put questions to the powers that be, be them serious or in jest. But it’s far from a perfect system. One which too often sways from the sublime to the ridiculous.
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