panalo999 com Assad's fall leaves UK with political dilemma Getty Images The speed of the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria is giving us a real-time insight into the dilemmas of foreign policy. The solid becoming fluid in the blink of an eye, and a whole array of awkward questions being posed. A dictator flees, his regime collapses and Foreign Secretary David Lammy addresses the Commons, telling MPs that Assad is a "monster," a "butcher" a "drug dealer" and a "rat". But things are moving quickly. Asylum applications suspended When asked whether the UK would... Chris MasonCalifornia to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites

At least seven political parties have been cleared to participate in the January 18 local government election in Ondo State. The Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODSIEC), Mrs Bisi Lawani, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Akure. Lawani said the parties were confirmed during the verification of candidates contesting for the positions of chairman and vice-chairman held at the commission’s headquarters on Monday in Akure. READ ALSO: APC sweeps Ondo local council elections She said: “The political parties set to participate in the election are the Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), and Action People’s Party (APP). “Others are New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP). “This critical process conducted at the commission’s headquarters was aimed at ensuring that all candidates meet the eligibility requirements stipulated in the electoral guidelines.” Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now

One of my top shows of 2024 actually premiered in 2021. That’s because it took a couple of years for the Australian series “The Newsreader” to make its way Stateside. Alas, it was only legal to stream in the U.S. for a handful of weeks in September and then — pffft! — it was gone before most people had even heard of it. Well, I have great news. The show will be available once again, this time via Sundance Now (accessible through the AMC+ streaming platform), which has licensed the first season. Premiering Dec. 19, it stars Anna Torv (“Fringe”) and Sam Reid (“Interview with the Vampire”) as TV reporters in Melbourne, circa 1986. At the outset, Reid’s character exudes big loser energy, which is such an amusing contrast to his work as Lestat. The show is unexpectedly funny and terrifically Machiavellian in its portrayal of small-time office politics, and I’m thrilled audiences in the U.S. will get another shot at watching it. Overall, 2024 offered a modestly better lineup than usual, but I’m not sure it felt that way. Too often the good stuff got drowned out by Hollywood’s pointless and endless pursuit of rebooting intellectual property (no thank you, Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” ) and tendency to stretch a perfectly fine two-hour movie premise into a saggy multi-part series (“Presumed Innocent” again!). There were plenty of shows I liked that didn’t make this year’s list, including ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’ “Ghosts” (it’s heartening to see the network sitcom format still thriving in the streaming era), as well as Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” (Ted Danson’s charisma selling an unlikely premise) and Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” (a high-concept parody of racial stereotypes and cop show tropes, even if it couldn’t sustain the idea over 10 episodes). Maybe it just felt like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (Nicole Kidman leading a traditional manor house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu’s “Rivals” (the horniest show of 2024, delivered with a wink in the English countryside). I liked what I saw of Showtime’s espionage thriller “The Agency” (although the bulk of episodes were unavailable as of this writing). The deluge of remakes tends to make me cringe, but this year also saw a redo of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Netflix that was far classier than most of what’s available on the streamer. Starring Andrew Scott, I found it cool to the touch, but the imagery stayed with me. Shot in black and white, it has an indelible visual language courtesy of director of photography Robert Elswit, whether capturing a crisp white business card against the worn grain wood of a bar top, or winding stairways that alternately suggest a yawning void or a trap. As always, if you missed any of these shows when they originally premiered — the aforementioned titles or the Top 10 listed below — they are all available to stream. Top 10 streaming and TV shows of 2024, in alphabetical order: The least cynical reality show on television remains as absorbing as ever in Season 4, thanks to the probing questions and insights from the show’s resident therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik. Everything is so charged. And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable. There’s something so optimistic in that outlook. Whether or not you relate to the people featured on “Couples Therapy” — or even like them as individuals — doesn’t matter as much as Guralnik’s reassuring presence. Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series defies categorization in all the right ways. Part missing-person mystery, part comedy about a school teacher coming to grips with her impending divorce, and part drama about long-buried secrets, it has tremendous style right from the start — sardonic, knowing and self-deprecating. The answers to the central mystery may not pack a satisfying punch by the end, but the road there is as entertaining and absorbing as they come. We need more shows like this. A comedy created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (of the antic YouTube series “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo”), the show has a sensibility all its own, despite a handful of misinformed people on social media calling it a ripoff of “Abbott Elementary.” There’s room enough in the TV landscape for more than one sitcom with a school setting and “English Teacher” has a wonderfully gimlet-eyed point of view of modern high school life. I’m amused that so much of its musical score is Gen-X coded, because that neither applies to Alvarez (a millennial) nor the fictional students he teaches. So why does the show feature everything from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” to Exposé’s “Point of No Return”? The ’80s were awash in teen stories and maybe the show is using music from that era to invoke all those tropes in order to better subvert them. It’s a compelling idea! It’s streaming on Hulu and worth checking out if you haven’t already. A one-time tennis phenom accuses her former coach of coercing her into a sexual relationship in this British thriller. The intimacy between a coach and athlete often goes unexplored, in real-life or fictional contexts and that’s what the show interrogates: When does it go over the line? It’s smart, endlessly watchable and the kind of series that would likely find a larger audience were it available on a more popular streamer. There’s real tenderness in this show. Real cruelty, too. It’s a potent combination and the show’s third and strongest season won it an Emmy for best comedy. Jean Smart’s aging comic still looking for industry validation and Hannah Einbinder’s needy Gen-Z writer are trapped in an endless cycle of building trust that inevitably gives way to betrayal. Hollywood in a nutshell! “Hacks” is doing variations on this theme every season, but doing it in interesting ways. Nobody self-sabotages their way to success like these two. I was skeptical about the show when it premiered in 2022 . Vampire stories don’t interest me. And the 1994 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt wasn’t a persuasive argument to the contrary. But great television is great television and nothing at the moment is better than this show. It was ignored by Emmy voters in its initial outing but let’s hope Season 2 gets the recognition it deserves. Under showrunner Rolin Jones, the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is richly written, thrillingly inhabited by its cast and so effortlessly funny with a framing device — the interview of the title — that is thick with intrigue and sly comedy. I wouldn’t categorize the series as horror. It’s not scary. But it is tonally self-assured and richly made, rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: The melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers. Already renewed for Season 3, it has an incredible cast (a thrilling late-career boost for Eric Bogosian) and is well worth catching up with if you haven’t already. It’s been too long since the pleasures of banter fueled a romantic comedy in the spirit of “When Harry Met Sally.” But it’s all over the place in “Nobody Wants This,” one of the best shows on Netflix in recent memory. Renewed for a second season, it stars Kristen Bell as a humorously caustic podcaster and Adam Brody as the cute and emotionally intelligent rabbi she falls for. On the downside, the show has some terrible notions about Jewish women that play into controlling and emasculating stereotypes. You hate to see it in such an otherwise sparkling comedy, because overall Bell and Brody have an easy touch that gives the comedy real buoyancy. I suspect few people saw this three-part series on PBS Masterpiece, but it features a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing the real-life, longtime British soap star Noele “Nolly” Gordon, who was unceremoniously sacked in 1981. She’s the kind of larger-than-life showbiz figure who is a bit ridiculous, a bit imperious, but also so much fun. The final stretch of her career is brought to life by Carter and this homage — to both the soap she starred in and the way she carried it on her back — is from Russell T. Davies (best known for the “Doctor Who” revival). For U.S. viewers unfamiliar with the show or Gordon, Carter’s performance has the benefit of not competing with a memory as it reanimates a slice of British pop culture history from the analog era. The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. That’s our entry point to this gorgeously shot story of power games and political maneuvering among feudal enemies. Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel by the married team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, it is filled with Emmy-winning performances (for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada; the series itself also won best drama) and unlike something like HBO’s far clunkier “House of the Dragon,” which tackles similar themes, this feels like the rare show created by, and for, adults. The misfits and losers of Britain’s MI5 counterintelligence agency — collectively known as the slow horses, a sneering nickname that speaks to their perceived uselessness — remain as restless as ever in this adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels. As a series, “Slow Horses” doesn’t offer tightly plotted clockwork spy stories; think too deeply about any of the details and the whole thing threatens to fall apart. But on a scene-by-scene basis, the writing is a winning combination of wry and tension-filled, and the cumulative effect is wonderfully entertaining. Spies have to deal with petty office politics like everyone else! It’s also one of the few shows that has avoided the dreaded one- or two-year delay between seasons, which has become standard on streaming. Instead, it provides the kind of reliability — of its characters but also its storytelling intent — that has become increasingly rare. Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

One of my top shows of 2024 actually premiered in 2021. That’s because it took a couple of years for the Australian series “The Newsreader” to make its way Stateside. Alas, it was only legal to stream in the U.S. for a handful of weeks in September and then — pffft! — it was gone before most people had even heard of it. Well, I have great news. The show will be available once again, this time via Sundance Now (accessible through the AMC+ streaming platform), which has licensed the first season. Premiering Dec. 19, it stars Anna Torv (“Fringe”) and Sam Reid (“Interview with the Vampire”) as TV reporters in Melbourne, circa 1986. At the outset, Reid’s character exudes big loser energy, which is such an amusing contrast to his work as Lestat. The show is unexpectedly funny and terrifically Machiavellian in its portrayal of small-time office politics, and I’m thrilled audiences in the U.S. will get another shot at watching it. Overall, 2024 offered a modestly better lineup than usual, but I’m not sure it felt that way. Too often the good stuff got drowned out by Hollywood’s pointless and endless pursuit of rebooting intellectual property (no thank you, Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” ) and tendency to stretch a perfectly fine two-hour movie premise into a saggy multi-part series (“Presumed Innocent” again!). There were plenty of shows I liked that didn’t make this year’s list, including ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’ “Ghosts” (it’s heartening to see the network sitcom format still thriving in the streaming era), as well as Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” (Ted Danson’s charisma selling an unlikely premise) and Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” (a high-concept parody of racial stereotypes and cop show tropes, even if it couldn’t sustain the idea over 10 episodes). Maybe it just felt like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (Nicole Kidman leading a traditional manor house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu’s “Rivals” (the horniest show of 2024, delivered with a wink in the English countryside). I liked what I saw of Showtime’s espionage thriller “The Agency” (although the bulk of episodes were unavailable as of this writing). The deluge of remakes tends to make me cringe, but this year also saw a redo of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Netflix that was far classier than most of what’s available on the streamer. Starring Andrew Scott, I found it cool to the touch, but the imagery stayed with me. Shot in black and white, it has an indelible visual language courtesy of director of photography Robert Elswit, whether capturing a crisp white business card against the worn grain wood of a bar top, or winding stairways that alternately suggest a yawning void or a trap. As always, if you missed any of these shows when they originally premiered — the aforementioned titles or the Top 10 listed below — they are all available to stream. Top 10 streaming and TV shows of 2024, in alphabetical order: The least cynical reality show on television remains as absorbing as ever in Season 4, thanks to the probing questions and insights from the show’s resident therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik. Everything is so charged. And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable. There’s something so optimistic in that outlook. Whether or not you relate to the people featured on “Couples Therapy” — or even like them as individuals — doesn’t matter as much as Guralnik’s reassuring presence. Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series defies categorization in all the right ways. Part missing-person mystery, part comedy about a school teacher coming to grips with her impending divorce, and part drama about long-buried secrets, it has tremendous style right from the start — sardonic, knowing and self-deprecating. The answers to the central mystery may not pack a satisfying punch by the end, but the road there is as entertaining and absorbing as they come. We need more shows like this. A comedy created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (of the antic YouTube series “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo”), the show has a sensibility all its own, despite a handful of misinformed people on social media calling it a ripoff of “Abbott Elementary.” There’s room enough in the TV landscape for more than one sitcom with a school setting and “English Teacher” has a wonderfully gimlet-eyed point of view of modern high school life. I’m amused that so much of its musical score is Gen-X coded, because that neither applies to Alvarez (a millennial) nor the fictional students he teaches. So why does the show feature everything from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” to Exposé’s “Point of No Return”? The ’80s were awash in teen stories and maybe the show is using music from that era to invoke all those tropes in order to better subvert them. It’s a compelling idea! It’s streaming on Hulu and worth checking out if you haven’t already. A one-time tennis phenom accuses her former coach of coercing her into a sexual relationship in this British thriller. The intimacy between a coach and athlete often goes unexplored, in real-life or fictional contexts and that’s what the show interrogates: When does it go over the line? It’s smart, endlessly watchable and the kind of series that would likely find a larger audience were it available on a more popular streamer. There’s real tenderness in this show. Real cruelty, too. It’s a potent combination and the show’s third and strongest season won it an Emmy for best comedy. Jean Smart’s aging comic still looking for industry validation and Hannah Einbinder’s needy Gen-Z writer are trapped in an endless cycle of building trust that inevitably gives way to betrayal. Hollywood in a nutshell! “Hacks” is doing variations on this theme every season, but doing it in interesting ways. Nobody self-sabotages their way to success like these two. I was skeptical about the show when it premiered in 2022 . Vampire stories don’t interest me. And the 1994 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt wasn’t a persuasive argument to the contrary. But great television is great television and nothing at the moment is better than this show. It was ignored by Emmy voters in its initial outing but let’s hope Season 2 gets the recognition it deserves. Under showrunner Rolin Jones, the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is richly written, thrillingly inhabited by its cast and so effortlessly funny with a framing device — the interview of the title — that is thick with intrigue and sly comedy. I wouldn’t categorize the series as horror. It’s not scary. But it is tonally self-assured and richly made, rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: The melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers. Already renewed for Season 3, it has an incredible cast (a thrilling late-career boost for Eric Bogosian) and is well worth catching up with if you haven’t already. It’s been too long since the pleasures of banter fueled a romantic comedy in the spirit of “When Harry Met Sally.” But it’s all over the place in “Nobody Wants This,” one of the best shows on Netflix in recent memory. Renewed for a second season, it stars Kristen Bell as a humorously caustic podcaster and Adam Brody as the cute and emotionally intelligent rabbi she falls for. On the downside, the show has some terrible notions about Jewish women that play into controlling and emasculating stereotypes. You hate to see it in such an otherwise sparkling comedy, because overall Bell and Brody have an easy touch that gives the comedy real buoyancy. I suspect few people saw this three-part series on PBS Masterpiece, but it features a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing the real-life, longtime British soap star Noele “Nolly” Gordon, who was unceremoniously sacked in 1981. She’s the kind of larger-than-life showbiz figure who is a bit ridiculous, a bit imperious, but also so much fun. The final stretch of her career is brought to life by Carter and this homage — to both the soap she starred in and the way she carried it on her back — is from Russell T. Davies (best known for the “Doctor Who” revival). For U.S. viewers unfamiliar with the show or Gordon, Carter’s performance has the benefit of not competing with a memory as it reanimates a slice of British pop culture history from the analog era. The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. That’s our entry point to this gorgeously shot story of power games and political maneuvering among feudal enemies. Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel by the married team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, it is filled with Emmy-winning performances (for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada; the series itself also won best drama) and unlike something like HBO’s far clunkier “House of the Dragon,” which tackles similar themes, this feels like the rare show created by, and for, adults. The misfits and losers of Britain’s MI5 counterintelligence agency — collectively known as the slow horses, a sneering nickname that speaks to their perceived uselessness — remain as restless as ever in this adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels. As a series, “Slow Horses” doesn’t offer tightly plotted clockwork spy stories; think too deeply about any of the details and the whole thing threatens to fall apart. But on a scene-by-scene basis, the writing is a winning combination of wry and tension-filled, and the cumulative effect is wonderfully entertaining. Spies have to deal with petty office politics like everyone else! It’s also one of the few shows that has avoided the dreaded one- or two-year delay between seasons, which has become standard on streaming. Instead, it provides the kind of reliability — of its characters but also its storytelling intent — that has become increasingly rare. Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.Mediocre Edmonton Oilers don't seem willing to pay the price

Bhubaneswar: Raghubar Das stepped down as Odisha governor, potentially marking BJP 's strategic recalibration in Jharkhand following the party's recent electoral setback to JMM. The President's secretariat announced that Mizoram governor Kambhampati Hari Babu will succeed Das in Odisha. Das has returned Jharkhand and will join active politics, political observers said. They view Das's resignation, barely one year and two months into his tenure, as a calculated move by the BJP to strengthen its position in Jharkhand. The 69-year-old former Jharkhand chief minister had previously expressed interest in returning to active state politics before the assembly elections. During his gubernatorial stint, Das's extensive tours across Odisha and his critical stance against the Naveen Patnaik govt — highlighting people's deep-seated frustration against the BJD — notably influenced BJP's decision to contest independently, ultimately leading to the party's success in the state. The new governor Hari Babu, 71, is a PhD holder and former faculty member at Andhra University Engineering College. His political career includes terms as MLA from Visakhapatnam-1 and MP from Visakhapatnam parliamentary constituency. He was a member of the national task force for river interlinking (2003-2004). Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes .Landsea Homes Corp shareholder Chen Huaijun sells $42 million in stockThere’s plenty to consider when it comes to deciding whether you want to engage with the many generative AI bots now available inside our apps. These include the ethics of copyright use, soaring energy demands, and the diminishing of human creativity, to begin with. Something else to bear in mind when engaging with these tools is they’re often going to use your flesh-and-blood human inputs to further train their underlying models. While some AI companies make efforts to anonymize this data, it’s something you may not feel comfortable with. The good news is, in most cases, you can find a setting to turn the training off. Disabling AI training isn’t quite the same as wiping your AI chatbot history, though they are linked. Your chats can still be used for training purposes before they’re wiped, and you may well want to keep your chat history in place — but at the same time stop AI companies from using your data for model refinement. Here are instructions on how to turn off AI training on several AI or AI-supporting apps. Click your profile picture (top right), then choose and turn it off using the toggle switch. Tap the menu button (top left), then the three dots next to your account name to find the screen and the toggle switch. Click your account picture (top right), then click your name and . You get two toggle switches you can turn off: and . These toggle switches are in an almost identical place in the Copilot mobile app. Tap your account picture (top right), then and . With Gemini, you must turn off chat history to stop your chats from being used to train the AI — there’s no option to set these separately, as there is with ChatGPT and Copilot. On the web, click (bottom left); in the mobile app, click your account picture (top right), then . In either case, on the next screen, look for next to a toggle or button that will turn it on or off. According to the screen, your chat will be kept for 72 hours, whether or not you have turned app activity off. When activity logging is turned off, when you start a new chat, you will get a message saying the current one will be deleted. Click the by your username (bottom right), then turn off the toggle switch (under ) to stop your data from being used for training. Tap your account picture (top left) to find the toggle switch — it’s a slightly different label, but the function is the same. Choose and uncheck the box. Tap your account avatar (top left), then you’ve got access to the same menu. Click your profile picture at the top of the page, then to find the toggle switch. To find the switch in the mobile app, tap your profile picture (top left), then . Of all the apps and services listed so far, Meta is the most obtuse when it comes to letting users know how their data is used for AI training and giving users options for turning it off. You can read the data policy here: private messages are off limits (unless you invite the AI into the chat), but everything else is apparently fair game, including images of you posted by other people. In Europe and the UK, you can object to this collection of data by submitting this well-hidden form, which is labeled as a “right to object” form. In the US, however, all you have is an alternative form “to submit requests related to your personal information from third parties being used to develop and improve AI at Meta.” First, check off “I have a concern about my personal information from third parties that’s related to a response I received from an AI at Meta model, feature or experience.” Then, on the form that appears, you need to explicitly explain (and provide screenshots) how your personal data was used. Can’t do that? Then there’s not much else you can do. If your Facebook or Instagram account is running Meta AI, you can mute the chatbot by going into search, clicking on the and then on the (the one with an “i”). Select and, on the list of options, choose . Finally, several sites suggest that you can use mbasic.facebook.com, a very basic version of the app, assuming you want to go that far. For other AI-using apps that you use, it’s worth digging into the settings and privacy policies to see exactly how your data is being processed. Policies can differ widely. Earlier this year, Adobe updated its privacy policy to confirm that it wouldn’t train its AI on user images. On the other hand, Reddit has signed a deal with OpenAI to train AI on user posts — and there’s nothing you can do about it, except not use Reddit. Even on apps and services that don’t use your data for AI training, if your content is being made public or being accessed by third-party developers, then it may get scooped up by AI bots anyway. As always, be careful what you post and share.

Justin Trudeau suggests Canada will retaliate against Donald Trump's tariffsNone

Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Couple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothes MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon.Jadion Anthony Richards and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her. They're also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut. They're due back in court next month. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road.No. 22 Xavier aims to keep its perfect record intact Monday night in Fort Myers, Fla., when it takes on South Carolina in the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The Musketeers (5-0) are coming off an 80-55 victory on Wednesday over Siena, while the Gamecocks (3-2) beat Mercer on Thursday 84-72. Against Mercer, South Carolina sank a season-best 12 3-pointers -- tied for the fourth-most in a single game under third-year coach Lamont Paris. Jamarii Thomas, a senior transfer from Norfolk State, had 19 points and swished 4 of 5 shots from behind the arc. "Thomas got some good, clean looks," Paris said. "It was good to see those guys make their shots. Hopefully it gets those guys going in the right direction." On the season, the Gamecocks are making 7.8 3-pointers per game and shooting 32.5 percent from deep. Senior guard Jacobi Wright makes a team-best 1.8 3-pointers per game and shoots 37.5 percent from behind the arc. At 13.0 ppg, he is second on the team behind Collin Murray-Boyles (15.8). Xavier is allowing eight makes from deep per game and is letting opponents shoot 38.5 percent from behind the arc, which ranks 337th in the country. And despite an undefeated record so far for the Musketeers, third-year coach Sean Miller is worried about his players developing bad habits. "We have a virus that everybody is looking at the stat sheet, trying to get as many points as they possibly can," Miller said after the win over Siena. "They want to win, but they really want to win and score. We need a couple of guys that are willing to rebound, defend, make the extra pass, play at a high level defensively and understand what makes a team great." Marcus Foster did a decent job of doing a little bit of everything for Xavier against Siena, piling up 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal. It was the first double-digit scoring outing for Foster -- a grad transfer from Furman -- in a Xavier uniform. Since 2008, Xavier is 25-11 against teams from the Southeastern Conference, but it hasn't played South Carolina in that stretch. --Field Level Media

Huskers land Kentucky wide receiver Key

Undefeated Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M will collide Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas in the second game of the new Players Era Festival. Both teams are in the "Power" group of the eight-team event. All eight teams are receiving $1 million for their name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives, but placing fourth or higher in the tourney in order will net them anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. The Aggies (4-1) opened the season with a three-point loss at UCF, but since then have won four straight, all in convincing fashion. Texas A&M upset then-No. 21 Ohio State 78-64 on Nov. 15 at home in College Station, Texas. Then the Aggies crushed Southern 71-54 last Wednesday, when Wade Taylor IV led the way with 17 points and six assists. All of Texas A&M's wins have been by double digits. The Aggies and Ducks (5-0) have split the two previous meetings against each other. Until March 2022 in an NIT second-round game, they had not met since the 1970-71 season. Texas A&M tied the overall series with a 75-60 win at home in 2022. The only player on the Ducks' current roster who played in that game was 7-foot senior Nate Bittle, who has been one of Oregon's best players so far this season. Bittle's 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Ducks so far this season, and the big man also averages two blocked shots per game. Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps, a transfer from SMU, leads the Aggies in scoring at 16 points per game. Taylor adds 14 points per game. The Aggies could be the best defensive team the Ducks will have seen this season. A&M is allowing teams to shoot only 36.6 percent in games. Head coach Buzz Williams and his staff are hoping the team gets better at taking charges on defense, as the Aggies have just one so far this season. "I guess the thing that you work on most is verticality around the rim," Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Roccaforte told KBTX television. "‘Hey, once you get there, if you try and take a charge, it's going to be a block. Just jump as high as you can, stay vertical, try to go chest-to-chest. Make it a hard shot.'" Oregon is coming off a 78-75 win at Oregon State, the Ducks' first road game of the season. The Ducks trailed by 10 points at halftime but, as they have in several games this season, they found a rhythm on offense in the second half and came up with a comeback win. Bittle's 23 points and 14 rebounds led the way. Jackson Shelstad had 15 points and Jadrian Tracey and Keeshawn Barthelemy both added 10. "We started rebounding the ball a little better. Nate really got it going inside and our guys got him the ball," Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the school's athletics website. "He had a heck of a game." --Field Level Media

NEW YORK , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP) honored ABA Centers, the nation's fastest growing autism care provider, by partnering to ring the iconic Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange together. Lorri Unumb , Chief Executive Officer of CASP; Christopher Barnett , Founder & Chairman of ABA Centers; and his daughter, Madison Mulvey , were the official bell ringers during the 1 pm ceremony, marking an early close of the markets in preparation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. ABA Centers was founded as a testament to a father's love for his daughter, sparked from Mr. Barnett's personal experience attempting to acquire a diagnosis and then quality care for his own child, Ms. Mulvey, who spent years dealing with a misdiagnosis and missing out on the proper treatment that she desperately needed. What Mr. Barnett experienced as the parent of a child on the spectrum – the inadequacies, the lack of services available, and the long wait lists within the autism care system – were simply unacceptable. As a longtime healthcare entrepreneur, Mr. Barnett recognized that he already harnessed the infrastructure to effectuate real change within the autism care industry, so he set out to create a mission-driven organization, where every employee throughout the corporate and clinical teams is dedicated to making a lasting impact in the lives of autistic children and their families. "I hope that the sound waves of this bell ringing transcend the trading floor and serve as a rally call for quick, compassionate, and top quality autism care across our country," remarked Mr. Barnett. "Seeing CASP and ABA Centers on the New York Stock Exchange podium should encourage other decision makers and deal makers alike to find ways in which they can positively impact the autism care industry further because there are millions of children currently languishing on wait lists and missing out on the autism care that they deserve during the most crucial times." In 2024, ABA Centers achieved the following monumental milestones, which served to amplify its commitment to providing every kid in the country with world class autism care: ABA Centers debuted on this year's Inc. 5000 as the No. 5 fastest growing private company in America due to an outstanding revenue growth of 32,192 percent in the three-year period assessed for the list. A de novo and self-funded growth strategy set ABA Centers apart – and ahead – of thousands of other enterprises vying for a spot on this highly coveted line-up. The organization has carved out a self-sufficient path to success that has proven to be substantial and sustainable, without any private equity investment, nor any significant debt financing. This achievement was quickly followed by Mr. Barnett winning the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 National Overall Award. Mr. Barnett was chosen by an independent panel of nearly 40 judges from a pool of 214 Entrepreneur Of The Year regional winners, representing 185 companies across the US. His leadership in building ABA Centers into a remarkable business that demonstrates innovation as well as significant positive impact, providing hope for families and continuing to challenge the current autism care market, secured his win of this award. ABA Centers strengthened its footprint along the East Coast and expanded westward, now providing evidence-backed autism care in 34 service markets throughout 10 states. Within these markets, ABA Centers currently operates 26 physical autism care centers, with plans to open nearly 40 new locations throughout the coming New Year. "For mission-driven organizations like CASP and ABA Centers, this bell ringing ceremony offers a platform to amplify our message and highlight the importance of autism care, as well as the challenges faced by the autism community, to a robust and influential audience," stated Mrs. Unumb. Mrs. Unumb and Mr. Barnett were joined on the bell ringing podium by the C-suite of ABA Centers: Jason Barker ; Joseph Heilner ; Kristy Johnson ; Quatiba Davis; Michael Holohan ; Michael Holzum ; Michael Holzum, Jr. ; and Ted Bender ; members of The Christopher M. Barnett Family Foundation: Julie Barnett , Kaitlyn Mulvey , Madison Mulvey , and Kennedy Mulvey ; and Dan Unumb of the Autism Legal Resource Center. About ABA Centers ABA Centers provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services to children with autism spectrum disorder through a play-based approach rooted in positive reinforcement. The company was designed to disrupt the autism care industry by demolishing wait times traditionally experienced by those in search of a diagnosis or treatment. Its strategically designed behavioral care centers offer the greatest opportunity for growth to young clients and their families. In-home and in-school therapy services are also available to deliver the most impactful continuum of care and to best meet each client's specific needs. In 2024, ABA Centers was named the No. 5 fastest growing private company in America on the Inc. 5000. More information can be found at www.abacenters.com . About the Council of Autism Service Providers Founded in 2016, the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) is a non-profit trade association of over 380 autism service provider organizations from all 50 states and multiple countries. It supports members by cultivating, sharing, and advocating for best practices in autism services. From developing clinical practice guidelines for applied behavior analysis to educating legislators about good policy, CASP works every day to ensure individuals with autism receive quality care. Learn more at www.CASProviders.org . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-council-of-autism-service-providers-and-aba-centers-partner-to-ring-closing-bell-at-the-new-york-stock-exchange-302337682.html SOURCE ABA CentersJudge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender

NoneAnalysis-7-Eleven battle shows resilience of Japan Inc's family ties

Julius Randle: Loss to Raptors 'a low point' for TimberwolvesYOURSAY | ‘If all these politicians do not do it what does that tell you?’ Asset declaration: Why should civil servants go first? Pink: As a civil servant, I have had to declare my assets since time immemorial. Once, my declaration was rejected because I did not put the value and the lot number of a small piece of land left by my grandfather (I could not trace the land grant), I had to write down the account number of my Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB) and got to update the declaration every year as well. I held a position involving research and training, not in approving projects. I used to drive a Proton Tiara, then an Axia and lived in a lower middle-class area. I have never heard of anybody holding the same position as I was being charged for corruption because the opportunity to do so is absolutely zero. And yet I have been harassed yearly by the human resources department about updating my asset declaration. It’s such a waste of time. Yet the biggest corruption scandals in this country occur amongst politicians, the least trusted group of people. They are reluctant to declare their assets. We truly understand that because no crooks would want to declare their assets. Asset declaration policy is stupid and not involving politicians is hypocritical and farcical. OrangePanther1466: I am all for transparency and integrity. However, for the sake of discussion, I feel that mandatory asset declaration is outdated and does not serve its purpose. There are so many ways a person can hide his wealth, making any declaration inadequate. The key to combating corruption is diligent enforcement without fear or favour. With the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, a person’s wealth, spending patterns, lifestyle, and so on, can be determined with a few strokes of the keyboard. Efficient intelligence gathering, better whistleblower protection and even rewards may be a better deterrent to corruption. As it stands now, this asset declaration initiative is like a millstone on Pakatan Harapan’s neck as yet another example of an unfulfilled promise. MS: Why does former deputy international trade and industry minister Ong Kian Ming want former civil servants to declare their assets first? Elected politicians have a lot to hide. Declaring their assets would prick their bubble of propriety and expose their indulgences. Still, I must say that getting civil servants to declare theirs is not a bad idea. The problem is that those scrutinising the declarations could also be civil servants. And you can guess what that will lead to. Anyway, with Jakim, instructed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, looming over all departments and agencies, chances are the Malaysian civil service will overtake Singapore’s - which coincidentally has just been ranked by Oxford University as the world’s best on multiple counts. There’s one problem though - Singapore is not an Islamic state. So I guess it is not worth emulating. GreenHare9358: This declaration of assets is important. All those in government and civil service in charge of managing the country’s wealth and resources should declare. It should be voluntary for elected politicians sitting at the highest level of the nation’s government. If they have a conscience, they should be an example for those below them to follow. Our politicians seem to have “exemplary values” when they are not in power, barking incessantly at those who are in power for refusing to declare their assets. Mgpowl: Good question, but it can’t be a one-off requirement. Everyone holding public office must declare their assets. It should not be a request but a law which, for reasons best known to this self-professed reformist of a prime minister, just can’t deliver. Subang MP Wong Chen, your position in your constituency is safe because it is a Chinese-majority seat and pro-Harapan. I’m in your constituency and, to get my vote, I want to hear you expose everything unconstitutional about this government. Anonymous_3f4b: Wong is protecting his kind. It is the politicians, especially on the government side, especially the ministers, deputies, secretaries, and MPs that must declare their assets first openly, publicly, and transparently and be accountable for every sen that they take from the public coffers. Once they have the gumption and the moral guts to do it as “leadership by example”, then the civil service must follow as a matter of course. If all these politicians do not do it what does that tell you? BlueCougar1744: Just request our Agong to pass a Royal decree that all MPs must declare their assets or they will be denied the role of an MP. The Election Commission must ensure all candidates for both state and parliamentary seats declare their assets before contesting. Do it before the next state or general election. Cogito Ergo Sum: I thought civil servants were already required to declare their assets annually. Wong is out of date. It’s the MPs who seem reluctant to declare their assets. From all the latest news reports, lawmakers seem to be embroiled in one of the worst cases of corruption involving state property, land, and resources. RedWolf4463: All those who want their wealth to be hidden and not subject to public scrutiny should get out and stay out of politics. Only the really clean ones can then implement the declaration of assets to every level of government. Drngsc: Everybody who takes public money must declare their assets annually. No ifs, no buts, please. Who does it first or second is not crucial. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now . These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact. Please join the Malaysiakini WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news and views that matter.Blowout loss to Packers leaves the 49ers on the playoff brink SANTA CLARA, Calif. Josh Dubow, The Associated Press Nov 25, 2024 3:25 PM Nov 25, 2024 3:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan yells towards an official during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke) SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Getting blown out at Green Bay following another squandered late lead the previous week against Seattle has quickly turned the San Francisco 49ers from a Super Bowl contender into a team just fighting to get back to the playoffs. If San Francisco doesn't get healthy and eliminate the errors that led to Sunday's 38-10 loss to the Packers, the focus will turn from playoff permutations to what offseason changes are necessary. “I think everyone understands completely outside and inside what the situation is,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday. “That’s why the Seattle game was so tough of a loss and that’s why last night was even worse. We know what we got ahead of us. We know exactly what the playoff situation is. That is what it is. But really, all that matters is this week when you do need to go on a run and put a lot of wins to even think of that.” The task doesn't get any easier as the Niners (5-6) get set to play at Buffalo on Sunday night. The 49ers are hoping to get injured stars Brock Purdy , Nick Bosa and Trent Williams back for that game, but their presence alone won't fix everything that went wrong on Sunday . The defense got repeatedly gashed early and put San Francisco in a 17-0 hole before the offense even generated a first down. The running game never got going as Christian McCaffrey has looked nothing like the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year in his three games back from Achilles tendinitis. And whenever the Niners appeared to do something right, a penalty came back to haunt them. It added up to the most lopsided loss for San Francisco since the 2018 season, before Shanahan had turned the Niners into perennial contenders. “It’s probably one of the worst ones I’ve been a part of,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “It is embarrassing. You’ve got to take it on the chin, take it like a man and move on.” Despite the doom and gloom, the 49ers are only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West standings with six games to go. But San Francisco already has three division losses and a difficult schedule featuring games against the Bills this week and Detroit in Week 17. “My optimism is not broken by any means,” tight end George Kittle said. “We still have a lot of very talented players. We will get some guys back and I still have full trust in the coaching staff to put our guys in position to make plays. I have no worry about that. But definitely an uphill grind. We'll see what we’re made of, which I’m looking forward to.” What’s working Red-zone passes to Kittle. Backup QB Brandon Allen connected on a 3-yard TD pass to Kittle late in the second quarter for San Francisco's only TD. Kittle leads the NFL with eight touchdown catches in the red zone, which is tied with Vernon Davis (2013) for the most in a season for a Niners player since 2000. Kittle was the only consistent part of the San Francisco offense with six catches for 82 yards. What needs help Avoiding penalties. San Francisco had nine penalties for 77 yards and they were costly and sloppy. The Niners had 12 men on the field on defense on back-to-back plays, three false starts, a pass interference in the end zone and three penalties on special teams, including a holding on Eric Saubert that negated an 87-yard kickoff return by Deebo Samuel to open the second half. Rookie Dominick Puni had three penalties after being penalized just once in the first 10 games. Stock up DE Leonard Floyd. There were few positive performances on defense, but Floyd had both of the team's sacks. Stock down Run defense. San Francisco allowed 169 yards rushing, including 87 in the first quarter for the team's second-worst performance in the opening quarter since 1991. The Niners missed 19 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, as Josh Jacobs gained 83 of his 106 yards rushing after contact. Injuries Purdy took part in a light throwing session without pain on Monday and Shanahan is hopeful he can return to practice Wednesday after missing the Green Bay game with a shoulder injury. ... Bosa (hip, oblique) and Williams (ankle) also could return this week after sitting out Sunday. ... LG Aaron Banks, DT Jordan Elliott and WR Jacob Cowing all in the concussion protocol. ... RG Dominick Puni (shoulder) and CB Deommodore Lenoir (knee) underwent MRIs on Monday and the team is waiting for results. ... CB Renardo Green (neck) and LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) are day to day. Key number 11 — The Niners generated only 11 first downs, tied for the fewest in any game in eight seasons under Shanahan. They also had 11 in the 2022 NFC title game loss at Philadelphia when Purdy hurt his elbow and in Week 2 against Seattle in Shanahan's first season in 2017. What’s next The 49ers visit Buffalo on Sunday night. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Josh Dubow, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Confident Bucs gear up for stretch run against lighter season-ending schedule Nov 25, 2024 3:05 PM Cardinals' feel-good month comes to a screeching halt after a head-scratching loss to Seahawks Nov 25, 2024 2:58 PM After rough start under coach Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks' defense has become a strength Nov 25, 2024 2:53 PM

49ers QB Brock Purdy, DE Nick Bosa out, Brandon Allen to start at Green BayLammy lets rip on Syria and it’s hard to swallowAnalysis-7-Eleven battle shows resilience of Japan Inc's family ties

The Giants were a no-show against the Bucs after releasing quarterback Daniel JonesTravel around Bend and you might notice something different about the sculptures on several of the city’s roundabouts – a pair of googly eyes. Someone or several people have placed the oversized plastic items on eight public art installations in an apparent attempt to draw some laughs. But officials wrote on Instagram the stunt risks damaging the sculptures and separately said removing them has cost the city money $1,500.