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Audit initiates 100 complaints against Montana guides, outfittersROCHESTER – A meeting room inside the Rochester Public Library was stuffed Thursday with folks curious about the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s rail plans, wondering whether passenger rail or other options might finally come to their community. MnDOT officials say more than 5,000 people have recently submitted comments, thoughts and proposals as state officials update the rail policy plan over the next few months. They’ve heard from people want expanded rail across the state, from Moorhead to Duluth , St. Cloud to Red Wing. Though the plan is more a recommendation, it’s got southern Minnesota communities wondering about how they could benefit from more rail access. Not every community supports rail connections; some like Rochester have been scared off of rail talks for years after previous plans went awry. Other cities like Austin say they want to focus on more pressing issues. Yet more transportation options have cities pondering the future of rail transportation. “There’s pretty strong interest in connection between the Twin Cities and places like Rochester, Winona, Owatonna, Northfield,” said Robert Clarksen, a MnDOT planning coordinator managing the process to update Minnesota’s State Rail Plan. “But we’re also hearing people who are telling us that it’s important to continue to investigate options to get to St. Cloud and other places via whatever mechanism that may look like in the future.” MnDOT officials update the plan every decade. It’s meant to guide lawmakers on potential rail projects 20 years into the future. The current update work started in 2022; MnDOT has two more public meetings planned for Moorhead and St. Paul next week. If all goes well, the updated plan’s expected to wrap up next spring. State lawmakers have fought in recent years over the viability of commuter rail projects, from light rail proposals to high-speed tracks. It’s led advocates like Suzi Nakasian, a former Northfield City Council member, to push compromises like introducing more conventional passenger rail options, which would also lay the groundwork for more freight and business connections across the state. “We’re just hoping to get on the game board and study the possibilities,” Nakasian said. Nakasian has put together a coalition of colleges, cities and counties across south-central and southeast Minnesota in favor of a few large-scale proposals: Build passenger rail (think regular commuter railroad lines) from the Twin Cities to Albert Lea and further south roughly following Interstate 35. Get another connection from the Cities to Mankato. And create an east-west connection by expanding freight rail lines along Highway 14, which could run from South Dakota through Wisconsin. Thus far, almost 20 cities and counties have officially supported Nakasian’s proposals. Albert Lea officials jumped at the opportunity. A line connecting the Twin Cities to Des Moines and beyond could lead to an unprecedented boom period for the city of 18,000. “It’s huge in dealing with everything from some of our housing issues to when we look at our climate and the ability to find alternate transportation instead of singular use vehicles,” Albert Lea City Manager Ian Rigg said. Though Rigg acknowledged such a line would take years — and likely another city manager — to complete, he said the proposal would offer “extraordinary” economic development as a stop along a potential north-south route from Minnesota to Texas. A Federal Railroad Administration study earlier this year identified a Twin Cities-to-Kansas City-to-San Antonio long-distance routes as one of 16 preferred projects to add to Amtrak’s U.S. network. Amtrak appears to support the Twin Cities route, according to Nakasian. Even if it has Amtrak support, a large-scale railroad network throughout southern Minnesota would be a heavy undertaking. “When it comes to passenger rail, it’s not just about Minnesota most of the time,” said Adam Fulton, a rail planning coordinator for MnDOT. “It’s usually about how we coordinate with other places.” Albert Lea could be a decent place to build Amtrak rail, but it would require support from several states before track could be laid down. And Minnesota would also have to take federal policymaking into account before it hurdles into a rail project. “The FRA has done a lot of work in thinking about what a long-term system looks like,” Fulton said. “Recognizing how that looks and how it has changed over time is something that should be considered as those big investments happen.” Fulton pointed to the recent Borealis Amtrak line stretching from the Twin Cities to Chicago as a project that took years to complete, involving Wisconsin, Illinois and federal transportation officials. Austin balks at rail Not everyone is convinced passenger rail is the future for southern Minnesota. Last month, the Austin City Council voted 3-1, with three council members absent, against supporting Nakasian’s idea for a criss-cross passenger rail network across southern Minnesota. Council Member Jason Baskin said Thursday he felt the project had low odds of success, especially when people could drive to other parts of Minnesota faster than they could take a conventional train. “When it’s been tried in other areas of the state, it’s ended up being a really poor financial decision,” Baskin said. “Our [city] staff are already overworked trying to deal with core issues like public safety and plowing the streets. It didn’t make sense for us to put additional burden on them .. having to participate in a process like this.” Baskin worries Greater Minnesota doesn’t have the the population density to financially support expanded rail networks. He sees investing in more bus lines as a better approach. “We’ve already got stuff that works really, really well,” he said. “It’s just a matter of taking what’s proven to work and scaling it up.” In Rochester, ‘we’re going to be Switzerland’ Arguably the biggest voice in a southern Minnesota rail conversation is Minnesota’s third-largest city, home to the Mayo Clinic. But Rochester officials haven’t made rail policy plans for more than a decade after a failed attempt to get a high-speed line from the metro area to Med City. The Rochester area pushed for the line in the mid-2000s, but communities in between there and the Twin Cities arduously opposed the project. Republican lawmakers killed the line soon after, according to former DFL Rep. Kim Norton of Rochester. Though some groups have tried to push for rail connections over the years years, city officials haven’t really discussed rail projects since then. “I think people thought it’s not going to happen,” said Norton, whose served as Rochester’s mayor since 2019. “And so we don’t want to keep wasting political capital on something that isn’t going to move because of the politics.” Earlier this week, Norton called on city staff and the Rochester City Council to start talks on rail policy after Nakasian approached her and other officials. While Norton said she personally would prefer high-speed rail or hyperloop connections, it’s up to the city to research the issue and get community feedback before Rochester could support any project. “We’re nowhere near ready to be able to take any position for or against,” Norton said Thursday. “We’re just going to be Switzerland right now because we haven’t had a discussion.” Nakasian meets with Mankato officials this week and hopes to convince more communities to support expanded rail proposals. She’s already got support from several colleges and universities, including Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, St. Olaf and Carleton colleges in Northfield, and South Central College in North Mankato. “We want to make the colleges competitive and keep attracting people to the region,” Nakasian said. “And if you’re going to do that, you’d better have regional passenger rail because other cities are doing it. It’s the wave of the future.”
NoneJosh Hawley thinks America needs a religious revival. Is this man helping him find it
Photo: © Getty Images Amber Heard has voiced her support for Blake Lively following her sexual harassment complaint against Justin Baldoni. The 37-year-old actress recently launched a lawsuit against her 'It Ends With Us' director and co-star, accusing him of harassing her while making the romantic drama film - and Amber has now thrown her support behind Blake, revealing that it reminds her of her defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp. Speaking to NBC News, Amber said: "Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.' I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.” In 2022, Amber was found to have defamed her ex-husband with an article in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse. The 61-year-old actor - who always denied abusing his ex-wife - was awarded $15 million in compensatory and punitive damages, while Amber won one of three counter-claims, and was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. The former couple - who divorced in 2017 - both presented different versions of their romance during the high-profile trial. Meanwhile, Blake recently accused her former director of causing her "severe emotional distress" during the movie shoot. The actress - who played Justin's on-screen love interest - subsequently told the New York Times newspaper: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted." Justin has denied the allegations, with his lawyer describing the claims as "categorically false". Bryan Freedman, who is acting as a lawyer for the actor and his Wayfarer Studios production company, told Variety: "These claims are completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."ST ANDREW, Jamaica- The National Water Commission (NWC) is in the final stages of the licensing process for the sale of energy from the Mona Reservoir Floating Solar Project to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS). Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda, gave the update during the University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica Water Symposium, held under the theme: ‘Sustainable Water Management and Innovation’, at the institution’s Papine campus in St Andrew on Wednesday. Samuda said the 44-megawatt floating solar system is expected to generate billions in savings for the NWC, which, he noted, is the JPS’ single largest customer. “The pilot phase of that project is over... so expect a 100-acre solar farm at Mona,” he said. Samuda reiterated the Government’s dedication to implementing strategic projects that will generate clean energy, which is resilient and climate adaptive.
IOC needs to take a binary position on transgender participation in women’s sportTrump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. Trump's request Friday came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court. Oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The brief said Trump opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” Stock market today: Wall Street slips as the 'Magnificent 7' weighs down the market NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing lower as Wall Street ends a holiday-shortened week on a down note. The S&P 500 fell 1.1% Friday and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 333 points, or 0.8%. The Nasdaq composite dropped 1.5%. The “Magnificent 7” stocks weighed on the market, led by declines in Nvidia, Tesla and Microsoft. Even with the loss, the S&P 500 had a modest gain for the week and is still headed for its second consecutive annual gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62%. 10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025 NEW YORK (AP) — As the calendar changes to 2025, you might be thinking about how to approach your relationship with money in the new year. Whether you’re saving to move out of your parents’ house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated. If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle. Janet Yellen tells Congress US could hit debt limit in mid-January WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says her agency will need to start taking “extraordinary measures,” or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling, as early as January 14th, in a letter sent to congressional leaders Friday afternoon. The department has taken such action in the past. But once those measures run out the government risks defaulting on its debt unless lawmakers and the president agree to lift the limit on the U.S. government’s ability to borrow. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO — although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger. So says a new poll from NORC at the University of Chicago. It finds that about 8 in 10 Americans say that the person who committed the killing has “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of responsibility for the Dec. 4 shooting of Brian Thompson. Still, some see suspect Luigi Mangione as a heroic figure. About 7 in 10 adults say coverage denials or health insurance profits also bear at least “a moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s death. Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot is projected to soar above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal. Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is worth an estimated $1.15 billion. The prize has evoked headlines across the country, despite the nation's top 10 jackpots already having boasted billion-dollar payouts. Jonathan Cohen is the author of the book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.” He says he expects jackpots to continue to grow in size. Larger payouts attract more media attention, increase ticket sales and bring in new players. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Richard Parsons, prominent executive who led Time Warner and Citigroup, dies at 76 NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, has died. He was 76. Parsons died Thursday at his Manhattan home. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. Financial services company Lazard confirmed his death. Parsons was a longtime member of the company's board. His friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder’s company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder’s board for 25 years.Can't spell iPhone without India: Country set to become tech giant's third-biggest market by 2026
Many Australians have grappled with financial challenges this year. Rental affordability is at record lows in almost every capital city and region, interest rates haven't budged in over a year, and millions of people are experiencing food insecurity . Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged earlier this month that while the economic situation was improving, many Australians were still under "substantial" financial pressure. "We're making good progress in the fight against inflation. We're making good progress when it comes to the key economic indicators. But we know that that doesn't always translate into how people are feeling or faring in the economy," he said. So will the cost of living improve in 2025? Here's what economists think. What will happen with inflation in 2025? Annual headline inflation was 2.8 per cent in the September quarter of 2024, a significant drop from the June figure of 3.8 per cent. The main reason cited by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for that decrease was a fall in electricity prices, as a result of government energy rebates, and lower petrol prices. The trimmed mean — a measure of underlying inflation that removes the biggest price swings — was 3.5 per cent in the September quarter, down from 4 per cent in June. Source: SBS News Sean Langcake, head of macroeconomic forecasting at Oxford Economics Australia, told SBS News: "The headline inflation number is important because it is the reality of what most people are paying out of their budget, and it's really great that that's come back down within the RBA's target range." "But the trouble there is that the underlying measure gives you a better read of where things are going to be in the future. "The big problem we have that's keeping inflation elevated is that the trend we have in productivity is really poor and we need to see some improvement there for inflation to make a bit more progress." John Hawkins, a senior lecturer at the University of Canberra's School of Politics, Economics and Society, said he expected that, overall, inflation would "continue to moderate" next year. 'Nothing short of alarming': The full-time workers being priced out of the rental market Petrol prices were "always volatile", Hawkins noted, and whether they went up or down would depend on what happened in the Middle East. "If things are quiet there, relatively, then there won't be an inflationary stimulus from that," he told SBS News. Hawkins said food prices should remain relatively stable, barring any major weather events decimating crops, while home insurance costs would likely keep rising as a result of increasing climate-related claims. The price of products like clothing and cars have either been flat for years or have been gradually coming down — and that would "probably" continue in 2025, he said. The cost of things like education and health insurance should also continue to ease somewhat, Langcake said, "not least because we're gradually moving into a lower inflation environment". While rents have been rising more steadily, he warned significant relief was unlikely any time soon. "Equally, the cost of building a new house has stayed a little bit more elevated than we might've expected ... which is all kind of adding to the conundrum of it being difficult to add housing supply to the market," Langcake said. How much will wages and Centrelink payments rise in 2025? Annual wage growth was 3.5 per cent in the September 2024 quarter, according to the ABS. "It's settled into a pace of about 0.8 of a percentage point each quarter, at the moment — that's fairly healthy by historic standards," Langcake said. As long as there isn't a large spike in unemployment, it should continue to increase at similar rates throughout 2025, he said. That would put wage growth slightly ahead of underlying inflation, meaning you may end up with a little bit of extra money in your pocket. New year, new career? The jobs that had the biggest pre-Christmas salary increases From 1 January, more than a million Australians will also get a modest financial boost thanks to the indexation of certain Centrelink payments. Youth Allowance and Austudy recipients will get up to $30.60 extra each fortnight, while ABSTUDY payments will increase by as much as $54. Disability Support Pension recipients who are under 21 years old and don't have any dependent children will get up to $30.10 more, and the Carer Allowance will increase by $5.80. You can see the full list of payments being increased here . Other Centrelink payments will be indexed throughout the year. Will there be an interest rate cut in 2025? At its final board meeting for 2024, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left the official cash rate on hold at 4.35 per cent. The board said while it had gained "some confidence" that inflation was "moving sustainably towards its target", it remained "too high" to cut rates at this stage . The RBA's target range for inflation is 2 to 3 per cent. Hawkins said depending on what the inflation figures for the December quarter were, it was "quite possible" the RBA could start cutting rates at its next meeting in February. "If it's surprisingly high, then I think they won't cut them — but if inflation continues on that downward trend that it has been on since the end of 2022, then I think they probably would feel that it's time to start the easing process," he said. Source: SBS News But Langcake doesn't think the RBA would move that soon. "I think they're still going to want to see two inflation periods where things improve further, and that puts us to May being the earliest possible time for a cut," he said. Langcake predicted we'd have three rate cuts in 2025, likely by 0.25 per cent each time. If that happens, interest rates will be sitting at 3.6 per cent by the end of next year. What impact could the 2025 federal election have on the cost of living? The exact date for the next federal election is yet to be announced, but experts have narrowed it down to some time between March and May . Labor has repeatedly said tackling the cost of living is one of its priorities — and has already made some election promises, including subsidising childcare and reducing university fees and student debt . The March budget could include further targeted cost of living measures, Hawkins said. "It wouldn't surprise me, for example, if your electricity rebates get extended, otherwise electricity prices are going to jump back up in the middle of next year and headline inflation will jump up," he said. But Langcake cautioned Labor won't have much room to move if it wants to keep government spending under control. Worsening deficits, higher spending: Jim Chalmers unveils mid-year budget update "If they are sticking to a goal of running not too large a deficit, it's going to be hard for them to hand out too many goodies," Langcake said. It's harder to know what cost of living relief the Coalition would promise voters, Hawkins said. "At this stage, we haven't really got a lot of detail on what their policies are." Langcake said overall, he didn't expect there to be a significant difference in the cost of living policies put forward by the two major parties. "I think it'll be a lot of, 'We'll promise voters this', and then the other team says, 'Yeah, we'll do that too', and you get to pretty fine margins in terms of what the actual difference is."
Right-wing activist Laura Loomer has warned Donald Trump that he could be impeached if he allows tech billionaire Elon Musk to continue influencing future policy decisions, amid an online debate about visas for foreign workers. Loomer and other conservative commenters claimed on Thursday that they were stripped of their verification badges on X after they criticized Musk’s support of H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. In an X post, Loomer wrote that there was a "full censorship of my account simply because I called out H-1B visas. This is anti-American behavior by tech oligarchs. What happened to free speech?" Vivek Ramaswamy called 'con man' after H1-B backlash as he fails to deflect Trump stays silent as MAGA implodes over Musk and Vivek's immigration stance In an interview with Steve Bannon, Loomer added that she believed Donald Trump ’s affiliation with Musk would threaten his second term in office. "If he [Musk] is a free speech absolutist, why was my account suspended? I lost my verification, my blue check because Elon Musk does not like what I said,” she said. Laura Loomer on her X suspension: "If he's a free speech absolutist, why was my account suspended? ... I am simply trying to warn the Trump administration about something that's going to blow up in their face, & it has the risk of potentially getting President Trump impeached" pic.twitter.com/jBhxc33KIN — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 27, 2024 “I am simply trying to warn the Trump administration about something that's going to blow up in their face, and it actually has the risk of potentially getting President Trump impeached in his second term if the Democrats take back the House and are successfully able to spin and create a narrative that Big Tech is trying to buy influence and enriching themselves in the Trump administration." The debate about H-1B visas began this week when Loomer criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the US. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy,” adding that tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Musk weighed in on Wednesday, saying America had too few "talented" and "motivated" engineers and needed "to recruit top talent wherever they may be." "Loomer is trolling for attention. Ignore," Musk posted on X. Donald Trump hits back at claims Elon Musk is running the US WNBA star tells Elon Musk to 'go back to Africa' after Donald Trump failure Musk warned he's 'making enemies and will get hurt' if he doesn't quit politics The debate enraged MAGA supporters, with figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire US workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers in the industry are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut American citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated. Trump has not yet weighed in on the debate.
Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda’s U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. On Monday: The S&P 500 rose 43.22 points, or 0.7%, to 5,974.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 66.69 points, or 0.2%, to 42,906.95. The Nasdaq composite rose 192.29 points, or 1%, to 19,764.89. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 4.93 points, or 0.2%, to 2,237.44. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,204.24 points, or 25.2%. The Dow is up 5,217.41 points, or 13.8%. The Nasdaq is up 4,753.53 points, or 31.7%. The Russell 2000 is up 210.36 points, or 10.4%.Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets Kick-off: 5pm Saturday 28 December Sky Stadium, Wellington Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Auckland FC vs Central Coast Mariners Kick-off: 7pm Saturday 28 December Industree Group Stadium, Gosford Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Analysis - A little less than a month ago, I declared that the 'A' in 'A-League' stood for 'Aotearoa', after a successful trip across the ditch for the Unite Round saw Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix occupy the top two spots in the division. However, after a Christmas calamity at the weekend, the 'A' stands for 'abject' with regards to the most recent performances from New Zealand's two professional clubs. First, Auckland were swept aside 4-0 by Western United at home to end their unbeaten debut campaign in quite the unfestive manner. The Phoenix could not improve the holidays for the nation the following day, as they went down 4-1 to Western Sydney Wanderers on the road. Both teams are also following a similar trend at the moment - an inability to start games well. The Black Knights will rightly have complaints around the referee-assisted third goal, but the damage was already done in an opening 35 minutes in which they conceded three times. The Phoenix started even slower, with errors from Isaac Hughes and Corban Piper allowing the Wanderers to go 2-0 up within the first 10 minutes. Spare a thought for Hughes, who must be on Santa's naughty list for some reason, as he keeps getting lumps of coal at the weekends. Zac Sapsford's goal came inside the opening 60 seconds while the ghost of Christmas past, Bozhidar Kraev, demonstrated why the Phoenix may have been better keeping hold of him instead of signing the absent Marco Rojas in under 10. It was the football equivalent of getting your Christmas shopping in early, leaving Auckland and Wellington scrambling for a park and scrapping over the last Barbie Dream House. Auckland have developed a reputation for finishing games strongly, but were also vulnerable early doors last week in the 2-2 draw with Melbourne City. As for Wellington, this was the second week in a row where they conceded in the opening 10 minutes, having trailed to Valerie Germain's penalty follow-up in last week's loss to Macarthur. For all their strengths, neither side looks to have the firepower in attack to justify shipping goals so early. Only the bottom five teams have scored less goals than Auckland's 12, including the Phoenix, on 10 - so giving teams a head start is ill-advised. While it may have been a chastening Christmas send-off for both sides, positives remain. Auckland stay top of the table with none of their closest rivals able to capitalise. The Phoenix saw impressive cameos from youngsters Nathan Walker and Luke Brooke-Smith, which will no doubt hearten Chiefy when thinking about the future. They also had chances - Piper alone could have had a hat-trick on his first start for the club. So there's no need to be a Scrooge just yet. With both teams facing strugglers in Central Coast and Newcastle next, that Christmas gloom could become New Year cheer if both teams can sort out their slow starts. In other football news:Fans tuning into the Big Fat Quiz of The Year were unified in their critique following the appearance of a Strictly Come Dancing winner. The popular yearly quiz show made a return this evening to cap off 2024, featuring pairings that included Richard Ayoade and Katherine Ryan, Chris McCausland with Maisie Adam, as well as Judi Love and Rob Beckett. While Jimmy Carr took the reins as host for this particular quiz extravaganza, viewers were left scratching their heads over the show's setup. Strictly champion Chris McCausland 's participation was baffling to many as they felt the show hadn't made changes, given the reliance on visual rounds; his teammate Maisie had to verbally relay the content of images to him. One viewer remarked on social media: "#BigFatQuizOfTheYear the questions are tough for Chris, but basically this show isn't much about questions," while another pointed out: " Chris McCausland is hardly the best booking for the #bigfatquizoftheyear when almost every round involves something visual." Adding to the conversation, another tweet read: "I'd say almost every round involving something visual is hardly the best format when one of the bookings is Chris McCausland ." Another shared: "I love #bigfatquizoftheyear but was thinking about how they would have adapted it to make sure Chris could be involved with the picture rounds etc... the answer seems to be not at all?!?! "I'm not visually impaired so rly not an authority on this but... what is going on? " while another fan expressed their delight, saying, "Love seeing Chris on soo many shows atm #BigFatQuizOfTheYear." Fresh off his Strictly Come Dancing triumph, Chris shared on Lorraine just how draining the experience had been. He described the aftermath of his victory: "It's been a really emotional Saturday night and I'm still kind of feeling worn down by it. Three and a half months rehearsing is relentless, it's consuming. Physically and mentally it takes its toll." Earlier today, the comedian excitedly announced his appearance on the quiz show, posting on social media: "Tonight you can catch me on #BigFatQuizOfTheYear on @Channel4 - We filmed this during the semi-final week of Strictly so I had already done eight hours of dancing before I got to enjoy this sit down, so tune in to see me looking tired but grateful for the rest." *The Big Fat Quiz of the Year is available to catch up on My4.
Liberal MP Chandra Arya is accusing his caucus colleague Sukh Dhaliwal of threatening him in the House of Commons on Friday. The incident allegedly took place after Dhaliwal, MP for Surrey—Newton in B.C., attempted to get unanimous consent from the House on a motion to condemn the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as "genocide." A number of MPs — including Arya, who represents the Ontario riding of Nepean — called out "no" before Dhaliwal was able to finish reading his motion, denying it unanimous support. Arya later claimed he was the only one to say "no." Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal tried to introduce a motion on Friday that called on the House to to condemn the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India as a "genocide." (Murray Titus/CBC news) About 20 minutes later, Arya stood up in the House on a point of order and said Dhaliwal "threatened" him on his way out of the Commons chamber. He also said another unnamed MP "accosted" him in the lobby. "As a member of Parliament, I should be able to express my opinion, my views, freely in the House and I should not [feel] threatened by any words or actions of my fellow members," Arya said. CBC News has reached out to both Arya and Dhaliwal for clarification on what happened Friday, but neither has responded. WATCH: Liberal MP accuses caucus colleague of threatening him Liberal MP accuses fellow caucus member of threatening him 8 minutes ago Duration 1:08 In the House of Commons on Friday, Chandra Arya accused his caucus colleague Sukh Dhaliwal of threatening him and another unnamed MP of accosting him.If Your Perfect Day Consists Of Guilt-Free Laziness, Here Are 42 Products That’ll Help You Achieve ItTrump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office
