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STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two-time defending champion Barcelona clinched the last quarterfinal spot in the Women’s Champions League by beating Hammarby 3-0 in Stockholm on Thursday. Ewa Pajor fired Barcelona ahead with two first-half goals from close range and Aitana Bonmatí finished it off 10 minutes before the final whistle. Following a 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the opening group stage game, Barcelona scored 23 goals in the following four games and conceded one. Man City defeated St. Pölten 2-0 to keep a perfect record and lead Group D with 15 points. Barcelona is three points behind and will host City next Wednesday in the final group game. In Group C, Alessia Russo scored twice and Arsenal beat last-place Vålerenga 3-1 to keep pressure on group leader Bayern Munich. Arsenal produced another dominant display under interim coach Renée Slegers. Frida Maanum also scored for Arsenal and set up Russo's opener. Vålerenga, which retained its domestic league title and just claimed the Norwegian Cup to complete a double, got a consolation goal from substitute Tilde Lindwall. Bayern routed Juventus 4-0 to lead the group with 13 points, one ahead of Arsenal. The two will clash over the top spot in London next week. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerPALO ALTO, Calif. , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AKOOL, Inc., the global leader in generative AI video, is excited to announce its strategic partnership with Immerso AI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eros Digital, the largest producer and distributor of Bollywood content worldwide. This partnership aims to transform the digital immersion and video markets through cutting-edge AI technologies, merging Immerso AI's extensive digital IP content libraries with AKOOL's generative AI expertise. With a vast library of over 12,000 digital titles, Eros Digital brings invaluable content assets to the collaboration. Together, the alliance will leverage this repository to deliver groundbreaking AI-driven experiences for the video and digital business and consumer markets. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, AKOOL specializes in generative AI for visual applications, renowned for its Faceswap and Avatar technologies that lead innovation in the field. The partnership will focus on developing unique AI applications, including personalized movie recommendations, AI-generated visual effects tailored for Bollywood films, and automated editing tools for content creators. Additionally, AKOOL will fine-tune AI models to meet the specific needs of the Bollywood market, enhancing content delivery and audience engagement. Jiajun Lu , CEO of AKOOL, shared, "Partnering with Immerso AI and Eros Digital is a significant milestone. Their vast media assets and market presence perfectly complement our advanced AI technology. Together, we'll create innovative solutions to revolutionize content creation and consumption. By leveraging Eros Digital's extensive video library, we can develop AI-tuned models that redefine Bollywood's digital landscape." Under the agreement, Immerso AI will lead regional business development and handle operations, while AKOOL will focus on technical development and proprietary AI innovations. Both companies will share rights to jointly developed intellectual property, fostering a collaborative approach to commercialization. For more information about AKOOL and its innovative AI solutions, visit www.akool.com . About AKOOL, Inc.: AKOOL is a leading AI technology company based in Palo Alto, CA , specializing in generative AI for visual applications. The company develops state-of-the-art AI solutions to drive innovation in video and digital immersion markets. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/akool-announces-strategic-bollywood-partnership-to-revolutionize-ai-in-digital-immersion-and-video-markets-302315726.html SOURCE AKOOL
Kentucky will aim to improve upon its best start in seven seasons when it hosts Western Kentucky on Tuesday night in Lexington, Ky., in the final game of the BBN Invitational. The Wildcats (5-0) are ranked No. 8 in the latest Associated Press poll and are setting impressive offensive milestones even for a program as tradition-rich as Kentucky, which includes eight national championships. The Wildcats have scored 97 or more points in their first four home games for the first time in program history and eclipsed the 100-point mark in three of those games. Their lone trip out of state was a solid 77-72 victory over Duke in a matchup of top-10 teams in Atlanta. Kentucky has also made at least 10 three-pointers in each of its first five games of a season for the first time ever. "I think Kentucky attracts good people," Kentucky coach Mark Pope said after the Wildcats' 108-59 win over Jackson State on Friday. "It's the one place in all college basketball where you represent just a fanbase in a different, unique way." Otega Oweh and Koby Brea have led the Wildcats' early scoring outburst. Oweh, who is averaging 16.2 points per game, had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting against Jackson State. "He gets us off to unbelievable starts every night," Pope told reporters after that game. "He's probably been our most consistent guy in games." Brea, who scored 22 points against Jackson State and is averaging 16.0 points per game, is leading the nation in 3-point accuracy at 74.1 percent. As a team, the Wildcats are shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. And the few times they miss, Amari Williams has been doing the dirty work on the glass, averaging 10.8 boards in addition to 9.6 points per game. Kentucky faces a different challenge than it's had to contend with so far in the Hilltoppers (3-2), who have won three in a row after losing their first two games to Wichita State and Grand Canyon. Their up-tempo play hasn't exactly resulted in great offensive output, but in the Hilltoppers' 79-62 win over Jackson State on Wednesday, they shot 45.2 percent from 3-point range (14 for 31). "I was happy to see a lot of different guys contribute tonight and, hopefully, get their feet under them a little bit and get some confidence," said Western Kentucky coach Hank Plona, who is in his first season as head coach. "Obviously, Tuesday will be quite a test and challenge for us and we'll need them to be at their absolute best." Western Kentucky has an experienced group, which returned mostly intact from last season. The team is led by Conference USA first-team selection Don McHenry, who is leading the team with 17.2 points and 2.2 steals per game. McHenry is one of four Hilltoppers with scoring averages in double figures. Julius Thedford (11.4 points per game) and Babacar Faye (15.0) are each shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range. Western Kentucky also figures to challenge the Wildcats on the boards as it enters the game ranked in the top 25 in defensive rebounding (30.4 per game). Faye leads the Hilltoppers in that department, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game and figures to battle Williams inside. "We're not the biggest team in the world, but our depth and our quickness are our strengths," Plona said. --Field Level Media
West Ham stun Newcastle to ease pressure on LopeteguiA lifelong Chiefs fan had the experience of a lifetime after getting to dance with Travis Kelce during the Tuesday, December 3, episode of Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? “Now he’s danced with Taylor Swift and me,” Allie Dees told the Owensboro Times in an interview published on Wednesday, December 4. “I popped out of the womb a Chiefs fan. Meeting Travis Kelce and dancing on stage with him was surreal.” Dees, a traveling nurse who currently lives in San Diego, took the stage in April earlier this year to compete on the Amazon Prime game show, which Kelce, 35, hosts. The Kentucky native ended up walking away with $15,000 after correctly answering the minimum five questions to take home the prize; however, the subject of geography nearly cost her the winnings. “I had to name a U.S. territory that borders Canada but doesn’t touch the mainland,” she told the outlet after the episode aired. “I panicked and guessed Washington. Looking back, it’s embarrassing because the answer was Alaska.” In addition to appearing on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? , Dees said she also appeared in a commercial for financial technology company Chime, where she said she won $100,000. “This whole year has been a whirlwind. Between the game show and the commercial, I’ve been able to live out some incredible dreams,” she continued before reflecting on her experience with Kelce and her time on the show. “Up on stage, I just wanted to be authentic and enjoy every second,” she said. “That mindset allowed me to fully embrace the moment and have fun.” It was announced in April that Kelce would serve as host of the new game show, which premiered on Amazon Prime in October and is based on the Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? series. “I grew up loving game shows, and I’m excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons by hosting my very first one with Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? ” Kelce said in a statement earlier this year. “The original show is a great success, so to be bringing a new format with everyone’s favorite celebrities to the screen, will definitely be entertaining.” A source exclusively told Us Weekly that same month why the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was the perfect pick for the show. “He’s funny and has the wits for it,” the insider dished to Us . “He’s the perfect host. It’s a great gig for him.” The show was filmed earlier this year during the Chiefs offseason. The NFL team’s 2024-2025 season kicked off in September, with Kelce’s girlfriend, Swift, 34, making an appearance at Arrowhead Stadium during the Chiefs’ home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. The Tortured Poets Department artist has since appeared at a total of six home games, with the most recent being the Chiefs’ November 29 game against the Las Vegas Raiders , which she attended with her dad, Scott Swift , and Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce . As the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend in the quest for their third consecutive Super Bowl title, the 14-time Grammy winner will be wrapping her years-long Eras Tour with a string of three shows in Vancouver beginning Friday, December 6. She’ll play her final show on Sunday, December 8. You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Once the Eras Tour ends, Taylor is reportedly looking forward to spending more time with Travis, whom she began dating in the summer of 2023. “Taylor and Travis are very committed and serious about their future,” a separate source exclusively told Us in September. “Taylor is ready for the next era of her life. She knows it will be special.” A third insider added, “They’ve built a lot of trust. They both knew what they signed up for and navigated it well. They’re in love and don’t care what others think.”UTR Sports Partners with Stack Sports to Launch TeamInn Travel Services for Tennis and Pickleball
Criminal cases against incoming president Trump being droppedNick Kern came off the bench for 20 points and 13 rebounds as Penn State remained unbeaten with an 85-66 thumping of Fordham in a semifinal of the Sunshine Slam on Monday in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Nittany Lions (6-0), who will play either San Francisco or Clemson for the tournament title on Tuesday, put four other players in double figures. Zach Hicks scored 16 points, while Puff Johnson added 15. Ace Baldwin and Yanic Konan Niederhauser each chipped in 12 points. Penn State sank nearly 53 percent of its field goal attempts and earned a 38-30 advantage on the boards, more than enough to offset missing 12 of its 32 foul shots. Four players reached double figures for the Rams (3-4), led by 15 points apiece from Jackie Johnson III and reserve Joshua Rivera. Romad Dean and Jahmere Tripp each added 13. Fordham was as close as 56-49 after Tripp made a layup with 14:25 left in the game. But the Nittany Lions responded with a 16-1 run, capped with a layup by Kern for a 22-point lead at the 9:33 mark, and they never looked back. The main storyline prior to tipoff was whether Penn State could continue its torrid early start that saw it come into the day leading Division I in steals and ranked second in scoring at 98.2 points per game. The Nittany Lions certainly played to their billing for most of the first half, establishing a 21-8 lead at the 10:08 mark via Hicks' three-point play. Fordham predictably struggled early with the pressure defense, committing four turnovers in the first four minutes. But the Rams got their bearings over the last 10 minutes and made some shots. They got as close as four on two occasions late in the half before Penn State pushed the lead to 42-34 at the half. The officials were busy in the half, calling 23 fouls and administering 27 free throws. --Field Level Media
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The game had suddenly gone sideways for the Minnesota Vikings , their 11-point lead on the Chicago Bears having evaporated in the closing seconds. They straightened it out in overtime, no sweat, because Sam Darnold simply hasn't been fazed. Save for his occasional rash of turnovers, in games the Vikings still managed to win, Darnold proved again on Sunday in defeating the Bears that he's directing a passing attack with the potential to be one of the NFL 's most potent. “I think he’s a mentally tough guy. I think he’s a physically tough guy. I think he’s confident in the guys around him, and I think he’s confident in our system,” coach Kevin O'Connell said after the 30-27 victory. “I think when he just continues to play quarterback at a high level, I think we’re a tough team.” After the defense forced the Bears to punt on the opening possession of overtime, Darnold led the Vikings on a 68-yard drive to set up the game-ending field goal while overcoming a 7-yard sack on the first play and two subsequent setbacks with a false start and a holding penalty. On third-and-10 from the 21, he hit Jordan Addison near the sideline for 13 yards. On first-and-15 from the 29, Darnold threaded a throw to Justin Jefferson for 20 yards after he'd muscled his way through Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on a post route for the clutch catch after he'd been all but silenced all afternoon by a defense determined to constantly bracket him with double coverage. On second-and-11 from the 48, Darnold connected with a wide-open T.J. Hockenson underneath for 12 yards. Then two plays later off a second-and-8 play-action fake, he found Hockenson again on a deep corner route for 29 yards to put Parker Romo in prime position for the walk-off winner. “Just execute. It’s as simple as that. Just one play at a time," said Darnold, who went 22 for 34 for 330 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. “I think I tell the guys that every single time in the huddle, but that’s my mindset every single time I’m out there on the field, especially in that situation.” Even when Jefferson continues to draw an extraordinary amount of coverage , the Vikings with Addison, Hockenson, Aaron Jones and the rest of their crew running O'Connell's system have proven they have an offense that can go win a game when it's required. That wouldn't be possible without Darnold, whose career rebirth has helped spark the Vikings (9-2) become one of the league's biggest surprises in what's now its most difficult division. “He’s cool, calm, collected,” Hockenson said. "That’s what you want as the leader of the huddle.” What's working The Vikings' defense ranks ninth in the league on third downs, allowing a conversion rate of 34.5% after limiting the Bears to a 6-for-17 performance. The Vikings are tied for first on fourth downs with an allowance of 36.4% after the Bears went 2 for 3. Both conversions came in the fourth quarter during touchdown drives. The Vikings also rank fourth in the NFL in opponent points per drive (1.52). What needs help The Vikings had seven possessions that crossed the 20-yard line in Chicago, but only three of them yielded touchdowns. Their lone turnover was the type of game-altering giveaways they've struggled to eliminate this month, a fumble by Aaron Jones at the 1-yard line that ruined a promising first drive. The Vikings are tied for 20th in the league in red zone touchdown rate (53.9%) and are 17th in goal-to-go touchdowns (72%). Stock up Addison had eight catches for 162 yards, both career highs, and a touchdown on nine throws from Darnold. The second-year wide receiver has had a quieter season than his rookie year, but he stepped up in a significant way on an afternoon when Jefferson was as smothered by the opposing secondary as ever. Stock down TE Johnny Mundt had the onside kick glance off his shin as he charged toward the coverage, and the first kicking team recovery in the NFL this season helped the Bears extend the game. Mundt also had the false start on the overtime drive. His lone catch was a 7-yard gain when he was stopped short of the goal line, one play before the lost fumble. Mundt played 33 of 71 snaps and Hockenson took 48 snaps with Oliver out. Injuries The Vikings lost LT Cam Robinson (foot) and LB Ivan Pace (hamstring) to injuries in the first quarter against the Bears, and O'Connell said on Monday those players were still in "evaluation mode." Oliver (ankle) will have an opportunity to return after being sidelined last week. Key number 101.7 — Darnold's passer rating, which ranks ninth in the NFL. Darnold has posted a 100-plus passer rating in nine of 11 games this season. He had only 12 such performances in 56 career starts before joining the Vikings. Up next The Vikings have four of their next five games at home, starting with Arizona (6-5) this week, Atlanta (6-5) on Dec. 8 and a rematch with Chicago (4-7) in a Monday night game on Dec. 16. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is refreshing its Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy, which was first adopted in 2021. The update aims to build on the achievements made so far, as the council approaches its target to become carbon neutral by December 2025. These ambitious targets were set when the council declared a climate emergency in 2019. The initial proposals for updating the strategy will be developed in the coming months, as the council collaborates with experts, community groups, councillors, businesses, and regional and national organisations. This initiative began with councillors on the council’s environment and infrastructure committee sharing their views at a meeting on Thursday, December 5. The public and organisations will have the chance to express their opinions on the borough’s proposed approach and ambitions for reaching net zero in a public consultation next summer. This feedback will help shape the final version of the strategy, which will be considered for adoption by councillors at the end of next year. Cllr Chris Tomblin, cabinet member for the climate and ecological emergency, said: "We’ve made tremendous progress under our current climate strategy, shrinking this council’s carbon footprint by around two-thirds and cutting the borough’s emissions by almost a fifth since our emergency declaration back in 2019. "But while the aim of this council being carbon neutral by next December is firmly in reach, we need everyone who lives and works in Basingstoke and Deane to do much more for the borough to achieve its climate change target at the end of the decade." Cllr Tomblin also highlighted the need for collective action to achieve the borough's net zero target. He said: "But cutting the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of emissions necessary to make our borough net zero would require substantial action including by us, the Government, businesses, and our communities. "This would need to include insulating thousands of homes and creating hundreds of new vehicle chargers every year, to name just two possible actions." He also stressed the importance of considering the emerging opportunities and challenges for reducing carbon presented by low-emission technologies and several significant updates to national policies, including planning and recycling, since the strategy was adopted three and a half years ago.Over 18,000 people in Mexico have registered online to run for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships in the country's contentious new selection process, but a random drawing in the end will determine who gets on the ballot, officials said Monday. The ruling party pushed through a constitutional reform in September to make all federal judges stand for election, replacing the system where court employees and lawyers mainly move up through the ranks. Current court employees and their supporters have staged dozens of demonstrations against the reforms, calling them part of a ruling-party campaign to weaken checks and balances and eliminate independent regulatory and oversight bodies. Now, candidates for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships need only a law degree, a grade point average of 3.2, “five years of professional experience” and five letters of recommendation from neighbors or friends. That, and some luck in the final drawing. Officials rejected criticism that has called the process rushed or amateurish for the often highly technical posts that can hear cases including intellectual property, organized crime and Constitutional law. “The results have been spectacular,” said Arturo Zaldivar, a top advisor to President Claudia Sheinbaum. According to the plan, evaluation committees will have just over a month to review thousands of resumes and whittle the field to about 10 candidates or less for each for the 881 judgeships and nine seats on the Supreme Court. Then 1,793 names chosen at random from those selected will appear on the ballot on June 1. Critics warn that many who land on the ballot will be unknowns who perhaps have never argued a case in the courts they seek to run. “You don’t elect a doctor or a surgeon for an operation based on their popularity, you elect them based on their technical expertise, their ability, their knowledge,” said Sergio Méndez Silva, the legal coordinator for the civic group Foundation for Justice. “That also applies for a judge.” With candidates now having to run election campaigns, critics warn there's a chance drug cartels or political parties could finance them to get friendly judges onto the bench. There are also concerns that the evaluation committees deciding who makes the cut for the selection to appear on ballots may not be impartial. Most committee members were appointed by the legislative or executive branches, controlled by the ruling Morena party. Some critics argue that the current justice system, which is riddled with nepotism, corruption and a lack of accountability, needs to be changed. “We need a justice system that gives results,” said Martínez Garza, an academic and former head of the human rights commission in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon who has registered to run for a Supreme Court seat. Trials in Mexico can last for years, and the ruling party has added to the growing list of crimes for which bail is not allowed, meaning that a large percentage of the prison population is people awaiting trial. ____ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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