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NoneLAS VEGAS (AP) — Trae Young might be the NBA's biggest enigma. Young's fans can point to numbers and say he's an elite player. His detractors can point to numbers and say he's overrated. Both arguments have validity. To some, his cocky ways are endearing. To others, they're infuriating. This can't be argued: He's helping Atlanta author one of the season's surprise stories. The Hawks are in the NBA Cup semifinals, set to play Milwaukee on Saturday before the other semifinal between Oklahoma City and Houston. The title game is Tuesday night. “When we talk about Trae, the word I like to use is evolution,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “And every player evolves. They just evolve in different ways. He's been an important part of our young guys' growth and being able to elevate them.” The Hawks haven't had a ton of big moments in Young's seven seasons. But he has shown a propensity for rising to the occasion: ousting New York in the 2021 playoffs, ousting the Knicks from the quarterfinals of this tournament to get to Las Vegas — and now comes another chance on national TV on Saturday, facing the Bucks with a chance to play for a trophy. “I feel like this team has been embracing the challenge each and every night from the beginning of the season,” Young said. “We haven’t looked too far ahead in any moment. We’re just taking it day by day. Even though early on in the season we may have had some struggles and some bumps in the road and some guys out, we stuck with the process and focus on each day." Here's part of the pro-Young argument: He's averaging 21 points and 12 assists something that only Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas have done over a full season, and he's on pace to lead the league in assist average for the first time. Here's part of the anti-Young argument: Among the 220 players with at least 50 3-point attempts this season he ranks 189th at 30.8%, and of the 248 players with at least 100 field goal attempts this season he ranks 231st at 38.4%. Choose your side. They're both valid. But it's clear that Young — who made no secret that he was upset over not being picked for the team that won gold for USA Basketball at the Paris Olympics this past summer — is growing and maturing. “He’s doing a better job on both ends of the floor,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Defensively he’s figured out a way of keeping himself out of actions. I know that sounds easy. That’s hard to do, and he’s brilliant at it, he really is. ... He must be really studying the game on both ends of the floor, and you can see that in his play. And he’s earned the trust of his players. This team likes playing with him, that’s obvious. I couldn’t say that in the past, but now they love playing with him.” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson doesn't deny that point. “He’s so good, man,” Johnson said. "It’s crazy, like just seeing it in person and on TV prior to me playing with the Hawks and getting drafted by the Hawks, it was crazy just watching it. A guy that’s undersized, being able to score at will, being able to make any pass at will. And then next thing you know you’re his teammate and you’re on the receiving end of those passes. “Watching those clutch late game buckets, it’s a joy to watch. It’s a gift that he has that’s very special and not many people have had it at that elite of a level. It’s been great being his teammate. It’s been a blessing.” Saturday is an opportunity. The semifinals are the only games on the NBA calendar for that day; the title game Tuesday — which doesn't count in the standings — is the only game on the NBA slate that night as well. Young will have tons of eyeballs on him Saturday and would have tons more on him Tuesday if the Hawks find a way to win another big game against the Bucks. They're 3-1 against Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland and Boston already this season, 1-0 against Milwaukee. The potential is clear for the Hawks. The potential for Young has always been clear as well. Only now, it's starting to be realized. “The narrative about me not being able to do certain things or being too mad or frustrated about certain things is — I mean, just aren’t true,” Young said. "I think you’re just now being able to see like with the young team we have, just some of the different things we’ve been doing this year, I think just now you’re starting to kind of see it because the results are showing and we’re winning now. We’re here in this final four of the Cup, and it’s a big deal.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Stocks drifted higher on Wall Street in midday trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped boost the market. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1%. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 19 points, or 0.1%, as of 12:32 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was up less than 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, Intel was up 0.7% and Apple gained 0.4%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.9%, Amazon was down 0.5%, and Netflix gave up 1.4%. Health care stocks also helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.9% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 2.9%, Best Buy was up 2.1% and Dollar Tree gained 2.2%. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 15.8%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.

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Ayra Wang Hong Kong travelers will from New Year's Day be able to take the mainland-produced C919 passenger jet between the city and Shanghai. China Eastern Airlines plans to deploy the aircraft on a direct route between Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport, state media CCTV reported yesterday. "From January 1, the C919 will fly between the two airports ... regularly, representing the [aircraft's] official launch ... on regional routes," the airline said. China Eastern owns the largest C919 fleet in the world with 105 jets and Hong Kong will become the ninth city where the aircraft will be deployed commercially. A round-trip flight between Hong Kong and Shanghai is set daily, with flight numbers MU721 and 722, the airline said. CCTV said the aircraft will have a special look on its first flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong, with its body decorated in Chinese red. The flight is scheduled to depart at 8.15am and arrive in Hong Kong two hours and 35 minutes later. It will then leave at 12.55pm and take about two hours to fly back to Shanghai. An economy ticket from Shanghai is around 3,000 yuan (HK$3,192) on January 1, while tickets from other airlines on the same route on the same day will vary from 1,000 yuan to 2,300 yuan. An economy ticket from Hong Kong is 1,152 yuan on January 1, while for other airlines they vary from 700 yuan to 1,800 yuan. China Eastern economy tickets from Shanghai to Hong Kong will vary from 1,000 yuan to 3,000 yuan in the first week of January while those from Hong Kong will be from 700 yuan to 1,500 yuan. In a Facebook post yesterday, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan Mei-bo said the use of the C919 in regular flights to Hong Kong will help the city leverage its advantages as an international aviation hub showcasing the country's achievement in civil aviation technology. "The self-developed C919 marks a major breakthrough," she said. "The regular flights will give people more opportunities to take the aircraft and know the extraordinary achievements of the country's aviation development." Chan said she has instructed the Civil Aviation Department and Airport Authority to provide comprehensive assistance to ensure passengers get the best experience. She said she met with representatives from manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China and expects the state-owned, Shanghai-based company to expand business operations in Hong Kong. The C919 is the country's first homegrown, narrow-body passenger plane, with a layout of 158 to 192 seats. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China as of November delivered 12 C919 aircraft that logged a total of 13,000 operating hours and carried 700,000 passengers. The aircraft conducted its first commercial flight in Hong Kong in June, flying about 120 local university students to Shanghai for an internship program. A Shanghai tourist, Zhang, said she expects to take the C919 despite the pricier airfare. "Our [civil aviation] is still developing and will learn through practice and I am willing to pay more to help self-developed planes improve," Zhang said. ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com Editorial: Page 4On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here . Getting benched may have been the best thing that happened to Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson. Both second-year quarterbacks are playing well since returning to the starting lineup. Young has steadily improved after coming back in Week 8. He’s displayed the skills that earned him a Heisman Trophy at Alabama and convinced the Carolina Panthers to draft him ahead of C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. Young had his best game on Sunday, nearly leading Carolina to an overtime win over Tampa Bay if it weren’t for Chuba Hubbard’s fumble in field-goal range. He threw for 298 yards and a go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute of a 26-23 loss . Young almost led the Panthers to a win over the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs a week earlier only to see Patrick Mahomes drive Kansas City into position for a winning field goal as time expired. Rookie coach Dave Canales benched Young for veteran Andy Dalton after just two games in which he had a 44.1 passer rating. The 23-year-old has completed 60.4% of his passes for 1,062 yards, six TDs and three interceptions — none in the past three games — while going 2-3 in the five starts since Young got another opportunity to lead the Panthers (3-9). Richardson has led Indianapolis to a pair of comeback wins late in the fourth quarter in three starts after he regained his starting job. The Colts (6-7) selected Richardson No. 4 last year and he started just 10 games before coach Shane Steichen benched him for Joe Flacco in Week 9. Richardson completed only 44.4% of his passes with four TDs and seven picks in his first six starts. He’s improved to 52.4% with three TDs and two picks since coming back. The 22-year-old tossed a 3-yard TD pass to Alec Pierce on fourth-and-goal with 12 seconds remaining and then ran in for a 2-point conversion to lift the Colts to a 25-24 win over New England on Sunday. Young and Richardson both have a long way to go to prove they can be franchise quarterbacks. But there’s far more optimism now that they’re not busts. Young is on his third head coach and second offensive coordinator in two seasons. Canales is known for getting the best out of quarterbacks, helping Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield revive their careers. He made a bold decision to bench Young after just two games but that allowed him to watch, grow and learn without the pressure of having to perform. Now it appears Young might have a future in Carolina when that seemed unlikely in September. Richardson just needs more experience. He threw only 393 passes in college and started four games as a rookie before he was injured. Steichen’s decision to bench him for Flacco didn’t work out. Flacco, who was the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year last year after leading Cleveland to the playoffs by going 4-1 in five starts, struggled in two games. Still, that gave Richardson a chance to reset after tapping out for a play in the game before he was benched. Quarterbacks need time to develop. They can’t be judged fairly after one or two seasons, especially when they were high draft picks who joined bad teams that lacked talent. Matt Eberflus lost his job as Chicago’s head coach a day after he watched the offense run out of time with a timeout in hand, missing an opportunity to push Detroit to overtime on Thanksgiving. But Antonio Pierce made an even worse decision on Black Friday that cost the Raiders a chance to beat the Chiefs. Aidan O’Donnell drove Las Vegas to the Chiefs 32 with 15 seconds left. Instead of trying for a game-winning field goal down 19-17, Pierce wanted O’Donnell to take the snap, allow more time to tick and throw the ball away. But O’Donnell wasn’t ready for the snap, the Chiefs recovered the fumble and escaped with the win. aManaging the clock shouldn’t be this difficult for NFL head coaches. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is having the worst season of his 13-year career. If he wasn’t one of the best kickers in NFL history, Baltimore would’ve made a switch already. But coach John Harbaugh has too much respect for Tucker, who began the season as the most accurate kicker in league history. Tucker has missed a career-high eight field-goal attempts, including two in a 24-19 loss to Philadelphia. Harbaugh, a former special teams coach, isn’t planning to replace Tucker. But the Ravens (8-5) have Super Bowl aspirations and Tucker needs to straighten things out. One solution would be to place him on injured reserve to work on his technique. In this case, Tucker has earned the right not to be released. Plus, he’s signed through 2027. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Toronto Blue Jays officially sign reliever Garcia to two-year, US$15M deal

Should AI be used to resurrect extinct species like the Neanderthal? | Mohammad HosseiniExperts discuss emerging challenges in mental health LAHORE : Punjab University Centre for Clinical Psychology (CCP) organised the 7th international conference on 'Mental Health and Rehabilitation: Contemporary Trends and Advances in Clinical Practice' on Friday. The participants discussed in detail the emerging challenges in mental health care and rehabilitation during the conference. Director CCP Prof Dr Saima Dawood, Professor of Health Equity from University of Leeds UK, Prof Dr Ghazala Mir, Principal Clinical Psychologist from Ireland, Dr Akhtar Ali Syed, delegates from Indonesia, UK, Ireland, experts and professionals from Islamabad and Karachi, faculty members and students were present on this occasion. In her address, Dr Saima highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing emerging challenges in mental health care and rehabilitation. She said that the conference attracted a diverse group of experts, researchers, and students from across Pakistan and internationally. The event contained an engaging academic programme with 11 scientific sessions, six symposiums and two panel discussions. The topics explored included new treatment approaches, evidence-based therapies, the role of technology in mental health care and the integration of mental health services into rehabilitation programmes. These discussions emphasised contemporary trends and recent advancements in clinical practice offering a platform for knowledge exchange. The participants shared their insights, learnt from each others’ experiences during the conference. Multi-sectoral nutrition strategy launched To address severe nutritional challenges in the province, the Planning & Development Board has launched the Multi-sectoral Nutrition Strategy 2024-30. The ceremony was presided over by the Member Health, Nutrition, and Population, P&D Board, Shafaat Ali, who highlighted the critical role of the Multi-sectoral Nutrition Cell (MSNC) in ensuring effective coordination, providing technical assistance, and monitoring. He emphasised that the MSNC collaborates closely with diverse sectors, including health, education, population, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), agriculture, fisheries, livestock, food safety, and social protection, to ensure a holistic approach. Chief Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Pakistan, Mr Anteneh Girma Menassie, discussed how the Punjab government is leading efforts to facilitate collaboration with the MSNC.

I have good news if you didn't get the gift you wanted this holiday. The first after Christmas sales of the week are live and I'm seeing massive discounts on everything from 4K TVs to our favorite laptops. I've been covering after Christmas sales for 17 years and Walmart after Christmas sales are always among my favorite. As one of the biggest retailers around, they always have a wide variety of deals at varying price points. Below I've rounded up my favorite deals in Walmart's sale. If you want to do some comparison shopping, check out our guide to the best Amazon after Christmas sales . (For more ways to save, make sure to check out our guide to the best Walmart promo codes ). Quick Links Editor's Choice TVs Appliances Laptops/Tablets Audio Gaming