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NoneMatt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump's most contentious picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Storm inundates Northern California with rain, heavy snow. Thousands remain in the dark in Seattle HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuation warnings for communities near a Northern California river that forecasters say could break its banks Friday, as the system continued to dump heavy snow in mountainous areas where some ski resorts opened for the season. The storm reached the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled some trees. Forecasters are warning about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by this season’s strongest atmospheric river. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Brazilian police formally accuse former President Bolsonaro and aides of alleged 2022 coup attempt SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police have formally accused former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup to keep him in office after his electoral defeat in the 2022 elections. The findings are to be delivered Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will either formally charge Bolsonaro and put the former president on trial or toss the investigation. The former right-wing president has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then.mnl168 link download 。

As 2025 approaches, uncertainty looms over two wars raging in Gaza and Ukraine, with West Asia destabilised by the sudden fall of Syria’s Assad regime on December 8. The passing away of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a day after Christmas, symbolises the end of India’s post-Independence era. The unseemly debates in Parliament and beyond, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution, became a Congress-BJP brawl over B.R. Ambedkar’s role. The saga involved the Congress embracing a fictional past, where it more abused than used the Constitution, and the BJP feigning respect for constitutionalism while desiring to shape it as per its majoritarian instincts. Political churn is not specific to India alone. In 2024, 76 nations held polls, constituting half the world’s population. In some, like Russia and Venezuela, it was a rigged exercise to claim legitimacy for authoritarian rulers. In others, like the UK, where Conservatives lost power after 14 years, or France, where the adverse parliamentary elections’ verdict challenged the sitting President Emmanuel Macron, electoral results signalled change. In India too, people left the BJP in parliamentary elections dependent on allies’ support, which the BJP, by its self-centred agenda and arrogant governance, is defying. The most challenging development is Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. Although his term begins only on January 20, he is already in the limelight, continuously nominating individuals that reflect loyalty to him and commitment to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda. Some have been forced to withdraw due to past sexual indiscretions, while some others may yet face the Senate’s disapproval due to lopsided views. For instance, Robert Kennedy Jr., named to lead the health departments, advocates the rejection of vaccines. The Economist magazine anticipates, in the coming year, an “interplay between Donald Trump, technology, and radical uncertainty.” The global worry is over his threat of imposing retaliatory tariffs of 20% on all nations trading with the US, with China attracting an even higher percentage. Some aides of Trump argue that his bark may be worse than his bite, as he often uses threats simply as a negotiating tactic. However, Indian analysts missed the implications of Trump’s remark that the US and China could effectively address most contentious global issues if they collaborated. This has, for decades, been precisely the Indian strategic concern: that bipolar Sino-US convergence would automatically relegate India to a secondary position. Although unstated publicly, the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s hurried US trip post-Christmas, when official business languishes due to the holiday season, indicates this concern. The fact that Trump invited, albeit unsuccessfully, Chinese President Xi Jinping for his inauguration without extending a similar offer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflects Trump’s priorities. Reportedly, Hungarian President Viktor Orban, a Trump acolyte who rejects European military support for Ukraine, may also be on the invitees list. No previous US president has invited foreign leaders for the inauguration. Trump has claimed that he would end the Ukraine war almost instantaneously after assuming office. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who deliberately delayed congratulating Trump after his win, may accept a ceasefire only if Ukraine is arm-twisted into accepting the status quo over land held by either side currently. Perhaps that explains reports of Russians employing North Korean soldiers to eject Ukrainians from their Kursk region. Ukraine wants to use that occupation to bargain for the return of Ukrainian territory under Russian control. Although Trump is likely to give Israel a carte blanche to conduct its military operations, Israel, having already decapitated Hamas, may be ready for a ceasefire. Trump fathered the Abraham Accords to normalise Israel-Arab relations. These are now stymied by Israel rejecting both a ceasefire and a two-nation solution to the Israel-Palestine dispute. Thus, globally, Trump 2.0 can either be an agent of disruptive but positive change or an initiator of global economic and geostrategic bedlam. The US deterrence has mostly stabilised the world, especially since the end of the Cold War in 1991. Chinese ascendancy and alliance with Russia, Iran, and North Korea is resurrecting a new bipolar order. But China faces economic headwinds, and its GDP, having become three-quarters that of the US, fell to two-thirds by 2021. The European Union faces economic challenges due to its energy dependence on Russia being disrupted by the Ukraine war and its slow transition to industries of the future. The feared new standoff between the US and China catches Europe on the backfoot, already hobbled by its centrist ruling alliances breaking down, causing the rise of far-right parties. India is adopting a wait-and-watch strategy, like most of the world. At the United Nations, the Chinese contribution to the UN budget, at 20% of the total, now rivals that of the US. Trump is likely to withdraw the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNESCO. Ideally, after some turbulence, the Trumpian storm would pass. But diminished US deterrence and an isolationist America bode ill for global peace and friendship. KC Singh is former secretary, Ministry of External AffairsKirk Herbstreit Reacts to ESPN's 'College GameDay' Announcement Before Indiana-Ohio State Game

Haiti: Gangs, Protests, And Political Vacuum | Never-Ending WarsPowell: Fed's independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions WASHINGTON (AP) — Chair Jerome Powell said the Federal Reserve’s ability to set interest rates free of political interference is necessary for it to make decisions to serve “all Americans” rather than a political party or political outcome. Speaking at the New York Times’ DealBook summit, Powell addressed a question about President-elect Donald Trump’s numerous public criticisms of the Fed and of Powell himself. During the election campaign, Trump had insisted that as president, he should have a “say” in the Fed’s interest rate policies. Despite Trump’s comments, the Fed chair said he was confident of widespread support in Congress for maintaining the central bank’s independence. UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the US but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk Wednesday became a mystery that riveted the nation. Police say it was a targeted killing. Thompson was 50. He had worked at the company for 20 years and had run health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s insurance business since 2021. It provides health coverage for more than 49 million Americans and brought in $281 billion in revenue last year. Thompson's $10.2 million annual compensation made him one of the company’s highest-paid executives. Trump nominates cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins as SEC chair President-elect Donald Trump says he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Atkins is the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner. Trump calls Atkins a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. The SEC oversees U.S. securities markets and investments. If confirmed next year by the new Republican-led Senate, Atkins would replace Gary Gensler, who's been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Atkins was widely considered the most conservative SEC member during his tenure and known to have a strong free-market bent. Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there? It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history. Experts say it could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success — keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia’s new law was approved by its Parliament last week. It's an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life — formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. The ban won’t go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That’s not clear, nor will it be easy. White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered the new details Wednesday about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that a number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow. GivingTuesday estimates $3.6B was donated this year, an increase from 2023 NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. donors gave $3.6 billion on Tuesday, an increase from the past two years, according to estimates from the nonprofit GivingTuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, now known as GivingTuesday, has become a major annual day for nonprofits to fundraise and otherwise engage their supporters. In both 2022 and 2023, nonprofits in the U.S. raised $3.1 billion on GivingTuesday. This year, 18.5 million people made donations to nonprofits and another 9.2 million people volunteered. Both the number of donors and the number of volunteers increased by 4% since 2023, according to the nonprofit GivingTuesday's estimates. Pete Hegseth's mother says The New York Times made 'threats' by asking her to comment on a story A basic tenet of journalism — calling someone for comment on a story — was seen as a threat by defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's mother. Penelope Hegseth appeared on Fox News Channel to talk about her son, whose nomination by President-elect Trump to lead the Pentagon is threatened by a series of stories about his past behavior. One came this past weekend, when The New York Times wrote about a private email Penelope Hegseth sent to her son about his treatment of women. She said on Fox News that she felt threatened when the Times called her about the email, which she had quickly regretted sending. The Times said they were engaging in routine journalism. District of Columbia says Amazon secretly stopped fast deliveries to 2 predominantly Black ZIP codes The District of Columbia is alleging in a lawsuit that Amazon secretly stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two predominantly Black neighborhoods in the city. The district says the online retailer still charged residents of two ZIP codes millions of dollars for a service that provides speedy deliveries. The complaint filed on Wednesday in District of Columbia Superior Court revolves around Amazon’s Prime membership service. The lawsuit alleges Amazon in mid-2022 imposed what it called a delivery “exclusion” on the two low-income ZIP codes. An Amazon spokesperson says the company made the change based on concerns about driver safety. The spokesperson says claims that Amazon's business practices are discriminatory are “categorically false.” Biden says 'Africa is the future' as he pledges millions more on the last day of Angola visit LOBITO, Angola (AP) — President Joe Biden has pledged another $600 million for an ambitious multi-country rail project in Africa as one of the final foreign policy moves of his administration. He told African leaders Wednesday that the resource-rich continent of more than 1.4 billion people had been “left behind for much too long. But not anymore. Africa is the future.” Biden used the third and final day of his visit to Angola to showcase the Lobito Corridor railway. The U.S. and allies are investing heavily to refurbish train lines in Zambia, Congo and Angola in a region rich in critical minerals to counter China's influence. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her.MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m., Md.-Eastern Shore at Maryland;BTN 11 a.m., E. Kentucky at Louisville;CW 11 a.m., Coppin St. at Georgetown;FS1 1 p.m., Alabama A&M at Georgia Tech;ACCN 1 p.m., NC Central at NC ACBS 1 p.m., Bucknell at SyracuseCW 1 p.m., Mississippi at Memphis;ESPN2 1 p.m., Loyola (Md.) at DePaul;FS1 3 p.m., Fairleigh Dickinson at Boston College;ACCN 3 p.m., Howard at Hampton;CBS 3 p.m., UCLA vs. Gonzaga, Los Angeles;FOX 3 p.m., Abilene Christian at Texas ASECN 5 p.m., Utah St. at San Diego St.;FOX 5 p.m., Delaware at St. John’s;FS1 WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 12:30 p.m., Creighton at St. John’s;FOX 1 p.m., Wisconsin at Indiana;BTN 3 p.m., Penn St. at Minnesota;BTN 3 p.m., Oregon St. at Gonzaga;ESPN2 COLLEGE FOOTBALL 10 a.m., The Wasabi Fenway Bowl: UConn vs. North Carolina, Boston;ESPN 11 a.m., The Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Boston College vs. Nebraska, New York;ABC 1:15 p.m., The Isleta New Mexico Bowl: Louisiana-Lafayette vs. TCU, Albuquerque, N.M.;ESPN 2:30 p.m., The Pop-Tarts Bowl: Iowa St. vs. Miami, Orlando, Fla.;ABC 3:15 p.m., The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Colorado St., Tucson, Ariz.;CW 4:45 p.m., The Go Bowling Military Bowl: East Carolina vs. NC State, Annapolis, Md.;ESPN 6:30 p.m., The Valero Alamo Bowl: BYU vs. Colorado, San Antonio;ABC 8:15 p.m., The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech vs. Army, Shreveport, La.;ESPN NBA 2 p.m., Miami at Atlanta;NBATV 5 p.m., Oklahoma City at Charlotte;NBATV 7 p.m., Milwaukee at Chicago;CHSN 7:30 p.m., Phoenix at Golden State;NBATV NFL Noon, L.A. Chargers at New England;NFLN 3:30 p.m., Denver at Cincinnati;NFLN 7 p.m., Arizona at L.A. Chargers;NFLN NHL 6 p.m., Washington at Toronto;NHLN Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

President-elect Donald Trump will bring legal baggage to the White House in January, even if he succeeds in pausing or getting rid of the four federal and state criminal indictments against him. Trump’s reelection is expected to end the two federal cases, given the Justice Department’s policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. His defense lawyers are arguing that the same immunity principles should apply to the two state prosecutions. But Trump still faces at least a dozen civil lawsuits, and the presidency won’t provide any special protections or way out. The U.S. Supreme Court has said that officeholders aren’t immune from being sued over their private conduct. Ongoing cases include attempts to hold him liable for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and his appeals of a $454 million New York civil fraud verdict and rulings that he sexually abused and defamed writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump has also continued to press ahead with lawsuits against news outlets and journalists that he alleges defamed or otherwise wronged him. On Wednesday, a Trump lawyer urged a judge to fast-track his suit against journalist Bob Woodward and publisher Simon & Schuster over the sale of an audiobook of recorded interviews from his first term. Trump’s upcoming inauguration made the dispute “timely and ripe” because of the “fear of further unaccounted for profit being made from the President’s voice,” his lawyer wrote. Asked about the pending cases, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that the election made it “abundantly clear that Americans want an immediate end to the weaponization of our justice system.” Here’s where the remaining civil litigation stands: Cases against Trump Jan. 6 : Trump is a defendant in eight lawsuits over the Jan. 6 attack brought by law enforcement officers, congressional Democrats and the estate of a police officer who died. A federal judge in Washington rejected Trump’s argument that he was entitled to absolute immunity. Last year, an appeals court upheld that decision but said he could re-argue for immunity if he could present specific proof that he was engaged in official conduct at the time. The parties spent the past year gathering evidence, and the lawyers are set to appear before the judge on Dec. 6 to discuss next steps. Joseph Sellers, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said that Supreme Court precedent dating back to the Clinton administration on the limits of civil presidential immunity was clear. “I see no reason why there would be any different course,” Sellers said. A lead attorney for Trump declined to comment. Central Park Five : Trump faced a new lawsuit shortly before the election over comments he made during the September presidential debate about five men who were wrongly convicted in a 1989 jogger rape case and came to be known as the “Central Park Five.” This week, Trump’s legal team filed a letter previewing that they planned to invoke Pennsylvania’s “anti-SLAPP” law that bars lawsuits targeting protected speech on “matters of public concern,” among other reasons they believe the case should be dismissed. 2020 election : A few weeks after the 2020 election, voting rights advocates accused Trump of trying to disenfranchise Black voters by pressing false fraud allegations. Like the Jan. 6 liability lawsuits, the case became held up in a fight over whether Trump was entitled to immunity. After Trump lost that issue, the challengers hoped U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan would take action before the latest election, but that didn’t happen. Chutkan has yet to announce a new schedule. E. Jean Carroll : Trump is appealing two verdicts finding he sexually abused Carroll decades ago and later defamed her when he accused her of fabricating the story to sell a book. A federal appeals court heard arguments in September in his challenge to the sex abuse verdict and a $5 million damages award. The other verdict, for more than $83 million in her earlier defamation case, is also on appeal. New York fraud : In February, a Manhattan judge entered a $454 million verdict against Trump after finding he exaggerated his wealth by billions of dollars a year in order to secure more favorable loan terms. Trump is challenging that decision and a New York state appeals court heard arguments in late September. Cases brought by Trump Simon & Schuster : Woodward and the publisher argue Trump doesn’t have a copyright interest in the interview recordings and have moved to dismiss the case. If the suit survives, Trump’s lawyer Robert Garson wrote in Wednesday’s letter that they expect the judge to handle the next phase in a way that creates “minimal interference” with Trump’s “obligations.” ABC : A hearing is set for Nov. 27 in Trump’s lawsuit claiming an ABC host defamed him in describing the result of the Carroll litigation. Last week, the judge denied a joint request to delay upcoming deadlines. “With Election Day now behind us, there is no reason for any further delay,” U.S. District Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga wrote. CBS : Just before Election Day, Trump filed a case accusing CBS of deceptive practices by airing an edited version of an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The network recently asked for an extension to formally respond to the lawsuit, but previously released a statement calling Trump’s allegations of deceit “false.” CNN : Trump is appealing the 2023 dismissal of a lawsuit against CNN over use of the phrase the “big lie” in describing his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Trump’s lawyers filed their latest brief in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in September; the court hasn’t set a date for arguments. Twitter/Meta/YouTube : Trump sued Twitter (now X Corp.), Meta and YouTube after he was kicked off social media platforms following the Jan. 6 attack. He appealed after a judge dismissed the Twitter case, and the Meta and YouTube fights were paused while that dispute went to the 9th Circuit. The appeals court heard arguments a year ago and has yet to rule. On Wednesday — just over a week after Trump announced that X’s owner Elon Musk would serve in his administration — lawyers for Trump and X alerted the court that they were negotiating a settlement.The Indiana State men’s basketball team will be looking for its sixth consecutive victory Sunday when it faces the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes will also be looking to extend a winning streak of their own after knocking off then No. 4 Kentucky 85-65 for their second consecutive victory last Saturday. Before that, the Buckeyes defeated Valparaiso 95-73 Dec. 17. ISU took a couple of days off during the holiday break before focusing in on Ohio State, but after the dominant 101-53 victory over NAIA opponent University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy, ISU gave a little bit of insight as to how it will approach Sunday afternoon’s matchup. Merritt Alderink said the Sycamores have to keep working hard and keep working as a team. Jahni Summers said they have to just do what they do every game and just go out there, execute and make shots and believe and be confident in themselves. The team has had a lot of belief in themselves as they spoke after the last game about being very talented and how that shows at practice. Summers is super excited for Sunday’s matchup. He said they all think and know they can play at that level. “I think that’s going to be a big game for us and a huge test for sure,” Summers said. Alderink said they just have to prepare. He touched on shooting the ball well, sharing the ball and playing well in transition and playing the pace like they do that they’re known for, he thinks they have a good shot at sticking with the Buckeyes. ISU head coach Matthew Graves indicated the team will take the same approach as they do every game. According to Graves, it’s more about playing to a standard. “When you have a standard of play that you want in your program it doesn’t matter who you’re playing and 80% of the focus is always going to be on us, how we play offensively, how we want to play defensively, the other 20% is scouting and adjustments and things like that,” Graves said. He said their players have done a great job in both areas. “They’ve invested in what we want to do and how we want to play, and I’ve seen the growth from being able to take scouting reports from earlier games in the season to now understanding personnel, understanding schemes, that growth has been really good,” Graves said. Graves said they need to feel like they can compete with whoever they’re going to play. “I know we’re going to have a great game plan, we’re going to have a laser focus, everybody gets excited to play a high major opponent, so I know they’re going to be excited, but again it goes back to that 80% of being who we are, executing what we do and being able to go out and accomplish that piece,” Graves said. “We’ll take care of the scouting and different things like that and have a great game plan.”

TORONTO — The Winnipeg Jets had payback on their minds and top spot in the National Hockey League in their final game before the holiday break. The Jets made good on both accounts with a 5-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs before 18,923 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday. The win avenged a 6-4 home loss to Toronto on Oct. 28, that halted the Jets' eight-game win streak to begin the season. It also pushed the Jets into first overall. "They don't hand out awards at Christmas, but obviously, we're happy," said Jets centre Mark Scheifele, who enjoyed a three-goal, four-point outing. "It's good to get a couple of days off, get recharged and get going for the next half of the season." Surprisingly, the Jets (25-10-1) are only one point ahead of the 36-game pace of 23-9-4 set a year ago. "We've been good from top to bottom and we need everybody in this group," said Kyle O'Connor, who scored the Jets first two goals and helped set up Scheifele for his first of three third-period goals. "I just think our ability to roll over lines and be hungry, and not to be satisfied with anything. We also have taken a day-to-day approach, learning what we can improve on from wins and losses and implementing the adjustments." Besides defeating the Maple Leafs after what transpired in late October, Scheifele had extra motivation after being left off Canada's roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. In the 10 games since Canada's roster was announced, Scheifele has eight goals and 15 points. "You're disappointed, but at the end of the day, you just want to play well for your group of guys," Scheifele said. "There's always a bit of motivation you can draw from in every game. But it's just a matter of playing good for the Winnipeg Jets and controlling what I can control." He also enjoys playing in Toronto, an hour from his hometown of Kitchener. "I love coming to Toronto to have the opportunity to play in front of a lot of friends and family," Scheifele said. "Being so close to home, I get a little extra excited to play here. "I think the biggest thing is we didn't play our best when we played them last. We were excited to get another crack at them and how them the game we can play. All in all, it's a big win for us." MATTHEWS STILL OUT WITH INJURY While the Jets enter the Christmas break with back-to-back wins, the Maple Leafs dropped their second in a row at home without wounded captain Auston Matthews, out with an upper-body injury. "We just have to clean up some things off the rush, the transition part especially against a team that's obviously very good with their top line that takes advantage of time and space," said Maple Leafs centre John Tavares, who scored both Toronto goals. The Maple Leafs have gone 7-4-0 with Matthews on the sidelines this season and 42-23-2 in his career. Toronto was also missing defenceman Chris Tanev, out day-to-day with a lower-body ailment. Tanev missed his first game after skating in the pre-game warm-up. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian PressNoneSportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78Kansas City (14-1) at Pittsburgh (10-5) Wednesday, 1 p.m., EST, Netflix. BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 2 1/2. Against the spread: Chiefs 7-8; Steelers 10-5 Series record: Steelers lead 25-14. Last meeting: Chiefs beat Steelers 42-21 in the first round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022, in Kansas City. Last week: Chiefs beat Texans 27-19; Steelers lost to Ravens 34-17 Chiefs offense: overall (13), rush (15), pass (12), scoring (11). Chiefs defense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (17), scoring (3). Steelers offense: overall (19), rush (11), pass (25), scoring (12). Steelers defense: overall (11), rush (8), pass (20), scoring (7). Turnover differential: Chiefs plus-4; Steelers plus-16. Chiefs player to watch WR Marquise Brown, who hurt his shoulder on the first play of the preseason and landed on injured reserve, made an impressive regular-season debut against Houston last week. “Hollywood” caught five passes for 45 yards, including an early 13-yarder that converted a fourth down and led to an eventual touchdown. But perhaps most importantly, Brown’s mere presence kept Houston from double-teaming Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce all afternoon. Steelers player to watch LB T.J. Watt. The perennial All-Pro is dealing with an ankle injury and had a quiet game in the loss to Baltimore, finishing with just four tackles and didn’t have a single hit against Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Pittsburgh’s best chance at pulling the upset relies heavily on disrupting Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes at every turn. To do it, Watt will need to do some Watt-like things. The 30-year-old leads the NFL in forced fumbles for a defense that thrives on takeaways. RELATED COVERAGE Chiefs try to secure home-field advantage in the AFC when they visit Pittsburgh on Christmas Ravens visit Texans on Christmas Day, needing win to keep AFC North title hopes alive Pro Picks: Chiefs will beat the Steelers and Ravens will edge the Texans on Christmas Day Key matchup Steelers RBs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris against the Chiefs rush defense, which is ranked third in the NFL and allowing just 91.4 yards per game. The Chiefs held the Texans’ Joe Mixon to just 57 yards rushing last week, the latest in a season-long trend of shutting down top running backs. The Browns’ Nick Chubb had 41 yards the previous week, and the Ravens’ Derrick Henry, the Falcons’ Bijan Robinson and the Saints’ Alvin Kamara are among those who have similarly struggled against Kansas City. Key injuries Chiefs: LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) and CB Chamarri Conner (concussion) are likely to miss a second straight game. DT Chris Jones (calf) and RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) are iffy after getting hurt against Houston. Steelers: WR George Pickens (hamstring) should return after missing the past three games. S DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) may also be back after sitting the past two weeks. Starting CB Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and backup wide receiver/special teams ace Ben Skowronek (hip) are out. Series notes The Steelers have dominated the series, leading 23-14, but the Chiefs have won the past three games. That includes a 42-21 rout in their most recent matchup in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022 — the last game played by Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Prior to the Chiefs’ three-game win streak, the Steelers had won three in a row, including an 18-16 victory in the divisional round on Jan. 15, 2017, that they won despite not scoring a touchdown. Stats and stuff Kansas City can clinch the No. 1 seed and first-round playoff bye with a win over the Steelers, or if the Bills lose or tie when they play the Jets on Sunday. ... Pittsburgh has dropped two straight, but can still earn its first AFC North title since 2020 by winning its last two games. ... The Chiefs can set a franchise record for regular-season wins with their 15th by beating Pittsburgh or Denver in their regular-season finale, breaking a tie with the 2020 and ‘22 teams. ... The Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes needs three TD passes to break Peyton Manning’s record of 244 for a QB’s first eight seasons. Mahomes did not start as a rookie and has played just 111 games while Manning played 128 over that span. ... Mahomes has dominated the Steelers so far in his career, throwing 14 touchdowns without a pick while leading Kansas City to three victories in as many tries. ... Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins has an NFL-leading 177 straight games with a catch. TE Travis Kelce is second with 173. ... Kelce has 76 TD catches, tied with Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs record. Kelce has 79 total TDs, four shy of Priest Holmes’ franchise record. ... WR Xavier Worthy has five TD catches, tied for the sixth most by a rookie in Chiefs history. Worthy also has three TD runs, and the eight total is also tied for sixth most in franchise history. ... Chiefs DB Trent McDuffie has intercepted a pass in back-to-back games. He did not have a pick in his first 48 games. ... This is the 12th game in Steelers history to be played on Wednesday and the first since 2020, when a showdown with the Ravens was repeatedly postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Pittsburgh is 5-6 all time on Wednesdays. ... A healthy Pickens will likely give the Steelers passing game a serious boost. QB Russell Wilson is averaging just 167.7 yards per game in Pickens’ absence, down from 271 yards per game with Pickens in the lineup. ... This is Pittsburgh’s first regular-season game against a team with 14 wins. ... The Steelers have five wins against the defending Super Bowl champions since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. ... Pittsburgh is 26-12 in Weeks 17 and 18 since the start of the 1990 season, the second-most wins in the NFL over that span behind Green Bay (28). ... The Steelers have won seven straight games and 12 of their past 13 the week following a loss of at least 17 points. ... Pittsburgh leads the NFL with 31 takeaways. and has forced at least two turnovers 11 times. Fantasy tip It might be championship week in your league, so why not turn to a championship quarterback. Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt even in a “down” season by his standards and with Pittsburgh missing its top cornerback and the pass rush slowed of late, give Mahomes a start against a team he has toyed with in his career. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Two CMFRI scientists earn prestigious NAAS recognition

‘Twas the day before Christmas: Mawer’s 2024 year-end poemMOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that Russian air defenses shot down the plane while attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference Saturday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner "repeatedly" attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace." The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that "relevant services" from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while attempting to land. There were 29 survivors. According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev's press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," though he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses. Part of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane lies on the ground Thursday near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Aliyev noted the plane had holes in its fuselage and the occupants sustained injuries "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight." He said that a team of international experts began a probe of the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny. On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. U.S. President Joe Biden, responding Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: "Apparently he did but I haven't spoken to him." Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. Yadrov said after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau. People attend a funeral Saturday for Mahammadali Eganov, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's airport of Aktau at the age of 13, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier this past week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board. In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed "physical and technical interference" and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didn't say where the interference came from or provide any further details. If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. Russia denied responsibility but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base. The grave of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport, is seen Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities. Several other airlines made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month. Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian country's flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this past week, Israel's El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! 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