Former Indian PM and architect of economic reforms diesVertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors
South Korean prosecutors have arrested ex-defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, Yonhap News Agency says. or signup to continue reading Kim, who offered his resignation on Wednesday, was seen as a central figure in Tuesday's brief martial law declaration. A senior military official and filings to impeach Yoon by opposition members said Kim had made the proposal to Yoon. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, but the leader of his own party said the president would eventually have to step down. The prosecution's special investigative team has questioned Kim, who voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at around 1:30am on Sunday (3:30am AEDT), the report said. The office was not immediately available for comments. Three minority opposition parties filed a complaint with the prosecution against Yoon, Kim and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of treason. Kim faces a travel ban as prosecutors investigate, Yonhap said. The national police are also investigating claims of treason against Yoon and top ministers. Yoon shocked the nation on Tuesday night when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called "anti-state forces" and obstructionist political opponents. He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree. Yoon's martial law declaration plunged South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and a key US military ally, into its greatest political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter the country's reputation as a democratic success story. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement
After-hours movers: Marvell Technology, Salesforce, Okta and moreLions host Packers on Thursday night, hoping to push winning streak to franchise-record 11 straight
NoneDETROIT (AP) — Detroit and Green Bay , longtime rivals and current contenders, will have much at stake when they meet Thursday night in the Motor City. The NFC-leading Lions (11-1) are aiming to stay ahead of Philadelphia (10-2) in the race for the conference's best record and Minnesota (10-2) in the NFC North with a win against the Packers. Detroit can also clinch a spot in the playoffs with an 11th straight victory that would set a franchise record. “We’re in playoff football right now,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “This is the type of stuff that you live for and it’s also the type of stuff that gets you ready for the tournament.” Green Bay (9-3) also has a lot to play for because it can pull within a game of the Lions if it can split the season series with a slight upset as 3 1/2-point underdogs, according to BetMGM. “This game is going to be important for us moving forward toward the end of this thing and we’re going to treat it as such,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. Green Bay’s ability to slow down Detroit’s run game might be pivotal. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, the first teammates in league history to run for at least 10 touchdowns in consecutive seasons, have combined to average more than 140 yards on the ground per game. The Packers limited San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey to 31 yards on 11 attempts and held Miami to 39 yards rushing in their past two games. It was the first time since 1995, and just the second time since 1950, that they gave up fewer than 45 yards rushing in two straight weeks. Montgomery ran 17 times for 73 yards and Gibbs had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries last month at Green Bay. “They played Montgomery the whole first half and then the second half they came with Gibbs,” McKinney recalled. “They got a good 1-2 punch.” Home field has not been an advantage in the series lately. The road team has won four straight games, going back to Detroit closing the 2022 regular season and Aaron Rodgers' career with the Packers in a 20-16 win at Lambeau Field. Green Bay has won five straight NFC North road games, including last year at Detroit on Thanksgiving. McKinney and Lions safety Kerby Joseph each have an NFL -high seven interceptions, leading the rest of the league by at least two. Joseph had a pick-6 in the most recent meeting against Green Bay and has picked off four passes in four games against the Packers. “He’s a ballhawk,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. “He’s going to make the plays when the ball’s in the air, so he’s definitely a guy you’ve got to know where he’s at.” Lions coach Dan Campbell was taken aback at a news conference recently when a reporter informed him Gibbs had a post on social media showing some of the team's strategy. “I'd rather our stuff not be out there,” Campbell said. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur feels the same way, though he said it doesn't provide a competitive edge to see another team's terminology on a whiteboard. “Guys understand that nobody wants their information out there for the whole world to see, so we try to keep everything in house here,” LaFleur said. “But I don’t think it’s like the end of the world, either.” Both teams will play a third game in 12 days. “How the whole organization has handled this has been really impressive,” said Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, who had a sack in each of his past two games. After the game, each team will get a break. The Lions will host the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills on Dec. 15 and Green Bay plays at Seattle later that night. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
NoneAmazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. Party City to close its stores as company files for bankruptcy LOS ANGELES (AP) — Party City announced that it's going to “wind down” its retail and wholesale operations as it prepares to shutter nearly 700 stores nationwide. The company said Saturday it has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection "to maximize value for the benefit of the company’s stakeholders.” The New Jersey-based retailer said it will keep more than 95% of its 12,000 employees to help with the process of closing down. Customers have flocked to Party City for Halloween costumes, favors for children’s birthday parties and decorations for New Year’s Eve celebrations for nearly 40 years. It has faced growing competition from Walmart and Target and from occasion-based pop-up stores such as Spirit Halloween. A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now? Approximately 1 million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The money will be directly deposited into eligible people’s bank accounts or sent in the mail by a paper check. Most people shouldn't get their hopes up about receiving the cash. The IRS says it’s distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns after missing one of the COVID stimulus payments or receiving less than the full amount. The IRS says most taxpayers eligible for the federal stimulus payments received them. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought.After-hours movers: Marvell Technology, Salesforce, Okta and more
Cleveland Browns player Hakeem Adeniji and his wife, Kayla M. Adeniji, have announced that they are pursuing surrogacy as they heal from the . The couple, who have been married since 2021, shared in November that their baby boy, Semiu Zade Adeniji, was stillborn six days before his due date. They grieved his death in a series of emotional and over the past month, they have continued to keep fans and family updated through social media as the two navigate this challenging time. On Dec. 3, the NFL star and his wife both provided another update on their Instagram stories, sharing that they are in the early stages of their surrogacy journey. “Never have been someone to ask for help but here we are. Kayla and I have decided to pursue surrogacy as we think it’s probably the best way to feel somewhat normal as we don’t know when she can get pregnant again,” Hakeem Adeniji wrote. He added, “We never expect anything from anyone, but if you’d like to help just know that we appreciate it more than you can imagine.” The athlete went on to describe the difficult months his family has endured. “This entire journey has been taxing in so many ways,” he said. “And assistance, even if it’s just sharing the link would be thanked and welcomed. He again expressed gratitude for those who have supported his family and included the link for the couple’s GoFundMe page. The pair are hoping to raise $125,000. When Hakeem Adeniji previously spoke about the stillbirth of his son in a video uploaded to Instagram Nov. 4, he explained that the couple had undergone “a long process with IVF.” On the donation page, Kayla M. Adeniji opened up more about her grief and the IVF and surrogacy processes. “On the night of November 1st, I went in to the hospital for reduced movement just out of caution and by 12am on November 2nd, I gave birth to my lifeless son,” she said. “While all of this has left us with empty arms, we are not giving up on the family (in) our hearts. I am currently in a postpartum body facing postpartum struggles with no baby to hold — no, ‘it was all worth it’ in my hands to ease the pain. Because of my procedure, we do not know when or even if I will be able to carry a child. This has led us to our next hope: Surrogacy.” She noted that the next steps for her and her husband will be strenuous and that they need assistance. “We still have plenty of embryos from our IVF cycle that we will be using when we are matched but the fees between surrogate compensation, agency fees, travel, surrogate screening, medication, support costs, insurance and attorney fees, are all greater than the number we are requesting,” she explained. Kayla M. Adeniji also said that the couple are “matching” any donations they receive. On her Instagram story, she linked to the donation site and reiterated her husband’s message that surrogacy will help them heal. “With everything we have gone through, this is what is best for him and I both mentally and physically,” she wrote. In another Instagram story, Kayla M. Adeniji continued, “Again, we expect nothing from anyone and if you know us then you know our hearts and you know we are just trying to get a healthy baby in our arms.” Although Hakeem Adeniji is currently on the Browns’ roster, he revealed in the post about the death of his son that he has been sidelined for most of the season after suffering an injury in August. At the time, he was taken to the hospital where doctors found two blood clots in his lungs. He said he is “OK” but was told he will “have to be on blood thinners for at least six months” and has not been able to play. Ariana Brockington is a trending news reporter at TODAY digital. She is based in Los Angeles.
JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in the cities of Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military didn't immediately respond to questions about Tedros' post but issued a statement saying it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively.” The strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014 . Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv . Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that the council condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying weapons to the rebels. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight , the territory's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants . The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Separately, Israel's military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the name of the local news outlet is Al-Quds Today, not the Quds News Network. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
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Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs reportIpswich Town captain Sam Morsy's decision not to wear the rainbow armband in support of the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign has drawn scrutiny. Morsy wore a standard-issue armband instead of the rainbow design during his side's 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest on Saturday for "religious beliefs", according to his club Ipswich. He did the same for Ipswich's game against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night. So what are the factors behind the decision - and what has the reaction been? The Premier League collaborates with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall on the Rainbow Laces campaign every season. The initiative involves top-flight players being encouraged to wear rainbow-coloured laces and captain's armbands to demonstrate support for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, inspire acceptance among children and young people, and promote equality and diversity. Rainbow Laces was first launched in 2013, typically lasts for a week and has been supported by all clubs and the vast majority of Premier League captains since. Morsy has chosen not to comment on his decision so far. It is not compulsory for captains to wear the armbands, which are provided by the Premier League, along with other matchday assets. But Ipswich Town said in a statement on Monday that the 33-year-old Egypt international, who is a Muslim, made the choice based on his religious beliefs. "We proudly support the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance," the club said. "At the same time, we respect the decision of our captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to wear the rainbow captain's armband due to his religious beliefs." Morsy's decision, which made him the only captain to not wear the armband in last weekend's round of fixtures, has garnered support from some and criticism from others. Ipswich Town LGBTQ+ supporters' group Rainbow Tractors told BBC Radio Suffolk: "While Rainbow Tractors were aware in advance of the decision, we are disappointed that Sam Morsy chose not to wear the rainbow armband in support of the Rainbow Laces campaign. We do, however, continue to respect his religious beliefs as we have done in previous seasons." The fact that Morsy's religious beliefs have been cited as the reason behind his decision has led to confusion and accusations of hypocrisy from some, given the Wolverhampton-born midfielder has previously worn shirts promoting gambling sponsors. Gambling is forbidden according to Islamic law. Uefa executive committee member Laura McAllister, a former captain of Wales who was told to remove a rainbow-coloured hat at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar , said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I think there has to be an element of individual choice, but I'm really disappointed because a captain represents the team, and the club, and everybody who is a fan of that club, and everybody who works at that club, and that will include a lot of LGBT people as well." Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi wore the armband in his team's draw with Newcastle last weekend, but wrote 'I [heart] Jesus' across it. The Football Association (FA) chose not to take action against Guehi, but is to remind both the club and player that religious messaging on their kit is banned. In Tuesday's game with Ipswich, Guehi changed his written message to 'Jesus [heart] you'. Morsy is not the first footballer to choose not to participate in a campaign designed to show support to LGBTQ+ people. Sheffield United defender Anel Ahmedhodzic, also a Muslim, did not wear the armband when he was made Blades captain during their Premier League defeat by Liverpool last season. Like Morsy, he also declined to provide an explanation for his decision, simply replying "guess" when asked to clarify in an interview with Swedish broadcaster SVT Sport. Previously, clubs in France's top two divisions wore rainbow-themed shirts for one matchday per season in order to demonstrate support for International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. The names and numbers on the back of shirts were rainbow-coloured, meaning every player in the division was automatically involved in the initiative. But a minority of players did not want to participate in the campaign and refused to wear the shirts. That led to some players making themselves unavailable to play and being left out of matchday squads by their clubs. Current Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye was left out of Paris St-Germain's squad for two consecutive seasons because of his apparent refusal to wear the amended kit, while five players on the books of Toulouse and Nantes missed their respective clubs' matches in 2023. The Ligue de Football Professionnel, which runs Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, announced earlier this year that it was ending the campaign following the controversy. The president of a French LGBTQ+ charity told newspaper L'Equipe: "We are shocked by the way in which the symbol of the LGBT+ fight against homophobia will be made invisible." The Premier League has committed to a variety of initiatives designed to show support for different causes in recent years. Following the murder of US citizen George Floyd by a police officer in 2020, Premier League footballers began taking the knee before kick-off to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement , external , following in the footsteps of NFL player Colin Kaepernick. Over time the campaign has been changed and become less specific. Players now take the knee before only four fixtures per season, and the Premier League says the gesture is designed to "demonstrate their ongoing commitment to fight racism and all forms of discrimination". Clubs in the Premier League and English Football League have worn poppies, which are commonly worn in the UK to commemorate the service of members of the British Armed Forces, on the front of their shirts in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday for around 15 years. But some, including Republic of Ireland winger James McClean and Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic , have chosen not to do so because of British involvement in military conflicts in their home regions. There is variation among clerics on the relationship between Islam and homosexuality. Some interpretations of Islam are more conservative, while some are more liberal. In many modern Muslim countries there are restrictions on homosexual relationships. In Egypt, homosexuality is not criminalised, but was described as "highly stigmatised" by a 2023 BBC News investigation. Different interpretations of religious texts in other major religions such as Christianity and Judaism means followers can have varying views about homosexuality. A person's religion does not inherently define their view of LGBTQ+, and not all followers of any one religion believe exactly the same things. Many religious people also identify as LGBTQ+. Diego Garcia Rodriguez, research fellow at the University of Nottingham and author of Gender, Sexuality and Islam in Contemporary Indonesia: Queer Muslims and their Allies, told the BBC that clubs and players can help forge an increased understanding between football and religion. "What we have traditionally witnessed is the dominance of conservative interpretations of the Qu'ran," he said. "But if you look at the work of progressive Islamic scholars too, there is an emphasis on justice, on compassion. There are many Islamic verses that ask Muslims to stand for justice. These values have also been used to challenge discrimination. "Football has that ability to bring people together and unite them across differences. Football clubs and players have the opportunity to lead by example and to emphasise that inclusivity can strengthen the game." Earlier this year BBC News reported on the UK's first Muslim Pride event. One of the Muslim Pride attendees, Farhan, told the BBC it is important to challenge the notion that Islam is "inherently queer-phobic". "This is an assumption that's not necessarily based on fact, because if you read the parts of the Qu'ran that supposedly condemn homosexuality, it's not as clear-cut," Farhan said. A report released earlier this year by ILGA-Europe - an independent group of hundreds of LGBTQ+ organisations from across Europe and Central Asia - suggested that LGBTQ+ rights are regressing in the UK. It ranks the UK just 15th for support for LGBTQ+ rights among 49 European countries , external , having ranked first in 2015. Writing on social media platform X , external , diversity and inclusion consultant and former FA advisor Liz Ward explained why some players might struggle to understand the purpose of their involvement. "When people feel as though they are being 'told' to do something, as opposed to really understanding 'why' they're doing something, conflict will arise," Ward explained. "When you then bring into question values and beliefs, the conflict becomes severe, wide reaching and impossible to combat. This is true of any workplace, no less professional football. "Players aren't having regular conversations about race, gender, sexuality or any other protected characteristic. Clubs, with the best intentions, often tell players what campaign they will take part in. "[Players] are being told to wear laces, an armband or a warm-up top because they 'have to'. I've seen players be told that it's part of their contract, threatened with a breach if they don't take part. "We need better communication and player involvement in campaigns such as this." Players are able to access support from the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) - the footballers’ union for England and Wales - on matters concerning identity, faith and spirituality. Both the PFA and Premier League declined to comment when asked to do so by the BBC.
Leo Cullen remains wary ahead facing an old adversary, Pat Lam, in their opening European Champions Cup clash at Bristol. Because the Leinster coach has never stopped short of admitting his worst nightmare remains the 2015/16 PRO12 final when Connacht outsmarted the Blues in the Grand Final. Thus Leinster, with newly-capped Sam Prendergast selected at out-half, but without the injured Hugo Keenan, James Lowe will be hoping a slightly re-jigged backline can fit into place early on. "Bristol are flying, you can see it in some of their performances and in terms of the way they play," says Cullen of the team sitting joint-top of the English Premiership table. READ MORE: Leinster selection of Sam Prendergast at no10 is a sign that there is a changing of the guard READ MORE: Irish province under pressure as rumours swirl in France that two of their biggest stars are leaving this summer “We have some memories of Pat etched in our minds as well from times past here and where Connacht were successful in a Pro12 final which some of you may remember. "They played a certain brand and this has definitely had some evolution in terms of the way Pat plays the game. "It looks as if it is a very unstructured free-flowing game but it is very structured in terms of some of the roles players would have within that." Bristol, notes Cullen, operate with some tough imports such as Fiji's Bill Mata, Kalaveti Ravouvou and Argentina's Santiago Grondona but also have a decent follow-through from their reserves and Academy which helps backbone the club. “Since Pat has gone to Bristol he has been pretty open in terms of how he has talked about it himself, in terms of the opportunity, the resources that Bristol have, unbelievably deep pockets they have there. “They have probably changed the model since he went there first, he was probably signing at the top end of the market. Obviously Stephen Luatua (on the bench this evening) Luatua is still there. He was an All Black at the time. “Some of the other players that he brought in such as Ian Madigan, he would have been at the top end of his career at the time he signed. “He has probably moved a little bit away from that, partly because of the way the salary cap has evolved in England. “But has had good stability there in terms of some good young players whether they are Bristol guys or from outside as well." Loosehead Ellis Genge and scrum-half Harry Randall return to the Bristol line-up for this evening's game having played a part in all of England's November games. While former Leicester Tiger Harry Thacker is the only other change from the side that posted an impressive 48-28 win at Harlequins last weekend, crossing for six tries in the process. The Bears have 25 year-old James Dun (6'4", 111kgs) and 23 year-old Joe Owen (6'7", 109kgs) who made 40 and 20 appearances respectively in the second-row and they are expected to come under as pressure from Leinster's internationals James Ryan and Joe McCarthy who have RG Snyman backing them up on the bench. Former Connacht and Ireland scrum-half Kieran Marmion, now 32 years-of-age, is on the Bristol bench. He has made four starts and came on as a sub on a further four occasions. Add Cullen: “Bristol have been playing an unbelievably good, attractive brand of rugby and, as I said, they are incredibly dangerous from everywhere and anywhere so it will be an unbelievably good defensive challenge for us this week.” Bristol Bears: 15. Rich Lane, 14. Jack Bates, 13. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12. Kalaveti Ravouvou, 11. Gabriel Ibitoye, 10. AJ MacGinty, 9. Harry Randall, 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Harry Thacker, 3. Max Lahiff, 4. James Dun, 5. Joe Owen, 6. Santiago Grondona, 7. Fitz Harding (capt), 8. Bill Mata Replacements: 16. Gabriel Oghre, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. Lovejoy Chawatama, 19. Steven Luatua, 20. Benjamin Grondona, 21. Kieran Marmion, 22. Joe Jenkins, 23. Benjamin Elizalde Leinster: 15. Ciaran Frawley, 14. Jordan Larmour, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. Jimmy O'Brien, 10. Sam Prendergast, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park, 1. Jack Boyle, 2. Ronan Kelleher, 3. Rabah Slimani, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. James Ryan, 6. Max Deegan, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Jack Conan (capt) Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts .DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, and the World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment occurred as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa, injuring a crew member. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, adding that he and WHO colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.” He didn’t mention the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports at Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib along with power stations. It didn’t immediately respond to questions about Tedros’ statement. The latest strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis too will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned.” Netanyahu monitored the new strikes along with military leaders, his government said. The Iran-backed Houthis’ media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. 5 journalists killed in Gaza Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight, the territory’s Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says that more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn’t allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants. The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Another Israeli soldier killed Separately, Israel’s military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel’s air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn’t say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid.From underdog to undeniable: How Cam Skattebo powered Arizona State to Big 12 title, College Football Playoff
Global stocks end mostly up with DAX crossing 20,000 for 1st time
Indian quick Mohammed Siraj has become public enemy number one in Adelaide after his fiery send-off of Australian centurion Travis Head on Day 2 of the second Test – and former great Mark Taylor thinks it’s time his teammates pulled him into line. Head admitted he was ‘slightly disappointed’ by the incident immediately following being bowled by Siraj for an epic run-a-ball 140, telling Fox Cricket post-play “if they want to react like that, and if that’s how they want to represent themselves, then so be it”. The end of a sensational innings! ????️ #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/kEIlHmgNwT Siraj was soundly booed by the Adelaide Oval crowd for the rest of Australia’s innings, and will likely receive similar treatment when he bats on Day 3. Taylor, a former Australian Test captain and great of the game, told the Willow Talk podcast Siraj’s actions were ‘disrespecting the game’, taking issue not only with his send-off of Head, but also with his repeated ‘celebrappeals’ where he begins celebrating wickets without even looking back at the umpire – often for said umpire to rule the Australian batter not out, as happened when he thought he’d trapped Marnus Labuschagne LBW. Umpire Illingworth didn't rate Siraj's celebration! ???? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/4VpfwTmEjs “I don’t know who instigated it, but it’s not a good look, particularly when a guy makes 140,” Taylor said of Siraj’s confrontation with Head. “I’d like to see someone have a little word to Mohammed Siraj. “I like his competitive nature, he’s a fine bowler... I don’t like the fact that when he hits a guy on the pads, and he thinks he’s got him out LBW, he continues to run down the pitch, past the batsman, almost gets to the keeper and then looks around to the umpire to see if he’s going to give it out. “That’s got to stop, and if it doesn’t stop shortly, someone – and it’ll be the umpires or the match referee – might stop it for him, and give him a game off. We don’t want that.” More Cricket Taylor urged senior Indian players, especially captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli, to ‘have a little word’ with the hot-tempered quick. “Someone like a Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli needs to go up to him, and say ‘mate, yeah be excited, be aggressive, get in batsmen’s face, love all that, but that is disrespecting the game and the umpire’,” he said. Fellow host and former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin agreed, saying Siraj’s send-off was a ‘really bad look’, and suggested both Australian crowds and the team’s fast bowlers will have that fresh in their memories for the rest of the summer. “I think what we’re going to see when he comes out to bat, these Australian quicks have got a long memory,” he said. “It’s a long series. I think they’re going to go after him and remind him about what happened.” However, former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, himself no stranger to an on-field outburst, had more sympathy for Siraj. “There’s nothing untoward there. I think the umpires make that call [to warn Siraj] to say ‘just chill out a little bit’,” Lee said on Fox Cricket . “The guy [Head] got 140, cops a spray – that wasn’t too bad.”JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in the cities of Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military didn't immediately respond to questions about Tedros' post but issued a statement saying it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively.” The strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014 . Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv . Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that the council condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying weapons to the rebels. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight , the territory's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants . The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Separately, Israel's military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the name of the local news outlet is Al-Quds Today, not the Quds News Network. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Global stocks mostly rose Tuesday, with US and German indices posting records, as markets weighed Chinese stimulus hopes, political tensions in France and the US interest-rate outlook. Germany's blue-chip DAX stock index jumped above 20,000 points for the first time and Paris rebounded even as France braced for new political turmoil. In New York, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq narrowly rose to finish at records, while the Dow pulled back. Oil prices jumped more than two percent following reports that crude exporters were near an agreement to extend production limits. A closely-watched labor market report showed an increase in US job openings in October, but also a decline in new job postings during the month, a less upbeat sign. Samuel Tombs, chief US economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the data overall provides "good grounds" for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates again this month. Still, the choppiness of Tuesday's trading session in New York points to reticence among US investors following a series of post-election records that many pundits believe have left stocks overvalued. "There wasn't a lot of conviction behind the upside moves," said Briefing.com . "The overall vibe in the market was more negative." Stocks in Paris edged higher even as France headed into a new political crisis as opposition lawmakers vowed to topple the minority government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a no-confidence vote after just three months in office. Germany's DAX, meanwhile, scored a fresh milestone, defying multiple headwinds battering Europe's biggest economy. The German economy, hit hard by a manufacturing slowdown and weak demand for its exports, has struggled in 2024. Yet the DAX has advanced in large part because companies in the index do heavy business abroad. In addition, the euro's recent weakness has boosted Germany's export-oriented companies, while easing interest rates both in the eurozone and the United States have also helped sentiment. Investors greeted a Bloomberg report that China's top leaders, including President Xi Jinping, would hold a two-day economic work conference next week to outline their targets and stimulus plans for next year. The report followed manufacturing activity data on Monday that suggested China's economic struggles may be coming to an end, but investors are looking for Beijing to step up support for the economy. The news helped push Hong Kong and Shanghai stock markets higher despite Washington announcing new export restrictions taking aim at Beijing's ability to make advanced semiconductors. The moves step up existing US efforts to tighten curbs on exports of state-of-the-art AI chips to China. Beijing hit back by saying it would restrict exports to the United States of some key components in making semiconductors. Oil prices jumped ahead of a meeting Thursday of members of the OPEC oil cartel and its allies "The forecast is that they will announce an extension until the end of the first quarter of 2025, and this should help put a floor under prices," said Trade Nation analyst David Morrison. - Key figures around 2130 GMT - New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 44,705.53 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 6,049.88 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 19,480.91 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 8,359.41 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,255.42 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 20,016.75 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.9 percent at 39,248.86 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.0 percent at 19,746.32 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.4 percent at 3,378.81 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0511 from $1.0498 on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2673 from $1.2655 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.53 yen from 149.60 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.94 from 82.95 pence Brent North Sea Crude: UP 2.5 percent at $73.62 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.7 percent at $69.94 per barrel burs-jmb/dwWe needed it – Pep Guardiola relieved to end Man City’s winless runEmerging Action Sport Athletes To Receive Wrap-around Support From Industry Leaders
Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere - or even there?The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is and from collecting, using, and selling “sensitive” location data of Americans, the agency announced on Tuesday. The FTC targeted Gravy Analytics, its subsidiary Venntel, and Mobilewalla for allegedly violating the FTC Act by collecting and selling information that could be used to track people to healthcare facilities, military bases, religious sites, labor union gatherings, and other sensitive locations. The FTC says ( ) Mobilewalla “relied primarily on consumer information that Mobilewalla collected from real-time bidding exchanges” by bidding to show people personalized ads on their mobile devices and then retaining tracking info identifying them. It also bought info from other sources and used additional data to build out the profiles attached to each advertising ID. Combining that data, according to the complaint, allowed Mobilewalla to create audience segments targeting pregnant women, as well as provide analysis of people who attended protests over the death of George Floyd. Meanwhile, Venntel’s scheme is explained ( ) as collecting location data from otherwise ordinary mobile apps, and then selling access to the data to other businesses or government agencies. reports that the IRS, DEA, FBI, CBP, and ICE have all purchased Venntel data. Now, the companies must comply by never “selling, disclosing, or using sensitive location data in any product or service, and must establish a sensitive data location program.” Mobilewalla’s proposed settlement order will prohibit the company from: Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon, who led efforts to target a loophole data brokers used to sell sensitive personal data on the market, applauded the FTC and CFPB for limiting what the companies can collect. In a statement sent to , Wyden said these companies could sell information about “law enforcement, judges and members of the armed forces is on the open market” to “anyone with a credit card,” putting citizens and military personnel in danger. Wyden also said US government agencies spied on Americans by obtaining this data without a warrant. “Many federal agencies hid behind the flimsy claim that Americans consented to the sale of their data, but the FTC’s orders make it clear how untrue these claims were,” said Wyden. /