ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Kaden Cooper led Louisiana Tech with 16 points, and Daniel Batcho and Amaree Abram made key free throws in the closing seconds as the Bulldogs defeated Richmond 65-62 on Tuesday. Cooper added nine rebounds and four steals for the Bulldogs (6-0). Batcho scored 13 points, going 4 of 6 and 5 of 7 from the free-throw line. Abram shot 3 for 13 (2 for 7 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points, while adding six rebounds. Delonnie Hunt finished with 26 points and three steals for the Spiders (3-4). Abram scored eight points in the first half and Louisiana Tech went into halftime trailing 35-27. Sean Newman Jr. scored a team-high 12 points for Louisiana Tech in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), on Thursday, said it has executed the engineering, procurement, and construction contract with Julius Berger PLC for the development of Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre (OMRC), to be located at Otuabagi, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, according to the statement, executed the contract at the Board’s liaison office in Abuja, with the project construction to be delivered within 30 months. It stated that the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre (OMRC) is being financed by the Petroleum Development Technology Fund (PTDF), NCDMB, Shell Petroleum Development Company/Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and the Bayelsa State Government, in the ratio of 40:30:20 and 10 respectively. It added that the project is registered by guarantee, with the four organisations serving as partners. The contract agreement has been approved by the partners and signed by Julius Berger PLC. The statement noted that the Executive Secretary of NCDMB serves as the chairman of the registered company, hence he signed the contract on behalf of the partners, with the Director Legal Services, NCDMB, Mr. Naboth Onyesoh, Esq serving as the Secretary of the company. Part of the statement read: “The President Muhammadu Buhari administration had in February 2023 awarded the contract for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction scope of the OMRC to Julius Berger at the sum of N117billion. “The groundbreaking of the OMRC was performed in February 2023, a colorful ceremony attended by leading government officials, oil and gas stakeholders and community members.” Ogbe expressed delight on the execution of the contract, which marked the commencement of construction activities. He noted that the project will catalyze immense economic benefits for the Bayelsa and the national economy during the construction and operation stages. He thanked the partners of the project and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the project to date. He indicated that the project was conceived to pay homage to the birthplace of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon commercial production journey which commenced in 1958. He added that President Bola Tinubu believes that the project is long overdue hence the multi- level government and private sector collaboration was engineered to actualize the establishment of the project. “The OMRC project is expected to deliver a world-class oil and gas museum, showcasing the history of crude oil production in Nigeria and display of geological formations, early equipment, tools, and platforms used in the evolution of oil and gas activities. “In addition, the research testing center that will provide a facility where field trials of prototypes of oil and gas related indigenous research will be conducted, grant access to university students in oil and gas related disciplines to potentially better understand indigenous oil and gastechnology advancements. “The OMRC project will also facilitate the commercialization of research through the creation of a suitable ecosystem for the development of home-grown technology for oil and gas operations and create a new commercial value chain from Museum and Research operations that will generate employment for Nigerians.”
How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woesAP News Summary at 5:05 p.m. EST
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence services , is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings , as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence . “I think she’s compromised," Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican Party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III." Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.” Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.” “The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine : the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Gabbard also has suggested that Russia had legitimate security concerns in deciding to invade Ukraine, given its desire to join NATO. Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said.
PANAMA CITY (AP) — Teddy Roosevelt once declared the Panama Canal “one of the feats to which the people of this republic will look back with the highest pride.” More than a century later, Donald Trump is threatening to take back the waterway for the same republic. The president-elect is decrying increased fees Panama has imposed to use the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He says if things don't change after he takes office next month, "We will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question.” Trump has long threatened allies with punitive action in hopes of winning concessions. But experts in both countries are clear: Unless he goes to war with Panama, Trump can't reassert control over a canal the U.S. agreed to cede in the 1970s. Here's a look at how we got here: What is the canal? It is a man-made waterway that uses a series of locks and reservoirs over 51 miles (82 kilometers) to cut through the middle of Panama and connect the Atlantic and Pacific. It spares ships having to go an additional roughly 7,000 miles (more than 11,000 kilometers) to sail around Cape Horn at South America's southern tip. The U.S. International Trade Administration says the canal saves American business interests “considerable time and fuel costs” and enables faster delivery of goods, which is “particularly significant for time sensitive cargoes, perishable goods, and industries with just-in-time supply chains.” Who built it? An effort to establish a canal through Panama led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built Egypt's Suez Canal, began in 1880 but progressed little over nine years before going bankrupt. Malaria, yellow fever and other tropical diseases devastated a workforce already struggling with especially dangerous terrain and harsh working conditions in the jungle, eventually costing more than 20,000 lives, by some estimates. READ: Panama was then a province of Colombia, which refused to ratify a subsequent 1901 treaty licensing U.S. interests to build the canal. Roosevelt responded by dispatching U.S. warships to Panama's Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The U.S. also prewrote a constitution that would be ready after Panamanian independence, giving American forces “the right to intervene in any part of Panama, to re-establish public peace and constitutional order.” In part because Colombian troops were unable to traverse harsh jungles, Panama declared an effectively bloodless independence within hours in November 1903. It soon signed a treaty allowing a U.S.-led team to begin construction . Some 5,600 workers died later during the U.S.-led construction project, according to one study. Why doesn't the US control the canal anymore? The waterway opened in 1914, but almost immediately some Panamanians began questioning the validity of U.S. control, leading to what became known in the country as the “generational struggle” to take it over. The U.S. abrogated its right to intervene in Panama in the 1930s. By the 1970s, with its administrative costs sharply increasing, Washington spent years negotiating with Panama to cede control of the waterway. The Carter administration worked with the government of Omar Torrijos. The two sides eventually decided that their best chance for ratification was to submit two treaties to the U.S. Senate, the “Permanent Neutrality Treaty" and the “Panama Canal Treaty." The first, which continues in perpetuity, gives the U.S. the right to act to ensure the canal remains open and secure. The second stated that the U.S. would turn over the canal to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, and was terminated then. Both were signed in 1977 and ratified the following year. The agreements held even after 1989, when President George H.W. Bush invaded Panama to remove Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. In the late 1970s, as the handover treaties were being discussed and ratified, polls found that about half of Americans opposed the decision to cede canal control to Panama. However, by the time ownership actually changed in 1999, public opinion had shifted, with about half of Americans in favor. What's happened since then? Administration of the canal has been more efficient under Panama than during the U.S. era, with traffic increasing 17% between fiscal years 1999 and 2004 . Panama's voters approved a 2006 referendum authorizing a major expansion of the canal to accommodate larger modern cargo ships. The expansion took until 2016 and cost more than $5.2 billion. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a video Sunday that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to.” He added that, while his country's people are divided on some key issues, “when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.” Shipping prices have increased because of droughts last year affecting the canal locks, forcing Panama to drastically cut shipping traffic through the canal and raise rates to use it. Though the rains have mostly returned, Panama says future fee increases might be necessary as it undertakes improvements to accommodate modern shipping needs. Mulino said fees to use the canal are “not set on a whim.” Jorge Luis Quijano, who served as the waterway’s administrator from 2014 to 2019, said all canal users are subject to the same fees, though they vary by ship size and other factors. “I can accept that the canal’s customers may complain about any price increase,” Quijano said. “But that does not give them reason to consider taking it back.” Why has Trump raised this? The president-elect says the U.S. is getting “ripped off" and “I’m not going to stand for it.” “It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions — you’ve got to treat us fairly. And they haven’t treated us fairly,” Trump said of the 1977 treaty that he said “foolishly” gave the canal away. The neutrality treaty does give the U.S. the right to act if the canal's operation is threatened due to military conflict — but not to reassert control. “There's no clause of any kind in the neutrality agreement that allows for the taking back of the canal,” Quijano said. “Legally, there's no way, under normal circumstances, to recover territory that was used previously." Trump, meanwhile, hasn't said how he might make good on his threat. “There’s very little wiggle room, absent a second U.S. invasion of Panama, to retake control of the Panama Canal in practical terms," said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Gedan said Trump’s stance is especially baffling given that Mulino is a pro-business conservative who has “made lots of other overtures to show that he would prefer a special relationship with the United States.” He also noted that Panama in recent years has moved closer to China, meaning the U.S. has strategic reasons to keep its relationship with the Central American nation friendly. Panama is also a U.S. partner on stopping illegal immigration from South America — perhaps Trump’s biggest policy priority. “If you’re going to pick a fight with Panama on an issue,” Gedan said, “you could not find a worse one than the canal.” ___ Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida, and Fields from Washington. Amelia Thomson-Deveaux contributed to this report from Washington. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The cost of Neom has been estimated to be as high as $1.5 trillion. This year, however, has seen a sharp change in direction in terms of spending for the kingdom. "Saudi Arabia has poured tens of billions into projects that have yet to hint of any financial returns," one financier told CNBC. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are In Saudi Arabia's northwestern desert, a sprawling construction site replete with cranes and pile drivers sits encircled by a recently-built road. A pair of tracks cuts through the site like deep gashes through the sand, comprising the spine of what planners say will be a high-speed rail system. The skeletal infrastructure forms the foundations of The Line, a multi-billion dollar high-tech city that its architects say will eventually house 9 million people between two 106-mile long glass skyscrapers more than 1,600 feet high. The project, whose estimated cost is in the hundreds of billions, is just one of the hyper-futuristic venues planned in Neom, the brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a region that the kingdom hopes will bring millions of new residents to Saudi Arabia and revolutionize living and technology in the country. It's a core pillar of Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil revenues and create new jobs and industries for its burgeoning young population. The cost of Neom has been estimated to be as high as $1.5 trillion . In the years since it was announced, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the mammoth sovereign wealth fund now overseeing $925 billion in assets, has poured billions into overseas investments, with ever-increasing waves of foreign investors flying to the kingdom to raise cash. This year, however, has seen a sharp change in direction in terms of spending, with a stated emphasis on keeping investments at home along with reports of cutting costs on megaprojects like those in Neom. The changes come as the Saudi deficit grows and the outlook for oil demand, along with global oil prices, sees sustained lows. That begs the question: does Saudi Arabia have enough money to meet its lofty goals? Or will it have to be more flexible to make its spending trajectory sustainable? Money Report European stocks set to start the week higher as global markets rally China's central bank keeps medium-term loan rate unchanged amid yuan weakness One Gulf-based financier with years of experience in the kingdom told CNBC: "The PIF's pivot towards domestic investments, widely acknowledged but now officially admitted, suggests that there is still a lot of spending needed. Saudi Arabia has poured tens of billions into projects that have yet to hint of any financial returns." The financier spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to speak to the press. Andrew Leber, a researcher at Tulane University who focuses on the political economy of the Middle East, believes that the current pace of spending won't last. "The number of 'we pay up front and hope for economic returns later' giga projects that are currently underway is not sustainable," Leber said. "With that being said," he added, "the Saudi monarchy has shown itself to be somewhat flexible whenever economic realities assert themselves. I do think that eventually, a number of projects will be quietly shelved in order to bring its fiscal outlays back into greater sustainability." Saudi Arabia in October cut its growth forecasts and raised its budget deficit estimates for the fiscal years 2024 to 2026 as it expects a period of higher spending and lower projected oil revenues. Real gross domestic product is now expected to grow 0.8% this year, a dramatic drop from a previous estimate of 4.4%, according to the ministry of finance. The kingdom's economy also swung dramatically from a budget surplus of $27.68 billion in 2022 to a deficit of $21.6 billion in 2023 as it ramped up public spending and decreased oil production due to its OPEC+ supply cut agreement. Its government forecasts a deficit of $21.1 billion for 2024, projecting revenue at $312.5 billion and expenditures at $333.5 billion. Saudi authorities expect that the budget will remain in deficit for the next several years as it pursues its Vision 2030 plans, but they add that they are fully prepared for this. "Our non-oil revenues have grown significantly, now it covers about 37% of expenditure. That's a significant diversification, and that gives you a lot of comfort that you can maneuver and be stable despite the fluctuation in oil price," Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan told CNBC in October. "Our aim is to make sure that our plans are stable and predictable." "We are not going to blink, we have significant fiscal resource under our disposal, and we are very disciplined in our fiscal position," the minister said. Saudi Arabia has an A/A-1 credit rating with a positive outlook from S&P Global Ratings and an A+ rating with a stable outlook from Fitch. That combined with high foreign currency reserves — $456.97 billion as of September, a 4% percent increase year-on-year, according to the country's central bank — puts the kingdom in a comfortable place to manage a deficit, economists told CNBC. Riyadh is successfully issuing bonds, tapping debt markets for more than $35 billion so far this year. The kingdom has also rolled out a series of reforms to boost and de-risk foreign investment and diversify revenue streams, which S&P Global said in September "will continue to improve Saudi Arabia's economic resilience and wealth." When asked if the kingdom's spending trajectory is sustainable, Al-Jadaan replied: "Absolutely, yes," adding that the government recently published its numbers for the next three years and that "we think it is very sustainable." Still, many analysts outside the kingdom, as well as individuals working within the kingdom and on NEOM projects, are skeptical of the megaprojects' feasibility. Reports that some projects have been dramatically cut down — in the case of the Line, its size target slashed from 106 miles to 1.5 miles and population target down from 1.5 million by 2030 to less than 300,000 — attest to that concern on a higher level. Neom executives acknowledge that the current phase of work on The Line is for a building length of 1.5 miles — which would still make it the longest building in the world. However, the eventual goal of 106 miles has not changed, they say, stressing that cities are not built overnight and that construction is continuing apace. For Tarik Solomon, chairman emeritus at the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia, "it's promising to see transparency and some project cutbacks." "The Kingdom's rising external borrowing reflects challenges with Vision 2030 feasibility," he told CNBC. "Though debt remains manageable at 26.5% of GDP, continued small pressures add up, underscoring the need for fiscal discipline and achievable goals." Solomon pointed to the desire of many Saudi residents for improvements to the infrastructure they use in their daily lives — like Riyadh's public transport, network connectivity, schools, and health care. "The road to resilience for Saudi Arabia isn't in figuring out ski slopes in the desert but in building with innovation, complexity, and the courage to pursue what's truly impactful," he said. Also on CNBC Donald Trump chooses hedge fund executive Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary Trump might name Kevin Warsh as Treasury chief then Fed chair later, report says Trump and Fed Chair Powell could be set on a collision course over interest rates
“Wanted” posters with the names and faces of health care executives have been popping up on the streets of New York. Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid. The apparent targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the menacing threats that followed have sent a shudder through corporate America and the health care industry in particular, leading to increased security for executives and some workers. In the week since the brazen shooting , health insurers have removed information about their top executives from company websites, canceled in-person meetings with shareholders and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. An internal New York Police Department bulletin warned this week that the online vitriol that followed the shooting could signal an immediate “elevated threat.” Police fear that the Dec. 4 shooting could "inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence," according to the bulletin, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Wanted” posters pasted to parking meters and construction site fences in Manhattan included photos of health care executives and the words “Deny, defend, depose” — similar to a phrase scrawled on bullets found near Thompson’s body and echoing those used by insurance industry critics . Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News last week that he told her some people had been threatening him and suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Investigators believe the shooting suspect, Luigi Mangione , may have been motivated by hostility toward health insurers. They are studying his writings about a previous back injury, and his disdain for corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Mangione’s lawyer has cautioned against prejudging the case. Mangione, 26, has remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday . Manhattan prosecutors are working to bring him to New York to face a murder charge. UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said this week it was working with law enforcement to ensure a safe work environment and to reinforce security guidelines and building access policies, a spokesperson said. The company has taken down photos, names and biographies for its top executives from its websites, a spokesperson said. Other organizations, including CVS, the parent company for insurance giant Aetna, have taken similar actions. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. has announced that its investor day will be held online, rather than in-person as originally planned. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm, said last week it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. Heightened security measures likely will make health care companies and their leaders more inaccessible to their policyholders, said former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. “And understandably so, with this act of violence. There’s no assurance that this won’t happen again,” said Potter, who’s now an advocate for health care reform. Private security firms and consultants have been in high demand, fielding calls almost immediately after the shooting from companies across a range of industries, including manufacturing and finance. Companies have long faced security risks and grappled with how far to take precautions for high-profile executives. But these recent threats sparked by Thompson's killing should not be ignored, said Dave Komendat, a former security chief for Boeing who now heads his own risk-management company. “The tone and tenor is different. The social reaction to this tragedy is different. And so I think that people need to take this seriously,” Komendat said. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and top executives. Of those, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to just under $100,000. Hours after the shooting, Komendat was on a call with dozens of chief security officers from big corporations, and there have been many similar meetings since, hosted by security groups or law enforcement agencies assessing the threats, he said. “It just takes one person who is motivated by a poster — who may have experienced something in their life through one of these companies that was harmful," Komendat said. Associated Press reporters Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Edmonton zoo elephant Lucy gets medical OK as she approaches 50th birthday
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By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the Jan. 6, 2021 , U.S. Capitol attack, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department was committed to holding accountable all perpetrators “at any level” for “the assault on our democracy.” That bold declaration won’t apply to at least one person: Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith’s move on Monday to abandon the federal election interference case against Trump means jurors will likely never decide whether the president-elect is criminally responsible for his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 campaign. The decision to walk away from the election charges and the separate classified documents case against Trump marks an abrupt end of the Justice Department’s unprecedented legal effort that once threatened his liberty but appears only to have galvanized his supporters. The abandonment of the cases accusing Trump of endangering American democracy and national security does away with the most serious legal threats he was facing as he returns to the White House. It was the culmination of a monthslong defense effort to delay the proceedings at every step and use the criminal allegations to Trump’s political advantage, putting the final word in the hands of voters instead of jurors. “We always knew that the rich and powerful had an advantage, but I don’t think we would have ever believed that somebody could walk away from everything,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former Justice Department official. “If there ever was a Teflon defendant, that’s Donald Trump.” While prosecutors left the door open to the possibility that federal charges could be re-filed against Trump after he leaves office, that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Trump’s presidential victory has thrown into question the future of the two state criminal cases against him in New York and Georgia. Trump was supposed to be sentenced on Tuesday after his conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money case , but it’s possible the sentencing could be delayed until after Trump leaves office, and the defense is pushing to dismiss the case altogether. Smith’s team stressed that their decision to abandon the federal cases was not a reflection of the merit of the charges, but an acknowledgement that they could not move forward under longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Trump’s presidential victory set “at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: On the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. The move just weeks after Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the immense personal stake Trump had in the campaign in which he turned his legal woes into a political rallying cry. Trump accused prosecutors of bringing the charges in a bid to keep him out of the White House, and he promised revenge on his perceived enemies if he won a second term. “If Donald J. Trump had lost an election, he may very well have spent the rest of his life in prison,” Vice President-elect JD Vance, wrote in a social media post on Monday. “These prosecutions were always political. Now it’s time to ensure what happened to President Trump never happens in this country again.” After the Jan. 6 attack by Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and several other Republicans who voted to acquit Trump during his Senate impeachment trial said it was up to the justice system to hold Trump accountable. The Jan. 6 case brought last year in Washington alleged an increasingly desperate criminal conspiracy to subvert the will of voters after Trump’s 2020 loss, accusing Trump of using the angry mob of supporters that attacked the Capitol as “a tool” in his campaign to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. Hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters — many of whom have said they felt called to Washington by Trump — have pleaded guilty or been convicted by juries of federal charges at the same courthouse where Trump was supposed to stand trial last year. As the trial date neared, officials at the courthouse that sits within view of the Capitol were busy making plans for the crush of reporters expected to cover the historic case. But Trump’s argument that he enjoyed absolute immunity from prosecution quickly tied up the case in appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled in July that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution , and sent the case back to the trial court to decide which allegations could move forward. But the case was dismissed before the trial court could get a chance to do so. Related Articles National Politics | After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff National Politics | Rudy Giuliani in a courtroom outburst accuses judge in assets case of being unfair, drawing a rebuke National Politics | Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump’s promised crackdown on immigration National Politics | Expecting challenges, blue states vow to create ‘firewall’ of abortion protections National Politics | Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too The other indictment brought in Florida accused Trump of improperly storing at his Mar-a-Lago estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, enlisting aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showing off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed . Smith appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but abandoned that appeal on Monday. Smith’s team said it would continue its fight in the appeals court to revive charges against Trump’s two co-defendants because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” In New York, jurors spent weeks last spring hearing evidence in a state case alleging a Trump scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. New York prosecutors recently expressed openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump’s second term, while Trump’s lawyers are fighting to have the conviction dismissed altogether. In Georgia, a trial while Trump is in office seems unlikely in a state case charging him and more than a dozen others with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The case has been on hold since an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.
EDMONTON - Alberta’s Technology Minister Nate Glubish says he’s hoping to see $100 billion worth of artificial intelligence data centres under construction within the next five years. Such centres are filled with computer servers used by companies like Meta to develop and train large-scale artificial intelligence models. Glubish says Meta, as well as other major companies including Google and Amazon, are on the hunt for space to build more facilities, and he wants Alberta to be an option. He says landing some data centres would create jobs and bring in much needed new tax revenue for the province. Glubish also says that since Alberta’s electricity grid regulations allows for off-grid power generation, he thinks the province is an ideal location. He says allowing for off-grid power connections where power generators supply data centres directly also means there’s less risk for Albertans, as there wouldn’t be major drains on the electrical grid. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024.Ian Schieffelin, Clemson topple Penn State to win Sunshine Slam
Dr. Benjamin Bannor Bio, Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), has categorically dismissed claims that a Supreme Court petition could impede the re-collation of ballots in several key constituencies. Speaking at the EC’s Greater Accra Regional Office, Dr. Bio addressed concerns regarding the absence of National Democratic Congress (NDC) party agents and clarified the ongoing re-collation process. “We have no knowledge of any petition that could impact the re-collation,” he said, countering speculation about legal action potentially stalling the procedure. The comments follow a ruling from the Accra High Court, which ordered the re-collation of votes in constituencies such as Tema Central, Nsawam-Adoagyir, Ablekuma North, Ahafo Ano North, Techiman South, and Okaikwei Central. This re-collation is crucial for finalizing the parliamentary results in these areas, which have been contested, particularly by the NDC. While the NDC has expressed dissatisfaction over its limited involvement in the process, Dr. Bio emphasized the EC’s adherence to established electoral regulations. “We have invited all political parties to send their agents. The regulations are clear: if an agent is absent, the process will continue,” he stated, affirming that the re-collation would proceed without interruption. The re-collation initiative, which aims to resolve outstanding disputes and ensure transparency, has sparked political debate, particularly regarding the absence of NDC representatives at key stages of the process. Nevertheless, Dr. Bio reiterated that the EC remains committed to conducting the re-collation in strict accordance with the law, irrespective of party participation.The BGL Automotive Aftermarket Insider – AAPEX/SEMA Show Recap , /PRNewswire/ -- Investor interest in automotive aftermarket M&A will remain high in 2025 as favorable tailwinds, including an increasingly aging car parc, more miles traveled, and the proliferation of new technologies, continue to drive the industry forward, according to an industry report released by the Automotive Aftermarket investment banking team at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL). Inside the report, BGL shares its annual recap of the 2024 AAPEX and SEMA Shows in . The automotive aftermarket M&A environment and strategies impacting current and future deal activity are discussed, and optimism and interest in the sector remain high. Political discussion pervaded conversations more than ever before among company owners and investors, largely due to the unique timing of the show and our U.S. Presidential Election. Through discussions with owners and other industry leaders, BGL identified key strategies that companies are employing to navigate uncertainty and challenges facing the industry. Key takeaways include: BGL's maintains coverage of the broad automotive sector, including the automotive supply chain, automotive aftermarket, and the on- and off-highway commercial vehicle sectors. Our team has executed numerous transactions for private, public, or institutionally-backed companies in the automotive industry, including M&A sell-side advisory, financial restructuring advisory, and capital markets advisory. Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on , , , , and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in , , , , and , and real estate offices in , , and . The firm is also a founding member of REACH Cross-Border Mergers & Acquisitions, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 30 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of and . For more information, please visit . View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & CompanyCNC Machining in the Automotive Industry: Precision Innovation Drives the Future of Automotive Manufacturing
At the home of Pilsner, Andre Onana would be forgiven for buying Rasmus Hojlund a beer or two after the striker got him out of jail following another mistake to add to his collection. It has been a week of turmoil at Manchester United with Dan Ashworth leaving his role as sporting director, so it is easily forgotten that Onana has made glaring errors – the type he was prone to in the dark days of the Erik ten Hag era. Ten Hag was loyal to Onana throughout his poor form last season, but it is difficult to see Ruben Amorim being so tolerant, having seen a straightforward shot go through his goalkeeper against Nottingham Forest last weekend. Here in the Czech Republic, where the largest brewery in the country stands, he took one too many risks with his passing and was punished by Matej Vydra. It was another shocker from the Cameroon goalkeeper, even if Matthijs de Ligt failed to cover himself in glory showing for the ball. Andre Onana won't want to see that again 🫣 A gift from the United keeper and Reading old-boy Matej Vydra pounces to put Plzen ahead 😱 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) United captain Bruno Fernandes insisted “we don’t look at individuals” when mistakes happen, but which teams have been successful with an error-prone goalkeeper? “We have huge belief in him. He knows he made a mistake because he is a clever guy, he is going to help us many times and we trust his qualities on the ball,” added Fernandes. “Mistakes are part of football. If they don’t happen then goals don’t happen. But we did well to show the resilience to come back and find the victory.” At least United flew back to England with a victory under their belt, thanks to Amorim’s substitutes coming on and changing the game. Rather than lager, it was the tonic they needed before Sunday’s derby against Manchester City. They were led by Hojlund, who tapped in the first and finished off a smart set-piece in a frantic final few minutes. He was also involved in a bust-up with Amad Diallo for failing to pass to each other on counter-attacks, but Amorim welcomes the intensity of his team – and has plenty of other concerns. Impact player 💥 Hojlund taps in to level the scores for Manchester United ⚽️ 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) Marcus Rashford had another evening to forget and was hooked before the hour mark to save himself from a sending-off. He had been needlessly booked for a trip on Sampson Dweh and the Plzen bench were calling for a second yellow when he went into another challenge. Amorim had seen enough, subbing him for his own good after failing to make an impact on the game. Joshua Zirkzee was no better, losing the ball often and not getting shots away before his number was called. It was the right move from Amorim, with Hojlund the match-winner and good contributions from two forgotten men – Antony and Mason Mount came on and added themselves to the competition to get into this team. “That is what we have to understand, the game has 90 minutes, we have games in three days so we don’t know which player is going to be the most important player in the game and they did it, they changed the game, they are there to do that, so I’m pleased with that,” said Amorim. “In this moment, in this context, the way we give a goal to the opponent was important not to give up, so that’s a great message. It was not a great game, but we manage to do these good things that are good when you are building a team and I think we deserved the win.” Set piece magic for United 😍 Hojlund gets his second as some 'Bruno Brilliance' sets him clear to give Man Utd a late lead 👀 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) Hojlund now has five goals in four appearances and is among those thriving under the new manager. His game has changed from when Ten Hag was in charge. It was the type of performance that will have Pep Guardiola studying clips ahead of the weekend. “He is improving, he is more near the goal now, he knows better the movement he has to do, he could score more this evening, but he is scoring and working and controlling the ball better, so he is improving,” Amorim added. Hojlund’s winning goal came after a short quick free-kick, with Plzen expecting Fernandes to cross deep. “I have watched Bruno do that before. I remember the goal with Anthony Martial when he did the chip for him. I just thought I had a good opportunity because I am strong, I could push the defender and spin him and finish,” Hojlund said. 08:02 PM GMT Bruno Fernandes speaks to TNT Sports It was a good performance overall but in the final third we could have kept the ball more. The man marking from them was difficult as well. We dealt with the transition game and got the win. We want to play from the back., Andre missed the pass, that’s nothing we have to focus about. It’s not about Andre making the mistake. We don’t look at individuals here. We have huge belief in Andre. He knows he made a mistake he’s a clever guy. We don’t need to tell him but he’s going to help us many times playing it out from the back. 07:46 PM GMT Victory puts Man Utd up to fifth Before the 8pm games, that is. Two matches left after Christmas to avoid the play-off route Ruben Amorim is keen to swerve to give him more time on the training ground to train hearts and minds. They host Rangers on Jan 23 and go to the artists formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, now FCSB, on Jan 30. 07:42 PM GMT Substitutes got United over the line Mount, Antony and Hojlund all had a very positive impact and earned Manchester Unitd their first away win in Europe since March 2023. 07:39 PM GMT Full time: Plzen 1 Man Utd 2 Dweh has a chance to hoy it into the box but double crosses United with a short throw to Souare who blazes over and the ref blows for time as the ball hits halfway up the stand. 07:38 PM GMT 90+4 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 2 End to end now as United use the pace of Garnacho to counter but again he delays the release pass and Amorim ought to gon spare with him for losing the ball when he could have gone to the corner. 07:37 PM GMT 90+2 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 2 Five minutes of stoppage time are signalled and United break from successfully defending the corner and Antony is teed up for a shot by Garnacho after racing through with Amad three on one. The pass isn’t ideal and Antony hits the keeper when he strikes from the left, tentatively given his peripheral status and all the criticism he has swallowed. 07:35 PM GMT 90 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 2 Plzen launch a ferocious attack, the game stretched, but United manage to get enough bodies back to block Sulc’s cross at the price of a corner. 07:31 PM GMT GOAL! Shrewd free-kick move, which they tried on Saturday as well. Bruno slides the free-kick to the left of the wall having shaped to float it to the right. Hojlund peels off, controls it and then thuds the half-volley across goal and in at the far post. Set piece magic for United 😍 Hojlund gets his second as some 'Bruno Brilliance' sets him clear to give Man Utd a late lead 👀 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) 07:31 PM GMT 88 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Bruno tenaciously wins a corner that Plzen defend solidly but Prince controls the outball with his arm and concedes a free-kick. 07:30 PM GMT 86 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Mount, who has looked sharp, creeps in round the back of Jamelka and Hojlund plays a diagonal pass which Mount tries to hook in from an angle of about 45 degrees to the left post. The keeper is too well positioned to beat. 07:28 PM GMT 83 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Amorim is bellowing at his players and urging them to keep pushing on, to be bold. Garnacho goes down the left wing and bends a cross with the outside of his right foot that the keeper cuffs away. Then Martinez almost finds the perfect ball down the inside left but found no team-mate on his wavelength. 07:25 PM GMT 81 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Ugarte → Casemiro Garnacho → Dalot. Garnacho is now left wing-back, Antony is on the right. 07:24 PM GMT 79 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Antony shifts it infield to Casemiro who passes it on to Bruno who goes backwards to move it forwards and Antony, for the second time, wafts a shot over. De Ligt is booked for protesting that United were not awarded a penalty for a collision instigated by Bruno. 07:21 PM GMT 76 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Good chance for Mason Mount who has been lively, but instead of trying to chip the keeper who was sliding towards him, he goes for power instead and smash it through him. Amorim’s subs have done well. Antony involved in the equaliser and Hojlund tapping it in. Marcus Rashford did not speak to the manager when he went off, he went straight to the bench. It was an awful night for him. 07:18 PM GMT 74 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Prince Kwabena Adu → Vasulin. The sub almost makes an immediate mark with a right-wing cross to Vydra whose shot whistles past the right post and thumps into the hoardings. 07:16 PM GMT 71 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Amorim will one day be as bald as Ten Hag if United keep wasting chances by not making runs into the six-yard box to meet a wonderful cross from Bruno Fernandes, whipping it from the list so invitingly. Hojlund was too late with his lunge. 07:15 PM GMT 68 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 A series of United corners instigated by a crunching but fair sliding tackle from Mrakovic on Mount. United shout ‘handball’ but without much hope of a penalty as it was ball to a hand which never left the player’s side and when Plzen break, Mazraoui diligently sweeps up. 07:11 PM GMT 65 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 1 Antony takes a pass from Mazraoui down the left and scuttles into the box with the ball on his left toe. He bends a good pass into Hojlund seven yards out, back to goal. He tries to backheel it and falls under pressure from Markovic and Plzen scramble it away. Hojlund appealed for a penalty but there was next to no meaningful contact. 07:06 PM GMT GOAL! Masterstroke from Amorim as Antony wins possession, flies up the right and releases Amad who dazzles with his dribbling as eh scoots in from the right to shoot with his left. The ball hits Markovic and sits up for Hojlund to hook into an open goal from a few yards out. That’s a proper predator’s finish. Impact player 💥 Hojlund taps in to level the scores for Manchester United ⚽️ 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) 07:05 PM GMT 60 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 0 Amorim rings the changes: Mount → Malacia Antony → Zirkzee. 07:04 PM GMT 58 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 0 Hojlund is given a gift by Sulc’s lax back-pass putting him through on goal as he drives in from the right. For some reason he slows down and allows Dweh to come in on the cover. Though he slips the ball past him on the defender’s left, his belated shot from 18 yards is straight at the keeper. 07:01 PM GMT 56 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 0 Hojlund moves to centre-forward and Zirkzee takes Rashford’s role on the left. It’s very stop-start and too many soft fouls are impeding United from finding any real rhythm. 06:59 PM GMT 54 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 0 Hojlund → Rashford. The substitution could be a hedge against the risk he could be sent off or simply because he hasn’t been good enough tonight. 06:58 PM GMT 52 min: Plzen 1 Man Utd 0 Rashford slips and catches Dweh with his trailing leg. Plzen lobby the referee to give him a second yellow card but, rightly, he doesn’t. 06:51 PM GMT GOAL! Garbage from Onana who is so prone to error that it beggars belief Ten Hag paid so much for him and booted out De Gea to make way. He passes out looking for De Ligt, telegraphed it and Sulc pounced, intercepted and squared for Vydra to tap in from six yards. Andre Onana won't want to see that again 🫣 A gift from the United keeper and Reading old-boy Matej Vydra pounces to put Plzen ahead 😱 📺 & — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) Zombie Nation!! You love to hear it... Plzen seize on Onana’s mistake and Pavel Sulc squares it for Matej Vydra to score. He was Alexis Sanchez’s team-mate at Udinese before doing the rounds in English clubs. Easy finish for the Czech striker. 06:51 PM GMT 46 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Well, hopefully Amorim has instructed Manchester United to play at a quicker tempo. If he did it’s not showing yet as Zirkzee loses possession and Plzen counter and Kalvach lets fly with a shot that hits Vasulin on the back. 06:36 PM GMT Half-time: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 That was pretty dispiriting to watch for United fans, I suspect. No pace, no guile, no quickness of mind, no belief. They have to improve in the second half, buy into what Amorim wants and, if in doubt, just run instead of slowing it down all the time. This has been a dreadful half of football. The second half can only get better. United had one shot on goal by Bruno – that’s about it in the way of action. Time to get a cuppa and regroup. 06:34 PM GMT 45+3 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Vydra has a pot shot from 25 yards to end the half that Onana could have thrown his cap on. 06:33 PM GMT 45+2 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Fernandes turns amusement arcade with a rabona pass out to Rashford on the left of the Plzen area but his first-time, half-volleyed, stabbed cross hits the first defender and Plzen clear. 06:31 PM GMT 45 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Yellow card for Rashford for shoving Cerv over to stop him breaking into space. Three minutes of stoppage time go up on the board. 06:30 PM GMT 44 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Cerv launches himself across Zirkzee just aside the United box to nick the ball off him as the away side play out from the back too slowly. His tackle diverts the ball to Kalvach who falls but diverts it to the right of the 18-yard line to Souare who tries a Theierry henry right-foot bender into the top right but can’t get it creep back inside the post. 06:27 PM GMT 42 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Mazraoui times a tackle perfectly on Vydra who throws himself on to the ground and unjustly earns a free-kick 40 yards out on the left. No damage, though, as the cross is sent in too deep and high. Souare can only flick his header behind. 06:25 PM GMT 40 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Jemelka grabs Zirkzee round the waist by the centre-circle and concedes a free-kick which United play back to Onana. More pace, more urgency, a much higher tempo needed and more penetrative runs from Amad and Rashford who have to gamble more. 06:23 PM GMT 38 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Amad nutmegs Kalvach but there’s no one there to run on to the pass. 06:22 PM GMT 37 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Martinez wins a header challenging Vasulin but also nuts him on the crown of his head. He goes down and gives it a vigorous rub. 06:21 PM GMT 35 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 United’s strategy is for Zirkzee to hold the ball while Amad and Rashford bomb ahead of him and a midfield runner or wing-back then makes the pass. It’s a fine idea but the passes aren’t precise enough. 06:18 PM GMT 33 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Both sides of Onana – an assured catch preceded by a flap as Plzen tried to chip it over the top. 06:18 PM GMT 31 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Bruno is allowed to dribble all the way from halfway to 20 yards out when played in by Zirkzee. The United captain floods into the space and then hammers an awkward Barnes-Wallis skimmer of a shot that Jedlicka bats away. 06:14 PM GMT 29 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Promising Plzen counter-attack is wrecked by Vasulin straying offside. 06:13 PM GMT 27 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Jemelka brings down Amad rashly and concedes a free-kick about 40 yards out on the United right. Bruno bends in a cross, Zirkzee runs a cross his marker to flick it on from the right of the penalty spot and Casemiro needed an extra six inches as he telescoped out his left leg to try to hook it in but ended up kicking fresh air instead. United have been flat, particularly with their attacking. They need a spark from somewhere and some drive from midfield. Plzen are looking to counter and have a very tidy playing in Lukas Kalvach in the middle of the park. 06:11 PM GMT 25 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Kalvach dispossesses Bruno in midfield but De Ligt sweeps up. The travelling fans give us a resonant rendition of 06:09 PM GMT 23 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Amad injects some much needed pace when Zirkzee lays it off to him. The wee man belts up the inside-left but then plays a woeful pass out to his left for RAshford, forcing him wide when a dink with his instep to Bruno on his right would have teed up a shot from the D. Rashford has a swing at a shot with his left foot and slices it wildly over. 06:06 PM GMT 20 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 United go back to Onana several times in a two-minute spell before finally pinging it long, looking for Rashford but knocking it so far the keeper gobbles it up. 06:04 PM GMT 18 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Mazraoui gives the ball away with a lazy pass infield and Casemiro, scrapping on the floor to the left of the D firts stops Sulc and then Vasulin from shooting before, Kalvach, I think, blazes over from 25 yards. 06:02 PM GMT 16 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Manchester United are finding it difficult to pass through the lines and look far more effective against the low block when running through. Zirkzee and Bruno are the best at it. 06:00 PM GMT 14 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Bruno drives up the right and makes it to the byline but is tagged by the whitewash before he can cross and as Plzen try to pass it out, Dalot catches Souare with his arm and the left wing-back goes down like a sack of lead lifted from a cathedral roof. 05:57 PM GMT 12 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Casemiro gets his breath back after the break for treatment and joins a packed United penalty area to defend Dweh’s rocket of a long throw. Again Onana flaps at it and United scramble it clear, defending by the seat of their pants. Bruno is a fine player but he’s not best used in the pivot. 05:54 PM GMT 10 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Kalvach floats the free-kick diagonally into the box, Onana flies off his line and in flapping for the ball he knees Casemiro in the solar plexus and the Brazil midfielder is left winded and writhing in agony. That was nuts from Onana. 05:53 PM GMT 9 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Plzen defend the corner and break and Bruno somehow escapes a yellow card for a scything, professional foul on Cerv from behind to stop him making it any further towards the penalty area. 05:52 PM GMT 7 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Zirkzee shows his qualities to uses his speed and strength to monster Kalvach, run into the box and cross from a position that was perhaps too tight but his effort was turned behind for a corner. Quick VAR check for a Plzen handball as Zirkzee barged the defender over, did he touch it on the floor? Yes, but it was not in the penalty box. Carry on! 05:49 PM GMT 5 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Rashford’s very heavy touch makes a gift of the ball for Vydra but Bruno and Malacia bail him out. 05:48 PM GMT 3 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 Amad wins the ball, intercepting it with his left and works it out to Malacia who is hounded by Vydra. The left-back loses the ball but Plzen give it right back. 05:46 PM GMT 1 min: Plzen 0 Man Utd 0 After the huddles, Manchester United kick off, attacking from left to right. Zirkzee rolls the ball back into midfield and they shuffle it backwards and begin to horseshoe the ball in a U shape up, down, across, up down, across. 05:41 PM GMT The players are in the tunnel Plzen are in red with royal blue socks and trim. Man Utd are in white. 05:39 PM GMT In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan The temperature is falling in Plzen, it is sub-zero here at the Doosan Arena. The pitch looks fine for Ruben Amorim’s team but it will be a test for them in these conditions. Amorim has made changes as he looks for the right formula for his 3-4-3 formation. Here, he has made six changes from the team defeated by Nottingham Forest. All eyes will be on Marcus Rashford following news emerging this week that United would be willing to sell him for the right deal in future transfer windows. 05:36 PM GMT Amorim on why he makes many changes match-to-match We are trying to see everything, quality, characteristics, that’s why we are using so many [changes] at this moment. But not in the future. 05:27 PM GMT Options limited for Rashford and United in loveless marriage Marcus Rashford may be in the starting line-up this evening, but, writes , his wage demands and a high transfer fee may mean potential suitors will be thin on the ground, despite United seeking offers. But it is clear that Rashford is going nowhere for now. The era of high-fee transfers for players of his age, and with his contract expectations, might have passed already as PSR and squad costs bite across the Premier League and Europe. In all but England, broadcast revenues are falling. Read 05:23 PM GMT ‘Freezing industrial splendour’ Freezing industrial splendour and the flood of lights, Plzeň. Bring on United. — Andy Mitten (@AndyMitten) 05:17 PM GMT Amorim: ‘Ashworth exit a bad situation for United’ Ruben Amorim has described Dan Ashworth’s departure as Manchester United’s sporting director as a “bad situation” after seeing major upheaval behind the scenes in the first month at the club. The United head coach insists Ashworth’s departure will not change the running of the club, with Jason Wilcox, the technical director, now assuming the role as point of contact for potential deals in next month’s transfer window. But Ratcliffe’s first year in control of football operations has been turbulent, with cutbacks behind the scenes, Amorim’s appointment and the new structure of the club ripped apart within five months. “Of course, it’s a bad situation,” said Amorim, on the eve of his team’s Europa League match with Viktoria Plzen in Czech Republic. “We are talking about a human being, a professional, that supports us as a team but I think the most important thing is the vision is really clear and that don’t change if one person leaves.” Ashworth was axed at the weekend after five months at the club, having spent that amount of time on gardening leave when United looked to thrash out a deal for him. Amorim disputed the suggestion United are a more unstable club than when he joined on November 11, adding: “I don’t think so. I felt since day one the support from everybody. One person leaving doesn’t change anything. “The first thing I want to say since the first day I felt great support from the ownership, from Omar [Berrarda, chief executive], from them also, from Jason, and Dan was part of that. And I really, really, really [received] support from Dan also. “But this is football and sometimes this happens, happens with players, with coaches, I know it’s not the best situation but the important thing is we continue in our way. The path is really clear for everybody and I think this can happen in football.” Amorim has made changes to his team in each of his five games and more are expected as he finds the right combinations to fit his 3-4-3 system. Tyrell Malacia is set to start in Plzen, with the club also looking at long-term wing-backs for the left side of the team. Diego Leon, at Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno, is one they have scouted. “I’m really focused to see my players and to understand my players, that is one of the problems of the club,” Amorim said. “We have to focus on what we have, we have to focus on the academy and to have a clear profile of the players. “So it’s a lot of details you have to manage. You can see at set-pieces, sometimes you look at our team, we are a small team compared to others, every detail counts and we have to be very clear in the profiles, arrange all the process and go to that phase of buying and selling players.” 05:12 PM GMT Wish you were here? 05:05 PM GMT Koubek: ‘We are expecting a big football festival’ Miroslav Koubek, the Viktoria Plzen manager, sounds relatively pleased about the prospect of facing the mighty United who won this competition in 2017. “We are all expecting a big football festival,” Koubek said. “A team like Manchester United doesn’t come to Plzen often. “It is of course a test for us. We are playing against a quality team. We are facing a very difficult match. United are huge favourites.” 04:55 PM GMT Amorim: ‘It is important we win and play well’ Ruben Amorim, the United manager, is hoping for not only a win, but also a good performance. With the Manchester derby coming on Sunday, a morale-boosting bit of early-evening togger will, we are sure, settle the natives. “It is really important for us as a club, as a team, in this moment that if you pass to the next stage without play-off, you take two games from our schedule and that is massive,” he has said. “We have to be so much better in set-pieces and we have to win it. It is so important that we win but not just win but to play well.” 04:50 PM GMT Starting XIs in the traditional format Jedlicka, Dweh, Markovic, Jemelka, Cadu, Cerv, Kalvach, Souare, Vydra, Sulc, Vasulin. Tvrdon, Baier, Hejda, Paluska, Kopic, Sojka, Mosquera, Panos, Havel, Sloncik, Jirka, Prince Adu. Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez, Dalot, Fernandes, Casemiro, Malacia, Diallo, Rashford, Zirkzee. Bayindir, Lindelof, Maguire, Mount, Hojlund, Eriksen, Yoro, Garnacho, Antony, Ugarte, Mainoo, Collyer. Marian Barbu (Romania). 04:46 PM GMT ‘It is as cold as Oldham’ , the founding editor of the fanzine, is on the ground in Czechia where, he says, it is as cold as . . . Oldham. Cheer up son, it could be worse: you could be watching your side play in the Conference League and in sub-zero conditions in Almaty, Kazakhstan. That’s where Chelsea are currently earning their corn, where they are beating Astana 3-1. , if you are that way inclined. In Plzeň for the latest MUFC drama. It's as cold as Oldham. — Andy Mitten (@AndyMitten) 04:40 PM GMT While hosts Viktoria Plzen will look a little like this . . . Two tweaks for the hosts to the side that won 2-1 at MFK Karvina last weekend. Cadu replaces Milan Havel, while Daniel Vasulin has been chosen ahead of Erik Jirka up front. ZÁKLADNÍ 1️⃣1️⃣ Do utkání proti Manchesteru United vstoupíme takto ⤵️ Viktorka do toho! ❤️💙 — FC Viktoria Plzeň (@fcviktorkaplzen) 04:38 PM GMT And the Manchester United starting XI is in . . . Manchester United have made five changes to the side that started in the 3-2 defeat by Nottingham Forest last weekend. Tyrell Malacia comes, while Noussair Mazraoui, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee also start. Ready to go 👊 || — Manchester United (@ManUtd) 04:37 PM GMT Christmas is cancelled ... for backroom staff Manchester United may have a new manager in Ruben Amorim, but the horror stories surrounding the club are showing no sign of slowing. In true Scrooge-like fashion, multi-billionaire co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier this week continued with . Having already overseen 250 redundancies, Ratcliffe and his team decided to cancel the staff Christmas party, after which their normal £100 bonus has been replaced with a £40 Marks & Spencer voucher. Read more on the at Old Trafford 04:34 PM GMT Preview: Square pegs Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Viktoria Plzen vs Manchester United from Uefa’s Europa League. This match features the sides placed in 12th and 13th of the 36-team table, United above their hosts on goal difference to the tune of one having both won two and drawn three of their five matches to date. Manchester United began their campaign with three draws under Erik ten Hag followed by victories over PAOK with Ruud van Nistelrooy at the wheel and Bodo/Glimt after Ruben Amorim’s appointment. The new manager, after back-to-back league defeats by Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, will doubtlessly shuffle his pack again with the derby looming on Sunday and we should expect to see the likes of Joshua Zirkzee, Marcus Rashford and his big ‘for sale’ sign, Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and even Antony being given some minutes. Plzen, who were third last year in the Czech First League and are currently second after 18 games of the 2024-25 season, beat Hearts 1-0 home and away in the play-off round and have followed their opening three draws, like United, with impressive victories over Real Sociedad, secured by Daniel Vasulin’s 89th minute winner, and Dynamo Kyiv The home side won the domestic title in 2022, their sixth in a decade, and have been striving to get back to their best with a typically Czech League style of canny overseas recruitment which has enticed Brazilains Cadu and Ricardinho, Colombian Jhon Mosquera, Nigerian Rafiu Durosinmi and Ghanaian Prince Kwabena Adu to join the ranks of established Czech internationals such as Vaclav Jemelka, Lukas Cerv, Lukas Kalvach and the former Watford/West Brom/Reading/Derby/Burnley enigma Matej Vydra. It is 20 years since Manchester United last played a competitive match in Czechia, drawing 0-0 with Sparta Prague in 2004 and as much as Amorim would love a positive result and a performance brimming with promise to match, Plzen are tricky customers and have to be handled carefully by a 3-4-2-1 system that currently looks like round repositories for expensive square pegs.Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer ideas that will bring festive joy without breaking the bank? Here are some fun and functional finds that are sure to delight your loved ones this holiday season. Whether you're stuffing stockings for family, friends or coworkers, these thoughtful little gifts are guaranteed to spread holiday cheer. Start with the a quirky and nostalgic gift for music lovers that doubles as a practical home accessory. For those who are always on-the-go, and make a stylish and useful stocking stuffer, helping them keep their devices safe and clean. 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