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French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Mr Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly. Mr Macron’s office said in a statement that Mr Bayrou “has been charged with forming a new government”. During the handover ceremony, Mr Bayrou said that “no one knows the difficulty of the situation better” than he does. “I’ve taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections,” he said. France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. “I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success,” Mr Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a “needed reconciliation”. “I think this is the only possible path to success,” he said. The new prime minister is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers. Former prime minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Mr Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Mr Macron’s centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Mr Bayrou’s Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from the left and the right to be able to stay in power. Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government. Mr Macron’s strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding “make or break” power over the government. Ms Le Pen helped oust Mr Barnier by joining her National Rally party’s forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week. Mr Bayrou’s appointment is also in line with Mr Macron’s efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they commit not to vote against the government in any future confidence motion. Mr Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007. In 2017, he supported Mr Macron’s first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French president’s centrist alliance. At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDem’s alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds. Mr Bayrou this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine. Mr Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government. He was three times a candidate for president: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.NoneGhada Ageel This morning, I opened social media to search for Gaza news. I had to scroll for a while through my newsfeed before seeing the first mention of my homeland. Yet, the news we receive from Gaza through friends, family and social media is no less grim than it was a year ago. Its people continue to cry out for help, hoping the world would hear them. For three months, Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, sent appeals for help to the world, as the Israeli army besieged the hospital, cut off supplies, bombarded it, slaughtered people in its vicinity and injured some of the medical staff and patients inside. In a video appeal posted on December 12, Dr Abu Safia lamented: “We are now without any capacity and providing a low-level service. I hope that there are listening ears. We hope that there is a living conscience that hears our plea and facilitates a humanitarian corridor to the hospital so that Kamal Adwan Hospital continues its work to provide services.” But his cries for help fell on deaf ears. The day after Christmas, Israeli bombardment killed a woman at the hospital’s front gate and five medical workers: Dr Ahmed Samour, a paediatrician; Esraa Abu Zaidah, a laboratory technician; Abdul Majid Abu al-Eish and Maher al-Ajrami, paramedics; and Fares al-Houdali, a maintenance technician. Shrapnel shattered the skull of nurse Hassan Dabous inside the hospital, putting his life in danger. Yesterday, Israeli soldiers stormed the hospital and set it on fire, expelling 350 patients and kidnapping Dr Abu Safia and other medical staff. This horrific news barely made a blip in international media; there were no reactions from foreign governments or leading institutions, except a few Middle Eastern states and the WHO. Israel has clearly been successful in normalising its brutal attacks, destruction of Palestinian hospitals, and killing of Palestinian patients and medical staff. There was also no reaction from the world when earlier this month, Dr Said Joudeh, the last remaining orthopaedic surgeon in north Gaza, was assassinated on his way to work at the barely functioning al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia refugee camp. Dr Joudeh was a retired surgeon who felt compelled to return to work because of the desperate shortage of doctors caused by Israel’s targeted killings. Just a week before his murder, he had learned that his son, Majd, had been killed. Despite his grief, Dr Joudeh continued his work. Israel is seeking to eliminate all aspects of civilian life in northern Gaza as part of a policy to depopulate it. For this reason, it is targeting civilian infrastructure across the north and obstructing its functioning. The few medical facilities were the last remaining vestiges of civilian life. Apart from trying to exterminate medical workers, the Israeli army is also systematically blocking civil defence teams and ambulances from saving lives in the north, often hitting and killing them when they try to do so. And it is not just appeals from the north that are being ignored. The whole of Gaza has been stricken by famine as Israel has dramatically decreased the number of humanitarian and commercial trucks entering the Gaza Strip. Hunger is omnipresent and is affecting even those who may have some means to buy food but cannot find any. My cousin, an UNRWA teacher, recently told me about his visit to his sister, who was ill and displaced in Deir el-Balah. While he was visiting, he could not sleep. He had not eaten bread for 15 days, but it was not his own gnawing hunger as a diabetic that kept him up. It was the cries of his sister’s children who begged for just a piece of bread. Desperate to comfort them, my cousin told them story after story until they drifted to sleep. But he remained awake, haunted by their hunger and his own. Apart from food, Israel is also blocking the delivery of much-needed materials to build shelters. Four babies have already frozen to death since the start of this month. Amid the famine and harsh winter, Israeli bombardment of homes and tents of the displaced has not stopped. On December 7, a distant relative, Dr Muhammad al-Nairab, lost his wife and three daughters when the Israeli army hit their home in Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, west of Gaza City. Two of his daughters, Sally and Sahar, were doctors, helping save lives. They no longer can. When my niece, Nour, a mother of two, reached out to her uncle, Dr Muhammad, to extend her condolences, she found the pain of his loss intolerable. I spoke to her shortly after. Her words pierced through the despair like a scream: “When will the world hear us and see us? When will these massacres matter? Are we not human?” On December 11, another family was hit not far from Dr Muhammad’s home in Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood. That Israeli attack killed Palestinian journalist Iman al-Shanti, along with her husband and three children. Days before her murder, Iman shared a video of herself reflecting on the reality of genocide. “Is it possible for this level of failure to exist? Is the blood of the people of Gaza so cheap to you?” she asked the world. There was no answer. Just like war crimes against Palestinians have been normalised, so has Palestinian death and pain. This normalisation not only silences their suffering but also denies their humanity. Yet for Palestinians, the pain of loss is anything but normal – it lingers, sinking into the soul, raw and unrelenting, carried in the echoes of those they have lost, both inside and outside Gaza. It is a transnational pain, a grief that crosses borders and defies boundaries, binding Palestinians in exile to those enduring the horrors of genocide. In a December 3 social media post, journalist Dayana al-Mughrabi, who is currently displaced in Egypt, captured the unending grief of Gaza’s people: “Our loved ones don’t die once, they die many times after their actual death. A person died the day he died, then he died again the day his watch that I kept on my wrist for years was broken. He died again when the teacup he used to drink from shattered. That person died yet again on the day that reminds us of their actual date of death, and after their burial, when the coffee residue was washed from his last cup, and when I saw someone collecting the rest of his medicine to get rid of it. Those we love continue to die many times – they never stop dying – not a single day.” While this replaying of death happens more than 45,000 times, the world seems ready to move on from Gaza. Fifteen months into this genocide, advocates and activists across the globe are devastated and exhausted by the endless destruction in Gaza and the overwhelming silence and acceptance of it. As a native Palestinian and third-generation Palestinian refugee, despite the indelible marks left on the soul by genocide – marks that time cannot erase – I refuse to lose hope. I am reminded of the words of Czech dissident Vaclav Havel: “Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” The South Africa case against the apartheid regime at the International Court of Justice and the work of the International Criminal Court are not just significant – they are crucial in establishing Israel’s status as a pariah, one among nations that have sought the eradication of entire peoples. The world must not forget Gaza. Now, more than ever, its cries must be heard and the call for justice must be answered. Courtesy: aljazeeraA Japanese sake maker is going where no sake maker has gone before: space. Asahi Shuzo, the company behind the popular Japanese sake brand Dassai, plans to blast sake ingredients to the International Space Station (ISS) to ferment a very special brew. Related video above: The dark energy pushing our universe apart may not be what it seems, scientists say If it works, just one 100ml bottle will be offered for sale on Earth at 100 million yen, or about $653,000. A standard serve is 80ml, making it one very expensive drink. “There is no guarantee of 100% success for the fermentation tests,” said Souya Uetsuki, the brewer in charge of the project at Asahi Shuzo. He said the difference in gravity could affect how heat transfers in fluid, causing a different fermentation process in space than on Earth. The company has paid the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for access to the Kibo experiment module, part of the ISS developed by Japan, where tests can be conducted in a “special microgravity environment.” The national space agency said they would not comment on the privately paid project. Sake is made of Japanese rice, water, yeast and koji (a type of mold). It traditionally takes about two months to make through a series of precise steps that involve steaming, stirring and fermenting. The drink is sipped from a glass at many Japanese cultural occasions — from weddings to meals at pub-like izakaya restaurants — and last week landed a spot on UNESCO’s list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity.” Dassai — meaning “otter festival” in Japanese — is one of the most popular sake brands on the market. However, its maker is also behind premium products that are popular with collectors, some willing to spend up to thousands of dollars for a bottle. Asahi Shuzo’s foray into space is more than just another attempt to make another rare sake, according to the brewer. Uetsuki said the company hoped the project would offer insights into how fermentation works in space, so perhaps one day they can make sake on the moon. “In a future where humans can freely travel between the moon and Earth, some will visit the moon as tourists. This project aims to create sake that can be enjoyed on the moon, allowing visitors to have delightful moments there,” he said. He hopes the technology will also benefit future space tourists who have a penchant for other types of fermented food. “Many Japanese foods, such as natto and miso, are fermented, and this technology could expand into these areas,” Uetsuki said. The company is developing space brewing equipment, with a planned launch date later in 2025.
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NoneMaking spiking a specific offence is about making sure the law is up to date to deal with it as a crime, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones has said. Labour plans to make spiking a specific offence and has laid out plans for venue staff to be trained in relation to spiking, with a pilot to begin within weeks before a wider rollout next year. Ms Davies-Jones, asked about why it was worthwhile to make spiking a new offence when it is already illegal, said: “Spiking is a crime already. “A lot of people don’t realise that it is a crime already, which is part of the problem.” She said there were around 6,000 reports of spiking last year but that because it is an underreported crime, it is not clear how big of a problem it is. 'Legislation won't fix this on its own...this is about a culture shift' @SophyRidgeSky challenges Minister for Victims @AlexDaviesJones on the govt plan to change the spiking law even though it is already a criminal offence. #PoliticsHub https://t.co/GlTNastFii 📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/Zb65c6KnOM — Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (@SkyPoliticsHub) November 25, 2024 “Part of the problem we’ve got is around the data collection, so you don’t know if you’ve been spiked with a drink, a needle, a vape, for example,” she told Politics Hub on Sky News. Modernising the offence and giving police the tools to get accurate data allows a clearer picture of where, how and how often spiking is happening, she said. It is about “clarifying it, modernising it, making sure that people know exactly what this is...the law isn’t quite, it isn’t up to date. “It isn’t modern enough.” Sir Keir Starmer earlier said he hopes the change will give people “the confidence to come forward”, in a meeting of police bosses, transport figures and hospitality executives in Downing Street. Spiking will be made a criminal offence. My government was elected to take back our streets, central to this mission is making sure women and girls can feel safe at night. Perpetrators of spiking will feel the full force of the law. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 25, 2024 Ms Davies-Jones and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were among the attendees at the round-table discussion on Monday morning. Labour pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there was no detail in the King’s Speech this year about a specific crime, though it promised to ensure an improved police response to cases. According to information published by the Metropolitan Police, spiking offences are currently covered by more than one law, but most come under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Sir Keir told the meeting: “There are a number of measures that we are setting out this morning – we want to talk it through with you. “The first is to make spiking a specific offence so that it counts, it’s reported.” He said that such a measure would mean that it “enables everybody to have the confidence to come forward” and also “it allows perpetrators to know that it’s a specific offence”. Detailing the training scheme, he went on: “We’re beginning the piloting of training for staff in venues.” He said the scheme would be “partly to spot what’s happening, but also to know what to do in the event that there is an incident in a venue”. “That will start in December with a pilot then it will be rolled out from March of next year,” Sir Keir added. He also said that the “final” point of discussion for the morning was “police indexing – (the) way that we count it across different police forces”. Sir Keir added: “At the moment it’s quite hard to get your arms around the pure numbers.” Plain clothes officers are being deployed in areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour. The text-to-report number, 61016, that allows women to contact British Transport Police to report harassment on the train, is due to be relaunched. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Spiking is a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims. “That’s why today we are taking decisive action to prevent this devastating crime and to crack down on perpetrators, by introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and launching specialist training for thousands of bar staff nationwide. “People shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinks on a night out. “These changes are about giving victims greater confidence to come forward, and ensuring that there is a robust response from the police whenever these appalling crimes take place.”WORTHINGTON — Pull up a chair and join in or bring the conversation with you as you go about your day. Whatever works best for you, join us this winter to discuss some of the key issues and questions around commodity crop production facing Minnesota farmers today through the “Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops” webinar series. This live, online program will provide up-to-date, research-based information to help optimize your crop management strategies for 2025. Sessions will be conducted from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 8 through March 26, via Zoom. They can be accessed from your computer, phone, or other mobile device. ADVERTISEMENT Sessions will be informal and open to all interested. Each session will start with a brief presentation by the discussion leaders for the day, followed by discussion framed around farmer and participant questions on the topic. Topics and speakers are as follows: Jan. 8: N management given current crop and input economics, by Fabian Fernandez, U of M Extension nutrient management specialist and Brad Carlson, Extension educator-water quality Jan. 15: Targeted Spray Technology, by Rodrigo Werle, University of Wisconsin weed scientist. Jan. 22: LIVE at the MN AG EXPO, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, by Anna Cates, State soil health specialist, and other industry and commodity group representatives Jan. 29: Soybean crop modeling to help farmers make successful decisions, by Seth Naeve, U of M Extension soybean agronomist and Annibal Cerrudo, visiting professor from Argentina. Feb. 5: Managing weeds with more than just herbicides, by Debalin Sarangi, U of M Extension weed scientist, Tom Peters, Extension sugarbeet agronomist, and Eric Yu, Extension crops educator. ADVERTISEMENT Feb. 12: Navigating the corn maize — new trends in corn production, by Jeff Coulter, U of M Extension corn agronomist and other experts Feb. 19: Using multi-state trials to address key cover crop questions in soybean, by Seth Naeve, U of M Extension soybean agronomist and Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist. Feb. 26: Keeping track of changes in corn insect challenges, by Fei Yang, U of M Extension corn entomologist. March 5: Corn and soybean diseases, looking back as we look forward, by Dean Malvick, U of M Extension plant pathologist. March 12: Data Driven Decisions — Determining what really affects the bottom line, by Jennifer Rees, University of Nebraska Extension educator, and Angie Peltier, U of M Extension crops educator. March 19: Drones — a multifaceted management tool for row crop agriculture, by Ryan Huffman, senior research manager at Iowa State University’s Digital Ag Innovation Lab, Doug Houser, ISU Digital Ag Extension specialist, and Jorden Kuntz, founder of Biosphere Drone Solutions. March 26: Seasonal forecast and considerations for 2025 crop success, by Dennis Todey, director, USDA Midwest Climate Hub, Seth Naeve, U of M Extension soybean agronomist, and Jeff Coulter, U of M Extension corn agronomist. ADVERTISEMENT To register, visit z.umn.edu/SF2025. For more details on the program and recordings of previous sessions, visit https://z.umn.edu/strategic-farming . There is no charge to participate. Not able to attend a day? No problem. Sessions will be recorded and posted for viewing later at your convenience. We hope you will take this opportunity to join University of Minnesota Extension in discussing crop topics at our “Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops!” program in 2025.UCF and Tulsa will test their mettle against each other on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Knights will make their first appearance in the event since recording a two-point loss to Missouri in 2022, while Tulsa's last trip to the Orange Bowl Classic was a loss to Florida State in 2012. UCF (7-2) may have something to prove being away from Addition Financial Arena. The Knights are 7-0 at home, whereas a November trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia produced an 86-70 loss to Wisconsin and a triple-overtime setback against LSU. The Knights relied heavily on their defense in Sunday's 66-51 win over Tarleton State. After a sluggish start offensively, UCF found its rhythm during a 37-point second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with a game-high 16 points and freshman center Moustapha Thiam collected 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. UCF's Big 12 opener draws closer (at Texas Tech, Dec. 31), but head coach Johnny Dawkins remains focused on daily improvement. "I feel a sense of urgency to get better, not with regards to Big 12 play to be quite frank, but every game," Dawkins said. "I don't look too far in the future. Pretty much I've always been in the moment as a player and as a person, and so for me it's about just getting better because it's our standards." Tulsa (4-6) looks to stop a three-game slide following a 70-66 home loss to Southern University last Saturday. Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, netting a season-high 23 points off the bench. But Isaiah Barnes, one of three Golden Hurricane players to start all 10 games, was injured in the first half and played only eight minutes. To complicate matters, head coach Eric Konkol's team is 0-6 when trailing at halftime. "We got to get some guys healthy that can be healthy for next Saturday (against UCF)," Konkol said. "We got a couple other guys dealing with some different things, but then (also) having some planning to figure out what's the best way going forward for this group." --Field Level Media
Major spoilers for Arcane Season 2 lie ahead! Now that all three acts of Arcane 's second and final season are out amid the 2024 TV schedule , fans of one of Netflix's best shows are hungry for more content -- and it looks like we’re going to get it. Throughout the season, there were teases regarding how the franchise would shift its focus away from Zaun and Piltover, and the fantasy show's co-creator, Christian Linke, is discussing plans for more spinoff series. There's even one, in particular, that I'm most excited for. What The Arcane Co-Creator Said About Upcoming Spinoffs While speaking to Twitch streamer Necrit94 , Christian Linke talked about his team's process of creating the acclaimed show. He talked about the process of choosing champions and lore for the franchise. There are over 140 champions in League of Legends , 169 to be exact, each a drop in the bucket for the greater world of Runeterra. Each country also has its own individual stories, too. So, when asked how they choose, Linke said: We have a lot of data. We know which characters our audience like and play a lot. It takes quite some effort to understand the difference between people picking champions because they win, versus people picking champions because they like them. But we pay attention to that. So, we don’t just go with who’s popular because they win, but, where’s resonance, and how do you define resonance? But I'm very confident that we're looking at the right regions where there's a lot of fandoms, a lot of interest. Linke says the creative process mimics how someone who plays the game will go through different stints with characters. So it’s understandable that the showrunners will have other stories that interest them as well. Linke previously discussed spinoff concepts with CinemaBlend. Obviously, the EP -- who co-created the show with Alex Yee -- can't say too much about the future. But what he did say should get people hyped: I’ll give you a little something. I’ll tell you this. ... We are investing quite a bit in Noxus, Ionia and Demacia. We start really with character stories. We start really with character stories, I’m very confident that we’re investing in the right stories, because simply those were the answers we have seen in these threads. If you're familiar with League , then you know this is huge, as there are a lot of champions from those specific areas. There's also a considerable amount of lore surrounding these countries. Now, I just have to shout out one potential project that seems to be coming. The Arcane Spinoff I’m Most Looking Forward To And Here’s Why Throughout Arcane Season 2, fans were introduced to a group of mages from Noxus called the Black Rose. Their ties to Ambessa and Mel Medarda were highlighted, and that prompted some intrigue. The series finale saw Mel taking Ambessa’s forces back to Noxus and, at the same time, viewers saw a strange raven. So, with all this evidence, it’s clear that the action is moving to Noxus, which is exciting! That's especially because it looks like the team will be doing something very creative with the lore. The Black Rose's presence in Piltover was due to a desire to take down Ambessa as penance for a past transgression involving one of her children. That child was later revealed to be Mel, and it was because she possessed latent abilities as a mage. CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News I Always Wondered Why I Liked Arcane Without Having Played League of Legends; Co-Creator Christian Linke Explained It To Me Perfectly The three-eyed Raven also signifies an exciting prospect. On social media, those who play League immediately recognized this as a nod to Swain, another champion who is the Noxian grand general. The presence of the bird also has fans of the game already speculating how Fortiche is going to tackle Swain, given that he only gets his powers after being gravely injured during Noxus’ invasion of Ionia. Given that knowledge, it would mean Ionia would have already had to have been invaded. Per League lore, Noxus is given the weapons to invade Ionia by Singed, another champion that fans saw on Arcane and, as of now, Singed is still in Piltover. Singed did work with Ambessa and the Noxians, but there are still question in need of answering. Despite the number of unknown variables, I'm excited for what Christian Linke and co. have on the horizon, especially when it comes to Noxus. For now, use a Netflix subscription to stream all of the League of Legends -based show. You can also stream shows like Arcane if you need something to watch now that it's over.
NoneMacron names ally Bayrou as new PM as he aims to restore political stability
After a thrilling double-overtime win over Fresno State, California Baptist makes the nearly 2,500-mile trip to Orlando to face Central Florida on Sunday. The Lancers (5-3) capped their time at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif., with an 86-81 victory over the Bulldogs on Wednesday. That followed a last-second, 79-77 loss to SMU the day before. Dominique Daniels Jr. played 45 minutes against Fresno State and led California Baptist with 29 points. He paces the Lancers with 20.3 points per game, while Kendal Coleman averages 15.1 points and is shooting 59.7 percent form the floor. However, coach Rick Croy's team has struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 30.7 percent entering its first true road game this season. UCF (5-2) is coming off of an 84-76 win over Milwaukee last Wednesday despite being outrebounded 41-31. The Knights were helped by the heroics of senior guard Darius Johnson, who had 28 points as he shot a career-best 8-for-10 from beyond the arc. "Darius was terrific," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. "He's so comfortable in his leadership role now, he's leading our team and running the show, and our new players are becoming more comfortable playing with him. He's been a rock for us this season, and you love to see it out of a senior point guard." "I had an extraordinary night shooting the ball from three," Johnson said. "I rarely think that would happen again, but it's great. I know my teammates are going to have nights like that as well." Johnson is among the nation's leaders in minutes per game (36.6) and is shooting a team-high 50 percent from 3-point range (23 of 46). He, along with his fellow guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, are each averaging 16.9 points to lead UCF. The Knights opened the season with an impressive win over Texas A&M, now No. 20 in the AP poll, but lost both games at last weekend's Greenbrier Tip-Off, including a triple-overtime defeat against LSU on Sunday. UCF has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2018-19. This will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Lancers, who will each have time off afterwards. UCF won't play until Dec. 8 against Tarleton State, while California Baptist is idle until its Dec. 11 game at San Diego State. --Field Level MediaHow major US stock indexes fared Monday, 12/2/2024
Alcoa stock soars to 52-week high, hits $46.57 amid market rallyWest Ham are eyeing up a move for Sergio Conceicao should they choose to sack Julen Lopetegui. The Hammers were dealt another damaging defeat at the weekend as Arsenal secured a 5-2 win - with all of their goals coming in the first-half. Lopetegui is yet to have the desired affect having arrived in the summer with the east London outfit sitting 14th in the Premier League . Lopetegui was well backed in the summer with more than £100million spent on new signings. West Ham moved on David Moyes and underlined their ambitions by bringing in the Europa League winner, but already they are having to consider life beyond the Spaniard. The Guardian reports that Conceicao is of serious interest - and the Portuguese manager is equalled interested in the Hammers gig. The 50-year-old led Porto to three league titles and twice took them to the Champions League quarter-finals with internal support for him growing. Other options for the West Ham hierarchy include the former Juventus manager Max Allegri as well as Graham Potter, who is yet to have a job since leaving Chelsea 18 months ago. The Hammers do remain reluctant to fire Lopetegui but there is growing alarm over the team’s form. Lopetegui's future was thought to hinge on the results achieved against Newcastle and Arsenal. The Hammers secured a surprise result when they landed the three points at St James' Park, but the manner of the Gunners loss has done little to help their manager's cause. The Hammers have previously gone after big name managers and backed them in the transfer market, only to see them fall well short of expectations. In the past decade West Ham have hired Manuel Pellegrini, but the ex-Manchester City boss couldn't deliver as hoped. Moyes remains the club's most successful manager of the modern age, delivering a European trophy, but he was shown the door in the summer when his contract expired. Lopetegui though has the club sat just six points above the relegation zone after four wins in 13 league games. The Spaniard has previously performed impressive work at Wolves before choosing to walk away. He led Sevilla to continental success and also has the Real Madrid and Spain jobs on his CV. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.Canadiens’ Patrik Laine skates with teammates for the first time since his injury
Nigeria, for the very first time, squashed Ghana in an African Nations Championship qualifying fixture, and with so much style, to earn the ticket to the eighth instalment of the competition scheduled for Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda in February 2025 after a 3-1 whiplash of the visitors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday. Three well-taken goals in six minutes wrote a new chapter in the history of contests between both nations at this level, and it was seriously not at a turn that Ghana would have wanted it. Coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani expressed confidence ahead of the game, saying his boys would play an attacking game, but it was Nigeria that was on the front foot throughout the first period and could have finished the half with more than their three brilliant goals. First, telepathy was at play as Captain Junior Nduka flung the ball from the defence to Remo Stars’ team-mate Ismaila Sodiq, who sprang Ghana’s offside trap and buried the ball past goalkeeper Benjamin Asare in the 18 minute. Two minutes later, it would have been two for the Super Eagles B but Adamu Abubakar’s close-range shot found the back of defender Abban Ebenezer and went shy of the goal. From the resultant corner kick, Captain Nduka made hay, sweeping the ball past Asare as the visiting rearguard ball-watched against a Nigerian side playing with so much gusto. Three minutes later, from a defensive mix-up between goalkeeper Asare and defender Nurudeen Abdulai, Saviour Isaac snatched the ball at pace and slotted past Asare to make it 3-0. Dominated and flustered, the Black Galaxies were pleading for mercy, but it would still have been four if veteran forward Sikiru Alimi had not been tardy with a good chance as Isaac sent him through on the counter in the 44 minute. In the second half, with the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Chief Bukola Olopade and President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau among the watching dignitaries, the Super Eagles refused to take their feet off the pedal, as Isaac, and later Alimi with a brilliant header off Sodiq’s free-kick, could have added to the visitors’ misery. Ghana hit one back with 18 minutes left to play, when the precocious Stephen Amankona fired to the blind side of goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena after an exchange of passes with Albert Amoah. Still, it was too little too late. Ghana’s miserable year was complete, with the Black Stars’ horrendous group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, failure of the Black Stars to qualify for next year’s AFCON, and the failure of the Black Starlets to qualify for the Africa U17 Cup of Nations. Deservedly, Nigeria celebrated wildly at a return to the CHAN, at which they won the silver medals in Morocco six years ago, and at the expense of bogey team Ghana for that matter. President of NFF, Alhaji Gusau said: “We are very happy to end the year on a high. Returning to the African Nations Championship has been part of our agenda and we are happy to have achieved that. Now, the real work begins, which is to ensure that the team is adequately prepared to go for the trophy in East Africa early next year.” Galaxies’ Coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani attributed his team’s failure to the fact that Daniel Ogunmodede’s charges were hungrier for glory. “They were full of running and played their hearts out. Congratulations to Nigeria because they deserved their victory. They were the better team.” Ogunmodede said it was not yet time for celebrations. “We are happy to have given Nigerians a good gift for this yuletide period, but we will not over-celebrate this achievement and forget the crux of the matter. We will work hard so that we can contend very well for the trophy at the finals in February.”After a thrilling double-overtime win over Fresno State, California Baptist makes the nearly 2,500-mile trip to Orlando to face Central Florida on Sunday. The Lancers (5-3) capped their time at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif., with an 86-81 victory over the Bulldogs on Wednesday. That followed a last-second, 79-77 loss to SMU the day before. Dominique Daniels Jr. played 45 minutes against Fresno State and led California Baptist with 29 points. He paces the Lancers with 20.3 points per game, while Kendal Coleman averages 15.1 points and is shooting 59.7 percent form the floor. However, coach Rick Croy's team has struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 30.7 percent entering its first true road game this season. UCF (5-2) is coming off of an 84-76 win over Milwaukee last Wednesday despite being outrebounded 41-31. The Knights were helped by the heroics of senior guard Darius Johnson, who had 28 points as he shot a career-best 8-for-10 from beyond the arc. "Darius was terrific," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. "He's so comfortable in his leadership role now, he's leading our team and running the show, and our new players are becoming more comfortable playing with him. He's been a rock for us this season, and you love to see it out of a senior point guard." "I had an extraordinary night shooting the ball from three," Johnson said. "I rarely think that would happen again, but it's great. I know my teammates are going to have nights like that as well." Johnson is among the nation's leaders in minutes per game (36.6) and is shooting a team-high 50 percent from 3-point range (23 of 46). He, along with his fellow guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, are each averaging 16.9 points to lead UCF. The Knights opened the season with an impressive win over Texas A&M, now No. 20 in the AP poll, but lost both games at last weekend's Greenbrier Tip-Off, including a triple-overtime defeat against LSU on Sunday. UCF has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2018-19. This will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Lancers, who will each have time off afterwards. UCF won't play until Dec. 8 against Tarleton State, while California Baptist is idle until its Dec. 11 game at San Diego State. --Field Level MediaCleveland-Cliffs Inc. ( NYSE:CLF – Get Free Report ) shares fell 2.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $9.15 and last traded at $9.21. 1,808,144 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 10,768,788 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.46. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Cleveland-Cliffs from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Cleveland-Cliffs in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Cleveland-Cliffs from $12.50 to $11.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Cleveland-Cliffs from $15.00 to $13.50 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cleveland-Cliffs has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.22. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland-Cliffs Trading Down 1.2 % Cleveland-Cliffs ( NYSE:CLF – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The mining company reported ($0.33) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.31) by ($0.02). Cleveland-Cliffs had a negative net margin of 2.31% and a negative return on equity of 0.59%. The firm had revenue of $4.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.72 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. will post -0.45 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of Cleveland-Cliffs Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CLF. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in Cleveland-Cliffs by 105.6% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 262,771 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $3,429,000 after acquiring an additional 134,939 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Cleveland-Cliffs during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $64,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Cleveland-Cliffs in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,222,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in Cleveland-Cliffs in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,444,000. Finally, First Dallas Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Cleveland-Cliffs by 27.9% during the third quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc. now owns 206,750 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $2,640,000 after buying an additional 45,150 shares during the last quarter. 67.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Cleveland-Cliffs Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest flat-rolled steel company and the largest iron ore pellet producer in North America. The company is vertically integrated from mining through iron making, steelmaking, rolling, finishing and downstream with hot and cold stamping of steel parts and components. The company was formerly known as Cliffs Natural Resources Inc and changed its name to Cleveland-Cliffs Inc in August 2017. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Cleveland-Cliffs Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cleveland-Cliffs and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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A 39-year-old teacher and girls’ soccer coach in Arcadia was charged Friday with possessing hundreds of images of child pornography, prosecutors announced, and authorities say they’re concerned he may have victimized girls in his care. Justin Akio Yasutake, of Pasadena, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of being in possession of child or youth pornography. According to prosecutors, Yasutake knowingly had possession of images that showed child sexual abuse, including 10 or more images of a prepubescent minor or a minor who was under the age of 12, according to the charging documents. Authorities received a tip about Yasutake on Nov. 11, according to the Arcadia Police Department. The tipster said that someone sent suspicious messages over social media asking about juvenile girls. The person also sent lewd videos. Police used a search warrant to probe his electronic devices on Nov. 12 as part of their investigation. He was eventually arrested. “Child pornography will not be tolerated ... and individuals who exploit children will be vigorously prosecuted, especially when they are educators who hold positions of trust in the community,” said Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman in a statement. Authorities believe there could be additional victims and are asking anyone with information about the case to contact authorities. Yasutake has been a girls’ soccer coach for about 20 years and has been possibly exploiting girls during that time, the Arcadia Police Department announced in a news release . Anyone with information about the case can contact the Arcadia Police Department at (626) 574-5188. Anonymous tips can be made by phone at (800) 222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.NoneNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Monday, with those benefiting the most from lower interest rates and a stronger economy leading the way. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to pull closer to its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 440 points, or 1%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has argued for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.26% Monday, down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. That helped stocks of smaller companies lead the way, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped 1.5%. It finished just shy of its all-time high, which was set three years ago. Smaller companies can feel bigger boosts from lower borrowing costs because of the need for many to borrow to grow. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also eased sharply. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders had reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump’s preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 16.5% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 2.2%. Among the market’s leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday’s drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 5.9%. Homebuilders, D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Lennar all rose at least 5.6%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 18.03 points to 5,987.37. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 440.06 to 44,736.57, and the Nasdaq composite gained 51.18 to 19,054.84. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading below $95,000 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
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Thanksgiving Travel Latest: Airport strike, staff shortages and weather could impact holiday travel
LiveDeal stock plunges to 52-week low, touches $9.77I worked at Ralph Lauren during college breaks and the one thing I still regret after all these years (besides never talking to J.Lo, who shopped in our store) is that I didn’t stock up on workwear. That’s why I’m especially excited for Ralph Lauren’s Cyber Monday sales this year. The site is 40% off just about everything (meaning they have some of the best Cyber Monday clothing deals out there, and you can also find stellar Ralph Lauren finds at Bloomie’s and Nordstrom , FWIW). When I was employed at RL 20 years ago, my hack was to buy cashmere from the kids’ section (much cheaper) and size way up. It stayed in great shape for over a decade, but now that some options are $100 off, I may just splurge (though I still have my eye on that boys’ Polo Bear sweater). While my discount was slightly better at the time, these deals come close to as good as they get. The best Ralph Lauren Cyber Monday deals, at a glance 25% off: Best Polo Sweater : Ralph Lauren Cable Knit Cashmere Sweater , $ 498 $374 30% off: Best Gift for Men : Ralph Lauren Arctic Holiday Bear Assorted 3-Pack Cotton Blend Crew Socks Gift Box , $46 $32 40% off: Best Gift for Women : Ralph Lauren Cable Knit Pop Top Mittens , $ 48 $28 25% off: Best Kids’ Deal : Ralph Lauren Polo Bear Crewneck Sweater , $ 175 $131 40% off: Best Men’s Jacket : Ralph Lauren The Colden Packable Jacket , $245 $149 20% off: Best Women’s Coat : Ralph Lauren Plaid Wool Blend Reefer Coat , $ 250 $200 40% off: Best Dress : Ralph Lauren Cotton-Blend Polo Dress , $ 145 $87 Need a stylish present for him ? The plaid pullover below is giving cozy Cotswold fantasy vibes. Just add scotch, and you’ve got yourself quite a gift set. I’m also enamored with those cute socks (the two-pack is marked down to $24, and as insane as this sounds, that’s actually a steal for anything with that cute teddy face on it). Plus, those gloves are a total no-brainer, and I’m treating myself to that hat. If you’re looking for a solid Cyber Monday deal on coats, the wool topper below is the one I’m personally considering investing in. You also can’t go wrong with the iconic polo shirts . The price doesn’t get lower. Without further ado, here are the most timeless pieces to pick up from the Ralph Lauren Cyber Monday sale.