bet 8

bet 8

South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial lawChargers place two players on IRMacy's is selling a 'soft' and 'absorbent' $54 4-piece bath towel set for only $12 thanks to Black Friday

Sports on TV for Sunday, Dec. 8

Nebraska 44, Wisconsin 25

Community contra dance set for Dec. 14 at Rail River Folk School1. A mini Atari game console hooked up to a TV that's so adorably tiny and actually works !!! They deserve to take a break or two during their workday, and I can't think of a better way to spend 10 minutes than crushing a few levels in Pac-Man. The mini console includes Breakout, Tempest, Centipede, Combat, Pong, Warlords, Missile Command, Millipede, Asteroids , and Pac-Man. Promising review: "I've put probably 10 hours into playing with this little system. It's an excellent little Atari clone; the screen is crystal clear, the games play exactly as expected, the sound is great, and the controller is a joy. This is an absolute must for anyone who loves retro games." — Doug Welyczko Get it from Amazon for $24.99 . 2. A mousepad with a wrist support pad shaped like the softest and floofiest surface known to mankind: corgi butt. The gel padding can help reduce wrist strain, and it'll give all their co-workers something to "awww!" over when they stop by to make small talk. Promising review: "I ADORE this mouse pad!!! I work as a software developer and was starting to experience the beginnings of carpel tunnel. This has totally stopped the numbness in my hand! And as a corgi mom of two bouncing corgi boys, this was a must-have!" — LW Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two styles). 3. An otter tape dispenser that will adorably hold onto their tape until they need to grab a piece. Otters famously hold hands while sleeping, but they also hold office supplies during the workday. Many do not know this. While it does come with all the cute vibes, it doesn't come with actual tape, so consider throwing in a three-pack as a bonus gift. Promising review: "No one is buying this tape dispenser for any purpose other than to look cute on a desk. It definitely does that. It’s adorable. Just look at that happy, furry otter face. As a bonus, it also holds tape, which is useful in a variety of situations. It’s also very sturdy and isn’t likely to go flying when you forcefully grab a piece of tape from it (if you’re an aggressive gift wrapper, by chance). This otter tape dispenser is one of the few novelty items that actually does what it’s supposed to do. Two paws up. " — Bargler Get it from Amazon for $19.99 . 4. A talking Bob Ross bobblehead so they can take a moment to appreciate the joy of painting when things get a bit too stressful. It also comes with a mini book of paintings, which is perfect to flip through when they need to look busy as their boss walks by. Pair it with the mini Bob Ross paint-by-numbers kit so they can create a tiny shrine to everyone's favorite painter. Promising review: "I love this Bob Ross bobblehead, and my son is beyond happy! We love Bob Ross and watch his painting series (watched him since I was a little girl), and so this is a real gem, because it plays his most famous phrases on the Joy of Painting , and it gives my son a sense of calm as he does his homework! It lies right on his desk, and it's a real delight! So grateful for this! We absolutely love it!!" — HC4910 Get it from Amazon for $9.44 . 5. A set of eight cat gel roller pens they will have to keep an extremely close eye on — Gary from accounting has eight real ones and will certainly be plotting to steal these. Reviewers say these actually write very smoothly, so they're as cute as they are functional! Sadly, Gary is neither. Promising review: "These adorable pens are a hoot! I can now ensure the pen thieves stay away from my desk. The point is very fine. It writes smoothly with black ink. The colors and the tiny faces are too cute. My favorite part is the little tail on the cap." — Amazon Customer Get a set of eight from Amazon for $7.99 . 6. Or charming novelty gel pens to make writing their weekly to-do lists and meeting notes so much more fun. One simply cannot have a bad day at work when one's assistant is a small bunny sitting atop a writing utensil. Promising review: "The pens are super cute and have a nice fine-point pen. I ordered them for the girls at work and they loved them." — Jen Get a pack of 12 or 16 from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in four styles). 7. A llama-shaped stress ball with a catchphrase they will live by: "when spit happens, give me a squeeze!" Now, they can redirect the aggression they feel toward their laptop every time it freezes into cuteness aggression toward this squeezable sweetie. Promising reviews: "I got a few of these as gifts for coworkers, and they loved them! I thought they were super cute as well. They are soft and squishy and definitely match the stress ball expectations." — Purvi Patel "I tend to get rather stressed and have been known to accidentally obliterate stress balls. Thankfully, this llama is quite sturdy and hasn't shown any signs of wear and tear yet despite frequent and intense use over the past few weeks. Based on that, I fully expect him to endure for a long time to come." — Rachel L Get it from Amazon for $13.99 . 8. Or! A dozen squishy cat stress toys so they can keep one in every drawer — we've all had those long days where we need a squeezable cat available at arm's reach at all times. Promising review: "So Soft. So squishy. So stretchy! These little guys are so satisfying to sit there and squish when you're feeling anxious or frustrated. The paint on their little faces is a little messy sometimes, but the way a stress ball looks isn't very important. I like that these are small enough to fit inside of your pocket because so many stress balls are big and obvious and embarrassing." —So Soft. So squishy. So stretchy! These little guys are so satisfying to sit there and squish when you're feeling anxious or frustrated. The paint on their little faces is a little messy sometimes, but the way a stress ball looks isn't very important. I like that these are small enough to fit inside of your pocket because so many stress balls are big and obvious and embarrassing." — Emma McConaughey Get the set of 12 from Amazon for $8.99 (also available in a 10-piece and 50-piece set). 9. A duck night-light that will cheer them up almost immediately because it's a total mood. They can tap the duck to change between three different brightness settings, so they can use it for everything from study sessions to nap time. It can also hold their phone, so it checks off the two gifting essentials: it's both cute and functional! Promising review : "This little lamp is BEYOND adorable. I got it as a gift for my niece, and she loved it. It's super cute, has a soft squishy texture, and has a little X for his butt. Maybe some won't like the little X, but it just adds extra cuteness. Worked right out of the box. Seemed pretty bright. Squish him, and the level changes. I can't speak to life expectancy, but it seems decent enough quality. Freaking adorable! Way better than expected." — KF Get it from Amazon for $15.99 . 10. Or a dimmable Dodo Duck Night-Light so they can have an adorable little friend to add some ~ ambiance ~ to their dreary desk. It's also rechargeable and cordless, meaning they can carry it around while telling everyone, "Don't talk to me or my son ever again." Check out a TikTok of the duck night-light in action. Promising review: "This little lamp is so cute! Gently squeeze it to turn it off or on. It leaves a nice soft glow. Purchased for a teenager, and she loves it." — WendyAnne Get it from Amazon for $12.79 . 11. Or!!! A cat-shaped lamp they can tap to change seven different colors any time they need to switch up their desk's aesthetic. It's rechargeable, so they can carry it around if they'd like, and it's made of soft silicone, so they may be tempted to pet it like a real cat. Promising review: "I LOVE this light. I use it as a night-light in the bedroom, and with the color option, I just tap it to stay perma red so I still have light in the room and it's easy on the eyes to walk to the bathroom with. It's soft and easy to charge, and its battery life is as listed. This is SO cute. I kept it for myself, but I could easily see this doing well with toddlers as a night light as well. I will caution though, that because of the silicone material, if you have pets in the house, the hair is going to get stuck to it sometimes. My favorite Amazon purchase." — HYN_Kirsten Get it from Amazon for $15.99 . 12. A tear-off daily self-care calendar to remind them they deserve a few breaks and some planned quality me-time every single day! There are spaces for to-do lists, noting what they're thankful for (i.e., you for giving them this gift!), daily affirmations, self-care activities, meal planning, and daily reflections. Promising review: "I got this for my mental health when I was in a really bad place mentally, and I was trying to figure out why I was having so many panic attacks. This made me feel on top of stuff and gave me something to look forward to. Super cute, super cheap, and it makes me happy." — katelyn Bliss Collections is a family-owned, Wisconsin-based business established in 2012 that specializes in stationery, planners and pads, and drinkware. Get a 50-sheet pad from Amazon for $8.49 (also available in 15 other styles/designs). 13. Or a sloth to-do notepad that I personally believe was actually designed by sloths. My evidence? There's a section for "to-do soon" and a section for "to-do (after a nap)," which is something so brilliantly lazy only an actual sloth could think of it. There's also a section to note their mood and how their day was, so it basically functions as a mini diary, too! Promising review: "I am absolutely in love. I have severe unmedicated ADHD and have always struggled with being overwhelmed with to-do lists (both having them in my mind and making them). This cute, fun design makes that task less daunting and easier with how it’s organized. It lets me divide tasks up into immediate needs and tasks to do eventually, as well as gives me a space for appointments and reminders for calling people. I also thoroughly enjoy the “mood” marker and the “how was your day” section as it also helps me track my mood." — River Get it from Amazon for $5.95 . 14. And a sloth coffee mug so they can get caffeinated to tackle all those to-do list tasks! Or to walk from their desk to the bed to take a nap. Whatever feels more natural. Promising review: "I used this sloth coffee mug as a white elephant gift at a Christmas party. Everyone was trading for it and thought it was precious. I would highly recommend it." — Slake Get it from Amazon for $10.95 . 15. A six-pack of little animal planters that'll make them feel like Matt Damon in We Bought a Zoo, except this one is way easier to manage. These have helpful drainage holes, and reviewers say they're exceptionally sturdy! These do not come with plants, but you can pick up a pack of six succulents on Amazon! Promising review: "Got this for my plant momma friend, and she loved it! It's cute, small (about four fingers tall), and brings so much joy! Looks better in person than on the box. The package arrived quickly, the box was banged up a bit, but the pieces were in perfect condition. I would get this again for myself or other plant lovers next time." — xx Get them from Amazon for $24.99 . 16. Or a set of artificial succulents with motivational quotes for the aspiring gardener who isn't actually about that plant parent life. Promising review: "I love these cute little planters ! They’re really easy to set up (everything comes separately: pots, stickers, plants, and decorative rocks), and you can decide if you want the stickers on them or not. I elected to keep them plain, and they fit into the decor on my TV stand so well! The three different types of plants also complement each other well." — Lauren J Get it from Amazon for $19.99 . 17. Or!!! Succulent-shaped tea lights if they want to bring a desert-chic vibe to their desk. I don't know if desert-chic is a thing, but it should be. These are so cute that they'll probably never actually light them, but that's not really the point of these, is it??? But if they do, they each burn for about 30 minutes! Promising review: "Super cute tea lights! They come in two gift boxes with a ribbon around it, perfect for gifting a set and keeping the other!" — Amy D. Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $10.39+ (available in three styles). 18. Buildable Lego cherry blossoms for the aspiring plant parents on your list who love the idea of keeping flowers around but hate the idea of taking care of them. Also, cherry blossom season lasts for all of two seconds, but Legos last a lifetime. They'll be so grateful they don't have to water them. Check out a TikTok of the flowers in action. Promising review : "Great afternoon activity. All of the flower Lego sets are great for a break and getting your mind off things. We have several different flower ones in a vase, and they all seem to fit nicely together." — Jeremy Moeller Get it from Amazon for $14.24 . 19. A whimsical UFO Bluetooth speaker to teleport them to planet Funkytown and give them some background music while finally responding to those e-mails they've been ignoring all week. It also acts as a night-light, so this might fly its way over to their nightstand as well. Promising review: "Bought this for my daughter, and she loved it. The design is cute. Quality seems good for the price. Love the sound quality and ability to play any music. I’d have bought this just as a cute decor gift as well." — Nilay Get it from Amazon for $15.19 (available in four colors). 20. Or an itty-bitty Baby Yoda Bluetooth speaker for any remote workers on your list who like to blast their Spotify "Productivity Jamz" playlist while cranking out a new Excel spreadsheet. Though it's small in stature, many reviewers say this packs a seriously impressive punch in the sound department. Promising review: " I bought this for my 8-year-old son because he kept stealing my portable speaker. He absolutely loved it! Decent sound quality and he loves to blast the speaker. It does get pretty loud, but not obnoxiously loud. Great product." — Mom of boys Get it from Amazon for $17.99 . 21. Or! A Bluetooth speaker that packs big sound into a tiny retro package. It also has a speakerphone option, so they can add some vintage flair to all of their boring work calls. Promising review: "This is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I needed a Bluetooth speaker to listen to podcasts on my iPhone as its speaker is not the greatest, and I don’t always want to wear earbuds. I am amazed at the sound quality and versatility. (Aux in! Microphone for calls! Can be used while plugged into an electrical outlet!) I use it for podcasts, like I mentioned, but also to watch films and Tab on my Fire tablet. It makes the film experience PERFECT since Fire speakers aren’t as nuanced. Plus, it’s so darling and looks like you took a 1930s radio and put it in a shrinking machine." — RaisinBran Get it from Amazon for $12.79+ (available in four colors). 22. Cable-hugging critters they will immediately place on the charging and power cords on their desk that have seen better days. These helpful creatures will hold them in place to stop the fraying and splitting that can happen when cords are bent in weird ways. Promising review: "My kids asked for these for Christmas, so I got a big pack to hand out. They LOVED them. My daughter has them on all her charging cables, and they do not come off easily. They were a little tough to get on but once they are on they do not move. So far, my daughter has not needed a new charging cable since putting these on them." — Amazon Customer Get a set of 18 from Amazon for $12.99 . 23. A set of mini macaron containers perfect for keeping their jewelry, medications, coins, or other small valuables safe and secure in a ridiculously cute way. Promising review: "These are the best little containers EVER! I use them for so many things: change 'purse' for my work locker, pill containers, small jewelry holder (fits my earrings, rings, and necklace and works great for when I can't wear something and don't want to lose it). I've used a few daily, and none of them have broken or popped open, and I've had these for two and a half months already! Cannot praise these things enough! Definitely worth the money." — Meghan Danielle Get a set of six from Amazon for $6.99 . 24. A mini inflatable tube guy they can pretend is dancing to the tunes they're listening to in their AirPods. They might just be inspired to take a break and have their very own dance party — which is what they deserve after sending two whole e-mails in a row. Promising review: "OMG! I love this guy! These things, large and small, will ALWAYS make me laugh. My husband bought the desk version for me, and I can always count on it to make me laugh. My co-workers love it, too. People just stop by to turn him on for a quick pick-me-up. I would recommend getting the AC plug since batteries can run down fast. I think we should create a community of fellow air-dancer-havers and post clips of our little guys dancing to our favorite songs. Anyone in?" — Mark Get it from Amazon for $8.58 . 25. A set of glow-in-the-dark kodama for the Studio Ghibli fan on your list. These adorable tree spirits will be the perfect little guardians for their desk — making sure Mark from Payroll doesn't stop by and steal their Takis from their snack drawer. One reviewer put these in their fish tank too! Promising review : "The cutest whimsical kodama. Apologies for the photo dump ...but the need is REAL to show just how cute are these tree spirits. I was a bit worried reading other reviews about broken parts. So I ordered the set of 20 just to be safe. All were intact. The packaging was superb, as shown in the photos. So now I can gift these little guys whenever I want to gift a plant to my nature-loving friends. I would highly recommend if you’re a plant lover. It’s only been a few hours, but I noticed they do glow in the dark." — nanccan Get a set of 20 from Amazon for $13.98 (comes with 10 green and 10 blue; also available in other sets). 26. An elephant-shaped phone holder since everyone needs a cute desk pet, especially one that will also keep their mess of pens and pencils in their proper place. Promising review: "I am so in love with this elephant. It is not nearly as small as I thought it would be. The colors are so vibrant and it was very easy to put together. I just started a new job as a therapist at a school, and something this cute lets me show some style but still be appropriate for the workplace." — Miss S Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in five patterns). 27. A desktop boxing set so they can let out all their work frustrations on a tiny punching bag instead of sending another passive-aggressive email. Promising review: "Got this as a gag gift , yet it has helped my coworker deal with some stress at the office. We have all used it and it’s a lot of fun to release some ‘little’ energy!" — Michelle Frahm Get it from Amazon for $9.86 . 28. A tiny light-up marquee to write inspirational phrases to themselves on... or write sneaky messages to their coworkers in background of all their Zoom meetings. Promising review: "Love this!!! It’s absolutely adorable and perfect for a tier tray, or decor in my tween daughter’s room! I really love it — and I may need another one, or two..." — Nicole Swanburg Get it from Amazon for $10.40 . 29. A mini zen gardening kit that'll bring a sense of tranquility on those days when the mere sound of their Slack notification brings on instant anxiety. It even comes with a tiny book to help introduce them to the world of tiny zen gardening. Promising review: "I wanted something to place on a side table with books and stuff for relaxing. I think it's a perfect little piece of diversion. I added a few rocks and shells and it's nice to play with for a few minutes to get your mind relaxed." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $7.95 . The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.

Happy scores 16 as Princeton downs Portland 94-67 at Myrtle Beach InvitationalOhio State, Michigan players involved in postgame scuffleBoeing has paused its efforts to install and use employee-monitoring sensors, including at its office in Everett, Washington, after media inquiries followed an employee's leak of the plans. An unnamed Boeing employee at Everett, a key manufacturing site for the aerospace giant's jumbojets, shared an internal PowerPoint presentation with The Seattle Times touting the benefits of the tracking technology. The plan reportedly called for installation of "workplace occupancy sensors" throughout Boeing's office that include motion sensors and cameras mounted in ceiling tiles, intended to monitor building occupancy. "As we shared with some employees last month, we were starting a pilot program using a system for managing energy and space usage in selected office areas," spokespeople for Boeing confirmed to The Register . "The system, used by other companies, analyzes motion data and environmental conditions and does not identify people or documents." "We have paused our pilot program at all locations and will keep employees updated," the aerospace goliath acknowledged. According to the leaked presentation, the system was at least deployed at Boeing's St Louis, Missouri offices in October, and work began on it in Everett on Monday. The planemaker declined to clarify exactly where and how the occupancy tracking technology had been rolled out before the pause. According to the newspaper's reading of the PowerPoint slides, the surveillance system, made by Avuity, is designed to gather information on office occupancy and usage of various spaces. The presentation tries to assuage employee fears about the workplace monitoring by noting the cameras used by the system only take blurry photos that don't identify individuals or the writing on documents, though that may not be sufficient to satisfy concerns. As we reported recently, workplace surveillance is quickly becoming the norm in offices around the world as businesses continue to push remote workers to return to the office - Boeing among them. There's a certain degree of reasonability to the presence of those systems, especially as post-pandemic work shifts have in many cases led to companies deciding to shrink their real-estate footprints. Boeing itself sold off a considerable amount of warehouse and office space in Everett in the wake of the pandemic, and may be looking to justify more offloading of space. That said, installing systems to visually track employees, with or without blurring, may not be the best approach, and Boeing's immediate course reversal on being questioned about the practice makes it seem like the jet builder knows that. "Employees should not accept any kind of indoor location tracking as long as there are no reliable safeguards that prevent employers from misusing the data for problematic purposes," Wolfie Christl, author of a report published last month about workplace surveillance, told The Register for an earlier story. "In Germany and Austria, an employer would need to negotiate the introduction of such a system with employees, who would have a right to audit how the employer uses the data." When it comes to worker's rights, the US and EU aren't exactly on the same page, though, which Christl said needs to change. "The US urgently needs appropriate laws that protect employees from disproportionate surveillance in the workplace," Christl said. Failing that, we'll just have to rely on more employees speaking up, which isn't necessarily a reliable strategy: the 737 Max manufacturer told its employees what it was doing, but not every company is likely to be as forthright, especially after this latest Boeing blowup. ®

Uruguay's voters choose their next president in a close runoff with low stakes but much suspense

AES Announces 2% Increase in Quarterly DividendThe Bachelor’s Kelsey Anderson and Joey Graziadei spark new breakup rumors with moveBangladesh seeks to review major energy projects including one with India’s Adani Group

Five areas interim coach Anders Sorensen can improve the Blackhawks

Attorneys for election workers that Rudy Giuliani defamed wrote a scathing letter accusing the former New York City mayor of launching a crusade meant to “to obstruct and intimidate” them as they try to recover his assets. In a Friday letter to a federal judge, Michael Gottlieb, a lawyer representing election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, accused Giuliani of orchestrating a “public relations campaign” meant to stop the women from collecting the belongings they are owed. Last December, Giuliani was ordered to pay Freeman and Moss nearly $150 million after a court found he defamed them by falsely claiming they manipulated election results in 2020. The decision led Donald Trump ’s disgraced attorney to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which has since been dismissed . The mother-daughter duo are now allowed to seize his valuables to recover what they are owed. But a barrage of recent court filings, including Giuliani’s attempts to appeal, reveal a weeks-long legal battle that the women argue is the former mayor’s attempts to delay, block or obstruct them from collecting what he has been ordered to turn over. Both Giuliani’s new lawyer and those in his inner circle have argued that the former mayor was wronged and have set out on a mission “designed to interfere” with the women’s “efforts to perform their duties by attacking the underlying judgment,” the letter said. Joey Cammarata, who is representing Giuliani after his previous legal team abruptly quit , held a press conference on Wednesday outside of the offices of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, the firm representing the election workers, where he “launched a variety of attacks” against this case, Gottlieb wrote. There, Cammarata called the court-ordered turnover of Giuliani’s belongings a “seek and destroy mission of America’s mayor.” “We will not relent,” he said. “They are doing everything they can to stop Mr. Giuliani from having a formidable defense. We are not going to allow it. ... This firm is doing everything in its power to break an 80-year-old patriot to its country, an American who did so many great things for us.” This rhetoric was also echoed on social media, where the hashtag “IStandWithRudy” started trending, according to lawyers for the election workers. The online campaign was meant to interfere with the turnover efforts by “inciting members of the public to fight (whatever that means),” they wrote. Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s spokesperson who has been subpoenaed in this case, used the hashtag in a post voicing his opposition to the forced turnover of Giuliani’s 1980 Mercedes-Benz : “I’m calling on ALL Americans to speak out against this lawfare. Shame on the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher for participating in this injustice. #IStandWithRudy .” The alleged owner of the Long Island storage facility — where the former Trump lawyer is accused of hiding some items from his New York City apartment — also posted on X that “this is not going to happen. America has to come back real fast. Pray for Rudy Giuliani , today is his day.” “The public relations campaign described above has no legal purpose — this is a turnover proceeding governed by facts and law, not a political campaign — and, instead, is an obvious attempt to obstruct and intimidate Receivers from effectuating the duties that this Court has authorized them to perform,” Gottlieb wrote. Cammarata’s “publicity stunt, reinforced by Mr. Giuliani’s social media campaign, continues Mr. Giuliani’s habit of litigating in the press issues that he has conceded or stipulated to in court,” he added, seemingly referencing Giuliani’s baseless claims about the 2020 election and his defamatory statements about Freeman and Moss, among other spurious statements Giuliani has made on his podcasts and to the media. Earlier this week, the election workers asked a judge in Washington, DC who had presided over their initial defamation case to consider sanctions against Giuliani after he repeated “the exact same lies for which [he] has already been held liable, and which he agreed to be bound by court order to stop repeating” during recent livestreams. The judge required him to respond to the complaint by December 2 — or risk being held in contempt. The women say they have received18 watches and a diamond ring, but they are still waiting on nine other watches and all of his “costume jewelry,” according to their letter. As for the Mercedes, they have physical possession of the vehicle, but still don’t have the deed, title, or right of ownership to the car, or any signed documents transferring its ownership, they said. The Manhattan penthouse is in the process of being transferred, but the former mayor hasn’t delivered the keys, stock, or proprietary lease for the apartment “and apparently has been unable to locate any of the underlying ownership documents,” according to the letter. And there’s been another roadblock: the penthouse remains in the names of both Giuliani and his ex-wife Judith. Attorneys said they have also struggled to obtain the contents of a storage unit in Ronkonkoma, New York, since it’s unclear what is being held there that could be turned over. The unit holds eight storage boxes, more than 20 pallets of moving boxes, and furniture, according to the letter. They are asking Giuliani to segregate his property from all property in the storage unit that they are entitled — along with a list of those items — no later than December 6. It’s unclear whether his Joe DiMaggio jersey, signed art, or sports memorabilia that he has been ordered to turn over is in that facility, the letter says. So the election workers have instructed Giuliani to provide instructions as to where to find these items before the next hearing on November 26 “or explain why he is incapable of doing so” before 3 p.m. on November 25, Gottlieb said. Invoices show that Giuliani appeared to have moved “a substantial amount of his property” from his Manhattan apartment to the storage unit before the judge ordered him to turn over his belongings. That storage unit is under the name of Maria Ryan, Giuliani’s business associate , the election workers discovered earlier this month.Prabath Jayasuriya says control is key after reaching latest milestoneRomania's far-right candidate Calin Georgescu on Saturday urged voters to go to polling stations despite the country's top court having scrapped the presidential elections over alleged irregularities amid claims of Russian interference. The court's shock ruling, coming just before the presidential run-off which had been due Sunday, opens the way for a new electoral process starting from scratch in the EU and NATO member state bordering war-torn Ukraine. The annulment follows a spate of intelligence documents declassified by the presidency this week detailing allegations against Georgescu and Russia, including claims of "massive" social media promotion and cyberattacks. Georgescu -- who unexpectedly topped last month's first round of voting -- called for voters on Sunday "to wait to be welcomed, to wait for democracy to win through their power", said a statement from his team. "Mr. Calin Georgescu believes that voting is an earned right," said the statement. "That is why he believes that Romanians have the right to be in front of the polling stations tomorrow." Georgescu himself would go to a polling station near Bucharest at 0600 GMT, said his team. Earlier Saturday, police raided three houses in Brasov city in central Romania as part of the investigation "in connection with crimes of voter corruption, money laundering, computer forgery". Among the houses searched was that of businessman Bogdan Peschir, a TikTok user who according to the declassified documents allegedly paid $381,000 to those involved in the promotion of Georgescu, Romanian media reported. Peschir has compared his support for Georgescu to the world's richest man Elon Musk's backing of US president-elect Donald Trump. Little-known outsider Georgescu, a 62-year-old former senior civil servant, was favourite to win the second round on Sunday against centrist pro-EU mayor Elena Lasconi, 52, according to several polls. But the constitutional court on Friday unanimously decided to annul the entire electoral process as it was "marred... by multiple irregularities and violations of electoral legislation". President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday that he had discussed with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, and they agreed on the "need to strengthen the security of social media". The European Commission announced earlier this week that it had stepped up monitoring TikTok after Romania's authorities alleged "preferential treatment" of Georgescu on the platform -- a claim the company has denied. Following the court's decision, the United States said it had faith in Romania's institutions and called for a "peaceful democratic process". Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., on X branded the vote's cancellation an "attempt at rigging the outcome" and "denying the will of the people". Georgescu called it "a formalised coup d'etat" and said democracy was "under attack". His team on Saturday declined to comment on the raids, saying they "will not comment or provide answers until we have exact data". Georgescu and another far-right party, the AUR, have said they plan to appeal the decision to stop the voting to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. A past admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Georgescu, an EU and NATO sceptic, in recent days had reframed himself as "ultra pro-Trump," vowing to put Romania "on the world map" and cut aid for neighbouring Ukraine. In an interview with US broadcaster Sky News on Saturday, Georgescu said there were no links between him and Russia. Political scientist Costin Ciobanu told AFP that the annulment has "further polarised Romanian society". With trust in institutions and the ruling class already low, the vote's cancellation poses a "major danger that Romanians will think that it doesn't matter how they vote", Ciobanu added. Elsewhere in the EU, Austria annulled presidential elections in 2016 because of procedural irregularities. In Romania, a new government is expected to set another date for the presidential vote. In last weekend's legislative elections, the ruling Social Democrats came top. But far-right parties made big gains, securing an unprecedented third of the ballots on mounting anger over soaring inflation and fears over Russia's war in Ukraine. In a joint appeal on Wednesday, the Social Democrats and three other pro-EU parties -- together making up an absolute majority in parliament -- signed an agreement to form a coalition, promising "stability". bur-jza/jj

Butler 2-10 0-2 5, Dent 0-8 0-0 0, Jones 7-15 0-0 16, Muhammad 0-3 0-0 0, Munden 0-4 2-2 2, Gooden 1-4 8-8 10, McPherson 2-6 2-3 6, Sotirov 4-12 0-0 11, Nicholls 1-5 0-0 2, Durosinmi 0-0 0-0 0, Mott 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-67 12-15 52. D'Amico 1-3 0-0 2, Skogman 2-5 3-4 7, Blocker 8-13 2-2 21, Enright 5-6 0-0 13, Rivera 2-7 1-2 5, Traynor 3-4 1-1 7, Benson 3-5 2-4 8, Gunn 4-9 0-0 11, Meyer 5-10 0-0 14, Thomas 2-3 2-2 7, Riddle 1-1 0-0 3, Pierre-Justin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-66 11-15 98. Halftime_DePaul 51-15. 3-Point Goals_N. Illinois 6-29 (Sotirov 3-9, Jones 2-6, Butler 1-6, Gooden 0-1, Muhammad 0-1, Munden 0-1, Dent 0-5), DePaul 15-29 (Meyer 4-5, Enright 3-3, Blocker 3-5, Gunn 3-6, Riddle 1-1, Thomas 1-2, D'Amico 0-1, Skogman 0-1, Traynor 0-1, Rivera 0-4). Rebounds_N. Illinois 25 (Dent, Jones 6), DePaul 54 (Skogman 11). Assists_N. Illinois 12 (Dent 4), DePaul 22 (Enright 4). Total Fouls_N. Illinois 12, DePaul 14.