Swiggy vs ZomatoLos Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. RB Gus Edwards will move up as the lead back for Los Angeles after J.K Dobbins (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Edwards was activated from IR earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. Story continues below video WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers' run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Besides Dobbins, the Chargers also placed S Alohi Gilman (hamstring) on injured reserve. CB Cam Hart (ankle) and LB Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. The Falcons will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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Romania'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/jjCerity Partners LLC Increases Stock Position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD)
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(From left) US President-elect Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Dec 7. PARIS - US President-elect Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky held talks in Paris on Dec 7, brought together by a grand ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Mr Macron convened the trilateral meeting ahead of an evening event he was hosting to celebrate the cathedral’s restoration five years after it was ravaged by fire. President Zelensky and European leaders have been concerned that Trump, who takes office in January, could withdraw US military aid to Ukraine at a crucial juncture in Kyiv’s battle to repel Russia. Mr Zelensky said the meeting was “good and productive” and that the three men agreed to continue working together. “President Trump is, as always, resolute. I thank him,” Mr Zelensky wrote on social media platform X. “We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way.” Trump was on his first trip overseas since winning November’s presidential election and the visit to Paris was seen as offering Mr Macron an early opportunity to play the role of mediator between Europe and the incoming president, a role the French leader has relished in the past. Mr Macron is a strong supporter of the Nato alliance and Ukraine’s fight, while Trump feels European nations need to pay more for their common defence. He has said a negotiated settlement is needed to end the Ukraine war. Arriving at the Elysee Palace, Trump told Mr Macron they had enjoyed “really great success” working together during his first term in office. “And it certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now. And we’ll be talking about that,” Trump added. Trump gave Mr Zelensky a firm handshake and patted him on the back before Mr Macron stood between them and Trump smiled for the camera. The meeting between the three men lasted about 20 minutes. By inviting Trump to the reopening of Notre-Dame, Mr Macron was repeating a personalised approach that had some limited success during Trump’s first term, said Ms Heather Conley, senior adviser to the board of the German Marshall Fund, which promotes US-European ties. “Mr Macron knows Mr Trump greatly appreciates the pomp, circumstance and grandeur of state and he provides it to him in abundance,” Ms Conley said. Trump later joined world leaders, royals and business tycoons for a ceremony that got under way with the tolling of Notre-Dame’s great bourdon bell. Trump, who will be sworn in on Jan 20, has already held discussions with a number of world leaders and members of his team are trying to get up to speed on a number of world crises, including Ukraine and the Middle East. Global spectacle Trump, a Republican, was in power when Notre-Dame was devastated by fire in 2019 and visited France four times while president from 2017-2021, including D-Day anniversary ceremonies in 2019. “Symbolically, both Mr Trump’s presidency and Notre-Dame have been restored in approximately the same time period. His visit to Paris is also the opening salvo of his return to the world stage, further diminishing the final days of the Biden administration,” Ms Conley said. President Joe Biden’s wife, first lady Jill Biden, was representing the United States at the Notre-Dame event. Republican strategist Doug Heye said Trump would convey a statesman-like position in Paris. “It’s not images of him at Mar-a-Lago,” Mr Heye said, referring to Trump’s Florida home where he has spent the bulk of his time since the election. “This is the biggest event of the world and he’ll be peer-to-peer with other leaders.” Mr Macron, who is grappling with a deep political crisis at home after his government was ousted by parliament this week, pursued a non-confrontational approach towards Trump during the latter’s first term, hoping that by engaging with him he could win concessions. But as the years passed, policy decisions on climate, taxation and Iran in particular caused friction between the two leaders. By the end it was a more fractious relationship. There could well be disputes in Trump’s second administration, fuelled by Trump’s desire to impose sweeping tariffs on Europe and other US trade partners, and disagreement over how to handle the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Mr Macron invited Trump to the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris in July 2017, a spectacle that inspired Trump to order up his own military parade in Washington to mark America’s Independence Day in 2019. Trump hosted Mr Macron at a White House state dinner in 2018, but a year later the two quarrelled over comments Mr Macron made about the state of Nato. “Trump coming to Paris is a ‘good coup’ by Emmanuel Macron,” said Mr Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to Washington. “It is indispensable to have a direct relationship with the only man who counts in the Trump administration, Trump himself.” REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowIndustry body CII on Sunday pitched for cuts in personal income tax rates and excise duty on fuel and introducing consumption vouchers in the upcoming budget to boost consumption. Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) has proposed a faceless GST audit system to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for "Domestic consumption has been critical to India's growth story, but inflationary pressures have somewhat eroded the purchasing power of consumers," said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). "Government interventions could focus on enhancing disposable incomes and stimulating spending to sustain economic momentum." Persistent food inflation pressures impinge upon low-income rural households who allocate a larger share to food in their consumption basket, Banerjee said. Retail inflation fell to 5.5% in November, after rising to a high of 6.2% in October. Reducing excise duty on fuel, which constitutes a significant part of household expenses, would lower inflation and increase disposable income, CII said. It also suggested reducing the marginal tax rate for personal income up to ₹20 lakh per annum, which would encourage higher consumption and enhance tax revenue. "The gap between the highest marginal rate for individuals at 42.74% and the normal corporate tax rate at 25.17 %, is high," CII said in its release. Additionally, it proposed raising the daily minimum wage under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to ₹375 from ₹267, which would involve an additional expenditure of ₹42,000 crore. The annual payout under the PM-Kisan scheme should also be raised to ₹8,000 from ₹6,000, incurring an additional cost of ₹20,000 crore, assuming 100 million beneficiaries, the industry body said. 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CII suggested the introduction of consumption vouchers for specific items and timeframes. These vouchers could target Jan-Dhan account holders who are not beneficiaries of other welfare schemes. Banerjee highlighted a decline in household savings due to lower returns on bank deposits compared to equities and mutual funds, combined with higher tax burdens on interest income. To address this, CII recommended reducing the tax rate on interest income from deposits and shortening the lock-in period for fixed deposits with preferential tax treatment from five years to three years. EEPC India has proposed the introduction of a faceless goods and services tax (GST) audit system. "This system, by using technology and ensuring anonymity, will reduce compliance costs...(and) streamline procedures, allowing MSMEs to focus on growth and innovation," said Pankaj Chadha, chairman of EEPC India. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 31, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )The Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” as the Oxford Word of the Year 2024. As I’m sure many of us can relate, “brain rot” is a term related to consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. The actual definition is “the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” It’s a word – not technically a word, actually two words – first used by author Henry David Thoreau in 1854 in his book Walden . Brain rot speaks to both the addictive and irresistible popularity of social media, as well as what it does to our cognitive abilities. It can also refer to the content itself. “It demonstrates a somewhat cheeky self-awareness in the younger generations about the harmful impact of the social media that they’ve inherited,” Casper Grathwohl, president, Oxford Languages, said in a news release. Last year’s winning word was “rizz,” which means romantic appeal or charm, and is an online evolution of the word charisma. If you hadn’t noticed yet, clearly the internet is taking over our lives. This year, there were six contenders for word of the year including demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy, and lore. Demure was also related to social media because it was part of a sarcastic online trend where women would say “very mindful, very demure,” in situations that were not really so. Slop — a word I had never heard in this context — also relates to technology. Oxford University Press defines it as “art, writing, or other content generated using artificial intelligence, shared and distributed online in an indiscriminate or intrusive way, and characterized as being of low quality, inauthentic, or inaccurate.” Oh boy, there’s a lot of slop out there. I think we’ve all recently seen the effects of dynamic pricing, the fourth-word candidate for this year, with this weekend’s Taylor Swift concerts and their effect on hotel and Airbnb accommodations, and Uber and Lyft ride-sharing. Dynamic pricing is when the pricing changes, very quickly, based on demand, something that only became possible with the rise of the internet. The fifth contender was lore – the background information necessary to understand someone or something. As a journalist, I’m a big fan of lore, specifically trying to keep it truthful and accurate. The final word is romantasy, which is a book genre combining romance and fantasy, also a word that arose out of BookTok, a subspace of TikTok, another social media application. All these words reflect a growing trend of words emerging first on social media and then being used offline, in real life. Social media shows no signs of fading from our daily life. On the contrary, a survey conducted by Leger DGTL , a digital agency that combines research and marketing, found that 63 per cent of Canadians use Facebook at least once a day. Among people with a Facebook account between the ages of 16 and 24, the prime use of Facebook is to search for people or accounts, for people between the ages of 25 and 44, the prime use is to buy or to sell something and for those older than 45, the prime use is to interact with people and content. That’s just Facebook, an older social media, that isn’t super popular among young people. For people aged 16 to 24, Instagram is the one platform they would keep if they could only keep one, the survey found. Other interesting tidbits: people use TikTok to learn things, like cooking or repairs, while YouTube is used both for simple entertainment and for learning how to do things. The survey was conducted among 4,004 respondents, online – of course – among the general population between Aug. 5 and 17, 2024. Meanwhile, Australia has banned social media use for anyone under the age of 16, in a bid to increase online safety. Personally, I think that like everything else, it’s all about balance. Managing a healthy use of social media means setting boundaries for yourself and others in terms of your use and how much of your life you want to share. There have been noted tragic examples of the ruin the internet can bring, such as the story of Amanda Todd , a teenage girl who took her own life after being sexually extorted online. In addition, social media companies are owned by billionaires or foreign countries – we need to be careful about the information we share with them and how much control we give them over our lives. Over this coming holiday, I’m going to try to limit social media and the associated brain rot, in favour of spending time talking and laughing with family, playing games, eating delicious foods and getting as cozy as possible. Let’s see what happens. Tracy Sherlock is a freelance journalist who writes about education and social issues. Read her blog or email her [email protected] . Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected] . To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter . Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.