
NFL Rumors: Trevor Lawrence 'Adamant' He's Playing for Jaguars vs. Texans amid InjuryIt's Dana Holgorsen's 'focus on execution' that's impressing Matt Rhule — not just his play calls
After a far-right pro-Russia candidate secured a surprise lead in Romania's presidential election Monday, the eastern European NATO member is bracing for a high-stakes parliamentary vote on Sunday, amid fears it could bring about a strategic shift in the country. Calin Georgescu was in pole position with almost 23 percent after the first round of voting, a political earthquake in the country of 19 million people that has so far resisted nationalist appeals that have gained traction in Hungary and Slovakia. His victory ahead of centre-right mayor Elena Lasconi -- who scored 19.18 percent -- ended the hopes of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to compete for the presidency in the December runoff. After coming third at 19.15, Ciolacu said his Social Democratic Party (PSD) won't challenge the narrow result, and announced his resignation as party leader. Experts say the far right's surprise success could affect the parliamentary elections later this week, and even influence the chances of forming a future government. In the runoff ballot on December 8, Lasconi will face Georgescu, a NATO critic who in the past expressed his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Georgescu's popularity surged ahead of the vote with a viral TikTok campaign calling for an end to aid for Ukraine, which shares a 650-kilometre (400-mile) border with Romania. In a first reaction on his YouTube channel, the 62-year-old independent candidate insisted "there is no East or West", stressing that neutrality was "absolutely necessary". "I am not an extremist, I am not a fascist -- I am a Romanian who loves his country," he said in reference to media reports that "tried to portray" him in a wrongful way. For his rival Lasconi, the upcoming runoff represents "an existential battle", "a historic confrontation" between those who wish to "preserve Romania's young democracy" and those who want to "return to the Russian sphere of influence". "We must not allow anger to throw us back into the past," she said to thunderous applause from her supporters, vowing to stand up for Europe and NATO. The political earthquake comes amid soaring inflation and mounting fears of Romania being potentially dragged into Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine, as the country has emerged as a key player on the alliance's eastern flank. In Sunday's vote, another far-right contender, AUR party leader George Simion, secured nearly 14 percent. Already pounding the campaign trail for this week's parliamentary elections, Simion said Romania now has "the chance to have a sovereign government and a sovereign president". Overall, the far right won more than a third of all votes in Sunday's presidential ballot. "The far right is by far the big winner of this election," political scientist Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP, predicting a possible "contagion effect" in the parliamentary vote. Extremist forces and Lasconi's centre-right party now have "wind in their sails", sociologist Gelu Duminica said, though "it remains to be seen if they know how to capitalise" on it. The PSD, which has shaped the country's politics for more than three decades, has never before been eliminated in the first round of a presidential election. The National Liberal Party (PNL) party, with whom the PSD currently governs, also suffered a defeat. While many expressed their disbelief over the poll in the streets of the capital Bucharest, others were enthused. Maria Chis, 70, said she was surprised by Georgescu's lead in the first round but had been impressed after watching his TikTok videos. "He seems a man of integrity, serious and patriotic. He inspires seriousness. I think only someone like him can bring change," said the pensioner, who was planning to vote for him in the second round. Alex Tudose, the owner of a construction company, was gloomy. "There is sorrow, disappointment, that after so many years in Euro-Atlantic structures we voted for a pro-Russian by over 20 percent," the 42-year-old said. "There is clearly a strong fragmentation both in society and in the political class, and I think we saw that yesterday," he said. ani-anb-kym/sbkForum: Focus on total patient care approach to dental health
California will revive its own subsidy programs for electric vehicles if Donald Trump guts US federal tax breaks for such cars, the state's governor said Monday. The president-elect has said repeatedly he would scrap what he called the "electric vehicle mandate" -- actually a $7,500 federal rebate for anyone who purchases an EV. Gavin Newsom, who heads the solidly Democratic state and has pitched himself as a leader of the anti-Trump political resistance, said Monday California was not "turning back" towards polluting transport. "We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California," Newsom said. "We're not turning back on a clean transportation future -- we're going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don't pollute," he added. "Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong -– zero-emission vehicles are here to stay." If Trump scraps the tax credit, California could revive its own Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, which ran until November 2023, granting rebates of up to $7,500 for people buying battery-powered cars, a press release said. California leads the nation in electric vehicle adoption, and is the single biggest market in the country, representing around a third of all units sold in the United States. State figures show that more than two million so-called "zero emission vehicles" -- which include fully electric vehicles as well as plug-in hybrids -- have now been sold in the state, with one-in-four new cars in that category. On the campaign trail, Trump was frequently hostile to electric vehicles, which he has linked with what he calls the "hoax" of climate change. He vowed repeatedly that under his watch the United States would become "energy dominant," chiefly through expanded oil and gas extraction. For many in California, such pledges are anathema, with the state frequently battered by the tangible effects of climate change, from huge wildfires to droughts to furious storms. Newsom -- who many believe has White House ambitions of his own -- has positioned himself as a bulwark against the feared excesses of an incoming Trump administration on issues from climate change to immigration, vowing to be a check on its power. With 40 million people, the sheer size of California's market has for a long time helped set the national tone when it comes to pollution standards for automakers. Rather than make two versions of the same vehicles, Detroit giants have willingly adopted California's tougher rules on emissions and efficiency for nationwide sales. That de facto standard-setting power has angered Republicans like Trump, who say -- on this issue -- states should not be allowed to set their own rules. hg/ahaSpecial counsel moves to dismiss case against Trump
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SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Spencer Knight made 20 saves, Mackie Samoskevich scored with less than a second left in the second period, and the Florida Panthers got four goals in the third to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 on Saturday and complete a two-day sweep. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues and Adam Boqvist also scored for Florida, which won 6-3 at Carolina on Friday. The Panthers have won three straight — that streak following a stretch of six losses in seven games for the Stanley Cup champions. It was Knight's fourth career shutout, his first since Nov. 9, 2022 — also at home against Carolina. Spencer Martin made 23 saves on 28 shots for the Hurricanes, who have dropped four of their last six games (2-3-1). It was Martin's fourth consecutive start for Carolina. Takeaways Hurricanes: This was the first time all season that the Hurricanes failed to get a point in the game immediately following a loss. Carolina was 4-0-1 after a defeat entering Saturday. Panthers: A big day for Samoskevich — his alma mater Michigan beat Ohio State in football on Saturday, that game ending just before the Florida-Carolina game started. The Panthers are 5-0-0 when he scores this season. Sam Reinhart had each of the four most recent Florida goals at 19:59, before Samoskevich got his Saturday. Key moment The Panthers scored two goals 11 seconds apart in the third to make it 5-0, and Yaniv Perets replaced Martin in the Hurricanes' net with 8:12 remaining. It was the second NHL appearance for Perets, who came on once in relief for Carolina last season. Key stat Ekblad's goal was his first in a span of 1,045 regular-season shifts since Feb. 20. Up next Carolina starts a two-game homestand Tuesday against Seattle. Florida goes to Pittsburgh to start a two-game trip on Tuesday. AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHLIn recent months, there have been false reports about Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan separating. Abhishek's name was also wrongly linked to his Dasvi co-star Nimrat Kaur in baseless rumours. However, the Bachchan family has stayed quiet and has not responded to these negative claims. Amid this, a post by Aishwarya's sister-in-law Shrima Rai on social media surprised the internet. IPL 2025 Mega Auction IPL Auction 2025: Who went where and for how much IPL 2025: Complete list of players of each franchise She shared a photo of a bouquet sent to her by Shweta Bachchan and her husband Nikhil Nanda. The reason behind this gesture remains unclear. Check out the post here: When a screenshot of Shrima's Instagram story was shared on the popular Reddit sub BollyBlindsNGossip, netizens had varied reactions. The rumours about Abhishek and Aishwarya's divorce started after she and Aaradhya arrived separately from the rest of the Bachchan family at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant 's wedding in July. The speculation intensified when Abhishek liked an Instagram post about divorces titled 'When Love Stops Being Easy.' Amitabh Bachchan finally addressed the ongoing rumours in a cryptic post on his blog. On Thursday afternoon, the iconic actor shared a lengthy note, explaining why he keeps his family life private. He emphasised that speculations are often unverified and untruthful. He wrote, 'It takes immense courage conviction and a sincerity to be different and believe in its presence in life .. I rarely say much about family, because that is my domain and its privacy is maintained by me .. Speculations are speculations .. they are speculated untruths, without verifications .. '