Fans eager for season after meeting Comets in person
Kinyanjui, Toledo compete at NCAA cross country championships
China's sprinter Su Bingtian to retire after 2025 National Games
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia
Lion wakes up Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer IqbalNFL Draft intel: Is Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty an ideal target for NFC East team?365 Retail Markets Strengthens Leadership Team with Key Hires
NoneWayne Holdsworth became an advocate for from social media because his son took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam. Mac Holdsworth died last year at his Melbourne family home at the age of 17 after a 47-year-old Sydney man who purported to be an 18-year-old woman demanded money for an intimate image the boy had shared. Since then, the grieving father has taken his tragic story to around 20 schools to warn students of the risks of social media. “I saw firsthand the damage that social media could do. I saw Mac, my son, get sexually extorted on social media,” Holdsworth said. “His mental health deteriorated at a rapid rate.” Online predators began approaching the teenager before his 16th birthday and his father believes such a ban could have saved his life. Australia’s House of Representatives on Wednesday voted for such a ban and the Senate is expected to make it law soon. Holdsworth said most of the 3,000 students he’s spoken to, from age 12 to 17, agree with a ban on children under the age of 16. “They come up to me and they say, ‘I’m so glad that this is going to be implemented,’” Holdsworth said. “Even the kids see it now that they’re going to be protected from those predators outside that are preying on them.” He said three girls approached him after a school address on Monday to tell him that they were being subjected to sextortion. One had already handed over 2,500 Australian dollars ($1,600) of her parents’ money to a blackmailer. Holdsworth said he was the first adult they had confided in. “The parent won’t know until the credit card statement comes out,” he said. “So it’s prevalent. It happened last night and it’ll happen tonight,” he added. Holdsworth described the government plan to ban children younger than 16 from social media as “absolutely essential for the safety of our children.” But not all parents are convinced that banning young children from social media is the answer. Critics say the legislation was rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, would not work, would create privacy risks for users of all ages and would take away parents’ authority to decide what’s best for their children. They also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of positive aspects of social media, drive children to the dark web, make children too young for social media reluctant to report harms they encounter, and take away incentives for platforms to make online spaces safer. Independent Sydney lawmaker Kylea Tink on Tuesday became the first member of the House of Representatives to speak publicly against the bill, which would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts. “As a mom of three young adults ... I’m very aware of the negative impacts of social media and the challenges of parenting in this digital world,” Tink told Parliament. “I also recognize, however, that my children are digital natives and are very literate about how these platforms work. For this reason, I encourage everyone involved in this debate to ensure they are listening to the voices of young Australians when it comes to this decision-making process rather than assuming that the grownups in the room know best.” Tink was among 13 lawmakers who voted against the bill in the House on Wednesday. They were overwhelmed by 102 legislators who voted for it. The platforms have urged a that examined the legislation on Monday to delay a vote until after a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies is completed next June. The four-hour committee meeting on Monday attracted 15,000 written submissions. X Corp. told the committee that billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s platform had “serious concerns as to the lawfulness of the bill,” including its compatibility with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. “There is no evidence that banning young people from social media will work and to make it law in the form proposed is highly problematic,” X said. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the legislation was “inconsistent with what Australian parents have told us that they want, which is a simple and effective way for them to set controls and manage their teens’ online experience.” Under the bill, parental consent for children to use social media does not override the ban. Lizzie O’Shea, chair of the Digital Rights Watch charity, which aims to uphold the digital rights of Australians, said she was appalled by the process and limited timeframe the government used to pass such significant and contentious legislation. She said she was very aware of the serious risks posed by social media platforms, “but I do not support a ban personally because I understand both the limits of that particular policy and the expert evidence that is coming out from people who work in this space about the problems for young people being excluded from those spaces,” O’Shea said. Her concerns centered on privacy, negative mental health impacts on excluded children and the possibility that young children would find ways to access social media spaces that would become even less child friendly as a result of the ban. “I’m profoundly aware of the dangers of large social media platforms running a certain kind of business model that prioritizes data extraction and exploitation of vulnerability over the public interest or the building of community and the protection of democracy,” she said. Swinburne University digital media expert Belinda Barnet, who supports the ban, feels she is part of a minority among professionals in the digital field. “I like it mainly because I think many of the social media platforms as they exist right now are not suitable environments for young children,” she said.
LUKE LITTLER left Ritchie Edhouse applauding him after he pulled off a genius moment in the Players Championship. The darts sensation was taking on Edhouse in the finals of the tournament and was in great form yet again. Littler , 17, won the tie 6-2 in a crushing defeat to his opponent. The teenager managed to hit an incredible six 180s and averaged 105.3 throughout the game. He also missed a double 12 to complete a nine-darter in the match. But it was his checkout in the fifth leg that saw Edhouse step back and applaud. With 120 left to go, Littler hit a 20 and then two bulls-eyes in a row to win the leg. Cameras caught Edhouse's astonished reaction as he paid respect to the impressive youngster. Fans were also left amazed by Littler's continued flashes of brilliance at the oche on social media. One posted: "Double bullseye. Littler is insane." CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS A second wrote: "That is outrageous from Luke Littler!" A third commented: "The Nuke is something else." LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year. The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age - smashing records along the way. He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title - which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May . He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player . He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list . And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE. The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire. He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle. And he's even the face of a brand new cereal. But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship. Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories . A fourth said: "What a geeza man." Another added: "Luke Littler just took out 120 going 20, Bull, Bull. Filthy." Meanwhile, the tournament has not been a success for Chris Dobey. The ace was defeated by Nathan Aspinall 6-2 on Friday evening. He took to social media to apologise to his fans f or the "s*** show" he put on . BELOW is a list of Darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. Most World Titles24 November PTI Protest: Internet Service to Shutdown in Pakistan From 12:00 AMSecret Service director touts changes as Congress presses him on Trump assassination attempt
Adam McKay is sharing an un-popular opinion. The director, 56, praised “ Wicked ” earlier this week on social media but said that its “radical” subject matter could lead the movie musical to get banned. “On a pure storytelling level ‘Wicked Part 1’ is right up there as one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made,” McKay wrote on X . “I know ‘Part 2’ swings back to the center a bit but ‘Part 1 ‘ is nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, propaganda.” He went on to compare the project, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, to a slew of self-described “radical” films, including “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Citizen Kane.” “What’s really striking about ‘Wicked Part 1’ is that it’s coming out NOW when America has never been more right wing and propagandized,” continued McKay. “And yes, I know the theatrical production and the book are much older so part of the timing is a coincidence but still...” “Wicked” is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and the Tony award-winning musical, which starred Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. The movie follows a witch named Elphaba (Erivo) as she attends Shiz University and befriends her roommate Glinda (Grande). Elphaba also becomes a supporter of animal rights after witnessing the creatures being stripped of their jobs and speech capabilities. One X user commented that their interest was peaked after learning the movie’s subject matter, to which McKay wrote back , “I think you’ll be shocked. If America keeps going on the track it is I wouldn’t be surprised to see the movie banned in 3-5 years.” After a second follower asked how far McKay believed a potential ban on the film would go, the former “SNL” writer refused to back down. “Jesus dude. You really think I’m 100% saying the movie will for sure be banned to the point where no one can ever see it?” McKay quipped. “The idea of shutting down non profits at the President’s discretion is in motion. Things r changing fast.” The Hollywood director hasn’t been afraid to vocalize his thoughts over the years, most recently slamming Vice President Kamala Harris last month after she lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. McKay called for others to “abandon” the Democratic Party with him. He said in part, “Who would have guessed lying about Biden’s cognitive health for 2 yrs, refusing to do an open convention for a new nominee, never mentioning public healthcare & embracing fracking, the Cheneys & a yr long slaughter of children in Gaza wouldn’t be a winning strategy?” Meanwhile, “Wicked” has continued to garner buzz since its release last month, with over-the-top interviews from Erivo, 37, and Grande, 31, circulating during their press tour. One bizarre statement made by Out magazine reporter Tracy Gilchrist went viral on social media, with the journalist telling the duo she had seen posts online that people were “holding space” for “Defying Gravity.” Erivo and Grande appeared to have a strong emotional reaction to the phrase, and a clip of the encounter had tens of millions of views, which led some viewers to ask if they were having a “fever dream.” In an interview with Variety, the actresses explained their reactions . Erivo said she was so emotional because she didn’t know people were “holding space” with her character’s breakout song and “really feeling power in that,” but chalked it up to the fact that she “hasn’t been looking” for documented instances. “I mean, it’s been happening on some platforms. I mean, I guess. I had no idea that this thing was going on,” the actress said. Grande admitted she was baffled by Gilchrist’s comment. “So I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” the Grammy winner bluntly revealed. “I didn’t understand the first sentence. And then I definitely didn’t understand what was happening — how you [Erivo] responded. I was like, ‘Oh, what did she say? What did you hear?’ And I just wanted to be there ’cause I knew something big was happening, and I didn’t know how to be there,” Grande added. Erivo teased, “After a while I didn’t know how to be there.”
Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. An uneasy calm settles over Syrian city of Homs after outbreak of sectarian violence HOMS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country’s fragile peace could break down. A tense calm prevailed Thursday after checkpoints were set up throughout the country’s third-largest city, which has a mixed population of Sunni and Shia Muslims, Alawites and Christians. The security forces are controlled by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the charge that unseated former President Bashar Assad. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate change ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor signed the new law Thursday. It requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state infrastructure fund for repairs or projects that help avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill earlier this year. It's meant to make big oil and gas companies contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events or for resiliency projects. Such projects may include restoring coastal wetlands or upgrading roads, bridges and water drainage systems. Legal challenges to the new law are expected. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.
In a landmark move, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, November 27, launched its first and only regulated lottery operation, The Game LLC, offering a grand prize of Dirham 100 million (Rs 2,29,83,80,000) in its “Lucky Day” draw. The Game LLC, an Abu Dhabi-based operator, was licensed by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) in July of this year. The draw is open to UAE residents aged 18 and above, featuring a diverse range of games catering to a broad audience. Tickets are now available for purchase on the website , and the inaugural live draw will take place at 8:30 pm on December 14. The draws will be held every two weeks. The draw offers participants the chance to win life-changing amounts and a new form of entertainment that adheres to GCGRA’s strict regulatory frameworks. The initial draw will offer a grand prize of Dirham 100,000,000 (Lucky Day) and seven ‘Lucky Chance’ IDs each ensuring Dirham 100,000. In addition, participants can purchase scratch cards at Dirham 5 (Rs 114) with prizes ranging from Dirham 50,000 to Dirham 1,000,000. A post shared by The UAE Lottery (@theuaelottery) Tickets are priced at Dirham 50 (Rs 1,149) and participants are asked to select one number from 1 to 12, marked as the month, from a list of six numbers from 1 to 31. Match all six days and month numbers for the top prize, and match six days but not the month for a share of the second prize. The third prize is awarded to those who match five days and the month. The fourth prize is awarded for either five days and no month or four days and the month. A post shared by The UAE Lottery (@theuaelottery) Bishop Woosley, Director of Lottery Operations at The Game LLC, emphasized, “Our goal is to deliver thrilling experiences while encouraging responsible play. After undergoing GCGRA’s thorough evaluation, we remain dedicated to maintaining global standards, ensuring fairness and transparency in every aspect, from the drawing process to winner selection.” The digital platform provides a user-friendly interface for easy ticket purchase, results check, and winning tracking, ensuring a secure and responsible gaming experience.Game-changing holiday gifts for building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more
NoneCricket fans blast Travis Head for his VERY rude celebration in Boxing Day Test: 'Kids are watching'Davis scores 15, Southern Illinois knocks off Florida Tech 81-54
Anemic peso drags PSEi back to 6,700
Joel Dahmen's 'half-court' putt keeps PGA Tour status aliveWhat is Salt Typhoon? An expert explains the Chinese hackers, attacks on US networksAdam McKay is sharing an un-popular opinion. The director, 56, praised “ Wicked ” earlier this week on social media but said that its “radical” subject matter could lead the movie musical to get banned. “On a pure storytelling level ‘Wicked Part 1’ is right up there as one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made,” McKay wrote on X . “I know ‘Part 2’ swings back to the center a bit but ‘Part 1 ‘ is nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, propaganda.” He went on to compare the project, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, to a slew of self-described “radical” films, including “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Citizen Kane.” “What’s really striking about ‘Wicked Part 1’ is that it’s coming out NOW when America has never been more right wing and propagandized,” continued McKay. “And yes, I know the theatrical production and the book are much older so part of the timing is a coincidence but still...” “Wicked” is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and the Tony award-winning musical, which starred Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. The movie follows a witch named Elphaba (Erivo) as she attends Shiz University and befriends her roommate Glinda (Grande). Elphaba also becomes a supporter of animal rights after witnessing the creatures being stripped of their jobs and speech capabilities. One X user commented that their interest was peaked after learning the movie’s subject matter, to which McKay wrote back , “I think you’ll be shocked. If America keeps going on the track it is I wouldn’t be surprised to see the movie banned in 3-5 years.” After a second follower asked how far McKay believed a potential ban on the film would go, the former “SNL” writer refused to back down. “Jesus dude. You really think I’m 100% saying the movie will for sure be banned to the point where no one can ever see it?” McKay quipped. “The idea of shutting down non profits at the President’s discretion is in motion. Things r changing fast.” The Hollywood director hasn’t been afraid to vocalize his thoughts over the years, most recently slamming Vice President Kamala Harris last month after she lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. McKay called for others to “abandon” the Democratic Party with him. He said in part, “Who would have guessed lying about Biden’s cognitive health for 2 yrs, refusing to do an open convention for a new nominee, never mentioning public healthcare & embracing fracking, the Cheneys & a yr long slaughter of children in Gaza wouldn’t be a winning strategy?” Meanwhile, “Wicked” has continued to garner buzz since its release last month, with over-the-top interviews from Erivo, 37, and Grande, 31, circulating during their press tour. One bizarre statement made by Out magazine reporter Tracy Gilchrist went viral on social media, with the journalist telling the duo she had seen posts online that people were “holding space” for “Defying Gravity.” Erivo and Grande appeared to have a strong emotional reaction to the phrase, and a clip of the encounter had tens of millions of views, which led some viewers to ask if they were having a “fever dream.” In an interview with Variety, the actresses explained their reactions . Erivo said she was so emotional because she didn’t know people were “holding space” with her character’s breakout song and “really feeling power in that,” but chalked it up to the fact that she “hasn’t been looking” for documented instances. “I mean, it’s been happening on some platforms. I mean, I guess. I had no idea that this thing was going on,” the actress said. Grande admitted she was baffled by Gilchrist’s comment. “So I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” the Grammy winner bluntly revealed. “I didn’t understand the first sentence. And then I definitely didn’t understand what was happening — how you [Erivo] responded. I was like, ‘Oh, what did she say? What did you hear?’ And I just wanted to be there ’cause I knew something big was happening, and I didn’t know how to be there,” Grande added. Erivo teased, “After a while I didn’t know how to be there.”
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:20 p.m. ESTUnited Airlines Holdings Inc. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day