Reports: Kings fire coach Mike BrownIf there were any illusions about North Korean troops being up to par with the demands of modern warfare, their experience in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have apparently brought those to a bitter end. According to multiple reports, at least 100 of the 10,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia to help fight in the conflict have been killed in combat. Another nearly 1,000 have been injured, a lawmaker disclosed on Thursday, according to . The lawmaker, Lee Seong-kweun, made the statement following a briefing by the country’s National Intelligence Service to the nation’s parliament. “There was a report that there have been at least 100 deaths and the injured are approaching 1,000,” he said. Moreover, the deaths and injuries were due to the untrained nature of the troops, according to a report in the . “The heavy losses were caused by North Korean soldiers’ lack of experience in drone warfare and their unfamiliarity with open terrain,” the paper said of Lee’s briefing. “Some North Korean generals might be among the casualties and the Russian military has allegedly described North Korean soldiers as ‘burdens’ on the battlefield due to their ignorance of drones, Mr Lee said.” At least 50 of the troops who were killed, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said, perished in an operation disclosed via social media app on Dec. 17, South Korea’s reported. “Soldiers of the 8th Regiment of the SSO of the Armed Forces of Ukraine organized a warm welcome for North Korean troops in the Kursk region,” they said in a caption accompanying a video of the drones targeting the soldiers. “The video, around one minute and seven seconds long, shows Ukrainian drones conducting over 20 bomb attacks on soldiers presumed to be North Korean,” the paper reported. “The footage captures soldiers crossing a snow-covered field before being struck by drones. Several are seen fleeing the attacks, one unsuccessfully taking cover behind a tree and others carrying away the bodies of the dead.” “North Korean troops began launching large-scale assault operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region last week,” Kyrylo Budanov, head of Defense Intelligence Directorate, told U.S. outlet The War Zone, per Chosun Daily. He claimed that during these operations, over 200 of the North Korean soldiers had been killed. Whether the discrepancy is due to asymmetrical information from intelligence services or Ukraine’s willingness to use losses to propagandize is a matter best left to those with top-secret clearance, although Lee did note that U.S. intelligence sources have been saying several hundred were killed and that his country’s NIS has been relatively conservative in its estimates of deaths and injuries. Whatever the case, it’s safe to say that the losses have been far from insignificant. North Korean troops were initially called in to shore up the Kursk region of Russia, which was the first major Ukrainian advance into Russian territory when Kyiv’s forces occupied part of the region in August and have managed to keep some of their gains. Moreover, the North Korean troops don’t necessarily seem to be helpful to the cause. “North Korean forces suffered significant losses near the villages of Plekhovo, Borozba, and Martynovka in the Kursk region on Dec. 14 and 15, at least 30 soldiers killed or wounded,” the Kyiv Post reported. However, the troops are adjusting, according to . “After suffering severe losses, DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] units began to set up additional observation posts to detect drones of the security and defence forces of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said. Moreover, according to the U.K. Telegraph: “Despite the heavy losses, Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, is reportedly planning an inspection of the country’s special operations force, which could be dispatched to Ukraine.” Reuters also reported that Lee said Kim Jong-un has been overseeing training for additional troop deployments to the region. If it ends the way the first wave of deployments did, Russia might not be the only country that ends up getting embarrassed, militarily speaking, by their foray into Ukraine. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .2 player online games 。

NoneNew York Giants star rookie wideout Malik Nabers (toe) missed practice Thursday and termed himself a game-day decision. He also is unsure if he will be able to participate on Friday. The Giants host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. "I'm hoping so, it all depends on how it feels tomorrow, that's really it," Nabers said Thursday. Nabers, 21, has been one of the few bright spots for the Giants and leads the team with 97 receptions for 969 yards and four touchdown catches in 13 games (12 starts). Selected sixth overall out of LSU, Nabers has caught 10 or more passes on three occasions but has just one touchdown catch over the past 10 games. Though the Giants (2-13) are mired in a franchise-worst 10-game losing streak, Nabers isn't down about the situation. "We're happy where we're at," Nabers said. "Continue to grow every day. A lot of things to fix, a lot of things we can look back on in our rookie year and continue to try to get better for next year." In addition to Nabers, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), center John Michael Schmitz (ankle), linebacker Micah McFadden (neck), cornerbacks Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) and Dee Williams (toe) and safety Raheem Layne (knee) sat out practice Thursday. Quarterback Drew Lock (right shoulder) was a limited participant. --Field Level Media

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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Keller Boothby's 16 points helped William & Mary defeat Navy 82-76 on Sunday. Boothby went 6 of 8 from the field (4 for 6 from 3-point range) for the Tribe (6-7). Gabe Dorsey scored 16 points and added three steals. Noah Collier went 7 of 9 from the field to finish with 14 points, while adding seven rebounds. Austin Benigni finished with 16 points for the Midshipmen (3-10). Jinwoo Kim added 15 points for Navy. Donovan Draper had 14 points and seven rebounds. The loss was the Midshipmen's sixth in a row. Collier scored 10 points in the first half for William & Mary, who led 41-33 at the break. William & Mary took the lead for good with 3:03 left in the second half on a layup from Dorsey to make it a 73-71 game. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Seasonal jobs are reportedly shifting from retail stores to eCommerce fulfillment centers as businesses respond to consumers’ changing holiday shopping habits. While the number of seasonal jobs at retailers dropped from 564,000 last year to 520,000 this year, Amazon added 250,000 seasonal positions and UPS added 125,000, CNBC reported Tuesday (Dec. 24). The roles at Amazon and UPS are generally focused on fulfillment and delivery of online orders, according to the report . This shift in employment came as consumers continued doing more of their holiday shopping online. This year, three-quarters of American shoppers plan to buy at least half their gifts online, the report said, citing data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas . Consumers are expected to continue this trend, with the retail sector forecast to shrink by 0.2% each year over the next decade, per the report. Some 450,000 jobs are expected to be created by online shopping in the U.S. by 2026, according to the report . The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed eCommerce sales in November rebounding from a tepid pace in October as consumers filled up their online carts for gift-giving, PYMNTS reported Dec. 17. While overall retail sales surged 0.7% in November — ahead of a consensus forecast of 0.6% — the non-store retailer category, which includes eCommerce sales, was 1.8% higher. During this year’s Black Friday, 72% of shoppers made at least some purchases online , while only 28% of consumers shopped exclusively in stores, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence publication, “ Black Friday 2024 Report: Sales, Not Sentiment, Drives Black Friday Turnout .” The report found that in-store shopping remains significant but supplements online shopping. Fifty-six percent of consumers visited physical stores during Black Friday — a figure that was down from 57% in 2023 and 62% in 2022. In terms of seasonal jobs , Target said in September that it planned to hire roughly 100,000 workers for the holiday shopping season — a number that was in line with last year’s hiring levels. These openings are for the retailer’s stores and supply chain facilities, Target said, noting the need for workers to support order pickup, drive-up and product stocking needs .An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition