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VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Aidan Bouman threw a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and Quaron Adams followed with a 70-yard touchdown on a reverse as No. 4 seed South Dakota pulled away late to beat 13th-seeded Tarleton State 42-31 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. South Dakota will host the winner of Saturday’s matchup between No. 5 seed UC Davis and 12th-seeded Illinois State in the third round. The Coyotes (10-2) trailed by seven points four times until Bouman connected with Keyondray Jones-Logan for a 12-yard touchdown and a 35-31 lead with 9:36 left to play. Tim White intercepted a Victor Gabalis pass, giving South Dakota the ball at its own 15-yard line. Adams, a sophomore receiver, raced to the end zone three plays later for his first career rushing touchdown and the Texans (10-4) never recovered in their first trip to the postseason. Gabalis threw three first-half touchdown passes, giving Tarleton State leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 at halftime. Travis Theis had two short touchdown runs in the first half to pull the Coyotes even and his 2-yard scoring run 51 seconds into the fourth quarter tied it at 28. Tarleton State took its last lead on a 23-yard field goal by Corbin Poston with 11:23 left to play. Bouman completed 18 of 22 passes for 213 yards and also had a 5-yard scoring toss to Jones-Logan off a deflected pass that stood up to a video review and tied the game at 21. Theis carried 25 times for 130 yards. Gabalis totaled 379 yards on 23-for-31 passing with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Darius Cooper caught nine passes for 161 yards and three scores. Cody Jackson had the other touchdown reception. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: andIndia and Kuwait share a deep and historic bond, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said on Saturday adding that the two nations are poised to transform their traditional buyer-seller relationship into a strategic partnership by exploring opportunities across the entire oil and gas value chain. Modi voiced willingness to help efforts that could lead to an early restoration of peace in Gaza and Ukraine, asserting solutions to such conflicts cannot be found on the battlefield. In an interview to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) , he emphasised the importance of sincere and practical engagement between the stakeholders for bridging differences and achieving negotiated settlements. Modi also reiterated India’s support for a negotiated two-state solution towards the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, according to the interview. With Kuwait standing as India’s sixth largest crude supplier and fourth largest LPG supplier, Modi said the scope for further collaboration is immense as his country emerges as the third biggest global energy, oil and LPG consumer. Kuwait holds around 6.5 per cent of global oil reserves, he said. Modi said that the petrochemical sector offers another promising avenue for collaboration as India’s rapidly growing petrochemical industry is set to become USD 300 billion by 2025. The energy partnership between the two countries is not only a pillar of economic relationship but also a driver for diversified and sustainable growth, setting a path towards a future of shared prosperity, he said. Modi described the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), an organisation of six Middle East countries, including Kuwait, having vital significance for India. India’s relationship with the Gulf is rooted in historical, cultural and trade linkages, with the GCC region accounting for around one-sixth of India’s total trade and hosting around one-third of the Indian diaspora, he said. Around nine million Indians residing in the region are contributing positively to its economic growth, he added. The prime minister said the Indian community acts as a living bridge between the two countries. Trade and commerce, which have been on an upswing, have served as important pillars of their bilateral relationship, he said. In the interview, he expressed happiness with ’Made in India’ products, particularly in automobile, electrical and mechanical machinery and telecom sector, making inroads in Kuwait. He said India today is manufacturing world-class products at a most affordable cost, stressing that diversification to non-oil trade is key to achieving greater bilateral trade. Modi added that there is a considerable potential to expand bilateral cooperation in the pharmaceutical, health, technology, digital, innovation and textile sectors. India and Kuwait share a deep and historic bond and the relationship between both countries has always been one of warmth and friendship, he said, adding that the crosscurrents of history and exchanges through ideas and commerce have brought people close and together. The two countries have traded with each other since time immemorial, Modi said. Modi is set to meet the Emir, the Crown Prince, and the Prime Minister of Kuwait on Sunday. With inputs from agencies.

( MENAFN - ACN NewsWire) Hua medicine Announces Successful U.S. Phase I Results on Its 2nd Generation GKA Candidate SHANGHAI, Nov 30, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - Hua Medicine (the“Company”, HKEx stock code: 2552) announced today that the Company has successfully completed a Phase I clinical trial on its 2nd generation GKA candidate in U.S. at the 9th China BioMed Innovation and investment conference (CBIIC). The Phase Ia clinical trial of the second-generation GKA (HM-002-1005) was conducted in the United States in 40 subjects with Type 2 diabetes (T2D). This trial was randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose, focusing on safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. The second-generation GKA is a novel molecular entity with optimized physicochemical properties, holding new patents, and serving as the prodrug of dorzagliatin (HMS5552). This study designed for once-daily oral administration. Its aim is to extend the drug's action duration in the body through sustained-release technology, enhance patient compliance, and prolong the stimulation of GLP-1 secretion in the intestines. The Single Ascending Dose (SAD) study demonstrates that HM-002-1005 tablets can be rapidly converted to HMS5552 in the human body, with minimal exposure level of prodrug in both blood and urine. The t1/2 (biological half-life) after a single dose of HM-002-1005 tablets was prolonged compared to dorzagliatin tablets. The Cmax of HMS5552 in plasma after a 184.5mg single dose is comparable to the plasma concentration of HMS5552 after a 75mg single dose of dorzagliatin tablet; likewise, the daily AUC of HMS5552 in plasma after a single dose of HM-002-1005 tablets is comparable to the exposure level of HMS5552 after a 75mg BID dose of dorzagliatin tablets. The research indicates that HM-002-1005 tablets are near-completely converted to HMS5552 in human, and its pharmacokinetic characteristics support for once-daily oral administration. The development of HM-002-1005 tablets not only contributes to enhancing patient medication adherence and effectively control blood glucose levels within 24 hours; meanwhile, it also offers the opportunity to explore the Maximum Tolerated Dose above 150mg daily to achieve better efficacy. The 75 mg BID dose regiment was developed under the concept of Minimum Therapeutic Effective Dose in Chinese T2D patients who suffered from an impairment of insulin secretion and significant reduction of early phase insulin. The different disease characters of T2D with obesity in western patient population would benefit dorzagliatin from its effects on GLP-1 secretion and improvement of insulin sensitivity. With the confirmation that the exposure level of HM-002-1005 tablets at 184.5mg is comparable to dorzagliatin tablets at 75mg (BID), we will further optimize the dosage form followed by a Multiple Ascending Dose (MAD) clinical development of the 2nd generation GKA in China and the United States. Dr. Li CHEN, founder and CEO of Hua Medicine, stated,“Hua Medicine has always been committed to treating Type 2 diabetes at its root cause by restoring patients' ability to autonomously regulate blood glucose levels. Over the course of a decade, the Company has selected dosing and clinical research protocols that are safe and effective for the majority of Chinese diabetes patients, leading to the successful development of GKA and the clinical application of dorzagliatin. Building on this foundation, the Company will undergo a strategic upgrade by further exploring the therapeutic potential of GKA, enriching its product pipeline and seeking partners both domestically and internationally, in order to benefit a broader range of patients, expand into global markets, and effectively establish the brand identity of GKA medications while maximizing the commercial potential of our global first-in-class drugs.” About Hua Medicine Hua Medicine (The“Company”) is an innovative drug development and commercialization company based in Shanghai, China, with companies in the United States and Hong Kong. Hua Medicine focuses on developing novel therapies for patients with unmet medical needs worldwide. Based on global resources, Hua Medicine teams up with global high-calibre people to develop breakthrough technologies and products, which contribute to innovation in diabetes care. Hua Medicine's cornerstone product HuaTangNing (Dorzagliatin tablets), targets the glucose sensor glucokinase, restores glucose sensitivity in T2D patients, and stabilizes imbalances in blood glucose levels in patients. HuaTangNing was approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China on September 30th, 2022. It can be used alone or in combination with metformin for adult T2D patients. For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), no dose adjustment is required. It is an oral hypoglycemic drug that can be used for patients with Type 2 diabetes with renal function impairment. For more information Hua Medicine Website: Investors E-mail: ... Media E-mail: ... MENAFN30112024002725003249ID1108941842 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industryBy BILL BARROW, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.

CHICAGO (AP) — Aidan Laughery rushed for three touchdowns and No. 22 Illinois topped Northwestern 38-28 on Saturday to reach nine victories for the first time since its 2007 Rose Bowl season. Pat Bryant dashed in to score off Luke Altmyer’s 43-yard pass early in the third quarter as Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) struck for touchdowns just over 4 minutes apart early in the third quarter to open a 28-10 lead in what had been a tight game. Bryant's 10th receiving touchdown tied a school record. Altmyer, who threw for 170 yards, had a TD himself on a keeper from the 1-yard line early in the second quarter. David Olano added a field goal in the fourth to cap Illinois' scoring. Laughery, a sophomore running back, rushed for a career-best 172 yards and topped 100 for the first time. He entered with only one TD this season and two for his career. He had a career-long 64-yard run for a score early in the second half. Coach Bret Bielema said he wasn't surprised by Laughery's explosive performance as the Gibson City, Illinois product rounded back into form after being hampered by a hamstring injury earlier this season. “I thought today would be a day that could happen,” Bielema said. “Today some of those turned into big home run hits we've kind of been waiting on all year.” Laughery said he's been prepping for this kind of game, when he carried the ball 12 times for an average of 14.3 yards. “Finally, the opportunity was there,” said Laughery, who got the game ball. “You know you gotta' hit one and it came together today.” He credited the Illini offensive line with opening space for his breakout performance. “Those guys were covering them (Northwestern's defense) all day long,” Laughery said. “It was awesome running behind the looks we were getting” Northwestern’s Devin Turner intercepted Altmyer twice, including for a 13-yard touchdown return late in the first quarter. Thomas Gordon caught Jack Lausch's 15-yard TD pass with a minute left, then the Wildcats added a two-point conversion to complete the scoring. Northwestern (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten) didn’t pack it in as hosted its second game this season at Wrigley Field, this time on a breezy sunny day with game-time temperature of 20 degrees. It looked like the Illini might run away after Bryant’s 10th receiving touchdown 4:52 into the third. He entered tied for the Big Ten lead. But Luke Akers kicked his second field goal of the game, a 34-yarder, with 5:35 left in the third quarter to cut it to 28-13. Lausch led the Wildcats on their next possession and finished it with an 11-yard touchdown toss to A.J. Henning to narrow the Illini lead to 28-20. Then Mac Resetich intercepted Lausch’s pass 50 seconds into the fourth quarter. Laughery powered up the middle for 31 yards and his third TD about two minutes later to quell the Wildcats' momentum. Northwestern dominated in possession time — 34:32 to 25:28 —and plays — 90 to 53. The margin was even more pronounced in the first half, but the Wildcats settled for a 13-yard touchdown return on Turner’s second pick of the game with 2:14 left in the first quarter and Akers’ 21-yard field goal that opened the scoring 6:29 in. Illinois led 14-10 at the half on Laughery’s 30-yard TD run midway through the first quarter and Altmyer’s keeper 1:39 into the second. Akers missed wide to the right on a 44-yard attempt as time ran out in the half. Wide receivers down Both teams’ leading pass receivers were injured. Northwestern’s Bryce Kirtz was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a lower-body injury after two receptions that upped his total yards to 598. Illinois’ Bryant went to the locker room with about 5 minutes left in the first half after Turner collided with him as he plucked his second interception. Bryant returned, however, for the second half. The takeaway Illinois: Is in line for a prestigious bowl game appearance and a chance to tie the school record of 10 wins, most recently set during their 2001 Sugar Bowl season. “We wanted to put ourselves in a good position on this day to get to nine wins and see where it can go,” Bielema said. “Just a fun day overall. I don't know what the future holds. It think we're a team that can play with anybody in the country.” Northwestern: Finished its second season under coach David Braun at 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats dropped their final three and five of the last six. Up next Illinois is headed to a bowl game. Northwestern opens its 2025 season at Tulane on Aug. 30. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25It has become assumed that if a team hires Jim Harbaugh, he can turn that team into a winner. That has been true for the now playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers . But what may fly under the radar is his ability to recognize untapped potential at the tight-end position. Tight ends have always factored heavily in Harbaugh’s offense, not just as blockers, but as top targets in the passing game. In his most successful years as a head coach, a tight end has been a go-to weapon, whether that was Vernon Davis with the San Francisco 49ers to Colston Loveland with the Michigan Wolverines. Joining the Chargers meant an overhaul at the position. He cleared the deck of the existing players and brought in four new names to the roster — Hayden Hurst, Will Dissly, Stone Smartt, and Tucker Fisk, among others who didn’t make the cut. What raised eyebrows was, that none of the above were considered among competent pass catchers. None of the above has ever caught more than 600 yards in a season. Chargers Tight Ends Providing Unexpected Spark To Offense This didn’t stop Harbaugh from putting those players into game plans as pass catchers. Despite missing two games, Will Dissly has the second-most receptions for the team. His 45 catches and 439 yards have surpassed his previous-best mark of 34 for 349 in 2022. Bleacher Report credits Dissly’s return to the lineup as one of the reasons the Chargers offense looked better against the New England Patriots. They also highlighted Smartt’s performance in the game writing: “Another tight end, Stone Smartt, has become a preferred target for Herbert. Over the last four games, the 26-year-old veteran caught 13 passes for 164 yards.” Smartt got his first start of the year when Dissly was injured and proved to be a clutch pass catcher for Justin Herbert and Harbaugh. He has caught 16 passes on 19 targets for 208 yards and 11 first downs, mostly over the last four games. While he has yet to catch a touchdown, several of his first downs have come on high-leverage situations — keeping drives alive for the offense. Harbaugh and the Chargers front office had to rebuild the team under tight financial constraints. As they head into the second season, they may seek to allocate more resources toward the position, with Hurst and Smartt hitting free agency. Some have even mock-drafted Loveland to rejoin his Wolverine head coach in LA. This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission.

EXCLUSIVE Texas cheerleader, 17, is charged with animal cruelty for 'poisoning her rival's show goat' By EMMA JAMES FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 13:52 EST, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 14:20 EST, 29 December 2024 e-mail 109 View comments Pretty and popular, Aubrey Vanlandingham had the world at her feet as she progressed through high school in a well-to-do suburb of Austin, Texas . Not only was she a cheerleader, but she had also just been made president of the school's Future Farmers of America. And she was particularly proud of her pet goat, Lacey, which she paraded in animal shows across the state for cash prizes and certificates. The 17-year-old posted her beloved pet on her social media, with now-deleted posts seen by DailyMail.com detailing her excitement to head up Vista Ridge High School's FFA in Cedar Park, in her senior year. But, prosecutors claim, her desire to win got too much for the teen, and she turned to evil ways to ensure victory – by poisoning a fellow student's goat. Vanlandingham is facing the prospect of up to two years in prison if convicted of poisoning six-month-old Willy twice over a three-day period, eventually killing him. The brazen teenager showed no remorse when authorities launched a probe, allegedly telling cops: 'I don't like cheaters' when questioned. Initially the brunette denied targeting her rival's goat, but then admitted to cops that he had injected the white and brown farm animal with pesticide at the school's barn facility, leaving him 'bellowing' in pain before dying in its 15-year-old owner's arms. Texas high school senior and goat exhibitor Aubrey Vanlandingham, 17, is accused of poisoning her rival's goat over several days until it finally died in October Willy died in agony after being poisoned, allegedly by his owner's rival, Aubrey Vanlandingham She is even said to have Googled how to clear her disturbing search history, after looking up 'how much bleach kills a goat', 'if goats inject bleach do they die' and 'poisoning pets, what you should know'. Officers also recovered sickening video of Willy running away from Aubrey and convulsing after she allegedly poisoned him, before sending the twisted footage to the mother of his freshman owner. The callous mean girl has been charged with one felony of torturing an animal, which under Texas law means she could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine. She has yet to enter a plea. Video footage obtained by police allegedly shows the brunette 'forcing a syringe like item into the goats' mouth' on October 23. The goat then attempted to 'break free', before the teenager used the syringe on the animal twice more. She checked on Willy twice in a two-hour period, checking on his condition, before calling her schoolmate's mother to say Willy was 'convulsing' and 'acting funny'. Willy died 21 hours after being poisoned by the teenager, and a vet was initially unable to figure out what was wrong with the goat. The teen has been charged with one felony of torturing an animal, which under Texas law means she could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine The teenager had been an ambitious animal show competitor and had just been made president of her school's Future Farmers of America As a cheerleader and well-involved student, Aubrey had the world at her feet as she progressed through Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park, a well-to-do suburb of Austin, Texas The mother of the 15-year-old girl who owned the goat told DailyMail.com her family want 'justice' for her daughter and her goat and are calling for a judge to give Aubrey jail time. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, she said: 'We were there when he passed away. My daughter was actually holding him. So that was very traumatic. 'She admitted to poisoning him multiple times over several days. So it's a pretty rough situation. 'We don't believe there is any remorse there, we hope that she has to serve jail time and she gets some kind of mental help. 'It's all bizarre. We want justice served, we don't want a slap on the wrist. We want to make sure that she is punished. 'At this point we don't feel like she thinks she's going to be punished and she needs to be. 'She needs to take ownership for what she's done.' A necropsy performed by a caprine pathologist confirmed the cause of death as organophosphate intoxication from phosmet, a pesticide commonly used for external parasite control in livestock. Her social media shows Aubrey posing with her own goat, Lacey, posting that she was 'so excited' to head up the FFA for her high school senior year. She also bragged about the group's winning ways, with the FFA placing 6th in a statewide contest in 2023. Aubrey often flaunted her achievements and prized goat on social media, where she can be seen posing with a wooden plaque after placing 6th in a statewide contest with the FFA in 2023 She was particularly proud of her pet goat, Lacey, which she paraded in animal shows across the state for cash prizes and certificates Local contests entered by the school FFA have cash prizes of up to $50, with the larger state fairs having a grand prize of $30,000. Most of the goats shown by the pupils were entered into lower-level contests. Relatives of the freshman whose goat died claim there is no way too cheat in goat shows. 'She's saying it's because of cheating. But from what we've deciphered, she was just really jealous,' said Willy's owner's mother. 'You can't even cheat when it comes to showing goats,' added the mother. 'It makes no sense, so that's where the jealousy really kind of falls into place. 'They weren't friends, and my daughter is a lot younger, so they didn't really interact at all so that's what's even more bizarre. Her social media shows Aubrey posing with her own goat, Lacey, posting that she was 'so excited' to head up the FFA for her high school senior year Aubrey has reportedly been banned from attending Vista Ridge High School while the case is ongoing 'The process has not been as aggressive as we would have hoped, everything has just been so slow.' Aubrey has only been charged with poisoning Willy, and will next appear in court on January 15. She was arrested and charged with a felony on November 22, and released on a $5,000 bond the same day. Aubrey has reportedly been banned from attending Vista Ridge High School while the case is ongoing. Her victim's mother added that they never saw anything 'shifting to this extreme', saying the whole thing is 'pretty crazy.' 'There are of course other things going on,' she went on. 'She was in the vet classes, so she knew what she was doing. 'We wanted to make sure that she was not able to interact with my daughter at all. It's still pretty difficult for her, she definitely doesn't trust anybody at this point.' Aubrey's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment by DailyMail.com, but previously released a statement saying: 'My minor client and her family are working hard to resolve any legal issues and non-legal issues raised by these allegations, and we are thankful for a judicial process that will let us tell our story.' The FFA is a national educational organization that allows students to compete in livestock shows across the state with animals the students have raised. Competitors have opportunities to earn scholarships worth thousands of dollars and also have the chance to receive prizes. Crestina Hardie, the Chief Communications Officer for Leander Independent School District, which includes Vista Ridge, said in a statement to the Austin American-Statesman that the district is proud of its FFA program but saddened by the goat's death. 'The district believes the security measures in place, including surveillance footage as well as routine supervision by agriculture science teachers, provided the evidence law enforcement needed to complete the investigation,' Hardie said. 'While the district cannot comment on the status of the student, disciplinary action was taken consistent with policy and procedures.' Texas Share or comment on this article: Texas cheerleader, 17, is charged with animal cruelty for 'poisoning her rival's show goat' e-mail Add commentA crackdown on the theft of vehicles from driveways will see new laws introduced to ban devices which can clone electronic keys. Criminals can target cars which activate automatically when a fob is nearby. The cloning devices have been blamed for a massive increase in thefts of high-tech vehicles which in turn has forced insurers to push up premiums. The thieves use electronic equipment designed for legitimate locksmiths and garages to copy keys inside homes, allowing cars to be driven away. The Home Office is working on a law “to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target those criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them”. Measures are expected to be included in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, which will also include measures to crack down on shoplifting and new “respect orders” banning persistent offenders from high streets. Policing minister Diana Johnson held talks two weeks ago with the National Police Chiefs’ Council about proposals to cut car theft after the number of stolen vehicles recorded by police shot up. Incidents rose from 70,053 in 2013-14 to 128,553 in 2023-24. Crime figures show four in ten cases involve the offender using the signal from an electronic key. This typically involves technology that receives it from a key inside a property and sends it to a device held near the car. This fools the car into thinking the key is nearby, the doors unlock and the engine can be started. The practice is known as relay car theft because the key’s signal is “relayed” to a device. The growing problem is one of the reasons insurance premiums have risen to an average of £622 – 21 per cent higher than a year ago, according to the Association of British Insurers. Other factors include an increase in the cost of repairing damaged vehicles. People who keep keys near the front door and their vehicle on the drive close by can be particularly vulnerable and car owners can protect themselves by storing keys in a container called a Faraday Bag which blocks the signal. An Association of British Insurers spokesperson said: “Vehicle theft remains a serious problem. “So far this year, insurers have settled more than 40,000 claims for stolen vehicles and have paid out more than £490 million to support affected customers. “The industry invests millions each year to combat vehicle crime and help customers to protect their vehicles, and the Government’s efforts to combat thefts are welcome. “We look forward to seeing more details in the Crime and Policing Bill and will continue to work with Government and the police to clamp down on these sorts of crimes.” Minister for Crime and Policing, Dame Diana Johnson said: “Vehicle theft has a devastating effect on victims and we are aware of the real concerns people have in their day-to-day lives. "In the last year alone there were over 128,000 vehicle thefts, which is why we are focused on tackling this issue at source and have committed to bringing forward legislation to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, preventing them from getting into the hands of organised crime groups. "We will continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which includes supporting their National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police and manufacturers to clamp down on vehicle crime.”None( MENAFN - The Peninsula) Washington Post The violin's quaver steadied and swelled through the gloomy concrete staircase, escaped through the wire mesh and soared over the packed-dirt playground before dissipating in the acrid smoke drifting in from the smoldering dump site next door. It was the last day of class before Ghetto Classics broke up for Christmas, and 14-year-old Steve Otieno was practicing his Christmas carols for his final performance of 2024. Undeterred by the demolition of his home last month, the floods that devastated his neighborhood in Nairobi this year, or the eye-watering stink of burning plastic all around him, he stroked the strings to coax forth each note of "Joy to the World.” "Music makes me feel calm when I'm stressed,” he said shyly. "Some people have drugs. For me, it is music.” Steve is one of thousands of children from the poorest neighborhoods of the Kenyan capital who have been introduced to classical music by Ghetto Classics. The organization was set up in 2008 by Elizabeth Njoroge,a classically trained singer who studied pharmacology at her parents' urging but longed to return to music. A chance encounter with a priest trying to fund a basketball court at a Catholic school in the Nairobi slum of Korogocho inspired her to raise money for the first class of musicians there. They chose the name "Ghetto Classics” to highlight their roots. Maurine Kweyu Mukabana, 19, has studied violin for two years. "When I watched people playing, I felt good, so I wanted to feel the same,” she said. (Photo by Malin Fezehai for The Washington Post) "Everyone deserves to have the power of music in their lives, no matter where they are born,” she said. Now Ghetto Classics provides lessons to about 1,000 students, who feed three orchestras, a choir and a dance group. Njoroge raises funds to support its expanding programs. Ghetto Classics works in schools and community centers in Nairobi and Mombasa, but its headquarters is in the St. John compound in Korogocho, where a church, school and community all share space. A tarmacked basketball court and a dirt field for soccer are enclosed by a sagging chain-link fence and scraggly trees; on one side of the compound, the children have planted a garden to try to filter out the choking smoke. Ghetto Classics has performed for former president Barack Obama, first lady Jill Biden and Pope Francis. Alumni are studying in the United States, Britain and Poland. They include one determined pianist who learned to play by watching videos and repeating the motions on a piece of cardboard on which he'd drawn keys. The lessons provide a refugee for students suffering from hunger, domestic violence and crime, said violin instructor David Otieno,who is not related to Steve. He joined the program a decade ago as a student; now he's one of 45 graduates working as paid instructors. The tall, dreadlocked 29-year-old credits Ghetto Classics with saving him from the neighborhood gangs. He witnessed his first homicide when he was still in primary school, and as he grew up, the gangs sucked in friend after friend. His teachers became so worried he'd be killed, he said, that they collected money to move his mother and six siblings to a safer neighborhood where he could continue his music. Back then, he said, the group shared 10 violins among 30 students. Now he has his own instrument. Once shy and fearful, he has played in Poland, in the United States and at State House, the Kenyan president's home in Nairobi. "The violin gives you a voice,” he said. "It makes you talk to people you'd never otherwise talk to.” His students filed into the compound bumping fists. Thousands of kids enroll in Ghetto Classics, but most fall away. The discipline is demanding. Some end up as scavengers next door in Nairobi's 30-acre Dandora dump, a towering pile where excavators perch like storks on peaks of rubbish. One of the world's largest unregulated landfills, it was officially shut down nearly 30 years ago, but dump trucks still arrive daily to unload fresh waste. The United Nations says local kids have high levels of mercury and other heavy metals in their blood. Some days, the stench of burning plastic is to strong that the brass section can't draw the breath to blow. Some students become pregnant and drop out. The hallway is hung with posters on how to respond to sexual assault. A footbridge nearby has been nicknamed "Rape Bridge” for the number of assaults there. One talented saxophonist, whose departure everyone laments, turned to crime. But program leaders aim to help when they can. One girl's mother was jailed for dealing drugs; the girl took over the business to feed her siblings. Program leaders offered to pay her rent, food and school fees if she'd give it up. The deal has worked so far, said Peter Kuria, the social worker who supports the musicians. But the mom is due to be released soon, and they don't know what will happen. Ghetto Classics itself nearly shut down this year during a funding crisis. Members of the Ghetto Classics orchestra rehearse. (Photo by Malin Fezehai for The Washington Post) About a dozen young musicians who spoke to The Washington Post said their parents had never seen them perform. Some were single parents too busy working, some weren't interested, and some were actively opposed. One young dancer and his sister sneaked into Ghetto Classics dance lessons for three years before their mother found out, music director Erick Ochieng said. When she discovered the deception, she stormed into a lesson, cursed the instructor and beat the children in front of their fellow students. A couple of years and many interventions later, he said, she grudgingly permitted them to return. The boy has such talent that he has won a scholarship to study at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. When opera singer David Mwenje started with Ghetto Classics, his father was skeptical, he said, but he came to see him perform and was won over - a bittersweet memory to which Mwenjeclings now that his father has died. Mwenje sang for six years, including for Pope Francis at the Vatican, before turning professional in 2021. His first audition landed him the role of Okoth - a messenger who must tell a village medicine man that his daughter has taken up with foreign missionaries - in "Nyanga: Runaway Grandmother” with Baraka Opera Kenya at the Kenya National Theatre. It was the first ray of hope in years darkened by his father's death and the covid pandemic that shuttered his school, he said. "Through this opera, I could control all my pain,” he said. "I also love to sing 'Bring Him Home,' from 'Les Misérables,' because the song reminds me of my dad and I feel like I'm pleading with God to bring him home.” Mwenje is one of many Ghetto Classics students for whom the organization arranged a professional mentor to provide lessons during the pandemic. Mentors often have to struggle to make lessons work. Steve, the 14-year-old violinist, spent 18 months being coached by the Polish violinist Michal Buczkowski. After months of weekly lessons over a shaky internet connection, they discovered that the best reception was in the school kitchen. So Steve would take his violin there after lunch and show Michal his finger movements on WhatsApp. Students still share violins, so Steve couldn't practice anywhere but school. Buczkowski and Steve performed onstage together this month for the first time at a concert organized by the Polish Embassy in Nairobi. Steve showed up four hours early, with his mum, sister and little brother sitting shyly near the back of the empty rows of seats in the hotel's rooftop bar. As Steve warmed up, 2-year-old brother Brian clapped. "Moja! Moja!” he cried - "More! More!” Gradually, the evening light faded. Earrings and wine glasses clinked and sparkled. The performance began. Notes from the Bach concertos and the Christmas carols danced through the bar's red baubles and frosted snowflakes and floated out over the constellation of city lights below. After duets of "Silent Night” and "Joy to the World,” Buczkowski reached for a sleek black case. Inside was Steve's Christmas present: His own violin. MENAFN29122024000063011010ID1109040076 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Published 23:18 IST, December 21st 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup as the chief guest at the Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium. Kuwait City: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup as the chief guest at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium here, on his two-day visit to the Gulf nation, the first for any Indian prime minister in 43 years. Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait Modi is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The prime minister joined the Emir, the Crown Prince, and the Prime Minister of Kuwait in witnessing the grand opening ceremony. The event also provided an opportunity for an informal interaction of the prime minister with the leadership of Kuwait, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. Kuwait was scheduled to play Oman in the opening game of the eight-team tournament. ​Kuwait is hosting the biennial Arabian Gulf Cup with participation from eight countries, including GCC nations, Iraq, and Yemen. The tournament is one of the most prominent sporting events in the region. Kuwait has won the tournament maximum times among the participating countries. Earlier, addressing a large gathering of the Indian community at a special event ‘Hala Modi’ at the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex in the city, Modi praised the diaspora's contribution to global growth and said that India has the potential to become the “skill capital of the world”. “Every year, hundreds of Indians come to Kuwait. You have added an Indian touch to Kuwaiti society. You have filled the canvas of Kuwait with the colors of Indian skills. You have mixed the essence of India's talent, technology, and tradition in Kuwait,” Modi said. The prime minister expressed happiness about the presence of Indians from diverse corners of the country in the gulf nation and called it a “mini-Hindustan.” Modi is set to meet the Emir, the Crown Prince, and the Prime Minister of Kuwait on Sunday. With PTI Inputs Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. Updated 23:18 IST, December 21st 2024

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