Champions League group phase leaders Liverpool virtually sealed a place in the last 16 with a tight 1-0 victory at Girona on Tuesday after Mohamed Salah struck from the penalty spot. Liverpool have made a stunning start in the competition under coach Arne Slot, winning all six of their matches to move provisionally five points clear of second-placed Inter Milan. The English giants, six-time winners of the competition, were given a tough night by Champions League debutants Girona, who fell to a fifth defeat and are on the verge of elimination. Teams finishing in the top eight will avoid an extra round of play-off matches. "If you ask me about all six games, I'm really pleased with all the results – but I'm far from pleased about the performance tonight," Slot told reporters. "We had hardly any control at all over the game, maybe the second half was a bit better but then I'm trying to be positive." Slot started fit-again goalkeeper Alisson Becker after a two-month injury lay-off and the Brazilian showed no sign of rust on a busy night. After their Merseyside derby clash at Everton was called off because of a storm at the weekend, Slot was able to pick a fresh side, going with arguably his strongest available team to try and assure a top eight finish as soon as possible. Newcomers Girona, who lost several key players in the summer and are still rebuilding, opted for Arnaut Danjuma in attack with support from spritely duo Bryan Gil and Yaser Asprilla. Liverpool pinned the hosts back in the first 10 minutes and Girona stopper Paulo Gazzaniga pushed away a Joe Gomez header. After that Michel Sanchez's Girona found their footing on a chilly night at their sold-out Montilivi stadium, reduced to under 10,000 capacity due to UEFA regulations, and they began to put Alisson to the test. (AFP)
NFL QB stock report, Week 15: Does ‘unstoppable’ Josh Allen have MVP locked up? - The Athletic - The AthleticThe record will show that tight end Trey McBride had a great season, Marvin Harrison Jr. has a promising future, the Cardinals' defense played over its head for much of the year and Arizona was almost a good football team in 2024. Key word — almost. A frustrating stretch continued on Saturday when the Cardinals (7-9) lost 13-9 to the host Los Angeles Rams . Arizona was pushing for a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute, but Kyler Murray's pass took an unlucky bounce off McBride's helmet and LA's Ahkello Witherspoon made a spectacular grab for the interception, snagging the ball just before it hit the turf. “I think we can compete with anybody, but again, that doesn’t count,” second-year coach Jonathan Gannon said. “It’s about winning and losing, you what I mean? I just got to do a better job, but I know they’re doing the right things.” The Cardinals did a lot of things right against the Rams. Despite being eliminated from the postseason, Arizona competed hard. Murray completed 33 of 48 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown — but also had two interceptions. McBride caught 12 passes for 123 yards, including his first TD catch of the year. Harrison had one of his best games with six catches for 96 yards. “I’m going to choose to be positive about it,” Murray said. “I see a light at the end of that tunnel. I think we’re a couple plays away, a couple of plays away from being a 10-win team or right where we want to be, going to the playoffs or winning the division.” The Cardinals' defense played well for most of the game, limiting the Rams to 257 yards. But in the end, it was another loss. The Cardinals have dropped five of six after starting 6-4. “I know we’re close, man, and I know it’s hard to see that,” Gannon said. “For me, that’s hard to take on the chin but we’ll get better from it. We’ll get better.” What’s working The Murray-to-Harrison connection was much better on Saturday, producing several big plays. Gannon challenged Harrison to be more physical against opposing defensive backs last week, and the receiver responded, looking much more like the player the Cardinals expected when they selected him with the No. 4 overall pick. “I think the physicality of it, coming from college to the league, guys don’t realize how physical you can be when you get to the league,” Murray said. “He's going to be big time.” What needs help After doing a great job of taking care of the ball over the first 11 games, Murray has thrown seven interceptions over the past five. A few of those came in late-game situations when he had to take a chance and force a pass, but it's still not a good trend. Stock up McBride had his third 100-yard game of the season, showing sure hands and fighting through contact for extra yards. The third-year player has 1,081 yards receiving this season, becoming just the second tight end in franchise history to exceed 1,000 yards. The other was Hall of Famer Jackie Smith, who had 1,205 yards in 1967. He has 104 catches and is just the 10th tight end in NFL history to top 100 in a season. Stock down Arizona's special teams have been very good for most of the year, but Los Angeles' block of an extra point attempt by Chad Ryland in the third quarter proved costly. If the Cardinals had trailed by three points on the final drive instead of four, they would have had the option of kicking a tying field goal in the final minute. Injuries RB James Conner tried to battle through a knee injury against the Rams, but gained just 4 yards on the ground. His status for the season's final game is uncertain. LB Joey Blount (ribs) and CB Elijah Jones (ankle) were inactive. Key number 822 — Harrison's receiving yards on the season. That ranks third for a rookie in franchise history behind Anquan Boldin (1,377 in 2003) and Frank Sanders (883 in 1995). Next steps Arizona's final game will be at home on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, who are also eliminated from the playoff race. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl David Brandt, The Associated PressApartments are in high demand Families priced out of Brisbane’s red-hot housing market are driving a surge in apartment demand, with units costing as little as a quarter of the median house price. Exclusive data has pinpointed the suburbs where units deliver the best value — not only slashing costs compared to freestanding houses but also offering generous living space. Research by SuburbData also highlighted a divide between luxury suburbs, where apartments were far cheaper than houses, and more affordable areas, where unit prices were as much as 70 per cent of houses but had comparable floor space. This Auchenflower unit sold for $741,000 Leading the list of 29 suburbs was ritzy Teneriffe, where a typical unit priced at $908,000 was just 22 per cent of the jaw-dropping median house price of $4.11m. Buyers in Paddington and Auchenflower also benefitted, with units priced at 34.6 and 33.8 per cent of houses, providing proximity to the city without the hefty outlay. SuburbData’s analysis shows units in key family-oriented areas still delivered on space, with those in Taigum and Highgate Hill offering 38.5 and 36 per cent of the typical house block size. In Taigum, units averaged 2.4 bedrooms compared to 3.6 for houses, with a typical buy-in of 71.6 per cent of the median house price of $809,000 — a balance attracting young families seeking space without breaking the budget. A three-bedroom apartment in Kedron sold for $675,000 More affordable markets were Redbank Plains in Ipswich, where units cost $513,000 and typically offer one quarter of the space of freestanding houses, and Michelton, where the average apartment value of $597,000 was half the price of a house. The research considered relative house and unit prices in each suburb, as well as typical floor space or house block size and number of bedrooms in the respective dwelling types. The growing preference for units reflected broader lifestyle changes, according to industry experts. PropTrack’s latest Home Price Index showed Brisbane apartment prices surged 17 per cent over the past year to a median value of $670,000 in October, outpacing houses which were up 12 per cent to $970,000. A three-bedroom apartment in Kedron sold for $675,000 MORE NEWS ‘Unfair’ bank policy stopping thousands from owning a home Surprise factor making homes 10pc cheaper Revealed: the lifestyle hotspots in line for 100 new homes SuburbData analyst Jeremy Sheppard said the research showed where some of the best unit buying opportunities were in the current market. “There’s the potential for buyers to get good value in a location where they want to live but can’t afford a house,” Mr Sheppard said. He noted that the gaps between unit and house prices were at record highs in some areas, suggesting apartment buyers could get more value than usual. A common theme among the markets where units were selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars less than similarly-sized houses in the area was a long history of house subdivisions nearby. Highgate Hill apartment sold for $825,000 “Unit sizes tend to be fairly similar across areas, while houses can vary,” he said. “Often the best value units are in established areas where most of the houses are on smaller blocks.” But Mr Sheppard also cautioned buyers to be highly selective in the types of units they targeted. “One of the problems with units is that oversupply can be a real killer of the long-term value,” he said. “It’s best to try to avoid units in high-rise buildings and rather focus on boutique blocks where there are only a few apartments there. “A good sign is if there’s no lift. It means there will be less apartments jammed into the same building and the strata fees are often lower.” Hotspotting director Terry Ryder said inner-city unit markets were leading growth. Picture: Supplied Hotspotting director Terry Ryder said the trend mirrored other states, with inner-city areas leading the charge. Bowen Hills was recognised as Australia’s top Supercharged Suburb by the Hotspotting Spring 2024 Price Predictor Index, indicating potential for future price growth. “In areas like Newstead, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, and the Brisbane CBD, units are in high demand and often preferred over houses,” Mr Ryder said. “This precinct is desirable for its close proximity to the CBD and is benefitting from ongoing improvements to connectivity and amenities, such as the $6.3b Cross River Rail project.” TOTAL Property Group managing director Adrian Parsons said younger, high-net-worth buyers aged between 35 and 45 were leading demand for luxury apartments, while working families were drawn to convenience, lifestyle and affordability. ABS figures show 32 per cent of interstate arrivals were aged between 25 and 44 years. Total Property Group director Adrian Parsons said younger buyers were active in the luxury apartment sector. Picture: Glenn Hampson. “The market in southeast Queensland has matured and there’s now a significant focus on apartment living, which has become more desirable because of the high level of luxury amenities developers are adding within the apartment buildings,” Mr Parsons said. “The way people are living has changed. Technology has given us the freedom to live and work where we want to, while on the other hand we have become increasingly busy. “People in their prime working years either don’t have time, or do not want to maintain a house and yard and this has changed the way younger people view their living environments. “The introduction of larger, two and three-bedroom apartment residences in key locations is attracting young families, who traditionally would have purchased a house with a yard. It makes sense these days as children are spending less time outdoors and when they do go outside, they are happy to play at a local park or the beach,” he said. Elisa McMahon said house-sized apartments were selling fast. Picture: Josh Woning McMahon Estate Agents principal Elisa McMahon has just settled 11 house-sized apartments in Park Lane Residences, a project in Lutwyche — all to owner-occupiers. “The majority of apartments are three-bedroom plus a multi-purpose room, or four bedrooms,” Ms McMahon said. As well as downsizers, the buyers were made up of families with school-aged children looking for a more affordable option in an inner-city market, she said. “What I’m finding interesting is apartments seem to be accelerating in price growth at the same pace as houses, or actually outperforming them in some markets.” Ms McMahon said many young, professional singles and couples were also opting for an apartment over a house because of affordability and lifestyle preferences. “Since 2014, we’re really seeing people starting to make the downsizing move (to an apartment) earlier as Brisbane’s lifestyle and entertainment precincts improved,” she said. “We’re now delivering beautiful, owner-occupied stock compared to the investor-driven apartment product on the market 10 years ago.” Unit in Teneriffe sold for $810,000 TOP VALUE UNIT MARKETS Suburb/units typical value/unit prices as % of houses TENERIFFE/$908000/22.1 KANGAROO POINT/$821000/39.8 HIGHGATE HILL $903000/ 44.5 PADDINGTON $789000/ 34.6 AUCHENFLOWER $691000/33.8 WEST END $790000/ 47.4 WOOLLOONGABBA $709000/ 46 GORDON PARK $667000/ 39.6 CLAYFIELD $696000/ 36.7 WINDSOR $614000/ 38.6 KEDRON $635000/ 45.3 CANNON HILL $651000 /53.4 ALDERLEY $744000/ 49.6 SHERWOOD $690000/ 44.4 LUTWYCHE $656000/ 56.2 TAIGUM $580000/ 71.6 NORMAN PARK $776000/55.8 WOODY POINT $780000/ 103.6 WYNNUM $801000/ 64.8 MITCHELTON $597000/ 54.1 NUNDAH $629000/ 55.7 GREENSLOPES $673000/ 51.5 WYNNUM WEST $666000/ 70.5 MORNINGSIDE $714000/ 77.7 REDBANK PLAINS $513000/ 73.5 CARINA $809000 /72.6 REDCLIFFE $712000/ 83.8 COORPAROO $698000/ 52.5 ANNERLEY $662000/ 61.3 * source: SuburbData
Team claims NASCAR rescinded approval to buy new charter unless federal antitrust suit is droppedRosen Law Firm Encourages Light & Wonder, Inc. Investors to Inquire About Securities Class Action Investigation - LNW
A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI's board in early 2018. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.Colts vs. Giants Week 17: Everything we know from Indy's 45-33 loss | Sporting News‘Queens’ Writer-director Klaudia Reynicke And EPs Jessica Alba And Tracey Nyberg On Capturing The Humanity Of Young Womanhood And Complex Familial Bonds in Their Swiss Oscar Contender
Minnesota elects first Kenyan-born state legislator in the countryWANG & LEE GROUP, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLGS) Short Interest Down 37.2% in December
A suspected Chinese spy with business ties to Prince Andrew is barred from UK
French ambassador celebrates achievements of 2024, reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral
