NoneLogistical issues meant that thousands of Namibians were still waiting to vote in pivotal presidential and legislative elections late on Wednesday as the polling stations were scheduled to close. The vote could usher in the desert nation's first woman leader even as her party, the ruling South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) faces the strongest challenge yet to its 34-year grip on power. Some voters told AFP they queued all day, for up to 12 hours, blaming technical problems which included issues with voter identification tablets or insufficient ballot papers. According to Namibia's electoral law, those in the queue before the polls closed -- scheduled at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) -- should be allowed to vote. "We have the obligation to make sure that they pass their vote," said Petrus Shaama, chief officer of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). The main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has blamed the ECN for the long lines and cried foul play. "We have reason to believe that the ECN is deliberately suppressing voters and deliberately trying to frustrate voters from casting their vote," said Christine Aochamus of the IPC. She said the party had "started the process" of approaching a court "to order the ECN to extend the voting time". At one polling station inside Namibia's University of Science and Technology in the capital Windhoek, hundreds of people were still in line at 09:00 pm despite some having arrived at 6:00 am, an hour before polls opened. It was a similar situation at the Museum of Independence, according to an AFP reporter, where one voter said he arrived 12 hours earlier and was still in line with hundreds of others. SWAPO's candidate and current vice president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was one of the first to vote and called on Namibians "to come out in their numbers". An estimated 1.5 million people in the sparsely populated nation had registered to cast their ballot. SWAPO has governed since leading mineral-rich Namibia to independence from South Africa in 1990 but complaints about unemployment and enduring inequalities could force Nandi-Ndaitwah into an unprecedented second round. Leader of the IPC, Panduleni Itula, a former dentist and lawyer said he was optimistic he could "unseat the revolutionary movement". "We will all march from there and to a new dawn and a new era of how we conduct our public affairs in this country," the 67-year-old told reporters after voting. Itula took 29 percent of votes in the 2019 elections, losing to SWAPO leader Hage Geingob with 56 percent. It was a remarkable performance considering Geingob, who died in February, had won almost 87 percent five years before that. Namibia is a major uranium and diamond exporter but not many of its nearly three million people have benefitted from that wealth. "There's a lot of mining activity that goes on in the country, but it doesn't really translate into improved infrastructure, job opportunities," said independent political analyst Marisa Lourenco, based in Johannesburg. "That's where a lot of the frustration is coming from, (especially) the youth," she said. Unemployment among 15- to 34-year-olds is estimated at 46 percent, according to the latest figures from 2018, almost triple the national average. For the first time in Namibia's recent history, analysts say a second round is a somewhat realistic option. That would take place within 60 days of the announcement of the first round of results due by Saturday. "The outcome will be tight," said self-employed Hendry Amupanda, 32, who queued since 9:00 pm the night before to cast his ballot. "I want the country to get better and people to get jobs," said Amupanda, wearing slippers and equipped with a chair, blanket and snacks. Marvyn Pescha, a self-employed consultant, said his father was part of SWAPO's liberation struggle and he was not going to abandon the party. "But I want SWAPO to be challenged for better policies. Some opportunistic leaders have tarnished the reputation of the party, they misuse it for self-enrichment," the 50-year-old said. While lauded for leading Namibia to independence, SWAPO is nervous about its standing after other liberation-era movements in the region have lost favour with young voters. In the past six months, South Africa's African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority and the Botswana Democratic Party was ousted after almost six decades in power.234 win login register 。

Sam McDowell: Chiefs enacted emergency plan after Patrick Mahomes’ outburst vs. Raiders. What next?

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BBC Strictly's Shirley Ballas slammed by fans for 'bias' over Pete Wicks comments

Stanford knocks off Cal in both teams' ACC openerPerth's north-east joins rail network after more than a decade of political delaysIt feels strange to state this but Real Madrid should really worry about their qualification to the next phase of the UEFA Champions League, as the Spanish giants have only won two of the opening five matches in the league phase so far, losing against Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool. The side coached by Arne Slot pulled off a 2-0 win at Anfield thanks to the goals scored by Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. The Reds are flying as they are the only side that have won their first five matches and are leading the table with 15 points. Let's take a closer look at the team coached by Carlo Ancelotti and why they should really worry after Liverpool's defeat. MAC ALLISTER FINISHES A LOVELY MOVE FROM LIVERPOOL TO HIT REAL MADRID EARLY IN THE SECOND HALF ⚡ pic.twitter.com/7iYRlrN9Vg More injuries Ancelotti needs to face the crucial upcoming fixtures with some key players out injured. French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga left the pitch against Liverpool with a knock and his conditions will be assessed in the next few days, but it doesn't look like he will be back shortly. He's just the latest name of a longer list that includes big names like Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Rodrygo and especially Vinicius Jr, who is set to miss at least the next three weeks including the next away game against Atalanta, who won 6-1 against Young Boys in the last match and are currently sitting fifth in the table with three wins, two draws and no defeats in the opening five. Where is the real Mbappe? The performances, more than the actual numbers, of the French star are something that need to be monitored. Against Liverpool, Mbappe missed the penalty in the second half but also lost 15 ball possessions, not creating much and only having one shot on target in the exact same game where he was called for something different, also considering the absence of Vinicius Jr. That's the key aspect here as in this crucial moment of the season, Vinicius won't be able to help his teammates and Mbappe is not delivering and showing what we are all expecting from the player who moved from PSG to Real Madrid this summer in one of the most discussed free agent deals of the recent years. The upcoming schedule The next away game will probably be a deciding one for Real Madrid, but the side coached by Carlo Ancelotti will visit Atalanta, and the Nerazzurri are coming from a 6-1 win against Young Boys, showing to be one of the best sides so far. Later, the Spanish giants will host RB Salzburg in their last home game at the Santiago Bernabeu before visiting Brest in the last crazy matchday when all the matches will be played at the same time. For sure, Ancelotti wants to avoid the scenario of playing for their lives in their last match but looking at the schedule, this is definitely an increasingly possible outcome.

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Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Of the eight states with Great Lakes shoreline, President-elect Donald Trump carried five in 2024 while Vice President Kamala Harris won three. That political split is a surprising reason to be optimistic that the U.S. Congress will act before the year’s end to reauthorize a critical program with a vital mission: cleaning up decades of industrial pollution around these inland seas. There’s long been broad support for the program, known as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Now, with it set to expire in 2026 , a bipartisan coalition of Great Lakes politicians is commendably flexing its political muscle to reauthorize the GLRI this year, which would extend it through 2031 . The urgency is appropriate. Passing the bill now demonstrates commitment to the ongoing cleanup work. It also prevents the need to reintroduce the bill next session, when lawmakers face a crowded agenda and a new government efficiency committee could put programs like it at risk. Having bipartisan backers should help GLRI clear a divided Congress. Great Lakes politicians’ advocacy powered the $475 million reauthorization bill through the U.S. Senate Wednesday night and hopefully will lead to its U.S. House passage in the typically chaotic weeks before the year’s end. The conscientious GLRI coalition includes four Minnesotans: Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican, Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat , and the state’s two Democratic senators: Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith . Toxic waste, damaged habitat and waters that aren’t safe for swimming or fishing along the Great Lakes’ U.S. and Canadian shorelines are the regrettable legacy of the less enlightened era before modern clean water regulations. In the 1980s, 43 of the most degraded areas around the Great Lakes were designated “Areas of Concern. One of them: northern Minnesota’s St. Louis River estuary. Unfortunately, insufficient remediation progress followed that designation. But the GLRI, launched in 2010 , ambitiously aimed to end almost a quarter century of inaction. Since then, the GLRI has provided “over $3.7 billion to 16 federal organizations to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and loss of fish and wildlife,” according to a Nov. 12 letter from four U.S. House representatives urging colleagues to swiftly reauthorize the GLRI. The missive makes a strong argument by noting the historic progress made since 2010. Five areas of concern have been delisted and over “6,700 river miles have been cleared of dams and other barriers, resulting in expanded wildlife habitat and increased biodiversity. Additionally, nearly 479,000 acres of habitat, including 65,000 acres of coastal wetlands, have been restored to improve ecosystem resilience,” wrote Reps. David Joyce, R-Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., and Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. Joyce is the House bill’s lead author. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., is the Senate’s lead . The four Minnesotans are cosponsors, which reflects well on them and the state. Vice President-elect JD Vance is also a cosponsor. Minnesotans can see for themselves that the GLRI has worked. The St. Louis River in the Duluth area has long been considered among the most challenging areas of concern to remedy. Reasons include its vast size and that it straddles two states. But last summer, a public celebration marked the opening of a new waterfront recreation area on a site, once home to a U.S. Steel operation, that had been closed to the public for decades. Thanks to the $165 million cleanup effort, Duluth residents and visitors can now enjoy “acres of rolling green space with a new, walkable peninsula, a 2-mile extension of the Waabizheshikana Trail and safe habitat for both aquatic life and woodland creatures ,” the Star Tribune reported . The St. Louis River estuary is still listed as an area of concern, but delisting could potentially take place early next decade . That goal, as well as continuing the work on other areas of concern across the Great Lakes, hinges on the steady funding stream provided by reauthorization. Finishing this work is a “moral imperative,” said Nelson French , a retired state employee who put together a visionary “business plan” about a decade ago to tackle St. Louis River pollution. This in an investment in future generations’ health and well-being. The Great Lakes system holds “one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water supply and nine-tenths of the U.S. supply,” according the Great Lakes Commission , providing drinking water for more than 40 million in the U.S. and Canada. “The lakes directly generate more than 1.5 million jobs and $60 billion in wages annually,” with recreation generating “more than $52 billion annually for the region.” This week, Klobuchar said the Great Lakes are “integral to our way of life” and added that “we are working on bipartisan basis to get the bill through both houses as part of a year-end package or through the House.” Stauber’s support is critical with Republicans controlling the U.S. House. “Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes are national treasures, a key pillar of our economy, and the backdrop of countless special memories for my family and many others,” he said in a statement Thursday. “Protecting the Great Lakes has always been a top priority of mine and I am proud to advocate for this bipartisan bill that will support ecosystem restoration, combat the spread of invasive species, and keep our waters clean. I’m glad it passed the Senate, and I hope the House can do the same soon.” Stauber sent a strong letter on Friday urging key House committee members to move the GLRI bill. His office said it’s still unclear when the House could vote. The northeast Minnesota congressman was just elected to his fourth term and is increasingly influential in Washington, D.C. Expediting the GLRI bill’s passage through his chamber is a fine place to wield that clout.

Caitlin Clark’s former Iowa teammate Jada Gyamfi joked she is set to block the Indiana Fever star on social media after her playful comment. Back in 2023, Clark enjoyed a record-breaking spell at Iowa , leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back National Championship appearances while departing college as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history. She took the sports world by storm recently, headlining a talented class of 2024 that attracted record audiences and attention to the WNBA . The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark dominated on the court , finishing as the WNBA Rookie of the Year after posting 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and a league-leading 8.4 assists per game. After the Fever was eliminated in the first round of their first playoff campaign since 2016, Clark is now in her first professional offseason. Flau’jae Johnson reacts to Kim Mulkey's sideline behavior at LSU Dawn Staley makes feelings clear on Hailey van Lith and Sedona Prince's TCU She is seemingly enjoying her time off, too. Clark is known to poke fun at her teammates and friends on social media, with the guard recently trolling Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton for his toes. On Friday, Clark decided to take aim at former Iowa teammates Hannah Stuelke and Gyamfi after the Hawkeyes pair posted a video of themselves dancing on TikTok. Rather than enjoyably joining in on the action, Clark took to the comments to post: “More film and sleeping. Less TikTok.” Gymafi had posted the TikTok, and she immediately sent a warning to Clark. She responded: “I’m so close to blocking you on socials.” Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news The warning was likely in jest; Gyamfi and Stuelke joined Clark playing for Iowa in 2022, which was the WNBA star’s third year with the program. The trio played together for two years before Clark made the step up to the pros. Clark clearly wants Iowa to continue their hot start to the season. Ranked No. 17, the Hawkeyes are currently 8-0 to start the 2024-25 campaign; Stuelke is averaging 14.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, while Gyamfi is putting up 2.0 points on shorter minutes. Iowa is next in action on the road against 6-0 Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 7. Meanwhile, Clark will enjoy the remainder of her offseason before preparing for her sophomore campaign in the WNBA, which tips off in May 2025.

Bournemouth 's Justin Kluivert and Evanilson created history in Saturday's 4-2 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers . The Cherries bounced back from consecutive defeats to claim a 4-2 victory over a Wolves side managed by former Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil . Bournemouth's successful outing was made even sweeter by the fact that two of their players created Premier League history at Molineux. Kluivert showed great composure from 12 yards to score a hat-trick of spot-kicks, becoming the first player to net three penalties in a single Premier League game. Evanilson, who joined Bournemouth from Porto in the summer, won all three of the penalties, etching his name into the history books as the first individual to win three penalties in a single game in the competition's history. Speaking after his first Premier League hat-trick, Kluivert admitted it was "beautiful" to create history with his three spot-kicks. "That sounds beautiful, to go in the history books," Kluivert told Premier League Productions . "That is amazing. I'm super happy with it,". I train them [the penalties]. "We have a great goalkeeper, Kepa [Arrizabalaga]. We try some stuff. The first one, I stop and look at the keeper, what is he doing? I switched it up for the second one. "Then the third one, he doesn't know what I'm going to do. I waited and he chose for me. Easy as that. We have shown that we can beat a lot of teams in this league. I am happy." Evanilson was unable to add to the four goals he has scored this season, but he still managed to have a decisive influence on the contest. Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola took the opportunity to praise the Brazilian striker as well as commenting on Kluivert's confidence from the penalty spot. "Evanilson has made the difference today," Iraola told BBC Match of the Day . "He has been fighting with the centre-backs and the goalkeeper. He was phenomenal. "Justin [Kluivert] has played against my teams in Spain many times, and has also scored penalties. Justin is normally quite confident in those situations. "The first two were clear. For the third one, I thought maybe he is not the one to take it. But also, in the moment, I didn't want to be the one to tell him. Every time you take another penalty, it becomes more difficult because you are giving the goalkeeper more information. "But I would also like to acknowledge Evanilson. He didn't score today but he is [the reason] why we won." After claiming their second away win of the Premier League season, Bournemouth will now turn their focus to Thursday's home match against Tottenham Hotspur.Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine US dollar

A circle of corroded bronze, measuring 12 inches (30cm) across, adorned with golden shapes, was unwittingly discovered in 1999 in Nebra, Germany, now famously coined the Nebra Sky Disc. More than 3,600-years-old, it is widely considered to be the oldest known depiction of the cosmos. It is currently the subject of a new study, where metallurgical analysis has indicated that it was manufactured using a complex, hot-forging process, with ten cycles of heating up to 700°C! Bombshell Study Calls Astronomical Theories of the Nebra Sky Disk “Obsolete” Why a Replica of the 3,600-Year-Old Nebra Sky Disk Was Sent into Space Hardly any suitable scientific method was omitted to study the Nebra hoard. (© State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt ) An Elusive Manufacturing Process Part of the UNESCO "Memory of the World" register since 2013, the Disc is considered one of the best-researched archaeological objects. The new study, published in the latest edition of the journal Scientific Reports , finally points us in the direction of the elusive manufacturing process. Based on its material composition and previous research, it seems that the process would be to heat to 700°C over 10 cycles, then forging, and then annealing to relax the metal structure again. This affirms what was earlier believed based on the material composition, which indicated that the disk couldn’t have been simply cast in its final size. Consider this: a bronze disk with a diameter of around 31 centimeters, a few millimeters thick – forging this during the Bronze Age without any of the modern tools and technologies available to us today was quite an achievement. "That the investigations continue to produce such fundamental new findings more than 20 years after the Sky Disc was found not only once again demonstrates the extraordinary character of this find of the century, but also how highly developed the art of metal processing was already in the Early Bronze Age," says State archaeologist Prof. Dr. Harald Meller in a press release . Goseck Circle: The Oldest Known Solar Observatory World of Stonehenge Exhibition Is a Stunning Treasure Hall of Fame The Nebra Sky Disc with the marked sample extraction point ((c) (Reproduced with permission by State Office for Heritage management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt—State Museum of Prehistory, photo: J. Lipták, Munich/ Nature ). From Disc-Rescue to Crafting Discovered in 1999 on the Mittelberg hill near Nebra, Germany, Henry Westphal and Mario Renner made this find when illegally treasure-hunting with a metal detector. The total loot included 2 bronze swords, axes, a chisel, and fragments of spiral armbands, sold to a private dealer. The police led a sting operation and recovered the disc in 2002, now on display in the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Archaeologists have placed the disc, with a blue-green patina (probably originally a deep bronze hue), and adorned with gold inlays, to the Únětice culture, emerging at the start of the Central European Bronze Age around 2300 to 1600 BC. It was likely made over 4 stages, and eventually deposited into the ground in the form of a ritual offering. Previous studies have pointed to how the arrangement of the cosmos indicated its deep relevance to agricultural communities – likely what it alluded to. "In addition, the Sky Disc shows how important it is to re-examine seemingly well-known finds when new methods become available," says Dr. Meller. After its recovery, a small sample was temporarily taken from the outer area of the Disc in 2002 (since re-inserted), and then temporarily removed again for archaeometallurgical research. It was subject to ‘microstructural analyses on color-etched surfaces with a light microscope’, with modern imaging methods used: energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction – the most modern metallurgical analyses available. Following this, the disk was subject to hardness measurements and parallel experimental tests. The renowned coppersmith Herbert Bauer then made a replica from a cast blank, which was actually subject to many more forging cycles to produce the copy; the original cast blank was probably larger and thinner. “The latest research results make it clear that the early Bronze Age craftsmen were not only outstanding casters, but also mastered complex bronze processing techniques, for example hot forging, at the highest level. With their extensive experience and knowledge, they were not only able to produce numerous axes in series production, but also to forge a workpiece that is unique from today's perspective, such as the Nebra Sky Disc,” reports the press release. The research was conducted by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt in cooperation with the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Chair of Metallic Materials (Prof. Dr. Thorsten Halle), and the company DeltaSigma Analytics GmbH, Magdeburg. Top image: The Nebra Sky Disc. Source: Juraj Lipták/ State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt By Sahir Pandey References Dieck, S., Michael, O., Wilke, M. et al. 2024. Archaeometallurgical investigation of the Nebra Sky Disc . Scientific Reports . Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-80545-5 . Milligan, M. 2024. Study uncovers the secrets of the Nebra Sky Disk . Available at: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/11/study-uncovers-the-secrets-of-the-nebra-sky-disk/154009 . White, K. 2024. Decoding the Nebra Sky Disc, an Ancient Vision of the Cosmos . Available at: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/nebra-sky-disc-facts-2474678 . Artifacts News Nebra sky disc metallurgy Germany Until today, the Nebra Sky Disk was known as the oldest concrete depiction of cosmic phenomena worldwide. Scholars believed it was a 3,600-year-old artifact depicting a sun or full moon, a lunar... A team of archaeologists and forensics experts studying the remains of the 'Prince of Helmsdorf,’ dated to around 1940 BC, who was discovered in Klopfleisch in 1877, have announced that ‘he was...

While enduring what he called one of the “most disciplined weeks” of workouts since he’s played for Arizona, KJ Lewis also came down on himself. Before helping lead Arizona to a 102-66 win over Southern Utah on Saturday, the Wildcats' sophomore wing said he apologized to teammates and coach Tommy Lloyd for behavior that led to costly technical fouls in UA's recent losses to Duke and Oklahoma. He also pledged to better control himself going forward. “I know I'm one of the leaders of this group, so I'm just trying to be better in that aspect,” Lewis said. Then, although it wasn't technically about discipline, Lewis also all but took himself out of the starting lineup Saturday. Lloyd already pulled Lewis from the starting lineup on Nov. 29 against West Virginia in the Battle 4 Atlantis, a day after Lewis had picked up his second technical foul in three games, but that penalty appeared to be over. This time, Lloyd said, it was Lewis’ idea to stay on the bench while freshman Carter Bryant started instead. “It really wasn't planned on early in the week, and KJ came to me the past couple days and asked if I would be open to him not starting,” Lloyd said. “He just felt like maybe it would give other guys some opportunities to get some confidence, and kind of put him in in a role similar to what Pelle (Larsson) played a few years ago for us.” Larsson has said he approved a move from a starting role into the sixth-man spot midway through the 2022-23 season, in part because transfer forward Cedric Henderson was more comfortable as a starter. Larsson went on to start throughout last season and become a second-round draft pick last June who is now playing regularly for the Miami Heat. It's possible that the Lewis-Bryant move remains similarly permanent. “We’re gonna continue to evaluate it, but it’s something that I'm not afraid to do,” Lloyd said. At least for Saturday's experiment, the move appeared to work for both players. It put Lewis back in the aggressive sixth-man role he thrived in last season as a freshman, with Lewis picking up 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists and two steals. He still played the second-most minutes on the team, 23. Bryant, meanwhile, had only five points but a team-high nine rebounds, four assists and two steals with just one turnover in 17 minutes. Besides, Arizona hardly needed Bryant’s scoring. The Wildcats received a massive 62 points from their bench, with a total of seven players in double figures. The outburst was so widespread that even though the starting backcourt was limited -- Jaden Bradley didn’t score a single point and Caleb Love shot 3 for 12 -- the Wildcats still hit the century mark. Reserve wing Anthony Dell’Orso led the Wildcats in scoring with 19 points while making 3 of 4 3-pointers. As a team, UA (4-4) shot 50% overall and 37.5% from 3-point range while stifling the Thunderbirds on the other end of the floor: Arizona held Southern Utah to just 41% shooting and scored 28 points off 18 SUU turnovers. Jamir Simpson led Southern Utah (8-3) with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting but the Thunderbirds, who normally thrive on getting to the free throw line, couldn’t get that part of their game going. They shot just 10 free throws over the first 35 minutes and made seven of them, often unable to get into the paint because of all those turnovers. All that is why, after 10 minutes, it was never much of a game Saturday. The Wildcats led 55-23 at halftime, then by more than 30 points for most of the second half. The Wildcats went up 80-38 when Dell’Orso hit a pair of 3s within 23 seconds midway through the half. SUU pulled within 29 points with 5:34 to go, prompting Lloyd to keep in his scholarship players in until two minutes remained and UA led 101-63. Lloyd went deep into his bench, using 10 players for 10 minutes or more, while playing sophomore Conrad Martinez at point guard for 15 minutes. Martinez played only briefly in the Wildcats’ Nov. 17 game against Davidson but not in the Wildcats’ other two Battle 4 Atlantis games. Martinez wound up with five points and four assists while going without a turnover, able to help the Wildcats revive both their fast-break game and high assist-field goal ratio (with assists leading to 23 of UA's 34 made field goals). “You’ve got to get stops, you’ve got to get rebounds, to run the ball – and we’ve got to continue to evaluate our running game,” Lloyd said. “It's a huge part of what we do. It just hasn't quite come as easy for this group... “It usually starts with a ball handler and your point guard pushing and accelerating the pace of the game and finding easy opportunities. I thought Conrad came in and did a good job. Conrad ended up in some in some numbered fast-break situations, where you have a 3-on-2 or a 4-on-3 advantage, and I thought he made really good decisions.” Arizona wound up with 21 fast-break points, fueled by 13 steals and a 47-32 rebounding advantage, entertaining the McKale Center crowd of about 11,000 in a way it had not since a 102-44 laugher over Old Dominion back on Nov. 9. “As long as we defensive rebound, we run and give a maximum effort, I feel like that's one part of” getting out on the break, said forward/center Henri Veesaar, who had 12 poinrts and three rebounds. “This week (in practice) we had a lot of effort plays. We talked about that as a team just giving it up for everybody. If you make a run and you don't get the ball, but your teammate dunks the ball, we both could be happy for it, just as happy as if you dunk the ball.” The Wildcats appeared to have fun from the start. In the first half, Arizona held Southern Utah to just 26.7% shooting and scored 20 points off the Thunderbirds' 13 turnovers. Love turned the ball over on the Wildcats’ first possession to start a rough first half in which he shot just 1 for 6 from the field. His turnover led to a 3-pointer from Southern Utah’s Tavi Jackson, but the Thunderbirds trailed by double digits most of the half. While UA led just 20-16 with 11:24 left, Veesaar picked up fouls that sent him to the line four times over the next two minutes. He hit all four ensuing free throws, and Martinez followed by hitting an open 3-pointer to give UA a 27-16 lead with 9:33 left. Southern Utah never crept within single digits the rest of the way and, ultimately, the game may have proved more about therapy than competition for the Wildcats, whose two losses at the Battle 4 Atlantis last week droped their record below .500 for the first time in 15 years. “Great programs, good coaches, great players, are going to stumble once in a while and the response is the key -- learning from it and coming back stronger is the objective,” Lloyd said. “We’ve obviously been challenged early in this season, which is a good thing, and we had a good week to evaluate a lot of things. ... even how we practice, how we talk to each other, just all our behavioral things. “It was really getting back to the nitty gritty of our culture. So all in all it was a good week.” Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) charges by Thunderbirds center Malik Lamin (32) during the game at McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wilbur gets the crowd hyped up as the Wildcats announce they’re starting five for the game against Southern Utah at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) dunks the ball during a break away play against Southern Utah in the first half, McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Arizona (3-4) leads Southern Utah (8-2) 55-23 at halftime. Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) shoots the ball over Thunderbirds guard Duncan Reid (23) during the second half of the game at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Arizona Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) jumps for two-points during the first half of the game against Southern Utah, McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Arizona (3-4) leads Southern Utah (8-2) 55-23 at halftime. Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (14) tries to keep the ball in his possession during the second half of the game at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) hangs on the rim after dunking the ball against the Thunderbirds at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) charges by Thunderbirds center Malik Lamin (32) during the game at McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (14) dunks the ball over Southern Utah during the first half, McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats forward Trey Townsend (4) goes for a two-point shot over the Thunderbirds during the first half of the game at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) jumps to block Thunderbirds guard Hercy Miller (15) from getting his shot off, McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) jumps for a lay up during the game against Southern Utah at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (14) has a chat with assistant head coach Jack Murphy during a timeout in the second half of the game at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'Orso (3) drives the ball to the net against Thunderbirds guard Duncan Reid (23) during the first half of the game at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) throws the basketball at the backboard for a dunk during the second half of the game against the Thunderbirds, McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) sinks a three-point shot during the match against Southern Utah, McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Wilbur greets a row of Wildcat fans during the match against Southern Utah at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) takes practice shots before the start of the match against Southern Utah at the McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2024. Contact sports reporter Bruce Pascoe at bpascoe@tucson.com . On X(Twitter): @brucepascoe Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! ReporterGlobal stocks mostly cheer Nvidia results as bitcoin gains

Millet Excellence and Incubation Centre opens at CFTRI in MysuruWorld News | Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on BRIC Bloc of Nations if They Act to Undermine US DollarOne man is now in police custody after officers blocked Feild St. in downtown St. John's and surrounded a home with rifles drawn on Saturday afternoon. Const. James Cadigan told CBC News police received information about activities inside the house and were attempting to make contact with the residents inside. Officers had rifles drawn and pointed at the house around 2 p.m., and tactical police entered the house around 2:30 p.m. A man exited the house without resisting and was taken into custody. Police had Feild St. blocked and asked residents to stay inside their homes. They say residents are now free to move around. (Abby Cole/CBC) During the incident, police asked residents of the area to stay in their homes and the public to avoid the area. In an update, the RNC posted on social media that residents are now free to move around; however, officers will remain in the area while an investigation continues.