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Streaming giant Netflix Inc NFLX is set to release the highly anticipated second season of "Squid Game" and the show's director and star are sharing details ahead of the Dec. 26 premiere. What Happened: Launched in 2021, "Squid Game" is the biggest series in Netflix history and turned into a pop culture phenomenon. A second season hits the streaming platform on Dec. 26 and will be seven episodes, which is shorter than the nine in the first season. Returning for the second season is the winner of the game in the first season, Seong Gi-hun (aka Player 456), portrayed on screen by Lee Jung-jae. Director and writer Hwang Dong-Hyuk also returns for the second season. The second season features new characters and revolves around Gi-hun, who returns to the game three years after the competition to search for the people behind it and shut the game down for good, as reported by Deadline . Characters competing for the prize this time include a former cryptocurrency influencer who loses a large amount of money for his subscribers and himself. The crypto influencer becomes a fugitive before joining the Squid Game competition, according to the report. Another one of the 400-plus contestants in the games is a woman who made bad investments following the advice of the same cryptocurrency influencer taking part in the games. In the interview with Deadline, Director Hwang as he is known said there is "greater scale" to the second season and new games for the contestants. "The games are one of the biggest changes as well as the characters because, except for Gi-Hun, all of the characters that play the games are new so you're going to be able to see more endearing characters that you end up rooting for," Hwang said. Hwang said Gi-Hun's revenge factor is a key message in the second season, but humanity's quest for making the world a better place could be a bigger theme. "Does humanity have what it takes to change the course of the world, and can we truly let go of our greed, our desires in order to create a better world together?" The director said the series is also somewhat political given the current state of the world being divided. "There are so many things that divide us today, whether it's race, religion, language, the haves and the have nots, the generational divisions, and recently, with the very important vote that you have this week, we look at the political division, the left against the right, the conservatives against the progressives, Hwang said speaking days before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The director was asked about the report that director David Fincher is working on an English-language version of "Squid Game" and said he doesn't know anything official about this, but respects the director's work. "I like his films so if he does, I'm excited and I'll look forward to it." Read Also: Netflix Q3 Earnings: Revenue Beats, EPS Tops, Q4 Guidance Projects Subscriber Boost From ‘Squid Game,’ NFL, And Boxing Why It's Important : The first season of "Squid Game" was watched by hundreds of millions of people on Netflix and helped the company boost its subscribers and host one of the most talked about shows in streaming history. The first season was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards and earned critical praise. Following the second season, a third and final season of the hit show will release in 2025. Director Hwang said the second and third seasons were written at the same time and both were produced simultaneously. The third season is currently in the post-production process, the director said. Expectations are high for Netflix and the second season and the release, which comes around the Christmas holiday, could be a major catalyst for the stock with shares already nearing 52-week highs. Netflix will also stream two National Football League games on Christmas, the day before the release of "Squid Game" season 2. This gives Netflix one of the biggest weeks in streaming history and could have the company the talk of the town at family get-togethers and holiday celebrations. NFLX Price Action: Netflix stock closed at $902.17 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $445.73 to $908. Shares are up 93% year-to-date in 2024. Read Next: Netflix Reveals Squid Game Video Game With 32-Player Party Royale Mode: ‘Can You Make It Through Playtime Alive?’ © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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The 2024 season hasn’t finished. There are still conference championship games to play, an expanded College Football Playoff to look forward to and bowl season in the near future. However, the first important date for the 2025 season is here. “Signing day is the fourth, portal opens on the ninth,” coach Jedd Fisch said on Nov. 25. "I'm sure there's going to be a ton of discussions, and at that point in time we can really visit what it's going to look like in the future, what's the 2025 calendar year going to look like and what's this team going to look like moving forward." Fisch and the Huskies will have their first chance to sign high school recruits for the 2025 season when the three-day early signing period begins on Wednesday. Washington currently holds commitments from 28 high school football players from across the country, and 247Sports composite ratings ranks UW’s 2025 recruiting class No. 19 nationally. UW has 16 offensive recruits, 11 defensive prospects and one specialist committed. California is home to 11 of them, five are from Washington, three from Oregon, two from Arizona, while Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota and Texas each have one representative. The Division I Council previously voted to eliminate the 25-player limit on football recruiting classes on Oct. 4, 2023. The limit was initially suspended for two years starting in 2021 because of questions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, this signing period is almost three weeks earlier than its past iterations. The Collegiate Commissioners Association, which oversees and administers the National Letter of Intent program, announced the change back in March. The early signing period was initially introduced in 2017. Moving the early signing period forward helped reduce the stress of an overcrowded December recruiting calendar. During the past few seasons, the early signing period and the transfer portal overlapped. This year, however, the early signing period will end on Friday, while the portal won’t officially open until Dec. 9. New dates aren’t the only changes to the early signing period. In October, the NCAA Division I Council announced the elimination of the NLI program, which was first established in 1964. Instead, high school recruits will sign aid agreements on Wednesday, which serve a similar purpose. The agreements bind players to their chosen school unless they officially enter the transfer portal, while also prohibiting recruitment communications with other programs. They also may contain contracts for revenue sharing, which the House v. NCAA settlement allows starting next season. Fifth-year linebacker Carson Bruener and junior running back Jonah Coleman earned third-team All-Big Ten honors when the conference announced its end-of-season awards on Tuesday. Bruener was a consensus selection by the coaches and the media. The Woodinville native and UW captain has 93 tackles, two tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, three interceptions, and five pass breakups during his final season in purple and gold. Bruener was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention in 2023. Coleman, who was chosen by the media, has 1,011 yards on 184 carries and 10 touchdowns in his debut season with Washington. He’s averaging 5.5 yards per attempt and 84.3 rushing yards per game. Coleman, who was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention at Arizona in 2023, also has 22 catches for 170 yards. The Big Ten coaches chose Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson instead of Coleman for the third-team running back spot, choosing the Washington running back as an honorable mention instead. Additionally, sophomore wide receiver Denzel Boston was a consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention. The coaches also selected senior tight end Keleki Latu, sixth-year linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala, senior defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez and senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon as All-Big Ten honorable mentions. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was named the conference’s offensive player of the year, while Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter was the defensive player of the year. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith earned freshman of the year honors while Indiana’s Curt Cignetti was named coach of the year by both the coaches and the media. Washington endured its second transfer portal defection on Tuesday, as junior edge rusher Maurice Heims announced he will depart the team after four years on Montlake. “Thank you for making the last four years here some of the best of my life,” Heims wrote in a post on his social media accounts. Heims, a 6-foot-5, 263-pound pass rusher from Hamburg, Germany, played in 30 games at Washington after arriving before the 2021 season. He registered nine tackles, two tackles for a loss and one sack. Heims was mostly a special-teams player this season. He has one season of eligibility remaining. “As a kid from Hamburg, Germany that was completely new to this beautiful sport and this city, you have made every moment amazing,” Heims wrote. “Whether win or loss, y’all have always had our back and you are what makes this place truly special.”Nebraska football signing day preview: Potential flips and a 5-star up for grabs

Trump vows to block Japanese steelmaker from buying US Steel, pledges tax incentives and tariffsWhile without another key performer, the Vancouver Canucks hope to have two others along for the ride when they open a six-game trip against the Ottawa Senators, who are mired in their longest slide of the season. The struggling Canucks will try to right the ship by handing the Senators a fifth straight loss Saturday night. Vancouver has lost two straight and four of six following a 7-1-1 stretch, and the team announced this week that star J.T. Miller will take a leave of absence for personal reasons. It's reported he likely won't be available through this road stretch. "We don't know when he'll be back," Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said of Miller, who is second on the team with 16 points. Vancouver has also been without fellow All-Star Brock Boeser (upper-body injury), who has 11 points in 12 games, for the past six contests. But it's been reported Boeser is with the team for this trip and could be set for a return to the ice. Also, fellow star Thatcher Demko is expected to join the Canucks on this Eastern road trip. However, it's uncertain when he'll make his season debut following a knee injury suffered in the 2024 playoffs. "I definitely know that I'll be playing here," said Demko, who set career bests with 35 wins, a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage last season. "I can't give you the timeline yet, but I'll definitely be back. (I'm) just enjoying being where I am today and keep making progress." In the meantime, veteran Kevin Lankinen has been solid in Vancouver's net with a 2.71 goals-against average in 13 starts. However, he's allowed four goals apiece in each of his last two. Backup Arturs Silovs, who made 29 saves in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers, is 1-3-1 with a 3.91 GAA in six games (five starts) this season. The Canucks have not suffered three consecutive regulation losses in 2024-25. The club has won four in a row amid a 5-0-1 stretch versus Ottawa. Quinn Hughes has a team-leading 19 points, and 18 in 17 career games against the Senators. Meanwhile, teammate Elias Pettersson, with five goals and four assists in the last eight games, has recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 13 games versus Ottawa. The Senators have struggled to win consistently. They've allowed 17 goals while mired in an 0-3-1 rut after winning two straight. That said, Ottawa battled Vegas hard during Thursday's 3-2 home loss. "We just need to keep working, keep believing in each other," said the Senators' Drake Batherson, who scored his eighth goal Thursday. "You can't get down. Just come to the rink positive and work hard." Former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark has allowed 13 goals during his current 0-2-1 starting stretch for the Senators, but made 29 saves against the Golden Knights. Teammate Anton Forsberg has yielded three goals apiece in losing his last two starts. Despite Ottawa's middling performance to begin the season, Tim Stutzle has recorded 17 of his team-leading 23 points at home. He has a goal and five assists spanning his last five games versus Vancouver. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

Honda and Nissan in merger talks to face Tesla, Chinese EV rivals, reports sayIt didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level Media

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

A fragile global orderThe Crown Prince’s message was heavily focused on his country’s history. He paid homage to the architects of Libya’s independence in 1951, whose unity overcame immense challenges to forge a sovereign state. Yet, he also warned that this legacy of unity is under grave threat. Years of corruption, foreign interference, and internal divisions have left Libya at risk of disintegration. The urgency of his call to action reflects a broader regional fragility, exemplified most recently by the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria—a historic event with far-reaching implications for the region and the world. The fall of Damascus on December 8, 2024, marked the end of Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule and more than six decades of Baathist authoritarianism. The speed and relative lack of violence with which Syrian opposition forces dismantled Assad’s military apparatus revealed the fragility of states that lack unifying identities. Libya, too, risks succumbing to similar forces unless it addresses its fragmented governance. Prince Mohammed’s speech highlighted the critical need for a framework that can unite the nation—a role he argues the constitutional monarchy is uniquely positioned to fulfil. The parallels between Libya and Syria are striking. Both nations have been arenas for external meddling, and in Libya’s case, Russia’s involvement mirrors its strategic manoeuvres in Syria. By entrenching itself in Libya following its departure from Syria, Moscow aims to maintain a foothold in the Eastern Mediterranean, leveraging the country’s instability to project power. In Syria, Russia’s intervention has been pivotal in propping up the Assad regime since 2015, yet its marginal role during the regime’s collapse suggests the limits of its influence. Libya, however, remains a key strategic arena for Moscow, which seeks to secure its access to the Mediterranean while exploiting the power vacuum. Prince Mohammed’s address also spoke directly to the international community, urging global powers to respect Libya’s sovereignty and avoid turning it into a battleground for competing agendas. His plea resonates amid the broader fallout from Assad’s downfall, which has left the region grappling with the repercussions of weakened states and shifting alliances. The fragility of nations like Libya and Syria highlights the urgent need for governance models that can withstand external pressures and foster internal cohesion. The Crown Prince’s proposal for a return to constitutional monarchy has and continues to offer a pragmatic path forward. The 1951 Constitution, which he champions, provides a tested framework for democratic governance, ensuring stability while respecting Libya’s diverse social fabric and entrenched in the country’s history. In his speech, Prince Mohammed emphasised that this model not only safeguards Libya’s unity but also empowers its citizens to shape their future through fair elections and peaceful transitions of power. Libya’s challenges, however, are not confined to its borders. Europe, just across the Mediterranean, has a vested interest in the country’s stability. Libya’s ongoing turmoil has fuelled migration crises and created a breeding ground for extremism—issues that directly impact European security. The Crown Prince’s vision for a stable, sovereign Libya is as much a call for European engagement as it is a roadmap for national renewal. The lessons from Syria are clear: without a unifying identity or governance structure, states can crumble under the weight of internal and external pressures. The Assad regime’s fall has left Syria grappling with the complex task of rebuilding from decades of authoritarian rule. For Libya, the opportunity remains to avoid such a fate by embracing a governance model rooted in its historical identity. Prince Mohammed’s address serves as a powerful reminder that the answers to Libya’s crisis lie within its own history. The restoration of the constitutional monarchy offers not just a nod to the past but a practical solution for the future—a framework that can unite Libya’s fractured polity, safeguard its sovereignty, and restore its place in the region and the world. As the Middle East navigates the post-Assad era, Libya’s path forward will be a critical test of whether unity and stability can prevail in a region marked by fragmentation and upheaval. Share this article:

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