Pep Guardiola: It’s my responsibility to solve Manchester City’s poor run

India have consolidated their position in the driver's seat as they control proceedings during the India vs Australia 1st Test 2024 at Perth. Despite a poor start on Day 1 where they got bowled out for 150 runs, they have come back strong, first dismissing Australia for only 104 runs and then setting a target of 534 runs in front of them in the fourth innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli played a big role in India scoring a big total on a pitch that got easier on Day 2 and 3. Jasprit Bumrah scalped a five-wicket haul in the first innings and started the second innings with a bang, pushing Australia in an uncomfortable position of 12/3. India will look to seal the game on Day 4 itself and take a 1-0 lead in the series. IND vs AUS 1st T20I 2024: List of Records Achieved By Yashasvi Jaiswal Following His Sensational Century Against Australia at Perth. This is the first time a Border-Gavaskar Trophy is being hosted as a five-match series. India being ahead considerably in the game, they would want full play on the last two days of the Test match so that they can take the early lead in the series. It will give India a mental boost in what can be a very intense Test series by the end. Fans eager to know the weather conditions on Day 4 of the IND vs AUS 1st Test 2024 will get the entire information here. Good news for the fans as there is no prediction of rainfall during the IND vs AUS 1st Test 2024 Day 4 at Western Australia, Perth. It is going to be a windy day with the sky saying mostly sunny. The humidity is also going to stay moderate so the Indian fast bowlers will be able to express themselves fully in the final two days of the Test match. IND vs AUS 1st Test 2024 Day 3 Stat Highlights: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli Score Centuries As India Continue Domination. Optus Stadium Pitch Report The pitch in the Optus Stadium will be a drop-in pitch which means a separate pitch was prepared and was installed on the ground. Before the drop-in pitch, the spinners ruled over this ground but after the installation of the new pitch, spinners are no longer the charge. The fast bowlers will prove to be more beneficial as compared to the spinners. The surface here will help the pacers take down the batters. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 24, 2024 10:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com ).The Texas A&M football program added a much-needed top 10 recruiting class earlier this month, but the players the Aggies add through the transfer portal could have a big say in how many of those players remain at A&M. A year ago, Mike Elko signed the 19th-ranked class according to 247sports.com . He had been on the job for just over three weeks and it showed. Eight Southeastern Conference teams signed higher-ranked classes, six of them in the top 10. Elko did much better in the portal, signing 25 players to fill the holes left by the fallout that typically comes with a coaching change. Fourteen of the transfers started at least one game this season. Leading the way were cornerback Will Lee III, right offensive guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams, safety Marcus Ratcliffe and defensive end Nic Scourton who all started 12 games. Tight end Tre Watson started 11 games, while linebacker Scooby Williams and center Kolinu’u Faaiu both started 10. A&M would have struggled without those players. With them, the Aggies went into the last game of the regular season with a chance to play for the Southeastern Conference championship. A&M took a step forward this season on many fronts, but it should have come into this season talented enough to compete for a championship, considering the last four recruiting classes were ranked eighth, first, 15th and 19th. The only remnants of those recruiting classes remained for Elko to work with, which is why the transfers accounted for 108 of the possible 264 starts by the 22 starters. Elko needs another solid portal class. Williams and Lee have announced they’ll return. Faaiu, Ratcliffe and Ricks are expected to be back as well. That will give A&M much needed veterans along with the seven returning starters from previous recruiting classes, eight if you count senior cornerback Tyreek Chappell who started the first two games of the season and then was lost to an injury. Some thought A&M would be in position to make a run at national championship after adding the top-ranked 2022 class, which was the best of the recruiting era. It turned out to be fool’s gold. Only 16 players from that class remained when the season started. Seven already have entered the portal and junior defensive tackle Shemar Turner will declare for the NFL Draft. Turner and junior running back Le’Veon Moss are the only players from that class to earn all-conference honors for the Aggies. Turner was a second-team pick last year and a third-team pick this year, while Moss was a second-team selection this year and was on his way to being a first-team pick until he got injured. The 2023 freshman class was much smaller but might turn out to be more productive. Offensive guard Chase Bisontis, safety Dalton Brooks, quarterback Marcel Reed and linebacker Taurean York combined for 34 starts this year. That class also includes running back Rueben Owens, defensive end Rylan Kennedy, linebacker Daymion Sanford and defensive tackle DJ Hicks, players with a high ceiling along with punter Tyler White who has been a weapon this season. Last year’s freshman class didn’t have a player make a start this season. Multi-talented five-star recruit Terry Bussey was the plum. Assistants on both sides wanted him. He ended up at wide receiver and kick returner, showing potential, but his statistics don’t jump out. He has 13 receptions for 179 yards, 14 carries for 97 yards, seven punt returns for 37 yards and seven kickoff returns for 175 yards. His highlights were a 65-yard touchdown run against McNeese State and a 52-yard kickoff return against Auburn on the final play of the first half. Other than Bussey, the only true freshmen from the signing class to appear in more than three games have been defensive back Myles Davis (11) and linebacker Tristan Jernigan (8). None have entered the transfer portal, so they must be happy with their status. A few might become starters next season and others supply depth, but A&M needs help in the portal. It was remarkable A&M had all its goals within reach heading into the Texas game when you look at production. A&M ranks 52nd in the country in total offense at 402.7 yards per game, which is 10th in the SEC. On defense, A&M ranks 64th in the country at 364.6 ypg, which is 12th in the SEC. Elko and his staff got pretty much the most out of what they had. The team’s strength was the defensive line, and that unit underachieved, though you can’t lay all the blame there, but the bottom line is A&M ranked 49th in the country in run defense, allowing 137.7 ypg to rank 11th in a league where you have to win along the line of scrimmage. Maybe the most disappointing statistic is A&M is ranked 65th in the country in sacks at two per game, which is 13th in the SEC. A&M might rank first in the country in almost getting quarterbacks tackled with 42 quarterback pressures. If the Aggies could have just averaged one more sack a game, they’d be in the top 10 in the country. A&M might need to hit the portal to find a defensive end to replace All-American Nic Scourton or Stewart, though it is high on Kennedy and junior Cashius Howell. The Aggies certainly need to find one or two stud wide receivers. History shows those players can be found in the portal and they can make a huge difference. The SEC announced its all-league teams earlier this week that included 95 players on the three teams. Almost a third of the players – 31 – were transfers. South Carolina fifth-year senior end Kyle Kennard, the defensive player of the year, spent his first four seasons at Georgia Tech. Ole Miss senior Jaxson Dart, the first-team quarterback, spent his first season at Southern California. Dart is among nine Ole Miss players on the All-SEC teams and all but two of started their college careers elsewhere, including junior defensive tackle Walter Nolen, a first-team pick. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is the master of the portal and this was by far his best collection, but the Rebels failed to make the 12-team College Football Playoff because of losses to Kentucky at Florida. There’s still something to be said for recruiting and developing players, which is the case with the SEC teams headed to the CFP. Georgia had 13 players earn All-SEC honors and the only two transfers were running back Trevor Etienne (Florida) and deep-snapper Beau Gardner (UCLA). Texas had seven all-league players with defensive back Andrew Mukuba (Clemson) and quarterback Quinn Ewers (Ohio State) starting their careers elsewhere. Tennessee had five players earn all-league honors with defensive back Jermod McCoy (Oregon State) being the lone transfer. The Vols’ home-groomed players include running back Dylan Sampson, the league’s offensive player of the year. Winning is still about developing players, but coaches are expected to do that in one or two years, not four or five. The transfer portal has changed that. Name, image and likeness has changed that. And schools and alums are pumping more money than ever into the program. You must win now. Teams have used the transfer portal to close the talent gap on the likes of Georgia and Alabama, which had six players earn all-conference honors with none of them being transfers. Elko and his staff did a great job developing last year’s transfers with Scourton and cornerback Will Lee III earning all-conference honors. They also developed the players he inherited with Moss and junior offensive tackle Trey Zuhn III both earning all-league honors for the first time. The key for A&M is getting to the point where it is complementing the players it has developed with a few transfers, not completing revamping the roster every year. The sky is the limit for A&M’s incoming class, which has two five-star recruits and 13 four-star recruits, but the Aggie might need one more strong portal class to bridge the gap. The two reasons a player might leave would be the most important, not winning enough and getting a better NIL deal. A&M checks all the other boxes along with a few unique ones. “I think what we have to offer that’s completely different is we don’t talk about NIL in terms of what we have to offer,” Elko said. “What we have to offer [is] a phenomenal university with the best fan base in the country, the best stadium atmosphere in the country, the best facilities in the country, unbelievable mentorship development in every aspect of their life, [and] tremendous support in every aspect of their life, whether it be nutrition, academics, mental health, being an Aggie forever, and everything that that stands for, and everything that that needs, and that's what this university is, and that sells.” A&M’s atmosphere for games this season against Notre Dame, LSU and Texas was off the charts. A lot of big-time recruits in the 2026 and ’27 recruiting classes were in attendance for one or more of those games. “We’ve been dealing with this all the way back to when I was a defensive coordinator,” Elko said. “When you get kids on this campus for the first time, they’re always blown away by what this is. I don’t think the message is out there as loud and as clear as it needs to be about what Texas A&M really is. And so I think the more that word travels, the more they understand what this place and what this university is really all about that makes his process a lot easier.” The word that is out there is A&M’s not a national championship contender, at least not now. If A&M had knocked off Texas, it’s a different story. The Aggies would have arrived. That’s not the case. The reality is the Aggies are headed to the Las Vegas Bowl, which is much better than a year ago when they were headed to the Texas Bowl with nothing but questions. A&M knows exactly what it needs. It needs to do well in the transfer portal. It also needs to put the finishing touches on another top 10 recruiting class and most of all it needs to be better on the field next year. There’s no time like the present. Scourton grabs honors. Scourton was named a second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation on Thursday night. Scourton, who transferred from Purdue, had 37 tackles, 14 of them for losses, including five sacks. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder had four quarterback pressures and broke up two passes. The former Bryan High standout, who has declared for the NFL Draft, forced a fumble. The first-team defensive lineman on the Walter Camp All-American team were South Carolina's Kennard, Michigan junior Mason Graham, Marshall sophomore Mike Green and Penn State Junior Abdul Carter. Linemen joining Scourton on the second team were Virginia Tech senior Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Boston College senior Donovan Ezeiruaku and Ole Miss’ Nolen. Colorado junior Travis Hunter made the first team at both wide receiver and defensive back. SEC players on the first team were LSU junior offensive lineman Will Campbell and Texas junior offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. SEC players on the second team were Alabama junior offensive lineman Tyler Booker, junior Tennessee’s Sampson, senior place-kicker Alex Raynor, Texas sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., Georgia junior linebacker Jalon Walker, Georgia junior defensive back Malaki Starks and Texas senior defensive back Jahdae Barron. A challenging 2025 schedule. Next year’s A&M football schedule is exactly what we all thought it would be: challenging. Road trips to Notre Dame, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri and Texas are daunting. It also doesn’t matter who A&M is playing on the road, it’s a challenge for a program that’s lost 12 of its last 14 road games. That in turn puts a premium on home games, another concern with A&M having been unbeaten at home only once in 25 years. Let me repeat that: A&M has been unbeaten only once since the 1999 team went 6-0 to cap a 55-4-1 decade at Kyle Field. Oh, those were the days. With history in mind, pencil in A&M for a 6-1 record at home. The Aggies probably will go 3-2 on the road. Las Vegas probably will set the over/under for road victories at 2.5. So that means A&M goes 9-3 or 8-4. The Aggies could be much better as a team yet go 8-4 or even 7-5. Such is life in the SEC. A&M had an easier schedule this year and took advantage of it until ending SEC play with three straight losses. Maybe next year it’ll be the one pulling off upsets and finishing strong a la South Carolina. Next season obviously hinges on a trio of three-game stretches. A&M better take advantage of having Auburn, Mississippi State and Florida at home. A&M needs to flourish in those games with up next road games to Arkansas, LSU and Missouri, though there is a bye between LSU and Missouri. A&M needs to be at 5-1 or 6-0 starting the second half of the season at Arkansas. Ending with a smile. The best bumper sticker I saw last week was “be careful of the idiot behind me.” I hate it when they are factual. The best marquee sign was C&J Barbeque with “Who had medians on their Christmas list?” At least I knew to go the back way to avoid William Joel Bryan Parkway. I wonder what happens when residential folks complain about more traffic? Maybe more medians. Robert Cessna’s email address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com .

FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup

AI Transformations in the TV Market, USD 64.7 Billion Growth Forecast (2024-2028) Driven by Innovation and Premium Products - Technavio ReportThe champions crashed to a fifth straight defeat in all competitions – something not experienced by the club in more than 18 years – as they were thrashed 4-0 by Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The loss, which was also a third in succession in the Premier League and shattered a 52-game unbeaten home run, damaged the club’s hopes of winning an unprecedented fifth title in a row. It is the worst run of Guardiola’s glittering managerial career and the City boss, who extended his contract until 2027 last week, is determined to turn the situation around. The Catalan said: “When we start to lose I say to the people I have to find a way, I have to. It’s my duty, my responsibility, to find a way to be more consistent, that our game will be better and win games. “This is what we have to do.” City have been hampered by injuries to key players in recent weeks, particularly by the absence of Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder Rodri, who has been sidelined for the remainder of the season. Problems have emerged at both ends of the field with a lack of clean sheets – just five in 19 outings this term – and a shortage of goals being scored on occasions, like Saturday, when the prolific Erling Haaland has an off-day. Guardiola said: “We don’t expect to lose important players but it’s happened and you have to find a way. We have to find other abilities. “I don’t think we didn’t create enough chances. We created a lot of chances, clear ones at 0-0, 0-1, 0-2. “Of course we want a lot of players to score but it’s happened now. “I know at the Etihad when we are there and we score goals our momentum is there, but now we are not solid enough. That is the truth. “In both sides normally we are solid but we concede the goals. Now in both sides we are not good enough. “In these situations, what do you have do to? Keep going my friends, keep going. “We have done it in the past – not in terms of results being as bad as now – but we have done it and we face the situation and move forward.”A UK-born pioneer in humanoid robotics, Engineered Arts, has recently reinvented itself as a US-based entity, aiming to take the American market by storm. This strategic shift follows a successful Series A funding round that has bolstered the company’s financial strength by $10 million. Total investments have now reached $16.2 million, positioning Engineered Arts to advance its mission of integrating humanoid robots into everyday life. Known for creating robots that facilitate engaging and intuitive interactions, the company’s products shine in diverse settings like businesses, science centers, and conventions. This promising financial development was spearheaded by Helium-3 Ventures, with other notable investors including Nicolas Desmarais, AppDirect’s Chairman, and Belvoir Investments among others. Additionally, Helium-3 Ventures partner and Muse frontman, Matt Bellamy, will lend his insights as a board observer. Engineered Arts aims to enhance the accessibility of its robots, both full-sized and desktop versions, while expanding its cloud-based AI services. The focus is on progression in robot hardware, specifically improving dexterity and mobility, to make humanoid robots even more functional in daily activities. Central to these ambitions is their most advanced creation, Ameca, whose viral conversations with researchers captured the public imagination two years ago. As they continue to provide unforgettable experiences in venues like Las Vegas’s Madison Square Garden and the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Engineered Arts is redefining AI engagement. Looking to the future, the company plans to expand its workforce in Redwood City, adding approximately 20 new roles to enhance their scalability and service offerings. This expansion underscores their commitment to ushering in an AI-driven future where humanoid robots play an integral role. Robotic Renaissance: Engineered Arts’ Bold Move to Conquer the US Market In a strategic maneuver poised to revolutionize the landscape of humanoid robotics, Engineered Arts, originally a UK-based pioneer, has shifted its operational headquarters to the United States. This transition comes on the heels of a lucrative Series A funding round, bolstering the company’s financial reservoir to an impressive $16.2 million. As Engineered Arts embarks on this adventurous endeavor, it aims to carve out a significant presence in the American market with its advanced humanoid robots. The company is recognized for its innovative robots that excel in creating engaging, intuitive interactions in various environments, from corporate settings and science centers to bustling conventions. With enhanced financial backing primarily driven by Helium-3 Ventures and support from high-profile investors, including AppDirect’s Chair, Nicolas Desmarais, and Belvoir Investments, Engineered Arts is well-equipped to advance its mission. Notably, musician and Helium-3 Ventures partner Matt Bellamy has joined as a board observer, enriching the company with his unique insights. Innovations and Advanced Features At the forefront of Engineered Arts’ technological progress is Ameca, the most advanced humanoid robot known for its viral interactions with researchers. Ameca embodies the company’s vision of the future, demonstrating cutting-edge AI capabilities paired with lifelike interactions. Engineered Arts is focusing on enhancing the dexterity and mobility of its robots, making them more functional and interactive in everyday scenarios. Additionally, the company is heavily investing in its cloud-based AI services, broadening the accessibility and capability of both full-sized and desktop humanoid robots. This strategic investment aims to cater to a wider audience and extend the applicability of humanoid robots in daily activities. Expanding Horizons with a US Presence With plans to expand its workforce in Redwood City by adding approximately 20 new roles, Engineered Arts is committed to scaling its operations. This expansion underlines their dedication to fostering an AI-driven future where humanoid robots integrate seamlessly into human environments. By strengthening their human resource base, Engineered Arts aims to escalate product development and service delivery, enhancing accessibility and functionality in the American market. Anticipated Trends and Market Insights Looking ahead, Engineered Arts is set to redefine AI engagement with its innovative robots in iconic American venues such as Las Vegas’s Madison Square Garden and Mountain View’s Computer History Museum. As the company settles into its US base, it is poised to become a formidable player in the global robotics industry, offering revolutionary solutions that promise to reshape interactions between humans and robots. This strategic relocation enters amidst burgeoning interest and acceptance of AI-driven technologies across sectors globally. Engineered Arts stands at the cusp of innovation, prepared to lead the market through its commitment to improving AI’s role in daily life. For more details and to stay updated on their advancements, visit the Engineered Arts website .

Andrew Hammond Christmas holidays tend to be a time of joy for many families around the world. However, this year’s festivities will also be tinged with great sadness for many as the world on Thursday (Dec. 26) marks the 20th anniversary of the devastating Boxing Day Tsunami. Two decades on from the deadly waves, caused by a massive earthquake, that caused devastation in countries with Indian Ocean coastlines, scientific advances have improved our ability to forecast and provide warnings of dangerous tsunamis. However, the economic and wider human costs of such natural catastrophes can never be completely eliminated. This was illustrated, for example, by the concern caused by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake this month about 55 miles off the coast of Eureka in California. The effects were felt from San Francisco to southern Oregon, sparking a tsunami warning affecting millions of residents. The alert was later canceled. Tsunami warnings are relatively rare on the US West Coast but still more common than elsewhere in the country. However, some scientists predict the area might be overdue for a massive quake, and resulting tsunami, in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, an 1,100 km offshore fault that runs from northern California to southern British Columbia, and/or the San Andreas fault, which runs for 1,200 km through California. Some scientists refer to this potentially huge natural disaster as “The Big One,” defined as an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher on the Richter scale. Such an event could cause hundreds of billions of dollars of damage, and tens of thousands of deaths and injuries at the very least. But even a disaster of that magnitude might still be dwarfed by the devastation caused by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. According to the EM-DAT global disaster database, it killed a total of 226,408 people in more than a dozen countries, and more than 1.5 million people were displaced. The magnitude 9.1 earthquake that caused the tsunami was one of the biggest the world had seen since 1900. The epicenter was off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It was the longest fault line rupture ever observed, as the ocean floor opened up along a distance of at least 1,200 km between the India plate and Burma microplate. The earthquake triggered the largest tsunami in the Indian Ocean for more than 700 years. The amount of energy it released was estimated to be equivalent to about 23,000 Hiroshima bombs. The huge waves it created, some more than 30 meters high, swept into several coastal nations, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. Twenty years on, the silver lining amid the sadness of the upcoming anniversary is that our understanding of tsunami risks is now better. This means better forecasting, more effective warnings, and improved disaster-resistant construction techniques for more-resilient infrastructure. In terms of warning systems, there were none in place in the Indian Ocean region in 2004. The picture has changed since then, with a regional system in place as part of an approximately 1,400-strong network around the world that generally reduces the delay in issuing a warning after a tsunami forms to just minutes. Even with such improved warning systems, some communities still might not receive the alert in time. Indeed, had the present-day Indian Ocean warning system been in place in 2004, it is not certain it would have helped many of those among the first hit by the tsunami, especially in poorer communities lacking the benefit of modern digital technologies. In part, this is why a significant proportion of tsunami casualties tend to happen before any official or technically based warnings can be delivered. This differs from some other natural hazards, such as hurricanes, which can be predicted further in advance and tend to cause fewer casualties. However, for people more distant from the origin point of a tsunami, warnings can be very effective, including those transmitted through community communications. These can save many lives, with a key factor in success being the distribution of data rapidly, transparently, and hyper-locally, so that it is available in the best form, in the right place and as quickly as possible. As warning systems improve, there are continuing debates about the enhanced exchange of data. This places an increasing amount of weight on improved forecasts. Such methods of predicting earthquakes in advance were once thought to be impossible, owing to the difficulty of calculating the motion of rocky mantle flows beneath the earth’s crust. Thanks to increasingly sophisticated algorithms, however, it might now be possible to model this underground activity in more effective ways by creating a model of fault lines, consisting of millions of underground grid points, to ascertain where the underground stresses are strongest. This is a potential indicator of key earthquake trigger points. However, even if forecasting technology and early warnings can fulfill their full longer-term potential, there is still a need for increasingly resilient infrastructure, given the devastation tsunamis can cause to physical geography. Take the example of the province of Aceh in Indonesia, one of the areas worst-hit by the 2004 tsunami. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed and about 3,000 hectares of land were washed away, destroying infrastructure such as roads, ports, and bridges. More than 100,000 houses have been rebuilt there, according to the Indonesian government. In this context, a key goal for engineers and community planners is to build increasingly tsunami-proof structures and plan more-resilient communities. As global warming intensifies, these calculations must also factor in the growing risk from rising sea levels, a threat that is increasing three times faster in tropical seas — including central portions of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and much of the Indian Ocean — where tsunami risks tend to be greatest. All of this underlines the further potential for improved forecasting and earlier warnings of future tsunamis to help make the world a safer place for many people. However, the economic and wider human cost of such terrifying natural hazards can never be eliminated, even with increasingly resilient infrastructure. Courtesy: arabnews

Chiefs offense hitting its stride with return of wide receiver Marquise Brown from injury

Why Are Snowflake (SNOW) Shares Soaring Today

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 1:56 p.m. EST

The Commanders opened up two roster spots on Saturday with a pair of surprising transactions. Washington continued its purging of the previous regime’s players by waiving former first-round draft pick Emmanuel Forbes in the middle of his second year. The other roster spot was opened by veteran running back Austin Ekeler being placed on injured reserve. In 2023, the Commanders took a chance on Forbes, drafting him out of Mississippi State over Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez despite a near-league consensus that Gonzalez was the better prospect and despite major concerns over Forbes’ size. Since 2000, Forbes is the only cornerback to be drafted after weighing in under 170 pounds at the NFL scouting combine. Still, his senior season for the Bulldogs saw him pick off six passes (returning three for touchdowns) and defend 10 other passes. He finished his collegiate career with 14 interceptions (six returned for touchdowns) and 21 passes defensed. His ability to play the ball continued in his rookie season, in which he collected his first interception and 10 passes defensed. Forbes's sophomore season has seen him struggle with injury throughout the year, missing six games over the first 12 of the season and has seen him fall behind multiple later-round prospects on the depth chart. As a result, Washington attempted to gauge trade interest in their former first-rounder, but failing to find a suitor, they’ve opted to waive him. Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes the continued trend of Commanders drafted by the team’s former regime parting ways in some way or another. Since 2019, every first-round selection — Montez Sweat , Dwayne Haskins , Chase Young , Jamin Davis , Jahan Dotson , and Forbes — has either been cut or traded . Ekeler is yet another example this year of a player being sent to IR with a concussion designation. The 29-year-old did not practice at all this week because of the head injury and has apparently failed to make it through the league’s concussion protocol and will require a multi-week recovery period. The veteran has not quite produced up to his numbers in Los Angeles, but he’s the team’s third-leading rusher (behind quarterback Jayden Daniels and Brian Robinson ) and third on the team in receptions. He trails only wide receiver Terry McLaurin in total yards from scrimmage. Ekeler’s total production in both phases of the offense won’t be easily replaced, but players like Jeremy McNichols and Olamide Zaccheaus will likely try to fill those roles. The Commanders did not officially fill either of the vacated roster spots on Saturday, but they did announce two temporary standard gameday practice squad elevations for Sunday. Defensive tackle Carl Davis and kicker Zane Gonzalez will be called up for Sunday's game. With Austin Seibert getting placed on IR earlier this week, Gonzalez will serve as the team’s kicker for the third time this year. This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

Soaring demand forces Edmonton's Food Bank to tighten restrictions on client visitsThe National Drug Authority (NDA) has closed 900 drug outlets and recovered HIV drugs worth a billion shillings illegally sold in private facilities. According to Abiaz Rwamwiri, the Authority’s Public Relations Officer, the operation has been going on for three months in both Kampala and Wakiso districts. The operation, covered the suburbs of Nansana, Kira, Makindye, Nakawa, Kawempe, Rubaga, Kyengera, Bweyogerere, Kajjansi, kasangati, Entebbe, Matugga, and Bulenga among many others across the region that the authority classifies as Kampala Extra Region. In addition to the ARVs, another 2,000 boxes of assorted medicines marked ‘not for sale’ as they are supposed to be offered free of charge in the government run health facilities were recovered. However, theft of government medicines has been persistent despite innovations the National Medical Stores has put in place to curb the vice. Over the years, there have been concerns that the drugs are not well monitored giving an opportunity for some healthcare workers to take these drugs to private pharmacies and hospitals for sale leaving the government health facilities with inadequate drugs and consistent stock outs. ***** URN

The leader of Sinn Fein has expressed determination to form a government of the left in Ireland as she insisted her party’s performance in the General Election had broken the state’s political mould. Despite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.

Michigan, Ohio State fight broken up with police pepper spray after Wolverines stun Buckeyes 13-10The naira has depreciated in value against the United States dollar in the foreign exchange markets. New official data shows that the Nigerian currency dropped marginally by 0.12%, while in the black market naira fell by just N5 The administration of President Tinubu expects the naira to close 2025 at a new exchange rate of N1,500 PAY ATTENTION: Follow our WhatsApp channel to never miss out on the news that matters to you! Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy , stocks, and general market trends. The value of Nigerian currency marginally declined against the US Dollar in the official and unofficial foreign exchange markets. Data from the FMDQ securities showed that the naira in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) closed at N1,541.68/$1 on Friday, December 20. Friday's exchange rate represents 0.02% or 30 Kobo drop in contrast to Thursday’s closing price of N1,541.38/$1. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! The naira's decline follows the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) granting Bureaux de Change (BDC) operators access to the official market for 50 days in an effort to ease some of the pressure. Read also Naira’s value rises against US dollar in official market, nears Tinubu's target for 2025 Legit.ng reported that on Friday, the apex announced that BDC operators would have access to FX at the official market from December 19, 2024, to January 30, 2025. There is a weekly cap of $25,000 , with transactions requiring upfront funding at prevailing rates must follow a maximum of 1 per cent spread. Naira against pound, euro There is good news for the naira against the British pound sterling and the euro in the official market. The CBN data showed that the naira appreciated yesterday by N6.46 to trade at N1,929.77/£1 compared with the previous day’s N1,936.23/£1. While against the euro, the Nigerian currency depreciated by N60.21 to quote at N1,597.64/€1 versus N1,537.43/€1. Meanwhile, in the parallel market, traders told Legit.ng that the naira depreciated against the dollar. Abdulahhi a BDC trader told Legit.ng: "I sold the dollar at N1,655/$1 on Friday to my customers, a N5 increase from yesterday's rate of N1,650. Read also Fuel price expected to change as petrol landing cost drops again The market is a bit calm for us, but we are managing to source and sell." CBN naira against other foreign currencies exchange rates US Dollar: N1536.93 Pounds Sterling: N1929.77 Euro: N1597.64 Swiss Franc: N1718.20 Yen: N9.82 CFA: N2.44 Riyal: N408.97 Danish Krona: N214.14 Yuan/Renminbi: N210.60 South African Rand: N83.58 Report predicts new exchange rates for naira Ealier, Legit.ng reported that the new report from Meristem Security Limited has predicted that the naira will close the year at N1,690.32 per dollar in the official window In the report, Meristem expressed worry that the forex demand during Christmas would increase. A similar prediction by BMI analysis said the naira is expected to depreciate to N1,993 per dollar by 2028. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng