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Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly?ssbet77.c 。

NoneZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament as well as the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three games in South America. Here are some of the key issues that need to be answered over the next decade: Saudi Arabia proposes 15 stadiums — eight still on paper — in five cities: Eight in the capital Riyadh, four in the Red Sea port city Jeddah, and one each in Abha, Al Khobar and Neom, the planned futuristic mega-project. Each would have at least 40,000 seats for World Cup games. The opening game and final are set for a 92,000-seat venue planned in Riyadh. Some designs are vivid . In Neom, the stadium is planned 350 meters (yards) above street level and one near Riyadh is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff with a retractable wall of LED screens. Saudi Arabia aims to host all 104 games, though there has been speculation that some games could be played in neighboring or nearby countries. Surely not in the traditional World Cup period of June-July, when temperatures in Saudi Arabia routinely exceed 40 Celsius (104 degrees). FIFA moved the Qatar-hosted World Cup to November-December 2022, though those dates were not loved by most European clubs and leagues whose seasons were interrupted. Also, that slot is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games. January 2034 could be a possibility even though that would be just before the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The International Olympic Committee has signaled it won’t be opposed to back-to-back major events. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Saudi World Cup bid official Hammad Albalawi said the precise dates of the tournament are up the world soccer body. “That’s a decision by FIFA. We stand ready to be part of this conversation. But ultimately it’s a FIFA decision together with the confederations,” Albalawi said. Giving more rights and freedoms to women in a traditionally conservative society is fundamental to Saudi messaging around the modernization program known as Vision 2030. The kingdom decided in 2017 to let women attend sports events, initially in major cities and in family zones separate from men-only sections. By 2034, at the promised pace of social reforms, female fans should not be restricted. Saudi Arabia launched a women’s professional soccer league in 2022 with players joining from clubs in Europe. They face no restrictions playing in shorts and with hair uncovered. The Saudi prohibition of alcohol is clear and understood before FIFA signs any sponsor deals for 2034. But will there be any exceptions? The alcohol issue was problematic for the World Cup in Qatar because the expectation was created that beer sales would be allowed at stadiums even before Qatar won its bid in 2010. One year later, FIFA extended a long-time deal to have Budweiser as the official World Cup beer through 2022. Qatar then backtracked on that promise three days before the first game, causing confusion and the sense of a promise broken. In Qatar, alcohol was served only at luxury suites at the stadiums. Visitors could also have a drink in some hotel bars. But Saudi Arabia has even stricter rules on alcohol — and there is no indication that will change. Albalawi noted that Saudi Arabia has successfully hosted dozens of sports events where alcohol wasn't served. “We’re creating a safe and secure family environment for fans to bring their families into our stadiums,” he said. Saudi promises to reform and enforce labor laws, and fully respect migrant workers, have been accepted by FIFA but face broad skepticism from rights groups and trade unions. A formal complaint is being investigated by the U.N.-backed International Labor Organization. Protecting the migrant workers needed to build stadiums and other tournament projects — a decade after it was a defining issue for Qatar — looms as a signature challenge for Saudi Arabia. Saudi-Israeli relations had been improving when FIFA all but gave the 2034 World Cup to the kingdom on Oct. 4 last year. Three days later Hamas attacked Israel and diplomacy got more complicated. Any soccer federation bidding to host a FIFA tournament accepts a basic principle that whichever team qualifies is welcome. That did not stop Indonesia putting up barriers last year to Israel coming for the men’s Under-20 World Cup. Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel which had qualified through a European tournament nine months before the issue flared. FIFA moved the entire tournament to Argentina and the Israeli team reached the semifinals. Israel played at the 1970 World Cup but has never advanced through qualifying in Europe, where it has been a member of UEFA for 30 years. Europe should have 16 places in the 48-team World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Most of the attention at the FIFA Congress on Wednesday was on the Saudi decision, but the soccer body and its members also formally approved the hosts of the 2030 World Cup — the most spread out and longest ever. One game each in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the original host in 1930, will be played from June 8-9. The tournament resumes four days later for the other 101 games shared between Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Six countries, three continents, multiple languages and currencies. Fans traveling on planes, trains, automobiles and boats across about 14 kilometers (10 miles) of water between Spain and Morocco. The final is due on July 21, 2030 and a decision on where it will be played could cause some tension between the host countries. Morocco wants it in the world’s biggest soccer venue — the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca. Spain, meanwhile, has proposed to host the final in either of the remodeled home stadiums of club giants Real Madrid or Barcelona. Associated Press writer Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed to this report.

ATLANTA — President-elect Donald Trump is trying to get the Georgia election interference case against him dismissed, asserting that the state’s courts will not have jurisdiction over him once he returns to the White House next month. The Georgia case against Trump and others is mostly on hold pending a pretrial appeal of an order allowing prosecutor Fani Willis to remain on the case despite what defense attorneys say is a conflict of interest. Trump’s attorneys on Wednesday filed a notice with the Georgia Court of Appeals saying a sitting president is “completely immune from indictment or any criminal process, state or federal.” The filing asks the appeals court to consider before he becomes president next month whether it has jurisdiction to continue to hear the case. It says the court should conclude that it and the trial court lack jurisdiction “as the continued indictment and prosecution of President Trump by the State of Georgia are unconstitutional.” Trump’s lawyers ask that the appeals court dismiss his appeal for lack of jurisdiction and instruct the trial court to immediately dismiss the indictment against him. Also Wednesday, former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in the case, asked the trial court judge to invalidate that plea. Chesebro was one of four people to plead guilty in the case in the months following the indictment. Representatives for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis declined to comment on Trump’s and Chesebro’s requests. The Georgia case, which originally included 19 defendants and dozens of charges, was the most sprawling of four criminal cases against the once-and-future president. U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith last week told judges he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. One of those cases charged him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate. The other accused him of scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost. Trump on Monday asked a Manhattan judge to throw out his conviction in his hush money case , saying that continuing to pursue it would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ The New York case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. In the Georgia case, Trump and some of the other remaining defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, were already seeking to have Willis removed from the prosecution or to have the indictment dismissed. They cited a romantic relationship she had with Nathan Wade , a special prosecutor she appointed to lead the case. Willis and Wade have acknowledged that they had a relationship but have said it began after he was hired and ended before the indictment against Trump was filed. Trump and other defendants argued that the relationship created a conflict of interest that should disqualify Willis and her office from continuing with her prosecution of the case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that Willis’ actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment,” but he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He said she could continue her prosecution as long as Wade stepped aside, which he did. The appeal of that ruling remains pending but must be decided by March. Chesebro was charged in August 2023, alongside Trump and 17 others , in the sprawling indictment accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to overturn Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. He pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count a few months later after reaching a deal with prosecutors just before he was to go to trial. His lawyer on Wednesday asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to invalidate the plea after McAfee in September tossed out the charge to which he had pleaded guilty. “In Georgia, a defendant cannot plead guilty to a charge that does not constitute a crime,” defense attorney Manny Arora wrote, adding that a failure to invalidate his plea would violate Chesebro’s constitutional right to due process. Prosecutors have said Chesebro was part of a plot to have a group of 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely saying that Trump had won Georgia and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. He pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents related to the the filing of that document with the federal court in Atlanta. In a September ruling, McAfee wrote that punishing someone for filing certain documents with a federal court would “enable a state to constrict the scope of materials assessed by a federal court and impair the administration of justice in that tribunal to police its own proceedings.” He concluded that the count must be quashed “as beyond the jurisdiction of this State.”

Old mill, new tricks: 118-year-old Union Bridge structure disassembled this week will get new life at Carroll County Farm MuseumPercentages: FG 54.000, FT .714. 3-Point Goals: 8-20, .400 (L'Amoreaux 3-7, Andersen 2-6, Selimovic 2-2, Nicoletti Leite 1-2, J.Brown 0-2, McGruder 0-1) Blocked Shots: 3 (Coe 3) Turnovers: 17 (L'Amoreaux 4, Selimovic 4, J.Brown 3, Nicoletti Leite 2, Andersen 1, Beach 1, R.Brown 1, Team 1) Steals: 3 (Beach 1, J.Brown 1, Selimovic 1) Technical Fouls: None Percentages: FG 45.614, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 7-26, .269 (Theuerkauf 2-8, Williams 2-4, Jones 1-5, Jordan 1-5, Andrews 1-1, Conley 0-1, Sørbye 0-2) Blocked Shots: None. Turnovers: 15 (Hinds 4, Cowles 3, Williams 3, Conley 2, Andrews 1, Jones 1, Team 1) Steals: 8 (Jones 3, Williams 3, Cowles 2) Technical Fouls: None A_788 Officials_Whitney Armstrong, Tom Danaher, Dee KantnerHonoring St. NicholasPatiala: Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale , who has been recently booked for rape and murder in a 2012 case, is not new to controversies. In Aug 2020, Akal Takht , the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had ordered his boycott, directing the Sikh community across the world not to attend his congregation, listen to him, or share his videos on social media until he apologised for his remarks. The direction had come after its five-member sub-committee formed to probe his alleged objectionable comments against Sikh Gurus and principles of Sikhism submitted its report under its then coordinator Chamkaur Singh that Dhadrianwale did not turn up for clarification despite several efforts. In Sept 2021, he faced a defamation case after Gurpreet Singh Randhawa, Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee member from Fatehgarh Sahib, filed a criminal defamation case against him in the sessions court. This was in response to his alleged objectionable remarks during public speeches against him and his father Hari Singh Randhawa, terming them as “Gapaur Sankh” (gossiper) and misleading masses about Sikhism. Gurpreet had then claimed that his father was a Sikh preacher and, after 10 years of dedication, wrote the “Steek” (translation with meaning) of Guru Granth Sahib. He had alleged that Dhadrianwale had defamed him and other Sikh preachers who were students of his father. H S Dharni, Gurpreet’s counsel, said, “The criminal complaint was filed on Sept 17, 2021, and the case is in the arguments stage, with a hearing fixed this week.” Dhadrianwale, who has been advocating logical and scientific philosophy rather than preaching according to Sikh practices, has built gurdwara Parmeshar Dwar Sahib at Sheikhupur village of Patiala on the Patiala–Sirhind bypass. Earlier, Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma landed in a conflict with him over the difference in ideology of narration of Sikh history and interpretation of Gurbani. On May 17, 2016, an attempt on Dhadrianwale’s life was made in which his fellow Sikh preacher Bhupinder Singh was killed. On July 5, 2021, Dhadrianwale appeared for over three hours before a SIT in Patiala in relation to the Kotkapura firing case, in which he is also one of the prime witnesses. The Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing case took place on Oct 14, 2015, when two Sikh activists died while some others were injured after police opened fire on people sitting in protest against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib that took place in Bargari on Oct 12, 2015. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau flies to Florida to meet with Trump after tariffs threat WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has flown to Florida to have dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Trump's picks for commerce secretary, interior secretary and national security adviser, and the three men's wives. From the Canadian side, the dinner guests included Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security. Trump’s transition did not respond to questions about what they had discussed or whether the conversation alleviated Trump’s concerns about the border. A smiling Trudeau declined comment upon returning to his West Palm Beach hotel late Friday. Emboldened 'manosphere' accelerates threats and demeaning language toward women after US election CHICAGO (AP) — An emboldened fringe of right-wing “manosphere” influencers has seized on Donald Trump’s presidential win to justify and amplify misogynistic derision and threats online. Many have appropriated a 1960s abortion rights rallying cry, declaring “Your body, my choice,” and have been using it publicly on college campuses and even in public schools. While none of the current online rhetoric is being amplified by Trump, experts say many young men see the former president’s return to the White House as vindication of their views on women. For many women, the words represent a worrying harbinger of what might lie ahead as some men perceive the election results as a rebuke of reproductive rights and women’s rights. Syrian insurgents are inside Aleppo in a major setback for Assad as government forces regroup BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria's largest city Aleppo a day after storming it with little resistance from government troops. Syria's army said troops have redeployed to prepare for a counteroffensive. Witnesses said insurgents were seen Saturday at landmarks in Aleppo for the first time since 2016, when they were expelled by government forces backed by Russia and Iran. The surprise offensive is a major embarrassment for Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has regained total control of the city eight years ago. Israeli strike in Gaza allegedly kills workers with World Central Kitchen charity DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on a car in Gaza has killed five people, according to a senior Palestinian health official. An aid worker says three of the people killed were employees of the charity World Central Kitchen. The charity's aid delivery efforts in Gaza were temporarily suspended earlier this year after an Israeli strike killed seven of its workers. Israel's military says it struck a wanted militant who had been involved in the Hamas attack that sparked the war. In a later statement, it said that the alleged attacker had worked with WCK and it asked “senior officials from the international community and the WCK administration to clarify” how that had come about. Fishers at a Lebanese port hope ceasefire with Israel means normal life is returning TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought hope for normality back to many in southern Lebanon on Friday. That includes fishers who’ve long launched their single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn. During the last two months, Israel imposed a siege that kept hundreds of fishers at this ancient Phoenician port on shore. That upended their lives in a major hit for the industry. The port siege also cut people off from the key ingredients for traditional Lebanese dishes. As war devastated their country, the loss of fish damaged a deep association with home. The possibility of renewed fishing is helping fuel hope. How Brazilian police say Bolsonaro plotted a coup to stay in office SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police have formally accused former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others of plotting a coup to keep him in office. The plot was allegedly comprised of several components and substantiated by evidence and testimony in the agency's 884-page report. The pieces of the puzzle include laying the groundwork by systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace. It also includes drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legal basis and pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan. Bolsonaro and his main allies have denied any wrongdoing or involvement and accuse authorities of political persecution. More than 100 arrested as Georgian police clash with protesters over suspension of EU talks TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — More than 100 demonstrators were arrested overnight in Georgia as protesters clashed with police following the government’s decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union, the country’s Interior Ministry said. Friday marked the second straight night of protests after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the country’s ruling Georgian Dream party announced the suspension the previous day. The Associated Press saw protesters in Tbilisi being chased and beaten by police as demonstrators rallied in front of the country's parliament building. The violence follows Georgian Dream’s disputed victory in the Oct. 26 election, which was widely seen as a referendum on the country’s aspirations to join the European Union. Romania's parliamentary vote risks being overshadowed by presidential race chaos BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanians are preparing to go to the polls in a parliamentary vote that will determine a new government and prime minister to lead the European Union and NATO member country. However, Sunday's vote is sandwiched between a two-round presidential race and is overshadowed by controversies and chaos following the outcome of the first vote. While the president has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security and foreign policy, the prime minister is the head of the nation’s government. Sunday’s vote will determine the formation of the country’s 466-seat legislature. North Korea's Kim vows steadfast support for Russia’s war in Ukraine SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country will “invariably support” Russia’s war in Ukraine as he met Russia's visiting defense chief. A Russia military delegation led by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in North Korea on Friday as international concerns about the two countries’ expanding cooperation deepened after North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia. During a Friday meeting, Kim and Belousov reached “a satisfactory consensus” on issues on how to further boost strategic partnership and defend each country’s sovereignty and security interests, state media said. Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest forecast to be hit with snow and dangerous cold into next week BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The first big snow of the season has the potential to bury towns in New York along lakes Erie and Ontario during a hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend. Forecasters says winter storm conditions could persist into next week and cause hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions. Forecasters predict 4 to 6 feet of blowing and drifting snow could fall in Watertown and other areas east of Lake Ontario through Monday. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a disaster emergency in affected areas.Best Amazon Black Friday laptop deals, starting under $200 — save big on Dell, HP, Acer, ASUS and more

Even in death, John McCain has his daughter’s vote for president. In a podcast interview released Thursday, Meghan McCain revealed she cast a vote for her dead dad as a write-in for president on her 2024 ballot. The Republican political commentator and daughter of the late Arizona senator — who died in 2018 after a battle with brain cancer — waxed poetic about politics on the latest episode of “Next Question with Katie Couric.” “I wrote in my dad,” she told Couric. “People are mad at me. People are so mad at me, Katie. I mean, mad that I didn’t vote either way.” McCain went on to explain the reasoning behind her decision, saying she could “never” vote for Donald Trump but couldn’t support Kamala Harris either. “I don’t want anything on my conscience with any of it,” she said. “I can never vote for Trump. I can’t do it. I could never explain it to my children.” When probed further on why she didn’t vote for Harris , McCain told Couric she “really wanted” the VP to “give me a reason to vote for her and I just felt like it never happened.” But perhaps even more than Harris, McCain said her inability to vote for the Democratic ticket was largely due to Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. “Look, I’m a pro-life, pretty hardcore conservative woman and Governor Walz was way too extreme for me,” McCain said. “He actually scared me a lot more than she did. He’s very radical on abortion and his record during the 2020 George Floyd protests in Minneapolis...I felt like he was cosplaying as a Republican to try to get my vote.” John McCain, who served as a U.S. representative and senator from Arizona for over 30 years, also ran an unsuccessful bid for president in 2008. He reduced his role in the Senate after being diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2017 , ultimately dying from the disease a year later. His death still deeply affects his oldest daughter . “My dad dying gutted me,” Meghan McCain said. “I always feel like there’s life before my dad died and after my dad died. I didn’t become a different person, but it just hardens you and ages you when you lose anyone to brain cancer. You just become a different version of yourself.” But the 40-year-old mother of two said she’s relieved her father is not here to bear witness to the polarizing political climate. “There’s a part of me that’s happy he’s not alive to see all this, because it would have broken his heart so badly to see the divisions in the country the way they are.”Robert Wickens moving up to IMSA GTD series in 2025 thanks to new Bosch hand controls

It’s been a hard, hard 18 months. Mom got sick and died. The election was crazy. Job security diminished. In response, well-meaning people invited me to destroy my marriage, abandon my children, get into car wrecks and die a decade or three prematurely. No one actually said that, but it’s what I heard. Because I am a recovering alcoholic. You who can drown your sorrows in booze for one night only and get on with your life probably aren’t bothered by the casual, jovial encouragement to “pour yourself a stiff drink” after a difficult period. Not “snort a line of cocaine” or “inject heroin”; those our society apparently recognizes as serious hazards that are no matter for a lighthearted quip. But the one drug available almost everywhere and impossible to avoid — joke away! Added bonus: It’s the holidays, a time of joy for many (good excuse to drink) and crippling loneliness for others (even better excuse). Problem, meet solution. Never mind the, well, sobering reality that annual deaths from alcohol-related diseases have more than doubled among American adults since 2000, according to new research. Opiate overdoses worry people, as they should. Meanwhile, the steady hardening of our livers and weakening of our hearts from alcohol abuse — especially among adults 25 to 34, who have seen a fourfold increase in deaths — appears to have barely registered beyond the advertising disclaimer to “please drink responsibly.” Ten-plus years into sobriety, I’ve had good practice raising a placid cup of water among the colorful wine glasses for joyful toasts (of which there are so, so many this time of year). I’ve also laughed off the drinking jokes or advice of friends to imbibe during hard times. I’m sober today, and I’m confident I will be sober tomorrow. But that certainly isn’t true of all recovering alcoholics. Everyone has their first days, weeks, months of sobriety. And world events and holiday seasons show no consideration for your fragile station in life. That’s why “one day at a time” guides so many of us — the task at hand is to stay sober now, in this moment. It’s a mantra I too must repeat sometimes, even more than 3,900 days since I last took a drink. Some of us in recovery might have a harder time resisting the constant invitations to relapse. So maybe find some other way to express solidarity in hard times than telling people to drink up. “Call if you need to talk” works fine. As for alcoholics in recovery, navigating whatever upheaval complicates your sobriety — politics, war, personal relationships, holiday joy or loneliness, you name it — all of this is to say that, for what it’s worth right now, someone sees you, even if it’s just the person writing in this space. And right now, I’ll tell you what has worked for me: More than anything else, it’s the feeling that drinking is pain. Not in an intellectual, pros-versus-cons sense. This is a gut feeling, an association, deep in the lizard brain, of drinking with physical agony. So when someone says “we all deserve a drink after today,” I feel pangs of hangover headaches and lethargy. I think of the unforgiving loneliness of drunkenness and the first, grueling, interminable day of sobriety. And then I’m grateful I don’t have to experience any of that right now. I also find great comfort in talking to other alcoholics, whether in recovery meetings (which really are everywhere in Los Angeles), at everyday gatherings or even holiday parties. We tend to find each other. The best thing about talking to recovering alcoholics? They won’t say you deserve a stiff drink, because they know you deserve something far better: sobriety, no matter how dark everything else about the world might seem.

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New $3 million grant at Montana State to support dozens of STEM teachers in rural, underserved areas of MontanaSun Valley With Sand Dunes: Barack Obama, Ryan Reynolds and Ari Emanuel Touch Down in Doha for Inaugural Sportico World SummitFox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd shared some opinions with his audience during an episode of "The Herd" on Thursday, comparing multiple NFL quarterbacks to former Oregon Duck and current Denver Bronco Bo Nix. In a 48-second clip posted to TikTok and various other social media platforms, Cowherd could be heard weighing Nix against other NFL stars including Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love and Brock Purdy. At one point, Cowherd made quite a bold claim, giving Nix, a rookie, the edge over a two-time Pro Bowler. "Here's what concerns me with Jalen Hurts," Cowherd said. "He is very dependent on his legs. Even through nine, 10, 12 games, I think (Nix), in the pocket, is a better pocket passer." "Here's what concerns me with Jalen Hurts. He is very dependent on his legs... I think Bo is better pocket passer." @ColinCowherd decides which QBs he'd take over Bo Nix: pic.twitter.com/gmo7sQ12Xk From there, Cowherd struggled comparing Nix to Love, citing the Packers' starter as a better athlete with a better arm. Still, the Fox analyst noted Love's recklessness as a drawback, failing to decide between the two quarterbacks. Then, Cowherd continued to sing the praises of Nix, picking him over current San Francisco 49er Brock Purdy. "I don't even think it's close. I think it's Bo Nix," Cowherd said. "One's a first-rounder, one's a seventh-rounder. One guy actually won big-time in college at two places. I mean, what's Auburn been since Bo Nix left? Stinkaroony." FS1 Since Nix's departure following the 2021 season, the Tigers have gone a combined 15-20 over three seasons. In their three seasons with Nix at the helm, they went 21-16. Nix will hope to justify Cowherd's claims as the Broncos travel to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PST and the game will air on CBS.​Chinese state hackers, known as Salt Typhoon, have breached telecommunications companies in dozens of countries, President Biden's deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger said today. During a Wednesday press briefing, the White House official told reporters that these breaches include a total of eight telecom firms in the United States, with only four previously known. While these attacks have been underway for "likely one to two years, "at this time, we don't believe any classified communications have been compromised," Neuberger added , as the Journal first reported . "The Chinese compromised private companies exploiting vulnerabilities in their systems as part of a global Chinese campaign that's affected dozens of countries around the world." "We cannot say with certainty that the adversary has been evicted, because we still don't know the scope of what they're doing. We're still trying to understand that, along with those partners," a senior CISA official said in a Tuesday press call . On Tuesday, CISA and FBI officials advised Americans to switch to encrypted messaging apps to minimize Chinese hackers' chances of intercepting their communications. "Our suggestion, what we have told folks internally, is not new here: Encryption is your friend, whether it’s on text messaging or if you have the capacity to use encrypted voice communication," they said . "Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible." However, T-Mobile's Chief Security Officer, who said last week that the company's systems were breached from a connected wireline provider's network, claims T-Mobile no longer sees any attacker activity within its network. Also tracked as FamousSparrow, Earth Estries, Ghost Emperor, and UNC2286, this state-backed hacking group has been breaching government entities and telecom companies across Southeast Asia since at least 2019. The Salt Typhoon telecom hacks CISA and the FBI confirmed the hacks in late October, following reports that Salt Typhoon had breached the networks of multiple telcos, including T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies. The federal agencies later revealed the threat actors compromised the "private communications" of a "limited number" of U.S. government officials, accessed the U.S. government's wiretapping platform , and stole law enforcement request data and customer call records. While the timing of the telecom network breaches is unclear, a Wall Street Journal report says that Chinese hackers had access for "months or longer." This reportedly allowed them to steal substantial internet traffic from internet service providers serving American businesses and millions of customers. On Tuesday, ​CISA released guidance to help system administrators and engineers managing communications infrastructure to harden their systems against Salt Typhoon attacks. Released with the FBI, the NSA, and international partners, this joint advisory includes tips on hardening network security to shrink the attack surface targeted by the Chinese state hackers, including unpatched devices, vulnerable services exposed to online access, and generally less-secured environments.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — At this point the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers were fighting for playoff positioning rather than their playoff lives. After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable. AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report Get local news delivered to your inbox!Romania’s pro-European parties agreed Wednesday to form a majority government made up of groupings that were traditionally on opposite sides and shutting out far-right nationalists who made significant gains in the election on Dec. 1. Pro-Western parties won the most votes, with the leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, topping the polls. The PSD reached agreement late Tuesday to form a grand coalition with the center-right National Liberal Party, or PNL, the reformist Save Romania Union party, USR, and the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party. The parliamentary election came hard on the heels of a presidential vote in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu won the first round. His surprise success plunged the European Union and NATO member country into turmoil as allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the Dec. 8 presidential runoff, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. A statement from the new coalition said the parties would potentially support a “common pro-European candidate” in the new presidential elections. It isn’t yet clear whether Georgescu will be allowed to run in the new vote. President Klaus Iohannis, whose second term is set to expire later this month, said a new date for the rerun presidential election would be set once the new government has taken office. “In the coming days, the four parties and the representatives of the national minorities will work on a joint governing program, focusing on development and reforms, while addressing the priorities of Romanian citizens,” the coalition statement said. Elena Lasconi, the leader of USR who was set to face Georgescu in the annulled presidential runoff, said after the agreement was reached that “Romania is going through a very difficult” period and that cutting state spending and reducing bureaucracy would be part of the governing program. In 2021, despite historically being Romania’s two main opposition parties that have dominated post-communist politics, the PSD and the PNL formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg snapped back Thursday at criticism from airline executives who say the Biden administration over-regulated them, pointing out that some of those airlines are making large profits despite new passenger-protection rules . Buttigieg said the rules his department has imposed, including automatic cash refunds after flights are canceled, enjoy broad public support and “will stand the test of time.” The comments came after the CEOs of Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines said they hoped the government will be more pro-business when President-elect Donald Trump returns to office. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the Trump administration will be “a breath of fresh air” for his industry. “I know that some airline CEOs have expressed hopes that the next administration will be less passenger-friendly and more corporate-friendly than this administration,” Buttigieg responded during a news conference to discuss Thanksgiving travel. “The passenger protections that we have put in place deservedly enjoy broad public, bipartisan support. I just don't run into a lot of people who are against the idea that you ought to get an automatic refund without any hassle, for example.” Buttigieg argued that strong passenger protections are good for the airline business. “Some of these companies have been showing very healthy profits even at this new and higher level of consumer protection, demonstrating to me that these things can travel together,” he said. It appeared to be a reference to Delta, the most profitable U.S. airline in recent years. Delta earned $2.6 billion in the first nine months of this year and $4.6 billion last year. The airline industry has opposed many consumer-protections written by the Biden administration, even suing the Transportation Department to kill a rule requiring greater transparency over fees that airlines charge their passengers. Airlines also oppose a current department inquiry into their frequent-flyer programs . Bastian, the Delta CEO, said he expected the Transportation Department under Trump to “take a fresh look at the regulatory environment, the bureaucracy that exists in government, the level of overreach that we have seen over the last four years within our industry.” Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Jordan said last week, “We are hopeful for a DOT (Department of Transportation) that is maybe a little less aggressive in terms of regulating or rule-making.” Buttigieg noted that his department extracted a $140 million settlement from Southwest over widespread flight cancellations in December 2022 and is conducting a similar investigation into Delta, which canceled about 7,000 flights after a technology outage in July. He suggested airline CEOs should spend more time thinking about passengers and less about their regulator.

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, China provided 1.5 million aid to Afghanistan. Beijing and Moscow stressed improved bilateral relationships with Kabul. UNAMA said media faced restrictions in Afghanistan, and the Islamic Emirate said issues facing the country should not be viewed from the Western perspective. Three people were killed and three others injured in Afghanistan last week. Two people were killed and three others injured in a clash between family members in Kunar province, officials said. In Baghlan a young man killed his mother. Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources could have provided incorrect figures. Thirteen people had been killed and one injured in Afghanistan in the previous week. Before the regime change in 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security personnel would be killed and maimed every week. Last week, Russian National Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Gordeye visited Afghanistan and held meetings with IEA deputy prime ministers, and acting ministers of defence, interior and foreign affairs. During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Maulavi Abdul Kabir, Shoigu said efforts were underway for the resumption of Afghanistan’s observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). A joint Afghani-Russian trade forum will open soon. The Russian delegation also held meetings with Interior Minister Serajuddin Haqqani, Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoub Mujahid on political, security and economic issues. During a meeting with Haqqani, Shoigu said: “The removal of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the Russian Federation’s blacklist was in final stages. The process would end soon and this would help improve relationships between the two countries.” Shoigu stressed improved trade and economic ties between Kabul and Moscow, saying Russia was ready to implement different infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. Russian President Vladimir Putin optimism about the potential to deepen relations with Afghanistan, citing signs of stabilisation in the country. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Summit in Astana, Putin said: “The situation in Afghanistan is complex, but we see an opportunity to build stronger relations.” China’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Yuxiao Yong last week visited Kabul and held talks with different officials. Economic cooperation, strengthening of bilateral relationships, border security and investment issues were discussed during the meetings. In a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Kabir, Yuxiao China wanted to increase cooperation with Afghanistan and boost bilateral ties. Yuxiao also met Foreign Minister Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi and said that China respected Afghan values and choices. In talks with Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoub Mujahid, the special envoy strengthening bilateral relationships. Last week, Ali Raza Baigdali Hassan Kazami Qommi as Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan. UAE President Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayid Al Nahyan approved IEA Ambassador Badruddin Haqqani’s . In a statement, the UAE, said during a special ceremony Sheikh Zahid Al Nahyan stressed improved links with Afghanistan. Last week, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called for "rapid actions to end violence against women". It said violence against women, including in Afghanistan, had no justification anywhere in the world. In response, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue (MoVV) said the provision of women's Sharia-based rights was the its responsibility. It said efforts were underway in this regard. According to MoVV, no one has the right to use violence against women or deny them their rights based on harmful traditions. In Afghanistan, the UNAMA and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in a report said that Afghan journalists were subjected to severe restrictions on access to information. The report added 336 cases of human rights violations had been documented during this period, affecting journalists and media workers. It said the cases included arbitrary detentions, imprisonment, torture, mistreatment and threats. However, IEA chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid responded by saying, "Our view on this report is that the situation in Afghanistan should not be portrayed in the same way as a Western country. “Afghanistan is an Islamic country, and its media will also be Islamic, operating within the framework of Afghanistan’s interests and laws. According to this, no media outlet has faced violence." Last week, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan had increased by 30 percent compared to the previous year. In a statement, UNODC indicated that while opium production was low in 2022 and 2023, it was expected to rise to 433 tons in 2024. This figure shows a 30 percent increase in opium production compared to 2023. In reaction to the report, the Ministry of Interior rejected the UN claim as inaccurate. The ministry said IEA had been doing everything in its power to eradicate narcotics. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Chinese Embassy in Kabul to address urgent needs of Afghan children and families. Under the agreement worth $1.5 million, signed on November 28 in Kabul, aid will be provided to people affected by natural disasters and diseases. nh/sa/mudLess than a month after winning the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are spending big again to add one of baseball's best pitchers to their star-studded roster. Blake Snell and the Dodgers agreed to a $182 million, five-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal is subject to a successful physical. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Tahj Brooks shines, Texas Tech routs West Virginia