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qujila U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the head of NATO have met for talks on global security, the military alliance said Saturday. In a brief statement, NATO said Trump and its secretary general, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida. “They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance,” the statement said without giving details. RELATED STORY | Trump appearance at SpaceX launch reinforces Musk's relationship with the president-elect It appeared to be Rutte's first meeting with Trump since his Nov. 5 election. Rutte had previously congratulated Trump and said “his leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong" and that he looked forward to working with him. Trump has for years expressed skepticism about the Western alliance and complained about the defense spending of many of its member nations, which he regarded as too low. He depicted NATO allies as leeches on the U.S. military and openly questioned the value of the alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades. He threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to meet defense-spending goals. Rutte and his team also met Trump's pick as national security adviser, U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, and other members of the president-elect's national security team, the NATO statement said. RELATED STORY | New details emerge about the Department of Government Efficiency's proposed cuts Rutte took over at the helm of NATO in October.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the head of NATO have met for talks on global security, the military alliance said Saturday. In a brief statement, NATO said Trump and its secretary general, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida. “They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance,” the statement said without giving details. RELATED STORY | Trump appearance at SpaceX launch reinforces Musk's relationship with the president-elect It appeared to be Rutte's first meeting with Trump since his Nov. 5 election. Rutte had previously congratulated Trump and said “his leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong" and that he looked forward to working with him. Trump has for years expressed skepticism about the Western alliance and complained about the defense spending of many of its member nations, which he regarded as too low. He depicted NATO allies as leeches on the U.S. military and openly questioned the value of the alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades. He threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to meet defense-spending goals. Rutte and his team also met Trump's pick as national security adviser, U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, and other members of the president-elect's national security team, the NATO statement said. RELATED STORY | New details emerge about the Department of Government Efficiency's proposed cuts Rutte took over at the helm of NATO in October.To entice shoppers on Black Friday, major retail chains intend to showcase interactive products and experiences, including Ray Ban augmented-reality glasses, extra-extra-large TVs at electronics retailer Best Buy BBY.N and new spa services at US department store chain Nordstrom Inc JWN.N. But with a shorter holiday season, retailers also were stocking plenty of basic favorites, such as NikeNKE.N fleece clothing at Dick's Sporting Goods DKS.N stores, and On Holding ONON.N and Deckers Outdoor's DECK.N Hoka sneakers at Nordstrom locations. A record 183.4 million people are planning to shop in-store and online from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, up from 182 million last year, according to the National Retail Federation, a US trade group. Executives from five US specialty retail chains on Tuesday described plans to draw people to stores. But executives at four retailers said in conference calls with investors that either they — or shoppers — were "cautious" or approaching the holidays "prudently." On the whole, retailers anticipate the slowest growth in holiday season sales since 2018 as shoppers continue to wrestle with high prices. Shoppers are more likely to make only selective holiday-related purchases rather than splurge. Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman said shoppers will "price check" more frequently before actually making a purchase. Earn rewards on your spending: Best credit cards for shopping At Nordstrom, with 381 stores in the US, "we're hosting experiences and events to celebrate the holiday, from virtual events with fashion experts to festive in-store experiences across the country like letters to Santa, Holiday Glam Up Days, the one-day-only Beauty Bash and more," said President Peter Nordstrom. His brother, Nordstrom CEO Erik Nordstrom, cited slower October demand as a reason to keep expectations for the fourth quarter in check. Shorter season With just 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year — retail executives are less exuberant in their outlook. "We did want to be appropriately cautious given the two factors, one being just the uncertain macroeconomic environment and then also the fewer holiday days," Lauren Hobart, CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods, told investors in its third quarter conference call on Tuesday. "People are waking up and talking to it. I'm hearing even people in my life talk about how, 'Oh, my gosh, Christmas is coming.' They have to quickly accelerate the gift buying," Hobart said. She said Dick's, which has 864 stores, strategically tweaked its inventory to stock more Nike NKE.N fleece clothing, a popular basic, in a variety of sizes and colors. Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch ANF.N lifted its forecast for the holiday quarter, anticipating strong demand for sweaters, jeans, knit bottoms and fleece products at its Gen-Z-focused Hollister stores and millennial-focused Abercrombie stores. Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said the electronics retailer is reintroducing both "Doorbuster" deals and a holiday gift ideas section on its website, featuring curated gift lists that include crafting and self-care products as well as travel and gaming items. It is adding displays of extra-extra-large TVs over 97 inches, Ray-Ban AR glasses and the new Oura Ring, which provides personalized insights into sleep, stress and fitness, Barry said. Holiday shopping: Record number of holiday shoppers will scout for deals over Thanksgiving weekend High prices Prices are somewhat high across a range of discretionary merchandise from jeans to shoes to phones, making the typical mall trip relatively expensive. Retailers that sell non-essential merchandise including sports equipment, furniture and home goods will have to lean on deep discounts, which could erode operating profits, according to S&P Global Ratings. "It is possible that consumers will wait until the last minute to see if there are any bargains that emerge. If retailers don't discount items, then shoppers might opt for gift cards to help keep within their holiday budget," said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, which has a stake in Walmart WMT.N. Struggling department store retailer Kohl's KSS.N on Tuesday provided a bleak outlook for the holiday quarter, anticipating a larger sales decline than previously expected. Despite this, Kohl's said it had aggressive plans for the holiday, with plans to expand product selection including sweaters, fleece, stocking stuffers, toys, Sephora gift sets, box jewelry and cold-weather bedding from brands like Cuddl Duds. Outgoing CEO Tom Kingsbury said Kohl's would leverage influencers and social media marketing and lean into promotional materials such as flyers based on customer feedback. It will also highly promote its Kohl's Cash rewards program — where shoppers earn cash back on every purchase — and offer more targeted promotions to its 4 million Kohl Rewards members. Nordstrom, in contrast, lifted the lower end of its annual sales forecast for the year. "The majority of the holiday season is in front of us. We feel really great about... our holiday plans," said CEO Erik Nordstrom. "The consumer is bifurcated but so are companies," said Jamie Meyers, senior analyst at Laffer Tengler Investments. "Those that pivot win, and those that don't get left in the dust." Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York and Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru

Memphis beats No. 2 UConn 99-97 in overtime to tip off Maui Invitational LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Tyrese Hunter scored 17 of his 26 points after halftime to lead Memphis to a 99-97 overtime win against two-time defending national champion and second-ranked UConn in the first round of the Maui Invitational. Hunter shot 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Tigers, who were 12 of 22 from beyond at the arc as a team. PJ Haggerty had 22 points and five assists, Colby Rogers had 19 points and Dain Dainja scored 14. Tarris Reed Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Huskies. Alex Karaban had 19 points and six assists, and Jaylin Stewart scored 16. Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender A judge has rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she’s transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship in Las Vegas this week. His order also upholds the seedings and pairings in the tournament. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and Los Angeles Angels agree to a $63 million, 3-year contract, AP source says A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press left-hander Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $63 million, three-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. An All-Star with Seattle in 2021, Kikuchi was 9-10 with a 4.05 ERA this year for Toronto and Houston, which acquired him on July 30. Kikuchi was 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts with the Astros. He is 41-47 with a 4.57 ERA in six seasons. Conference title games a chance at a banner, bragging rights and, for some, a season-wrecking loss Indiana should be able to breathe easy. The Hoosiers have very little chance of making it to the Big Ten championship game. In the Southeastern Conference, Georgia has a spot in the league title game but with that comes a lot of worry. Conference title games give teams a chance to hang a banner, but for national title contenders it is an additional chance for a season-wrecking loss — even with an expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the season with a broken collarbone HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Monday that quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone. Pierce said Aidan O’Connell is on injured reserve with a broken thumb. He could be available to start when the Raiders visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. The Raiders also could turn to Desmond Ridder. He replaced Minshew when he was injured late in Sunday’s 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. UCLA moves up to No. 1 in AP Top 25 women's basketball poll for first time in history UCLA has earned the school's first No. 1 ranking in in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll. The Bruins knocked off the previous top team, South Carolina, which had held the No. 1 spot for the previous 23 polls. UCLA moved up four spots. UConn remained No. 2. Notre Dame pulled off its own upset, beating then-No. 3 USC and moving up to third. South Carolina dropped to fourth, Texas is fifth and USC fell to sixth. Iowa is in the poll for the first time in the post-Caitlin Clark era, coming in at No. 22. Kansas stays at No. 1 ahead of showdown vs. No. 11 Duke; Ole Miss, Mississippi St back in AP Top 25 Kansas remained solidly entrenched at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll ahead of its showdown with Duke in Las Vegas. The Jayhawks received 51 of 62 first-place votes from the national panel of media, putting them well ahead of two-time reigning national champion UConn, which was second with six first-place votes. Gonzaga was third with two first-place votes, Auburn was next with three, and Iowa State rounded out a top five that was unchanged from the previous week. Xavier, Ole Miss and Mississippi State entered the poll at the expense of Illinois, St. John's and Rutgers. Wake up the ghosts! Texas, Texas A&M rivalry that dates to 1894 is reborn AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player who grew up in the state has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade it has been only ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football’s great rivalries is reborn after a 12-year hiatus. Third-ranked Texas plays at No. 20 Texas A&M with a berth in the conference championship game on the line.Top YouTube Series 'Hot Ones' Rejected Kamala Harris Request to Appear on Show

The model and influencer Luciana Fuster surprised her followers by announcing that she will temporarily disconnect from social networks and her mobile phone. Through a recently published video, he explained the reasons behind this decision, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing his mental and emotional well-being. Luciana Fuster confesses that she will distance herself from social networks after scandals The model Luciana Fuster surprised her followers by announcing that she will take a break from social networks after the controversies in which she was involved with her clothing brand and the complaints from users for finding Shein clothing in the collection. “I decided to do a phone detox because I feel like we spend too much time in front of the screen and we forget to enjoy the present,” Fuster said in his message. The model explained that this pause will allow her to reconnect with herself and make better use of her time, focusing on enjoying the moments with the people close to her. In addition, he mentioned that the constant use of electronic devices can have a significant impact on mental health, which is why he decided to take concrete measures to take care of his emotional well-being. “I want to reconnect with myself and take advantage of my time in another way,” she added, making it clear that this decision seeks to balance her personal and professional life. The announcement generated various reactions among his followers on social networks. While some expressed sadness at not seeing her active during this period, others highlighted the importance of her decision and provided messages of support. Comments such as “We are waiting for you with more energy” and “It is a great example for everyone, taking care of our mental health is important” were recurring in their most recent publications. Why hasn’t Luciana Fuster defended herself after criticism of her clothing brand? Weeks after the controversy, Luciana Fuster decided to clarify why she chose not to defend herself against criticism. Through his official Instagram account, he interacted with his followers through a question box to resolve their concerns. One of the most prominent questions was: “Lucianita, why don’t you upload many of your stories anymore?” Fuster responded quickly. “The question that is repeated the most. As I told you a few weeks ago, this year was the busiest that I have had with so much work and travel. And I wanted to take it easy at least until the end of the year. I have never stopped since I started working in the middle almost 10 years ago, in 2015 and well, I take advantage of the end of the year to get lost,” is seen in his message at the beginning. Publication made by Luciana Fuster. Photo: Instagram Join our entertainment channelGold Hitting New All-Time-Highs Since the end of the convertibility of gold into US dollar (USD) in 1971, there have been two gold bull markets in the 1970s and 2000s. And we might be in the midst of a new one, especially with the very strong run in gold in 2024. Source: Trading Economics A major driver of each gold run has been concerns about the economy and the persistence of the dominance of the USD over the global financial system. This is what is driving the current gold bull market again, with the US government piling up debt like never before. And with rising interest rates in parallel, this has caused the interest payment to go above the 1 trillion USD mark for the very first time. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis For reference, this is larger than the US defense budget, itself 40% of the global military spending. The new Trump administration, including the now very influential Elon Musk, has expressed concerns about this situation. “We do have an opportunity to do kind of a once-in-a-lifetime deregulation and reduction in the size of government. Because the other thing besides the regulations, America is also going bankrupt extremely quickly, and... everyone seems to be sort of whistling past the graveyard on this one.” – Elon Musk As gold has historically been a reserve currency without counterparty risk , it is often seen as a safe haven in times of financial uncertainty. An excellent way to gain exposure to gold is to invest in gold miners, as this is equivalent to buying not only the current production but also the mineral reserves still in the ground. Why to Invest In Gold ETFs Gold mining has excited imagination and public greed since the dawn of civilization, as illustrated by expressions like gold rush, gold fever, golden opportunity, fool's gold, etc. However, gold is very rare on Earth, and even the best gold deposit usually contains as little as a few grams of gold per ton of rock mined. Combined with possible interference by local government and complex geology, investing in gold miners is as risky as it can be profitable. For example, in November 2024, executives at the gold miner Resolute Mining were detained by the Mali government over a tax dispute, sending the company stock into a tailspin. By offering an easy-to-invest financial instrument that provides exposure to dozens of gold miners at once, gold ETFs can help diversify this risk. Gold Focused Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) *Note: Metrics are provided in USD and were accurate at the time of writing.* 1. SPDR Gold Trust { "symbol": "AMEX:GLD", "width": "100%", "locale": "en", "colorTheme": "dark", "isTransparent": false} By far the largest gold ETF, SPDR differs from others as it does not hold stock but actual gold. The trust owns 877 tons of gold or as much gold reserve as major countries like India or Japan. Source: World Gold Council With a value of $75B, it is by far the most liquid gold ETF Trust, with very little difference between the price paid by an investor in GLD and gold spot price. This can actually be a lower premium than actual physical gold an investor can take delivery of in physical form, like gold bars or gold coins. The ETF's size also means that it can afford very low management fees, with an expense ratio of only 0.40%. So this is the closest investors can do to directly own gold without taking physical delivery. However, it does not provide any yield, as it is not an investment in productive companies’ stocks. It also does not provide any leverage against gold prices. 2. VanEck Gold Miners ETF { "symbol": "AMEX:GDX", "width": "100%", "locale": "en", "colorTheme": "dark", "isTransparent": false} This is one of the largest gold ETFs focused on gold miners, with $14.3B of assets under management. It has a low net expense ratio of only 0.51%. Its top 3 holdings are among the largest gold miners in the world: Newmont ( NEM -0.01% ), Agnico Eagle ( AEM +0.51% ), and Barrick Gold ( GOLD +0% ). This is followed by two of the largest gold royalties gold companies, Franco Nevada ( FNV +0.44% ) and Wheaton Precious Metal ( WPM +0.08% ). Royalties companies are financial companies providing non-dilutive investment to mining companies, in exchange for a percentage of future production on a mining site. Source: VanEck The rest of the ETF’s top holdings are other large gold mining companies like Kinross Gold ( KGC +0.74% ), or AngloGold Ashanti ( AU +2.6% ). This makes the GDX ETF a good ETF for getting exposure to the top gold companies in the world, including a focus on the largest miners and best jurisdictions in the world. 3. VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF { "symbol": "AMEX:GDXJ", "width": "100%", "locale": "en", "colorTheme": "dark", "isTransparent": false} While established large gold miners are overall safer, they are also generally priced accordingly. On the contrary, junior miners, a term used for mining companies that have yet to start production, are more speculative and risky. This is because a lot can go wrong in the 10+ years between the start of a mining project and first production: environmental permitting can be refused, actual geology might prove less good than expected, inflation can cause construction costs to explode beyond expectation, more capital might need to be raised, diluting existing shareholders, etc. If the gold prices keep rising while junior miners are building up their mines, this could prove very profitable, as investors will have bought them early at a discounted price. But of course, if gold prices crash, the newly started mines might be unprofitable, which can severely damage their stock prices. So in many ways, gold miners and ETFs like GDXJ are sort of a leveraged bet against gold price. Contrary to investment in individual juniors, the ETF provides a diversified exposure to smoothen out individual failures. Like most VanEck ETFs, net expenses fees are rather low at 0.52%. Maybe a little surprisingly considering its name, GDXJ's top holdings include a few not-so-junior gold & silver companies that are developing new projects, for example: Overall, the holding of growth-focused smaller active gold miners means that despite its name, GDXJ is more a mid-way between a mature large gold miner ETF like GDX and an ETF fully dedicated to junior miners. 4. Sprott Junior Gold Miners ETF { "symbol": "AMEX:SGDJ", "width": "100%", "locale": "en", "colorTheme": "dark", "isTransparent": false} This ETF is much more than GDXJ, which is an actual junior gold miner ETF. Its total fees are 0.5%. The ETF's top 5 holdings, representing 32.61% of the total assets, are: This ETF provides a much wider geographical diversity than others, with a presence in frontier markets like Indonesia or Africa that could feel too risky for most investors to make any direct investment. By having most of the investments of the ETF only 2-5% of the total, this provides a very strong diversification. It also capitalized on the experience, knowledge, and network of the Sprott Asset Management company, founded by the legend in mining investing Eric Sprott, worth $1.1B, who claims to hold 90% of his assets in gold and silver . 5. Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF { "symbol": "AMEX:FGDL", "width": "100%", "locale": "en", "colorTheme": "dark", "isTransparent": false} Mining, and gold mining in particular, can be done in not-so-ethical ways in many places in the world. While this is especially true for small-scale or illegal mining, established mining companies can also attract unwanted controversy at times due to poor governance. This relatively recently established ETF aims to alleviate such concerns for gold investors, by guaranteeing that the gold held by the Franklin fund is only sourced from LBMA accredited refiners. As such, these refiners are required to demonstrate their efforts to respect the environment and combat money laundering, terrorist financing and human rights abuses in accordance with the LBMA's Responsible Gold Guidance. The fund is also optimizing it costs by sourcing the gold from the NYSE Arca gold market.

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Enzo Maresca has backed Manchester City to bounce back into Premier League title contention and said it is “just reality” that Chelsea are not in the hunt themselves. Maresca’s Blues host Fulham on Boxing Day lying second in the table, and are only four points adrift of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more. City have won the league for the past four seasons but they have been cast 12 points adrift of the summit following a miserable run which has seen them lose nine times in their previous 12 outings. This is the story of Enzo Maresca's @ChelseaFC 's revolution 📘 pic.twitter.com/uVNLYptsPh — Premier League (@premierleague) December 24, 2024 However, Maresca, who worked alongside Pep Guardiola at the Etihad, said: “Manchester City at the end will be there. They are in a moment that has never happened before. “Every time they play a game, they have an injury, and they don’t have enough players in this moment. And the ones they have are not 100 per cent because they have just come back from injury, so it is a very bad situation. “We are ahead of our expectations, in terms of the way we are playing, and the points we have, but the main focus is how we can improve the players and how we can improve the team.” Maresca, who has continually played down his side’s aspirations for glory, added: “It is not about the (title) pressure for the players or for the club or for me, it is just the reality. “I would like to have that kind of pressure and hopefully soon we can, but the reason why I said we are not there yet, is because the reality is that we are not.” Liverpool are ready to capitalise on City’s demise, while Arsenal, who are six points off top spot, are set to be without star man Bukayo Saka for a sustained period after he suffered a hamstring tear. Asked if it was Liverpool’s title to lose, Maresca said: “No, the reality says we are second at the halfway point, so the table does reflect the teams. “But Liverpool have done a fantastic job since the first day, and the squad has lived that kind of moment, winning a trophy, which is important. “Last year, when Liverpool faced Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final I saw the amount of finals that Liverpool players had played in, and the number of finals Chelsea players had played in, and there was a huge difference. So it shows the experience you need, but we are happy to be where we are.” Chelsea will continue to be without winger Mykhailo Mudryk after he returned a positive drugs test. The 23-year-old Ukrainian, who has not played for a month, was spotted ringside for compatriot Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight title victory over Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia at the weekend. “In this moment it is good that he can disconnect a little bit from the situation,” said Maresca. “The last time I spoke with him, we try to support him, and now we are just waiting.”

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Enzo Maresca has denied Christopher Nkunku is unhappy at Chelsea and insisted the marginalised France striker will get more playing time next month. Nkunku joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig for £52million in the summer of 2023 but, after an injury-hit first season, he has seen limited game time in the Premier League this term. He has made 11 appearances but only one start, with Nicolas Jackson ahead of him in the pecking order as the team’s main striker and Cole Palmer integral in an attacking midfield role, where Maresca thinks he is best suited. During the international break it was reported that Nkunku was unhappy at Chelsea. But Maresca, speaking before Thursday’s Europa Conference League fixture with Heidenheim, denied the rumours. “No, not at all,None