6���lWARNING: This article contains graphic details of animal abuse which may be upsetting to some readers. A 40-year-old northern Ontario man is avoiding prison after pleading guilty to killing his dog earlier this year. Dax the dog was found dead in a wooded area of Sault Ste. Marie. Jason Howson of Sault Ste. Marie was sentenced Friday after admitting to hanging his dog , Dax, from a tree on May 23. The court heard that a man working on a roof heard "what sounded like a female scream two times from a forested area across from MacDonald Avenue," around 3:30 p.m. that day. A male wearing a grey hoodie, jeans and sunglasses was then seen running out of the wooded area and to a nearby apartment building. Police were called to the scene at 55 Black Road and after a short search, found a dead medium black lab with a muzzle, collar and leash tied to a fallen tree. Officers then went to the apartment building to where the suspect was seen fleeing and spoke to the superintendent and a neighbour. They were told two tenants had dogs matching the description of the deceased animal and police spoke to both. Court heard that Howson initially told police his dog had gone missing earlier that day, but later admitted to hanging the dog until it stopped breathing. He also explained he had tied the dog to a fallen tree until he could come back and bury it. Howson was in the same clothing the suspect had been described wearing when police spoke to him at his apartment. 'Problem' dog needed to be euthanized The court heard Howson had adopted the dog "knowing it had some problems" after seeing it on Facebook, hoping to be able to "fix" its behaviour with patience and love. Dax was a lab/Doberman mix. As part of the agreed statement of facts, the court heard the dog was vicious and could not be around people because it had bitten a few children and his girlfriend. Howson lost visitation of his children because of the dog and didn't have the money to have it euthanized. He reached out to a local rescue for help rehoming the dog but was told he would still be civilly responsible if the dog bit more people or caused damage. Dax, a black lab-doberman mix was found dead in a wooded area of Sault Ste. Marie on May 23, 2024. His owner pleaded guilty to hanging him. (Facebook/For Dax) Not being in a good financial position, that was too risky for him. The Crown confirmed when Howson inquired about euthanasia through the local humane society, he was told it would be about $400 and that there was a long waiting list. Being raised on a farm, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He had no history of animal abuse prior to the incident. A roadside memorial was created in memory of Dax by neighbours. Roadside memorial set up for Dax, a dog found dead in a wooded area of Sault Ste. Marie. (Facebook) Conditional sentence Because the Crown decided to pursue the case summarily, the maximum penalty for willfully causing death to an animal is two years less a day. "This was clearly a terrible act of violence. That is why a custodial sentence is appropriate," Justice JP Condon said. The judge accepted the joint submission by the Crown and defence asking for a six-month conditional sentence, a lifetime ban on owning animals and two years probation. Howson had no criminal record and Condon was satisfied he would not endanger the safety of the community. The first three months will be under house arrest with exceptions for medical emergencies or written approval from supervisor. For the remaining three months, he will be bound by a curfew and is ordered to remain in his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. each day. He is not allowed to consume alcohol or non-prescription drugs during the conditional sentence and is prohibited from having weapons during that time. Howson has also been directed to attend counselling, including for anger management. Consequences The court heard Howson has struggled mentally, professionally and socially because of his behaviour, but that he has acknowledged his wrongdoing and accepts responsibility. He lost his job due to the charge and has received online comments that the judge said constituted death threats, the pre-sentencing report said. "Two wrongs don't make a right. Comments have been detrimental to his mental health and don't bring the dog back," Condon said. "They are a consequence that will long outlast any sentence I impose." While Howson is not currently working, he faces jail time if he breaches his conditional sentence.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry celebrated a political win Thursday as he signed into law sweeping tax measures passed by lawmakers that include reducing the individual income tax to 3%, cutting corporate taxes and raising the state sales tax. He also approved an array of proposed constitutional changes to go before voters in March. “Y’all have instituted generational change,” Landry said of a bipartisan group of lawmakers standing beside him at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. “They opened the door for a new era here in Louisiana, an era where every working citizen in this state gets to keep more of their hard-earned money.” Landry, a Republican, said the measures will provide $1.3 billion in income tax cuts for Louisiana residents as well as nearly triple the standard individual deduction and double deductions for seniors. The income tax rate was 4.25% for people earning $50,000 or more. Republicans said the measures will help stanch outward migration from the state. To pay for the bulk of the tax cuts, Landry approved increasing the state sales tax to 5% for the next five years, after which it will drop to 4.75%. It previously stood at 4% with a temporary 0.45% increase set to expire next year. Landry also agreed to redirect $280 million in vehicle sales tax funds earmarked for several major infrastructure projects to help pay for the tax cuts over the next two years. Landry said other changes would make the state more competitive for businesses. Large corporations will have their income tax rate reduced from 7.5% to 5.5%. Louisiana also eliminated the 0.275% corporate franchise tax. Republicans had long decried the levy on businesses operating in the state worth more than $500 million in annual revenue as hindering economic growth. “Our complicated business tax policy has been finally moved more towards fairness and put us in a place to be more competitive with our surrounding states,” said Republican Rep. Julie Emerson, who sponsored several major bills signed by Landry. Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said the corporate tax cuts sends business a message: “We are here to compete, we do compete, and we want you." Landry and his allies in the GOP-controlled legislature had championed the tax reform package in an intense three-week special session in November, the third such session since he took office in January. While Democratic lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the tax package in the Senate, some Democrats in the House of Representatives warned the tax cuts would mostly benefit the wealthiest residents and corporate shareholders. Critics pointed out that increasing the state sales tax disproportionately affects lower-income households. Louisiana has the highest combined state and average local sales tax in the country, according to the Tax Policy Foundation. The tax measures included an array of proposed constitutional changes intended to streamline a complicated section of the state's constitution. The changes include liquidating several education trust funds to pay off approximately $2 billion in school district debt and using the savings to make permanent a $2,000 pay raise for teachers. Another constitutional change would include a growth cap designed to limit the amount of additional funding the state could earmark for recurring expenses each year. Landry also signed other proposed constitutional amendments unrelated to taxes. One would make it easier for lawmakers to expand the number of crimes for which minors can be tried and sentenced in adult courts by removing constitutional restrictions. Republican lawmakers and prosecutors say the change will increase public safety by paving the way for longer prison sentences for teenagers who commit violent crimes. Democrats and criminal justice reform advocacy groups have warned it would undermine rehabilitative efforts and fails to address the root causes of juvenile crime. "If you care about kids, you want to vote yes” on the amendment, Landry said. Another proposed amendment would allow the legislature to create specialty courts. Republican lawmakers said the bill would give more flexibility to the justice system, such as by enabling the creation of regional drug courts to serve rural parishes that could not afford their own. Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that the broad language of the amendment could allow for Republicans to exercise more control over the criminal justice system in Democrat-dominated jurisdictions such as New Orleans. The constitutional amendments are scheduled to go before voters on March 29. Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96

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Adele Darlington needed 65 units of blood products while giving birth A mum who needed 65 units of blood products while giving birth and was told it was "a medical miracle that I'm still here" has met the NHS staff who urgently sent blood to the hospital. Adele Darlington suffered a massive bleed while giving birth to her daughter Jasmine just before Christmas last year. Mrs Darlington, 41, of Stockton Heath in Warrington , needed blood, plasma, cryoprecipitate and platelets during emergency surgery including a hysterectomy to save her life at the end of November 2023. "My husband was told to call in family to prepare to say goodbye, but thanks to everyone's work I got to spend Christmas with my family and new daughter," the mother-of-five said during an NHS appeal for Christmas and New Year blood donors. After a four-hour operation during the C-section, she underwent another nine hours of surgery for a hysterectomy, tube and ovary removal and partial cervix and bladder removal. During surgery, Mrs Darlington received 28 units of red blood cells, 20 units of fresh frozen plasma, nine units of cryoprecipitate, and eight units of platelets the biggest transfusion at the hospital since 2000. NHS Blood and Transplant's Liverpool team had to send nine emergency orders overnight to Warrington Hospital for Mrs Darlington and other patients, as a huge team of nurses and doctors, including four surgeons operating at once, worked to save her life. To thank staff and support the Christmas appeal for blood donors, Mrs Darlington visited the regional centre which sent most of the blood for her care. Staff laid out the exact number of units of blood products she received to illustrate how much help she needed. Mrs Darlington said: "It's been a really humbling experience to meet some of the people who sent blood when I had my transfusion, it's been a really special day. It was unbelievable to see the same quantity of blood that I received laid out, knowing that it took so many people to save me. I'm forever indebted to the more than 65 people who gave me the gift of life. "I never thought in a million years that this would happen to me, but trauma and the need for a lot of blood can happen to anyone at any time, including at Christmas, so I would urge anyone who is able to donate to please do so." Mrs Darlington said she vaguely remember Jasmine being born during the C-section before she passed out. She said: "By this point I'd already lost six litres of blood and it was thought that I'd stabilised, but in the recovery room it become evident that I was still internally bleeding so I was urgently rushed back into theatre. They told me I needed a hysterectomy to save my life." "I had this sense of doom that I would not make it. My blood pressure and heart rate were at dangerous levels. I remember crying and saying: 'I think I'm dying', and telling the theatre staff that I was scared to go to sleep because I didn't think I would wake up." Mrs Darlington's condition was so severe she developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a blood-clotting problem in trauma patients so severe it is sometimes informally referred to as 'death is coming'. She added: "I was told it's a medical miracle that I'm still here. I'm still on a road to recovery I am just forever grateful that I am here. I am very aware that I shouldn't be. "All of these amazing people worked together to save me. Blood donors might think it's not a big thing to donate they donate and they have a hot drink and a biscuit but I can't thank them enough. "I will be eternally grateful to these selfless donors who took time to voluntarily donate and ultimately save my life. Her husband Ian, who owns a media business, has signed up as a blood donor, along with many friends and family members. Julie Riley from NHSBT Liverpool Hospital Services, said: "I was on shift issuing the blood, and meeting Adele was absolutely beautiful. "We don't normally get to meet anyone we work in labs for eight hours a day. I am glad she got home for her little kiddies. Michael Kay, NHSBT blood delivery driver, said: "It was the end of my shift but I stayed on to do a blue-light delivery and it's just amazing to find out it went to Adele". Chris Philips, NHSBT head of hospital customer service, said: "It was incredibly moving to see Adele visit our teams because that night is very clear in their memories they won't forget it any time soon. "This is an amazing example of NHS teams working together but without donors none of this would have happened." England remains in amber alert for low blood stocks. To register or book an appointment to give blood, visit blood.co.uk/, use the GiveBlood app or call 0300 123 23 23.New Data from PROMMIS Study Highlights the Power of SKY92 in Identifying High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Patients

An American map showing the rapid increase in average winter temperatures across the United States published last week showed us by doing the numbers what we gardeners know in our bones: It’s getting toastier out there. Not always toasty. There is still cold. Just a lot toastier than before. Thirty-five years ago, when I bought my Pasadena garden (and a little cottage sitting on its edge), there were three or four regular overnight frosts, morning ice glistening on the rose bushes and the irises, every winter, and seven or eight in the different microclimate just down the hill, the floor of the Arroyo Seco canyon where the Rose Bowl is. It’s been well over a decade since we have seen any frost at all. The map published by Climate Central shows that our coastal zone of Southern California is an area that has seen average winter temps rise between 2 and 3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970. That’s not nearly as major a change as back East, where all of New England is in a zone where the winter lows are on average 5 degrees higher than 54 years ago. This is not an issue of opinion. It doesn’t matter to the real world if a politician such as Donald Trump finds it convenient to pretend that “climate change is a hoax.” This winter numbers are just a small piece of the data pie showing this year to be the hottest ever. “The global mean surface air temperature from January to September 2024 was 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average. This is the first time the world has exceeded 1.5°C warming,” the World Meteorological Organization reports. King Canute can command the tides to recede all he likes, but the rising tide pays no attention to his royal wishes. But the perhaps apocryphal story of the actual ancient English king, crowned in 1027, as told by his chronicler, Henry of Huntingdon, was meant to tell the opposite of how the story is now understood. After the tide kept coming up and dampened his shoes despite the command, Canute stepped back and declared, “Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws.” A king, or a president, can have no effect on global warming and other examples of climate change by commanding the atmosphere and the oceans to stop heating up. The laws of chemistry, and of physics, are eternal laws. But the president can, out of a desire to seem populist, or whatever reality-denying motive is at play here, once again withdraw our nation from The Paris Agreement, negotiated by 196 countries in 2015 “to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.” And surely once in office Trump will do just that. It’s a national embarrassment, yet another one; it’s anti-human, as well as anti-Earth. For those of us who favor the Earth over, say, Mars, and who don’t want to leave our great-grandchildren an inhospitable home planet, it’s a disgusting political maneuver. But that doesn’t mean that smart, everyday Americans will give up on our own fight against climate change, absurd as it is that the president’s likely action will see us join only a tiny group of countries, including Libya, Iran and Yemen, in the denialism. We do contribute 13% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and American scientists, engineers and politicians of goodwill will continue to work to bring that number down, waiting out the Trump administration’s colossal error. As Max Boykoff, professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado says, yes, there will be “a loss of trust and a loss of opportunity for the U.S. to be in a position of leadership in a clean energy economy, and more generally on other global issues as well.” But: “The renewable energy sector has grown to a point where it actually makes great financial sense to continue to benefit from these market trends. With the way the economy has been moving, the Trump administration’s withdrawal ... may carry more symbolic significance than actual functional significance.” Keep up the good fight, even if this president is unlikely to attain the wisdom of the old king. Larry Wilson is on the Southern California News Group editorial board. lwilson@scng.com.

Proposal to Cabinet to remove VAT on local brown sugar – MinisterTrump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection

JERUSALEM — Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed a series of accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu's office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but "reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance. But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” In this screen grab image from video provide by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate. A police bomb squad officer inspects the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Trump will return to power with a raft of tools at his disposal.

Panic gripped Damascus after fast-advancing rebels said on Saturday they had begun operations to surround Syria's capital, residents said, with many scrambling to stock up on vital supplies. Protests spread like wildfire in neighbouring provinces, with anti-government demonstrators toppling statues of late president Hafez al-Assad in the Jaramana suburb of Damascus and in the southern city of Daraa. Damascus resident Rania, who is in her eighth month of pregnancy, said she could not find desperately needed medicine anywhere as shops and pharmacies had closed early. "I'm very scared, for me and for my unborn daughter," she told AFP. "I've been trying to buy medicine since this morning but I cannot find what I need." Rania said she had to come home empty-handed after her husband demanded that she return. "The situation was not like this when I left my house this morning... suddenly everyone was scared," she said. Rebels said earlier onSaturday they had begun operations to encircle the government-held capital after seizing nearby towns. Syria's defence ministry denied the army had fled positions near the city. Residents spoke to AFP of a state of panic as traffic jams clogged central Damascus and people sought supplies and queued to withdraw money from ATM machines. Three residents, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said they struggled to find food or medicines as stores had shut. Rumours that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country added to the anxiety, although his office denied the reports and said he was still in Damascus. Assad last appeared in public on Sunday during an official visit by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Security forces and the army were deployed in the Mazzeh neighbourhood, which is home to embassies, United Nations offices and security headquarters. Interior Minister Mohammed al-Rahmoun told state television that security forces had imposed an impenetrable cordon around the city, while he toured the capital in a bid to "reassure" citizens. The mood was starkly different a few kilometres (miles) away, in the southern Damascus suburb of Jaramana where anti-government protesters toppled a statue of Assad's father, witnesses told AFP. Statues were also toppled in Hama, seized by rebels within days of snatching the second city Aleppo -- in scenes reminiscent of the mass anti-government protests that swept the country in 2011. In Jaramana, which is home to mostly Druze, Christians and families displaced by more than a decade of civil war, video footage verified by AFP showed young men chanting: "Syria is ours, it doesn't belong to the Assad family." One witness said by phone that he saw "dozens of protesters" tear down the statue of Assad's father in a main square in Jaramana that bears the former president's name. Another witness who passed through the square later said the statue had been smashed. Damascus resident Mohammed, 35, told AFP he felt "a mix of shock, fear and worry about the future". "Nothing compares to what we're going through today. But I think we're witnessing days that will go down in history," he added. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.None

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United States women’s head coach Emma Hayes admitted she initially grappled with how best to behave during ‘God Save The King’ ahead of her side’s goalless draw with England in their Wembley friendly. The billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Elite meeting of the minds 🌟 pic.twitter.com/R4d8EArqTp — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 30, 2024 Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. "This shows where we are at and we need to keep improving. It is November now. This is good but we want to be better again. We have to be better again." 👊 Reaction from the boss ⬇️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) November 30, 2024 Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”

NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a "saw" putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. "I'm always looking for ways to improve," Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. "But it was really our first time working together and it's something that's different than what I've done in the past," Scheffler said. "This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let's table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. "Figured this is a good week to try stuff." He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. "I really enjoyed the way it felt," he said. "I felt like I'm seeing some improvements in my stroke." Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. "The wind wasn't blowing much so it was relatively stress-free," Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. "Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more," Thomas said. "I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back." Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. "It's very specific for courses, but gave it a try," he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

RETAIL SECTOR | BLACK FRIDAY NEW YORK — Retailers in the U.S. rewarded shoppers who ventured out for Black Friday with giveaways and bigger-than expected discounts on a day that still reigns as the much-hyped kickoff of the holiday shopping season despite losing some luster. Department stores, shopping malls and merchants — big and small — see the day after Thanksgiving as a way to energize shoppers and to get them into physical stores at a time when many do the bulk of their browsing and buying online. Enough consumers enjoy holiday shopping in person that Black Friday remains the biggest day of the year for retail foot traffic in the U.S., according to retail technology company Sensormatic Solutions. In the U.S., analysts envision a solid holiday shopping season, though perhaps not as robust as last year's, with many shoppers cautious with their discretionary spending despite the easing of inflation. At many stores, the huge crowds of Black Fridays past never returned after the coronavirus pandemic. Early Friday morning, a Walmart in Germantown, Maryland, had only half of its parking spots filled. Some shoppers were returning items or doing their routine grocery shopping. Retailers are even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Target had an exclusive book devoted to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and a bonus edition of her "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" album that it said would only be available in stores on Black Friday. Customers can buy them online starting Saturday. Best Buy introduced an extended-release version of the doorbuster, the limited-time daily discounts that for years were the rage and sometimes sparked brawls. The nation's largest consumer electronics chain has released doorbuster deals every Friday since Nov. 8. Michael Brown, a partner at global strategy and management consulting firm Kearney, reported seeing no lines at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, 10 minutes before the 7 a.m. opening. "It's not the old Black Friday that we used to know, " he said. Retailers that offered at least 40% off drove shoppers' attention, according to Brown. For example, Forever 21 had 50% to 70% discounts and had lines to the stores, while H&M, which offered 30% discounts, was relatively quiet.NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a "saw" putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. "I'm always looking for ways to improve," Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. "But it was really our first time working together and it's something that's different than what I've done in the past," Scheffler said. "This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let's table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. "Figured this is a good week to try stuff." He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. "I really enjoyed the way it felt," he said. "I felt like I'm seeing some improvements in my stroke." Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. "The wind wasn't blowing much so it was relatively stress-free," Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. "Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more," Thomas said. "I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back." Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. "It's very specific for courses, but gave it a try," he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. Get local news delivered to your inbox!You may have spent a lot of the past week taking advantage of the best Black Friday deals , and as a result missed some of the major tech stories that the TechRadar team has been reporting on – but this round-up is here to fix that. Even with all of the holiday sales madness going on, it's been another hectic week in the world of technology. We've had the biggest tease of Spotify Wrapped 2024 yet, we've seen more leaks of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra , and we've had Apple 's best apps of 2024 . There's lots more to dig into besides those stories too, so sit back and let us be your guide to all of the important happenings in tech over the last seven days. Once you're done, you can also check out the best new movies and shows to stream this weekend. 7. B&O revealed its stunning new wireless earbuds We love a quality pair of wireless earbuds here at TechRadar, and the new Beoplay Eleven from Bang & Olufsen certainly fit the bill: inspired by jewelry, apparently, these earbuds and their accompanying case really look the part, even before you get to the audio quality. While we haven't heard them for ourselves yet, you get active noise cancelling here, plus eight hours of battery life and IP57 waterproofing. They're yours for $499 / £429 / €499 / AU$910, and they're on sale from December 17 – click through below for all the details. Read more: Bang & Olufsen unveils beautiful ANC wireless earbuds that are the prettiest I've seen for years 6. Windows Recall launched – and ran into teething issues Windows Recall continues to have a rough start: the upcoming AI-powered feature is designed to log your computing activities to make it easier to retrace your steps and find old information again, but some users suspect it may be a little too intrusive. Having previously been pulled because of privacy worries, the feature has now been put back into testing – only to run into a series of frustrating bugs. The advice from Microsoft , if you can believe it, is to turn your computer off and then turn it back on again. Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. Read more: Windows 11 Recall is misbehaving in testing, and the fix for the biggest issue is an age-old favorite – turn it off, then back on again 5. Arcane makers promised to learn from Netflix’s ‘rushed’ second season Fans weren't too happy with the way the second season of Arcane ended on Netflix, but show co-creator Christian Linke has told TechRadar he "understands and respects" the complaints in an exclusive interview – and that lessons are going to be learned. In other words, don't expect the same mistakes to be made with the various Arcane sequel projects now in development. Linke also gave us plenty of insight into the production process of a show like this, which ranks as one of the best shows on Netflix recently. Read more: Arcane co-creator vows 'we will learn from it' after fan frustrations of the Netflix show's 'rushed' final season 4. OpenAI Sora was leaked by protestors You may remember the OpenAI Sora video generator being teased by the ChatGPT maker earlier this year. The tool was announced amid a wave of hype back in February, but only selected creators were invited to test out the software. As we approach the end of the year, it's still not open to the public. That changed briefly this week, when a group of disgruntled Sora testers made the tool available to everyone – before the leak was shut down by OpenAI . Those behind the leak are reportedly upset with their work being used for free, and OpenAI's positive PR spin. Expect to see a lot more tussles like this in 2025 . Read more: OpenAI's Sora video generator (briefly) leaked in protest by early users 3. Apple revealed its favorite apps of 2024 When it comes to choosing the best iPhone apps of 2024, Apple knows what it's talking about – so we'd encourage you to check out its newly-announced top picks (below). You might find one or two (or more) apps in the list are worth a place on your own home screen. We've got apps and games for the iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch here as well as selections for the iPhone, and the categories cover everything from video editing and AI-enhanced music production, to planning vacations and tracking your daily jog. It's an excellent list. Read more: These are the 9 best iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps of 2024, according to Apple 2. Spotify Wrapped 2024 is now ‘right around the corner’ Brace yourself for Spotify Wrapped 2024, because Spotify itself says this year's recap now "right around the corner" – so you (and everyone else) should be seeing the annual look back on your music streaming year inside the Spotify apps across the next few days. We don't yet know what's going to be included in Spotify Wrapped 2024 , but it's no doubt going to include the usual overview of the artists, albums, and tracks you've listened to most over the past 12 months. Keep updating and refreshing your Spotify app over the next week to make sure Wrapped lands safely . Read more: Your Spotify Wrapped 2024 is imminent, official teaser reveals – here's when to expect it 1. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leaked in a big way If you don't want any spoilers for the expected January launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, look away now: the latest set of leaks around the phone have given us a very good look at the Ultra model, including the more rounded corners and upgraded cameras. Add in more leaked photos and a specs reveal from a regulatory certification process, and we're probably going to know everything there is to know about this phone before it gets unveiled. It's likely that One UI 7, based on Android 15, will launch in full in January too. Read more: Leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra video claims to show 'absolutely stunning' new design OLED monitors and TVs could get cheaper soon thanks to TCL's inkjet breakthrough Apple's foldable iPhone is now more than just a concept, according to new rumors Happy 2nd birthday, ChatGPT! 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