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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has made a significant leap toward more sustainable aviation with the successful deployment of a Taxibot on its first passenger flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on December 10, the carrier announced in a press release . A KLM Boeing 737 was towed from the gate to the Polderbaan runway by an innovative tow vehicle, enabling the aircraft to keep its engines off until it reached the runway for takeoff. This marks a key milestone in KLM’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality at the airport. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport also posted the thrilling news on social media "X," referring to it as "a successful test." " At Schiphol, the first @KLM passenger flight was taken from the gate to the Polderbaan Runway by a Taxibot. By using a Taxibot, aircraft engines can stay off until departure. This contributes to better air quality and noise reduction on the apron, " the post wrote. KLM's ongoing commitment to sustainability A semi-robotic tow truck called the Taxibot is a component of the aviation industry's rising trend toward more environmentally friendly ground operations. The Taxibot helps minimize particle emissions, CO2, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) while reducing noise pollution on the apron by keeping the aircraft's engines off when taxiing, KLM explained the concept in the press release. This isn't KLM’s first foray into sustainable taxiing with the Taxibot. In May 2020, KLM conducted initial tests with the hybrid tow vehicle using a Boeing 737 at Schiphol Airport, Simple Flying previously reported . This test showed that the Taxibot might provide a more environmentally friendly option than conventional taxiing techniques, which include keeping aircraft engines running by drastically lowering emissions during the taxiing phase. However, Tuesday's flight is historic since it is the first time KLM has deployed the Taxibot on a commercial passenger aircraft with onboard passengers. The Dutch carrier only introduced Premium Comfort in 2022. How does the Taxibot work? The Taxibot may appear to be a typical airport tug at first appearance. Still, it is essentially different since the airplane's pilot controls it during taxiing instead of a ground staff member. KLM explained that the Taxibot tows the plane to the runway when it is connected to it at the gate. The pilot disengages the Taxibot and turns on the airplane's engines for departure as soon as they arrive at the runway. The Taxibot has more benefits than just lowering emissions. Compared to traditional taxiing with engines operating, it helps preserve the nose landing gear's lifetime, which is less strained. The Taxibot also helps to reduce noise pollution, especially in the airport apron area where conventional engine-powered taxiing may cause a lot of noise disturbances. Furthermore, by allowing aircraft to travel at up to 23 knots—much faster than usual taxi speeds—without requiring the engines to run, the Taxibot technology improves operating efficiency. In addition to providing significant fuel and maintenance cost savings, this makes the taxiing procedure easier and more effective. The technology was delivered to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in March 2020, and Turkish leisure carrier Corendon Airlines conducted the first tests the following month. Before transferring the technology to its affiliate Transavia, KLM started testing it internally. A global trend towards sustainable taxiing KLM's use of the Taxibot is in line with an expanding trend in the aviation industry. Other airlines, such as Air India , are also using the technique to lower pollution and fuel usage at airports. According to a Simple Flying story from April 2023 , Air India and KSU Aviation have inked a deal to introduce Taxibot operations for its Airbus A320neo series of aircraft at the airports in Delhi and Bengaluru. SpiceJet and Air India Express were the first Indian airlines to implement the Taxibot on their Boeing 737 aircraft, and it has been in use since 2018. Since then, several Indian airlines, including IndiGo, GoAir, Air India, and AirAsia India, have also used their fleets of Airbus A320s to test sustainable technology.MP Jamil Jivani meets U.S. vice president-elect amid Trump’s tariff threatsUnder fire from congressional Republicans about one of the darkest moments of Joe Biden’s presidency, Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the administration’s handling of the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying Democrats struggled to make the best of a bad pullout deal struck by Donald Trump. Blinken testified Wednesday before the Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee, facing questions and angry criticism from lawmakers for the final time in office. The top U.S. diplomat was expected to leave for the Middle East in the afternoon, but the back-and-forth with members, specifically Republicans who admonished the chaotic withdrawal as his defining legacy, delayed his departure. RELATED STORY | House GOP report blames Biden-Harris for chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan Blinken said much of the blame for the sudden collapse of Afghanistan's U.S.-allied government and the chaotic August 2021 evacuation of Americans that followed rested with a withdrawal deal President Trump had reached with the Taliban in 2020 before leaving office. “To the extent President Biden faced a choice, it was between ending the war or escalating it,” Blinken told lawmakers. “Had he not followed through on his predecessor’s commitment, attacks on our forces and allies would have resumed and the Taliban’s assault on the country’s major cities would have commenced.” But McCaul and other Republican lawmakers portrayed Blinken and the Biden administration as ill-prepared and disengaged as the disaster grew, and intent on minimizing mounting evidence that the Taliban would complete a takeover of the country before the last U.S. troops departed. “This catastrophic event was the beginning of a failed foreign policy that lit the world on fire,” McCaul, a Texas Republican, said. He urged Blinken to take “accountability for the disastrous withdrawal.” It was clear “it was going to be a disaster,” said Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast, who will take over as chairman of the committee in the next Congress. RELATED STORY | Where asylum seekers stand, 2 years after the war in Afghanistan The hearing came at the end of Blinken's diplomatic service under Biden, with six weeks left before Trump takes office, and at the end of McCaul's time leading the Foreign Affairs committee. It served as a capstone to nearly four years of animosity between the two over the end of America's longest war. “For my part, I’ve been determined to learn the lessons from this experience, not only to learn them, but to act on them,” Blinken said. He added, “We’ve made the State Department stronger and better able to respond to crises than it was when we found it, or it was during the Afghan evacuation.” There was little new ground broken on the U.S. withdrawal, after years of blame-trading between Republicans and Democrats. Blinken pointed Wednesday to the planned 2026 release of a government-appointed Afghanistan war commission's review as the best prospect of an independent full report on the disastrous events of the summer of 2021. The 20-year U.S. military occupation of Afghanistan succeeded in routing the al-Qaida militants responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, whom Afghanistan's fundamentalist Taliban militants had allowed a home. But as the U.S. began its pullout, as set by Trump's deal and carried out by Biden, Taliban fighters routed the U.S.-allied government and military, capturing control of the country within months. An extremist group's bombing at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans as Americans, Afghan allies and others thronged the airport in hopes of seats on the last U.S. military-run flights out. Blinken testified Wednesday that all of the “hundreds” of Americans and dual citizens stranded by the sudden scramble from Afghanistan have now been able to leave, if they have chosen. RELATED STORY | Biden review of chaotic Afghan withdrawal blames Trump He opened his appearance before the committee by turning to families of U.S. forces killed in the withdrawal and expressing condolences. Protesters repeatedly interrupted his comments, crying out “scum” and “genocide,” before security cleared the room of them. Blinken denied Republican charges that he and others ignored warnings from lower-ranking administration officials that the U.S. withdrawal would go badly wrong, and that the U.S. had to move faster on getting out Americans and the Afghans who had worked for and allied with them. “We anticipated that Kabul would remain in the hands of the Afghan government” through the end of the year, Blinken said. “This unfolded more quickly than we anticipated including in the intelligence community.” “Waiting until the last minute is not executing a plan,” McCaul said. Blinken's testimony came months after House Republicans issued a scathing report on their investigation into the withdrawal, blaming the disastrous end on Biden’s administration. They played down Trump's role in the failures even though he had signed the withdrawal deal with the Taliban. Previous investigations and analyses by a government-appointed special investigator for Afghanistan and some private policy groups have pointed to a systemic failure spanning the last four presidential administrations and concluded that Biden and Trump share the heaviest blame.

Dynasts continue to dominate Maharashtra polity key victories for Rane and Thackeray families

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San Jose Sharks winger Luke Kunin is on pace to set a new single-season career high in goals scored. He is in his second season as an alternate captain and plays the type of north-south game coach Ryan Warsofsky appreciates. Those qualities will also likely make Kunin, a pending unrestricted free agent, an attractive trade target among playoff-contending teams early next year. Kunin scored twice and had 16:31 in ice time for the Sharks on Tuesday in their 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Going into Thursday’s date with his hometown St. Louis Blues, Kunin, after 31 games, is now tied for fourth on the team with eight goals, more than halfway past his career high of 15 set during the 2019-2020 season when he played in 63 games with the Minnesota Wild. Now, it’s a matter of whether the Sharks want to try to sign Kunin to a contract extension past this season or trade him for future assets as they did with goalie Mackenzie Blackwood on Monday. Blackwood was traded to the Colorado Avalanche as part of a deal that netted goalie and pending UFA Alexandar Georgiev, 25-year-old forward Nikolai Kovalenko, and two draft picks. After the deal, Sharks general manager Mike Grier said Blackwood likely “played his way out of here” with the season he was having. That means the average annual value of Blackwood’s next contract will probably be significantly higher than the $2.35 million on his current deal. The rebuilding Sharks are only willing to commit so much money to the goaltending position as Yaroslav Askarov’s two-year, $4 million contract kicks in next season. “I hope he gets what he’s looking for,” Grier said of Blackwood. “But I think he kind of played his way out of probably the ballpark figure of what we were looking for, especially with (Askarov) coming up as well.” It’s fair to suggest that Kunin, who turned 27 on Dec. 4, will be looking for a bump from his current AAV of $2.75 million and perhaps some term beyond one or two years on his next contract. He also must decide whether he wants to remain with the rebuilding Sharks, who appear to be at least a couple of years away from being serious playoff contenders. With Kunin a pending restricted free agent in June, he and the Sharks came to terms on a one-year, $2.75 million deal that took him to UFA status. He has 12 points this season and is sixth among Sharks forwards in average time on ice (15:05). Like he will with other pending UFAs before the March 7 trade deadline, Grier must decide whether Kunin fits in with the Sharks in their current state or whether it makes more sense to ship him and collect a future asset. The Sharks’ other pending UFAs are goalies Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek, forwards Mikael Granlund and Nico Sturm, and defensemen Cody Ceci and Jan Rutta. Those players, too, must decide whether to stay or move on. Regardless, Kunin, who sustained a torn right ACL in Dec. 2022 in his first season with the Sharks, appears to be helping his value with his improved skating and production. Kunin had 11 goals and 18 points in 77 games last season. “I think he’s been solid,” Warsofsky said after Tuesday’s loss. “We’re seeing a guy that’s skating more, first and foremost, gets to the inside of the ice, kind of the heart and soul of our team, really. He gives you everything he’s got. To get rewarded with two goals is nice.” MUKHAMADULLIN TO PLAY: Warsofsky said Wednesday in St. Louis that defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin would play against the Blues as the Sharks play the final game of a six-game road trip. After Tuesday’s game, the Sharks announced that Mukhamadullin had been recalled from the AHL and that defenseman Jack Thompson and forward Ethan Cardwell had been loaned back to the Barracuda. Mukhamadullin had six assists in 14 games with the Barracuda this season after the Sharks assigned him to the AHL on Oct. 22. His most recent game was on Dec. 8, when he had two assists in the Barracuda’s 2-1 win over Coachella Valley. Mukhamadullin, acquired from New Jersey in Feb. 2023 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Timo Meier to the Devils, played in three games with the Sharks last season – all in January – and averaged over 21 minutes of ice time per game and had one assist. The Sharks have lost three straight and are 2-3-0 on the trip that began close to two weeks ago with wins over the Seattle Kraken and Washington Capitals. PULLI OUT: The Sharks on Wednesday placed defenseman Valtteri Pulli on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his NHL contract. “Valtteri requested to play in Europe and we mutually agreed to terminate his contract,” Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will said in a statement. “We want to thank Valtteri for his contributions to the organization and wish him all the best.” Pulli, 23, was signed to a two-year, two-way contract by the Sharks in May 2023 after he played three seasons with TPS Turku of the Finnish League. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Pulli never played for the Sharks, but had 10 points in 59 games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL last season. Pulli was healthy again this season but only dressed for two Barracuda games, both in October. He had one assist in an Oct. 19 game against the Iowa Wild.Plans Required to Cover Treatment for SOD1-ALS ARLINGTON, Va. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a first-of-its-kind directive requiring Medicare Advantage plans to approve coverage for Qalsody, a treatment for people living with genetic SOD1-ALS. This decision reflects the ALS Association's commitment to ensuring that people living with ALS have access to promising ALS treatments without delay. "This is a victory for the entire ALS community," said Calaneet Balas, president and CEO of the ALS Association. "It's critical that FDA-approved treatments are made accessible rather than being labeled as 'experimental.' We are grateful to everyone in our community who helped make this day happen." Balas added: "We hope this sends a message to the entire rare disease community and pharmaceutical industry that new treatments can be developed and made accessible to those who will benefit from them. We need to ensure more ALS treatments are developed and approved that will help everyone living with ALS." The ALS Association played a key role in the historic CMS directive by participating and advocating for the research, approval, and accessibility of Qalsody for people living with ALS. In 2004, the ALS Association was the first to fund research into ALS-specific antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology, investing over $1.3 million in groundbreaking studies that laid the foundation for the development of Qalsody. This early commitment supported preclinical studies, safety trials, and the first-in-human phase 1 trial, which established SOD1 as a viable therapeutic target. In 2023, Qalsody became the first gene-based therapy approved for ALS , thanks in part to the ALS Association's efforts, including a united push from the ALS community for FDA accelerated approval. This new CMS directive provides precedent for state regulators to issue similar actions for other private insurers. According to the Valor study published in 2022 , Qalsody, which was developed specifically to target the RNA produced by mutated SOD1 genes, has demonstrated significant promise in clinical trials and real-world studies. In the phase 3 VALOR trial, Qalsody reduced levels of mutated SOD1 proteins in cerebral spinal fluid by 35% within eight weeks and decreased bloodstream levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL)—a key biomarker of neurodegeneration—by 50% within 12-16 weeks. These biological changes translated into measurable clinical benefits, including slower disease progression, improved respiratory function, and enhanced quality of life after 52 weeks of treatment. Real-world data has since validated these findings, with some patients stabilizing or even experiencing improvements in motor function and quality of life. When insurance companies began denying access to Qalsody, labeling it as "experimental," the ALS Association took decisive action, working directly with CMS to launch an investigation into these unjust denials. By presenting evidence of widespread insurance rejections and demonstrating the critical need for immediate intervention. In addition to working with CMS, the ALS Association actively engaged policymakers, held strategic meetings with state and federal legislators, and served as a staunch advocate for patients, ensuring their voices were heard and their rights to life-changing treatment were upheld. The ALS Association urges anyone previously denied Qalsody by their Medicare Advantage plan to contact their ALS specialist immediately to begin the process of securing access to this critical treatment. For more information on the CMS directive visit als.org About the ALS Association The ALS Association is the largest ALS organization in the world. The ALS Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of care and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association is working to make ALS a livable disease while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about the ALS Association, visit our website at www.als.org . About ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over the course of the disease, people lose the ability to move, to speak, and eventually, to breathe. The disease is always fatal, usually within five years of diagnosis. Few treatment options exist, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/groundbreaking-directive-ensures-als-patients-on-medicare-advantage-gain-access-to-qalsody-302329525.html SOURCE The ALS Association Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today

ADRE, Chad — For months, Aziza Abrahim fled from one village in Sudan to the next as people were slaughtered. Yet the killing of relatives and her husband’s disappearance aren’t what forced the 23-year-old to leave the country for good. It was hunger, she said. “We don’t have anything to eat because of the war,” Abrahim said, cradling her 1-year-old daughter under the sheet where she now shelters, days after crossing into Chad. The war in Sudan has created vast hunger, including famine. It has pushed people off their farms. Food in the markets is sparse, prices have spiked and aid groups say they’re struggling to reach the most vulnerable as warring parties limit access. Ousmane Taher and his family cross from Sudan into Chad near Acre on Oct 6. Sam Mednick/Associated Press About 24,000 people have been killed and millions displaced during the war that erupted in April 2023, sparked by tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces. Global experts confirmed famine in the Zamzam displacement camp in July. They warn that some 25 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population – are expected to face acute hunger this year. “People are starving to death at the moment ... It’s man-made. It’s these men with guns and power who deny women and children food,” Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told The Associated Press. Warring parties on both sides are blocking assistance and delaying authorization for aid groups, he said. Between May and September, there were seven malnutrition-related deaths among children in one hospital at a displacement site in Chad run by Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF. Such deaths can be from disease in hunger-weakened bodies. In September, MSF was forced to stop caring for 5,000 malnourished children in North Darfur for several weeks, citing repeated, deliberate obstructions and blockades. President Biden has called on both sides to allow unhindered access and stop killing civilians. But the fighting shows no signs of slowing. More than 2,600 people were killed across the country in October, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, which called it the bloodiest month of the war. Violence is intensifying around North Darfur’s capital, El Fasher, the only capital in the vast western Darfur region that the RSF doesn’t hold. Darfur has experienced some of the war’s worst atrocities, and the International Criminal Court prosecutor has said there are grounds to believe both sides may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide. Abrahim escaped her village in West Darfur and sought refuge for more than a year in nearby towns with friends and relatives. Her husband had left home to find work before the war, and she hasn’t heard from him since. She struggled to eat and feed their daughter. Unable to farm, she cut wood and sold it in Chad, traveling eight hours by donkey there and back every few days, earning enough to buy grain. But after a few months the wood ran out, forcing her to leave for good. Others who have fled to Chad described food prices spiking three-fold and stocks dwindling in the market. There were no vegetables, just grains and nuts. Awatif Adam came to Chad in October. Her husband wasn’t making enough transporting people with his donkey cart, and it was too risky to farm, she said. Her 6-year-old twin girls and 3-year-old son lost weight and were always hungry. “My children were saying all the time, ‘Mom, give us food’,” she said. Their cries drove her to leave. As more people stream into Chad, aid groups worry about supporting them. About 700,000 Sudanese have entered since the war began. Many live in squalid refugee camps or shelter at the border in makeshift displacement sites. And the number of arrivals at the Adre crossing between August and October jumped from 6,100 to 14,800, according to government and U.N. data., though it was not clear whether some people entered multiple times. Earlier this year, the World Food Program cut rations by roughly half in Chad, citing a lack of funding. While there’s now enough money to return to full rations until the start of next year, more arrivals will strain the system and more hunger will result if funding doesn’t keep pace, said Ramazani Karabaye, head of the World Food Program’s operations in Adre. During an AP visit to Adre in October, some people who fled Sudan at the start of the war said they were still struggling. Khadiga Omer Adam said she doesn’t have enough aid or money to eat regularly, which has complicated breastfeeding her already malnourished daughter, Salma Issa. The 35-year-old gave birth during the war’s initial days, delivering alone in West Darfur. It was too dangerous for a midwife to reach her. Adam had clutched the baby as she fled through villages, begging for food. More than a year later, she sat on a hospital bed holding a bag of fluid above her daughter, who was fed through a tube in her nose. “I have confidence in the doctors ... I believe she’ll improve, I don’t think she’ll die,” she said. The MSF-run clinic in the Aboutengue camp admitted more than 340 cases of severely malnourished children in August and September. Staff fear that number could rise. The arid climate in Chad south of the Sahara Desert means it’s hard to farm, and there’s little food variety, health workers said. People are fleeing Sudan into difficult conditions, said Dr. Oula Dramane Ouattara, head of MSF’s medical activities in the camp. ”If things go on like this, I’m afraid the situation will get out of control,” he said. Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous Next »Josh Hubbard scored 25 points and Claudell Harris Jr. scored 21 on 6-of-9 shooting as Mississippi State escaped with a 91-84 win against Prairie View A&M on Sunday in Starkville, Miss. Prairie View A&M took a 65-64 lead with 10:38 remaining, but Hubbard and Harris Jr. each scored seven points to power the ensuing 14-1 run that put Mississippi State up for good. Hubbard punctuated the rally with a 3-pointer that made it 78-66 with 5:51 to play. The Bulldogs (8-1) stretched their lead to as many as 13 points in the closing minutes to notch their second straight win. Shawn Jones Jr. added 11 points for Mississippi State, while Michael Nwoko added 10 points and 10 rebounds. RJ Melendez also netted 10 points. The Panthers (1-8) were led by the trio of Nick Anderson (21 points) Tanahj Pettway (20) and Marcel Bryant (19). Pettway drilled 4 of 5 3-pointers and Bryant grabbed seven rebounds. Prairie View A&M got off to a hot start, opening up a 27-12 lead with 10:42 left in the first half. It was a surprising haymaker from the visitors, who entered the game winless in Division I play and faced a Bulldogs team that was ranked last week. Mississippi State eventually found its stride offensively, turning things around with a 32-17 run to tie the game at 44 entering halftime. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field overall in the first half, but only made six of their 17 attempts from 3-point range (35.3 percent). Their defense remained an issue throughout the half, with the Panthers hitting 16 of their 27 shots (59.3 percent) and canning 5 of 8 3-pointers. Neither team led by more than five early in the second half until Mississippi State pulled away. The Bulldogs finished the game shooting 55.6 percent from the floor (30-of-54) and drilled 11 of 26 attempts (42.3 percent) from long range. They outrebounded Prairie View A&M 35-22 and outscored them 31-20 in bench points. The Panthers held a 34-32 advantage in points in the paint and shot 56.4 percent overall for the game, including 52.6 percent (10-of-19) on threes. --Field Level Media

NoneBronny James to play in first G League road game in reversal of previous setup: Source76ers center Joel Embiid sidelined due to swelling in his left knee and will miss two games PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers say center Joel Embiid is managing swelling in his left knee and will miss a second consecutive game Sunday. The Sixers issued a statement on the condition of the 2023 NBA MVP at halftime of Friday’s NBA Cup game against the Brooklyn Nets, saying the decision to sideline Embiid was made along with the team’s medical staff. Embiid was ruled out prior to Friday’s game against the Nets due to what the team described as left knee injury maintenance. The Sixers host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Austin Hays, Kyle Finnegan, Brendan Rodgers and Jordan Romano among 62 new free agents NEW YORK (AP) — Outfielder Austin Hays, right-hander Kyle Finnegan and second baseman Brendan Rodgers were among 62 players who became free agents when their teams failed to offer 2025 contracts. Right-hander Jordan Romano, left-hander Patrick Sandoval and outfielders Michael Tauchman and Ramón Laureano also were among the players cut loose, many of whom would have been eligible for salary arbitration. Washington cut right-hander Tanner Rainey, its last remaining player from the 2019 World Series champions. Finnegan and Hays are former All-Stars. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. Russell puts Mercedes on pole at Las Vegas and Verstappen nips Norris in championship battle LAS VEGAS (AP) — George Russell put Mercedes on the pole for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in an upset over teammate Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton was fastest in the first two practice sessions with Russell fastest in Friday night’s third and final session. But come qualifying, Hamilton made two mistakes in the final group and wound up a distant 10th. Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc seemed to sweep the front row until Russell’s late lap pushed Sainz to second. Pierre Gasly slid into third, and Leclerc wound up fourth. Championship leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull qualified fifth for Saturday night's race. Verstappen needs only to score three points more than challenger Lando Norris to win his fourth straight world championship. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. Friday’s announcement makes this the first time a game has been flexed to the Thursday night spot. The league amended its policy last season where Thursday night games in Weeks 13 through 17 could be flexed with at least 28 days notice prior to the game. The matchup of AFC West division rivals bumps the game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals to Sunday afternoon. Chase Elliott named NASCAR's most popular driver for 7th straight season CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chase Elliott has been named NASCAR's most popular driver for the seventh straight year. He was announced Friday at NASCAR's annual season-ending awards ceremony. It's the only major NASCAR award determined solely by the vote of race fans. Elliott beat out Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, per results released by the National Motorsports Press Association. Bill Elliott, Chase's father who is nicknamed “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville,” was named NASCAR’s most popular driver a record 16 times before removing his name from the ballot. Either an Elliott or Earnhardt has won NASCAR’s most popular driver award for 34 consecutive years. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” US ski star Shiffrin leads World Cup slalom after 1st run and closes in on career win No. 99 GURGL, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin closed in on what would be the American ski star’s career win No. 99 by setting the pace in the opening run of a women’s World Cup slalom. Shiffrin wasn’t clean going into the steep of the Kirchenkar course but gained time on all competitors with a near-flawless finish section. Wendy Holdener was fastest at the first two splits and the Swiss racer trailed Shiffrin by 0.13 seconds at the finish. Shiffrin says she was feeling "a little bit funky on some spots.” A victory would give Shiffrin five chances to compete for win No. 100 during a North American sweep of the World Cup starting next week. Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injury SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Purdy underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage but the shoulder didn’t improve during the week and Purdy was ruled out for the game. Coach Kyle Shanahan said star defensive end Nick Bosa also will miss the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision.