p777 ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament as well as the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with three games in South America. Here are some of the key issues that need to be answered over the next decade: Where will games be played? Saudi Arabia proposes 15 stadiums — eight still on paper — in five cities: Eight in the capital Riyadh, four in the Red Sea port city Jeddah, and one each in Abha, Al Khobar and Neom, the planned futuristic mega-project. Each would have at least 40,000 seats for World Cup games. The opening game and final are set for a 92,000-seat venue planned in Riyadh. Some designs are vivid . In Neom, the stadium is planned 350 meters (yards) above street level and one near Riyadh is designed to be atop a 200-meter cliff with a retractable wall of LED screens. Saudi Arabia aims to host all 104 games, though there has been speculation that some games could be played in neighboring or nearby countries. RELATED COVERAGE Saka denied a first Arsenal hat trick by his own teammate in Champions League win Made in America: McKennie and Weah link up for goal to help Juventus beat City Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck taken off on stretcher with ankle injury in loss to Barcelona When will the World Cup be played? Surely not in the traditional World Cup period of June-July, when temperatures in Saudi Arabia routinely exceed 40 Celsius (104 degrees). FIFA moved the Qatar-hosted World Cup to November-December 2022, though those dates were not loved by most European clubs and leagues whose seasons were interrupted. Also, that slot is complicated in 2034 by the holy month of Ramadan through mid-December and Riyadh hosting the multi-sport Asian Games. January 2034 could be a possibility even though that would be just before the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The International Olympic Committee has signaled it won’t be opposed to back-to-back major events. In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Saudi World Cup bid official Hammad Albalawi said the precise dates of the tournament are up the world soccer body. “That’s a decision by FIFA. We stand ready to be part of this conversation. But ultimately it’s a FIFA decision together with the confederations,” Albalawi said. Will stadiums be segregated for men and women? Giving more rights and freedoms to women in a traditionally conservative society is fundamental to Saudi messaging around the modernization program known as Vision 2030. The kingdom decided in 2017 to let women attend sports events, initially in major cities and in family zones separate from men-only sections. By 2034, at the promised pace of social reforms, female fans should not be restricted. Saudi Arabia launched a women’s professional soccer league in 2022 with players joining from clubs in Europe. They face no restrictions playing in shorts and with hair uncovered. Will alcohol be allowed at the venues or hotels? The Saudi prohibition of alcohol is clear and understood before FIFA signs any sponsor deals for 2034. But will there be any exceptions? The alcohol issue was problematic for the World Cup in Qatar because the expectation was created that beer sales would be allowed at stadiums even before Qatar won its bid in 2010. One year later, FIFA extended a long-time deal to have Budweiser as the official World Cup beer through 2022. Qatar then backtracked on that promise three days before the first game, causing confusion and the sense of a promise broken. In Qatar, alcohol was served only at luxury suites at the stadiums. Visitors could also have a drink in some hotel bars. But Saudi Arabia has even stricter rules on alcohol — and there is no indication that will change. Albalawi noted that Saudi Arabia has successfully hosted dozens of sports events where alcohol wasn’t served. “We’re creating a safe and secure family environment for fans to bring their families into our stadiums,” he said. How will workers rights be protected? Saudi promises to reform and enforce labor laws, and fully respect migrant workers, have been accepted by FIFA but face broad skepticism from rights groups and trade unions. A formal complaint is being investigated by the U.N.-backed International Labor Organization. Protecting the migrant workers needed to build stadiums and other tournament projects — a decade after it was a defining issue for Qatar — looms as a signature challenge for Saudi Arabia. Would Israel be allowed to play if it qualified for the 2034 World Cup? Saudi-Israeli relations had been improving when FIFA all but gave the 2034 World Cup to the kingdom on Oct. 4 last year. Three days later Hamas attacked Israel and diplomacy got more complicated. Any soccer federation bidding to host a FIFA tournament accepts a basic principle that whichever team qualifies is welcome. That did not stop Indonesia putting up barriers last year to Israel coming for the men’s Under-20 World Cup. Indonesia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel which had qualified through a European tournament nine months before the issue flared. FIFA moved the entire tournament to Argentina and the Israeli team reached the semifinals. Israel played at the 1970 World Cup but has never advanced through qualifying in Europe, where it has been a member of UEFA for 30 years. Europe should have 16 places in the 48-team World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Where will the final of the 2030 World Cup be played? Most of the attention at the FIFA Congress on Wednesday was on the Saudi decision, but the soccer body and its members also formally approved the hosts of the 2030 World Cup — the most spread out and longest ever. One game each in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the original host in 1930, will be played from June 8-9. The tournament resumes four days later for the other 101 games shared between Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Six countries, three continents, multiple languages and currencies. Fans traveling on planes, trains, automobiles and boats across about 14 kilometers (10 miles) of water between Spain and Morocco. The final is due on July 21, 2030 and a decision on where it will be played could cause some tension between the host countries. Morocco wants it in the world’s biggest soccer venue — the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca. Spain, meanwhile, has proposed to host the final in either of the remodeled home stadiums of club giants Real Madrid or Barcelona. ___ Associated Press writer Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed to this report.The Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was in attendance at the opening of the exhibition "Ekatompolis. The World of Archaic Crete" at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion on Thursday afternoon. Mitsotakis highlighted the significance of cultural preservation and promotion, emphasizing the government's commitment to these endeavors. In his remarks, Mitsotakis highlighted the originality of the exhibition, which places Crete and its role beyond the Minoan civilisation era in a new light. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, speaking about the exhibition, said that the findings bring to life the people who made up the stories of the cities of Crete. The opening of the exhibition was attended by Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, who stated that the exhibition, featuring approximately 300 artifacts, illuminates a lesser-known period in Crete's history. “Ekatompolis” illuminate the story of the foundation and development of poleis in Crete during the Archaic period (7th – 5th century BC), which emerged as centres of culture and power, some 500 years after the end of the glorious Minoan world. This is a significant social and political phenomenon, as it seems that Crete was the early site of the development of the political structures and institutions that contributed to the moulding of ancient Greek political identity. The title of the exhibition, “Ekatompolis”, draws its inspiration from the reference to Crete as the “island of a hundred cities” in Homer’s Iliad. It reflects the variety and dynamism of the archaic cities that shaped the history of the island. Through an impressive selection of some three hundred archaeological finds, the exhibition highlights these ancient cities, their economic and political development and the material culture and lives of the people who inhabited them. The aim is to bring to fore an aspect of the cultural heritage of Crete which, although important, remains largely unknown to the general public. At the same time, archaeological finds will be presented that testify the contribution of the Cretan cities to the making of the Greek world during the Archaic period. Many of the exhibits presented to the public for the first time, while some will travel to Heraklion from elsewhere in Greece, notably from Cretan museums but also from other museums, such as the Cretan artefacts from the museums of Samos and Delphi. Finds from the cemetery of Faliro have a special place in the exhibition, specifically those from the group burial of the “Desmotes”. This assemblage was integrated in the museological concept to the exhibition through the Athenian narrative of the Cylonian Affair, which links the Cretan seer and lawmaker Epimenideswith the purifications of the city and also reflects his contribution to the first written Athenian laws. Crete is thus presented as a link between the old unwritten law of geneand myth, and the new written code of laws of the city. The temporary exhibition "Ekatompolis" will be hosted from December 12, 2024 until August 31, 2025 at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Crete.

Northrop Grumman ( NYSE: NOC ) on Wednesday said its board of directors has authorized an additional $3 billion for the repurchase of the company's common stock, increasing the outstanding authorized amount to about $4.2 billion. Source: Press Release More on Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman: Priming For Offense When It's Not Needed U.S. is said to ready $725M arms package for UkraineJimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100In a desperate push for relevancy, has chosen Donald Trump as its Person of the Year for 2024. No, really Time? Tell me something I didn't know. Last month, more than chose Trump as their president, including me. For the past decade, he's made news either running for president or serving as president. Trump isn't just the Person of the Year. He's the man of the hour and the month. : We all just live in it, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Time magazine. The magazine's lengthy profile of the once and future president recognizes that " ," and that he "beat not one but two Democratic opponents, swept all seven swing states, and became the ." But with cynicism and leftism on their side, the article's authors cast doubt on America's choice. Much of the profile questions Trump's tactics, staff and history. "Whether Trump can actually fix the root causes of Americans’ anger is another question. ... He will also see just how far the nation is willing to let him go," the article notes. "If he succeeds, he could reshape the country. Along the way, he that have seen America’s great experiment in democracy through 2 1⁄2 centuries." I'm also cynical about Trump, and I'm a Republican. But if I hear the phrase "constitutional norms" applied to Trump one more time without mentioning the many norms that Biden, Harris and the Democratic Party tore to shreds this year, I'm going to cast Time magazine into the abyss of irrelevance once and for all. Time is trying to capitalize on Trump just like he has used them to feel charismatic, powerful and good about himself. (He's my president-elect, sure, but he's still a glutton for showboating, y'all.) The relationship between the news media and Trump is a toxic circle of self-interests. Time's editors wax eloquently about why they chose Trump as their Person of the Year. In addition to the main profile, there's a , and another article each time the magazine has featured Trump on the cover. Time has put Trump on the cover 43 times. That's more than Bill Clinton (40 times) and Barack Obama (31 times). And Trump hasn't even started his second term. The latest cover portrays Trump as stoic and powerful. But the magazine also has often portrayed him negatively. He was shown, for example, as a man . In October 2016, the magazine portrayed Trump as a . That cover image was published only days before Americans elected Trump as their president the first time. (Talk about missing the real story.) Sign up for our newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. . Time its obsession with Trump: "In the years that followed, we presented him as a frenetic Twitter user crumbling the Washington monument (March 20, 2017), a punching bag (Oct. 9, 2017), a graphic wrecking ball (Nov. 6, 2017), an angry character with his hair on fire (Jan. 22, 2018), a cross between himself and Vladimir Putin (July 30, 2018), a king looking into a mirror (June 18, 2018), a slingshot-holding fighter dueling with Nancy Pelosi (Jan. 21, 2019), a happy President whistling under an umbrella in the rain (April 8, 2019), and a man who has painted himself into a corner (Oct. 7, 2019)." Is everybody OK over there at Time? Someone should check on them. Even Time magazine must admit that Trump is once again at the center of the news universe. He's again on the cover of a once venerated but now largely irrelevant magazine. And Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are pouting in a corner at the White House. As William Makepeace Thackeray wrote, " ." .

Emanuel Wallace, 27, from east London, is better known as Big Manny by his 1.9 million followers on TikTok, where he shares videos explaining various science experiments from his back garden while using Jamaican Patois phrases and London slang. In early December, Mr Wallace won the Education Creator of the Year award at the TikTok Awards ceremony, which he said is a “symbol that anything that you put your mind to you can achieve”. The content creator began making videos during the coronavirus pandemic when schools turned to online learning but has since expanded his teaching from videos to paper after releasing his debut book Science Is Lit in August. He believes his “unconventional” teaching methods help to make his content relatable for younger audiences by using slang deriving from his Jamaican and British heritage. “The language that I use, it’s a combination between Jamaican Patois and London slang because I have Jamaican heritage,” the TikToker, who holds a bachelors and masters degree in biomedical science, told the PA news agency. “That’s why in my videos sometimes I might say things like ‘Wagwan’ or ‘you dun know’. I just want to connect with the young people more, so I speak in the same way that they speak. “The words that I use, the way that I deliver the lesson as well, I would say that my method of teaching is quite unconventional. I speak in a way that is quite conversational.” Examples of his videos include lithium batteries catching fire after being sandwiched inside a raw chicken breast, as well as mixing gold with gallium to create blue gold, earning millions of views. Mr Wallace hopes his content will help make the science industry more diverse, saying “the scientists that I was taught about, none of them look like me”. “Now me being a scientist is showing young people that they can become one as well, regardless of the background that they come from, the upbringing that they’ve had,” he said. “I just want to make it seem more attainable and possible for them because if I can do it, and I come from the same place as you, there’s no reason why you can’t do it as well.” The TikToker has seen a shift in more young people turning to the app as a learning resource and feels short-form videos will soon become a part of the national curriculum in schools. “I’m seeing (young people) using that a lot more – social media as a resource for education – and I feel like in the future, it’s going to become more and more popular as well,” he said. “I get a lot of comments from students saying that my teacher showed my video in the classroom as a resource, so I feel like these short form videos are going to be integrated within the national curriculum at some point in the near future.” He also uses his platform to raise awareness of different social issues, which he said is “extremely important”. One of his videos highlighted an anti-knife campaign backed by actor Idris Elba, which earned more than 39 million views, while his clip about the banning of disposable vapes was viewed more than 4.6 million times. He said there is some pressure being a teacher with a large following online but hopes he can be a role model for young people. “I’m aware that I am in the public eye and there’s a lot of young people watching me,” he said. “Young people can be impressionable, so I make sure that I conduct myself appropriately, so that I can be a role model. “I always have the same message for young people, specifically. I tell them to stay curious. Always ask questions and look a little bit deeper into things.” His plans for 2025 include publishing a second Science Is Lit book and expanding his teaching to television where he soon hopes to create his own science show.

49ers look to maintain 'urgency' against rival Rams

New French government announced... for the fourth time this yearDALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft Wednesday at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks . He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series . Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

The UK Government on Sunday a pledge of £4.5 million to support the prosecution of war crimes perpetrated in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. The announcement follows shortly after a legislative push, marked by the UK’s , which mobilizes £2.26 billion by leveraging Russian sovereign assets as well as reinforcing military upgrades and critical equipment procurement. UK leaders, including Defence Secretary John Healey and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, have emphasized the nation’s unwavering resolve to support Ukraine’s defense and accountability procedures. In a statement on X the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) , “ Commenting on the UK’s financial support for atrocity prosecutions, Ambassador Clint Williamson, lead coordinator for the told JURIST: Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UK has extended refuge to over 300,000 Ukrainians and is now preparing to launch the in February 2025, enabling the continued stay of Ukrainian visa holders. On the humanitarian front, the UK has dedicated £282 million to sectors such as energy, stabilization, and reconstruction, including a targeted £70 million investment in Ukraine’s energy resilience. Complementary to this is the Conflict-Related Sexual Violence training facilitated by the FCDO to ensure thorough and survivor-focused investigations. As part of its commitment to Ukraine amidst ongoing conflict, the UK has allocated significant resources for humanitarian aid and justice initiatives. The UK plans to provide at least £120 million in humanitarian assistance through the end of the financial year 2024 to 2025, bringing its total humanitarian contribution to approximately £477 million since the onset of the full-scale invasion. The UK has committed £6.2 million to support Ukraine’s domestic investigations into war crimes, alongside an additional £2.3 million for the International Criminal Court. Thomas Becket, former Chancellor of England, murdered by Henry II's knights On December 29, 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket, former Chancellor of England, was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by knights acting in the name of Henry II. Becket and Henry had been entangled in a power struggle over, among other things, criminal jurisdiction over clergy. Read a of the murder of Thomas Becket. Texas attains US statehood On December 29, 1845, Texas became the twenty-eighth state to join the United States of America when US President James K. Polk signed the . Texas had a complicated path to statehood because it had formerly been part of Mexico and then an independent republic. The US Congress passed the on March 1, 1845. Voters in Texas then approved the Ordinance of Annexation in October, before it was approved by the US Congress and signed into law by President Polk on this day in 1845.The US Supreme Court later ruled in that, despite its unique path to statehood, Texas did not have the right to secede from the union.

No. 2 Ohio State takes control in the 2nd half and runs over No. 5 Indiana 38-15 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana 38-15. All Ohio State has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. Man City routed 4-0 by Tottenham in fifth-straight defeat as crisis deepens for Pep Guardiola What started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions and facing a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel. A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more. Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime. Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time. City manager Pep Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension this week. Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all won and closed the gap on Liverpool to six points. Florida knocks No. 9 Ole Miss out of College Football Playoff contention, 24-17 in the Swamp GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and Florida upset No. 9 Mississippi 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention. The Gators beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008 and became bowl eligible. The late-season spurt provided another vote of confidence for coach Billy Napier, who is expected back for a fourth season. Ole Miss lost for the first time in four games and surely will drop out of the 12-team playoff picture. Jennings has 3 TDs as No. 13 SMU routs Virginia 33-7 to clinch a spot in the ACC title game CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 13 SMU clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by routing Virginia 33-7. Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte each had two sacks to help the Mustangs extend their winning streak to eight. They would earn an automatic bid into the expanded College Football Playoff by beating 11th-ranked Miami or 17th-ranked Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina. UVa must beat rival Virginia Tech next week to become bowl eligible. No. 11 Miami pulls away late to beat Wake Forest 42-14 and move one win from the ACC title game MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cam Ward passed for 280 yards and threw two touchdowns to Jacolby George on another record-breaking day, Mishael Powell ran an interception back 76 yards for a touchdown and No. 11 Miami pulled away late to beat Wake Forest 42-14. The 10-1 Hurricanes can clinch a berth in the ACC title game with a win at Syracuse next weekend. Ward completed 27 of 38 passes, plus ran for a score. Demond Claiborne had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for 4-7 Wake Forest. No. 24 Illinois stuns Rutgers on Bryant's 40-yard TD reception with 4 seconds left PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers. Illinois was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched. Hidalgo leads No. 6 Notre Dame over JuJu Watkins and third-ranked USC 74-61 in big matchup out West LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points and No. 6 Notre Dame defeated JuJu Watkins and third-ranked Southern California 74-61 in a marquee matchup on the West Coast. Hidalgo had six rebounds and eight assists in front of several WNBA scouts. Olivia Miles added 20 points for the Fighting Irish, who improved to 5-0. Watkins finished with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Trojans, who fell to 4-1. The Irish came out strong, taking a 20-10 lead in the first quarter, when Hidalgo had 11 points. They never looked back and stayed poised when USC came within three points three different times. Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through the Australian Open Recently retired Andy Murray will team up with Novak Djokovic, working with him as a coach through the Australian Open in January. Murray’s representatives put out statements from both players on Saturday. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals who finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He retired as a player after the Paris Summer Games in August. Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini lift Italy past Australia and back to the Davis Cup final MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini won their singles matches to lift defending champion Italy past Australia 2-0 and back into the Davis Cup final. Sinner extended his tour-level winning streak to 24 sets in a row by beating No. 9 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday on an indoor hard court in Malaga, Spain. That came after Berrettini came back to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5. Italy will meet first-time finalist Netherlands on Sunday for the title. The Dutch followed up their victory over Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals by eliminating Germany on Friday. Argentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1 ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Gaston Martirena and Adrian Martinez scored first-half goals as Argentina’s Racing won its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil’s Cruzeiro 3-1 in the final on Saturday. Martirena opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Martinez added a goal five minutes later to help give “La Academia” its first international title since 1988 when it won the Supercopa Sudamericana. Roger Martinez sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th. “Maravilla” Martinez scored 10 goals in 13 matches and finished as the top scorer in the competition. Kaio Jorge scored in the 52nd for Cruzeiro.France unveils new government as battle over budget looms

Army-Navy game has added buzzCriticising the federal government's 'unilateral decision-making', Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary Shazia Atta Marri has warned such actions could have far-reaching consequences, stressing that threats or coercion could not resolve the party's serious issues with the government. Marri condemned the decision to construct six new canals from the Indus River, calling it a blatant violation of the IRSA Act and the 1991 Water Accord. "Whenever the 1991 Accord is misused, the PPP has raised its voice," she asserted. Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the PPP leader said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari didn't indulge in 'politics of ambiguity' and remained vocal when Pakistan's people were in distress. She further slammed the federal government for addressing the country's challenges superficially, presenting impressive statistics without tangible benefits for the public. "Bilawal is deeply concerned about the federal government's approach to addressing the country's challenges", she said. Referring to Bilawal's recent statements, Marri said that the Bhutto scion rightly pointed out that the people of Pakistan desired political and economic stability, relief from inflation and poverty, and demanded prosperity. However, she said, while the government presented impressive statistics, they did not translate into tangible benefits for the people. Addressing international criticism, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shazia Marri remarked that when staunch supporters of Israel in the US spoke against Pakistan's defence assets, their local allies celebrated. She noted that these pro-Israel elements were not only advocating sanctions on Pakistan's missile technology but also supporting an accused in prison. Marri challenged PTI founder Imran Khan to openly condemn such actions if he truly believed these individuals were wrong to target Pakistan's defence assets. However, she noted his silence on the matter and declared that the PPP would not allow anyone to compromise Pakistan's interests. Shazia Atta Marri criticised the federal government for failing to convene a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, terming it a constitutional violation. She highlighted that the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had allocated only seven projects worth Rs77.2 billion to Sindh, compared to 34 projects worth Rs693.4 billion for Punjab, 21 projects for Balochistan, and 30 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She also criticised the federal energy minister for his 'arrogant attitude' and 'unserious demeanour' in parliamentary sessions. Marri recalled that the minister admitted in the House to providing incorrect answers initially, only to correct them later. She stressed that the PPP's rejection of politics based on hatred and division should not be mistaken for weakness. Additionally, Marri condemned the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments for neglecting the people of Parachinar, leaving them without support amidst their struggles. Shazia Atta Marri remarked that the enthusiastic participation from every corner of the country on the 17th martyrdom anniversary of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had set a new precedent. She expressed confidence that the spirit and determination with which people had gathered in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh was a testament to their commitment to continuing the mission of Benazir Bhutto. She reiterated Bilawal's assertion that if Pakistan's nuclear assets or missile technology were ever under threat, the entire nation must unite to defend them. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our

Croatia's president faces conservative rival in election run-offKroger Reiterates Its Commitment to Lower Prices and Initiates New $7.5B Share Buyback Program49ers' Brock Purdy Out with Shoulder Injury; Brandon Allen to Be QB1 vs. PackersSurrounded by the grinding and buzzing of machinery, St. Catharines Fire Captain Mandi McLellan takes stock. There’s a bright red cabinet in this manufacturing facility containing bottles, jugs and cans that is clearly marked with the word “flammable” on the door. But it’s not just what’s in the cabinet that interests her — it’s where it’s located within the building. “I’m always trying to orient myself to know what exits are closest. So if crews are coming in, we know that the first door coming off the back parking lot is where oils and flammables are kept,” she said, jotting down notes during an industrial audit. “That helps us know when we’re going in what we’re going to be encountering if it’s smoky in here and it’s hard to see.” St. Catharines firefighters have been conducting industrial audits of factories, along with highrises, for just over a year in the wake of the fatal explosion at the Ssonix Products hazardous materials facility in 2023. The idea is to learn what kinds of chemicals are kept on site in industrial facilities and allow firefighters to get acquainted with the layouts should something happen. St. Catharines fire Chief Dave Upper said smaller businesses that don’t use many chemicals aren’t required to give local fire departments an inventory of what they have on site. As businesses grow and use more volumes of chemicals, it does trigger a required spill action plan and notification to the fire department. But while the Ontario Ministry of Environment, which issues approvals for chemicals, requires companies to inform municipalities about them, Upper said there’s no mechanism to follow it up. He said if an owner erroneously forgets to notify the municipality, the fire department doesn’t know about it. “We walk into it blind,” Upper said. St. Catharines firefighters battled a chemical fire at Ssonix on Keefer Road near Seaway Haulage Road on Jan. 12, 2023. The fire started with an explosion which could be heard kilometres away and prompted an evacuation of the surrounding Port Weller area. The explosion at Ssonix at 20 Keefer Rd. on Jan. 12, 2023, could be heard kilometres away and prompted an evacuation of the surrounding Port Weller area. Ryan Konkin, a 37-year-old employee, was the only person inside at the time. He was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries the next day. Last month, Niagara Regional Police charged the three co-owners of the facility with criminal negligence causing death and arson by negligence. Upper said the fire department didn’t know there were flammables and combustibles on site at Ssonix. After the explosion, the fire team sat down to debrief and discuss ways it could be proactive in the community. They decided to take matters into their own hands and conduct industrial audits to learn what’s inside buildings, as well as look at highrises to ensure things like elevator keys are where they are supposed to be and actually work. “There’s no regulation that we have to go and do these (audits),” Upper said, adding the goal of the audits is “to make our community safe for both the people that are working in the industrial buildings and the residents in community nearby.” “And then for the highrises, the residents that are living in the apartments,” he added. There are no extra resources for the audits, so the department has been utilizing its on-duty fire crews from all six stations to visit facilities, meaning if crews are conducting an audit and get a call for response, they have to leave and may or may not get back to the audit that day. “That’s the challenge we face, but we know it is what it is. We just have to be persistent and dedicated.” St. Catharines has 140 industrial buildings, though only a fraction have hazardous materials, and 50 highrises. Upper said it will likely take two years to get through the industrial buildings alone. The audits are less detailed than a full fire prevention inspection. Upper said the challenge the department, and every department in the province, has is fire prevention staffing is not robust enough to get out to every business in a municipality. Inspections provincewide are done on a request and complaint basis. “No fire department has the staffing levels to proactively go out,” he said. “So that’s why we’re tapping the suppression men and women who are on the trucks to help assist in this because there’s zero chance that our fire prevention folks could do a visit to the 190 buildings we’re talking about.” St. Catharines firefighters go over a checklist as they perform an industrial audit of FB Tool and Die on Lakeshore Road in October. The audits aren’t about laying fines or cracking down on regulations, but are for firefighters to simply get a better understanding of the structures and their contents. If they see a red flag, they will point it out and ask fire prevention to come back and do an inspection. The fire prevention team came up with checklists for the industrial and highrise audits for fire crews to fill out on visits. Once information is gathered from an audit, it’s added into computer-aided dispatch notes. If a fire crew is later called to one of the buildings, it can access the information from the iPads in their trucks. On this day in the fall, FB Tool and Die on Lakeshore Road welcomed McLellan and her team. The company, which is within eyesight of the Ssonix building, manufactures service parts for multiple sectors, including mining, defence, power generation, the food industry and automotive, as well producing dies since 1945. Frank Salfi, the company’s buyer and maintenance supervisor, took the firefighting group around the 40,000 square foot building, starting with the outdoor gas shut off and key box — a way for firefighters to gain access with a master key kept on all the trucks. Deputy Fire Chief Trevor Parker, who attended this audit, said there’s no bylaw or rule requiring a business or apartment building to have a key box, but it is helpful if the fire department can’t get in contact with a building landlord or owner after hours. “It gives us a means to get into the building instead of waiting around or having to break open a door,” he said. Inside the building, McLellan made notes of exit signs, lighting, alarm panels, water shut offs and where the fire safety plan is kept on site. She also looked for hydro shut offs, any flammable, combustible liquids and extinguishers. Salfi took the group to the area with the main electrical shut off and McLellan took note of what side of the building they’re on. She also noted characteristics like ceiling height and where it bumps up, so if crews responding to a fire are looking at the building from the outside, they know where to go to find the electrical room to shut down power. “There are times we have to open up walls to make sure that we’ve got the fire fully out, so we don’t want to be getting into wires that are live,” she said. “We will get hydro to come and shut power off to buildings often during fires, but if we know that we can shut it off and at least isolate and start working, then that keeps us safe too.” St. Catharines firefighters check out the fire safety box as they perform an industrial audit of FB Tool and Die on Lakeshore Road in October. After about an hour of taking notes throughout the facility, the group headed outside again to check out a few propane tanks. McLellan said each platoon reaches out a few times a month to business owners to book industrial audits and people are usually pretty receptive. She said it’s good to be proactive and get ahead of problems. “We’re able to get out, familiarize ourselves and that’s a big thing,” she said. “Now we know what’s in here,” she said. “It’s not a big question mark of ‘something industrial, who knows what’s inside?’ We have an idea of what they do, what’s inside the building, what we would do if there was a problem here, how we would tackle it. It helps us clear that all up.”

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