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The BBC announced last week that Lineker will leave his role as host, which he has held since 1999, at the end of the current football season. Saturday’s episode of the football highlights programme opened with pundit Alan Shearer, Lineker’s fellow former England striker, saying direct to the camera: “All good things must come to an end.” Lineker then appeared, and said: “Yes Alan – Lee Carsley’s England reign is over. It’s back to business in the Premier League.” Despite his exit, the 63-year-old will remain with the BBC after both parties agreed to a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup. Lineker will host BBC Sport’s coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025-26 campaign and continue presenting the Match Of The Day: Top 10 podcast for BBC Sounds, which will also host The Rest Is Football podcast, produced by Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcasts, with one episode released on the platform each week. The BBC has said future plans for Match Of The Day would be “announced in due course” with Mark Chapman, Alex Scott, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan among those being tipped as candidates to replace him. Following the announcement, Lineker said it “has been an absolute joy and privilege to present such an iconic show for the BBC, but all things have to come to an end” on his podcast, The Rest Is Football. He added: “I bowed out in my football career when I felt it was the right time. I feel this is now the right time. “I think the next contract they’re looking to do Match Of The Day slightly differently, so I think it makes sense for someone else to take the helm.” Lineker has hosted Match Of The Day since 1999 and will have presented the show for more than a quarter of a century when he leaves in May 2025.
ENPH INVESTOR DEADLINE: Enphase Energy, Inc. Investors with Substantial Losses Have Opportunity to Lead Class Action LawsuitAmazon is Selling a ‘Very Flattering’ Pair of $80 Levi’s Baggy Jeans for Just $31 Ahead of Black Friday
The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania’s 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a parliamentary election on December 1 a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Mr Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis,” he said. “It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romania’s 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It is widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Mr Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it is entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns”. Romania was plunged into turmoil after Mr Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the December 8 run-off, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Mr Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Mr Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organise the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighbouring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all politicians from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.How Holly Willoughby got THOSE great legs – including £60-an-hour Pilates sessions and pizza for breakfastParty City to close its stores as company files for bankruptcy LOS ANGELES (AP) — Party City announced that it's going to “wind down” its retail and wholesale operations as it prepares to shutter nearly 700 stores nationwide. The company said Saturday it has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection "to maximize value for the benefit of the company’s stakeholders.” The New Jersey-based retailer said it will keep more than 95% of its 12,000 employees to help with the process of closing down. Customers have flocked to Party City for Halloween costumes, favors for children’s birthday parties and decorations for New Year’s Eve celebrations for nearly 40 years. It has faced growing competition from Walmart and Target and from occasion-based pop-up stores such as Spirit Halloween. A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now? Approximately 1 million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The money will be directly deposited into eligible people’s bank accounts or sent in the mail by a paper check. Most people shouldn't get their hopes up about receiving the cash. The IRS says it’s distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns after missing one of the COVID stimulus payments or receiving less than the full amount. The IRS says most taxpayers eligible for the federal stimulus payments received them. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales. Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought.Are Telstra shares a buy following the Foxtel sale?
Biden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.North America’s top professional sports leagues have issued warnings to their players about a growing threat from high-tech, organized burglary rings, whose tools of choice are passports, cutting-edge technology and a 90-day calendar. The NBA memo, citing FBI intelligence, specifically linked the crimes to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that target “professional athletes and other high-net-worth individuals.” These groups are known for using “advanced techniques” such as pre-surveillance, drones, signal-jamming devices and other cutting-edge technology. The NFL highlighted the risks posed by what it called “organized and skilled groups” of burglars targeting wealthy athletes. While the warnings did not name victims, they were issued after the homes of athletes including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis were recently burglarized. The tactics described in the memos bear a striking resemblance to a wave of break-ins targeting affluent residents in Southern California . Federal and local officials from Los Angeles and Orange County have reported a spike in break-ins by what they call “burglary tourists” — criminals from Central and South America who legally enter the U.S. on 90-day tourist visas under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). But instead of packing swimsuits and sunscreen, police said these individuals are armed with disguises, video equipment, trail cameras and Wi-Fi jammers. They target wealthy neighborhoods and gated communities before moving on to avoid detection. These “burglary tourists” have been at work for at least five years, but their operations have intensified in recent times as information about addresses and even pictures of properties have become increasingly accessible. “Transnational gangs might not know everything about the house that they are breaking into,” LAPD Chief of Detectives Alan Hamilton told NBC News on Friday. “But there’s always a possibility these suspects know who they are and monitor the athletes’ social media and movements.” Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley’s home was also burglarized in September while he was attending an NFL game, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported . Portis posted on Instagram on Nov. 3 saying his “prized possessions” were stolen from his home during his team’s game the previous day. Kelce’s and Mahomes’ homes in Kansas City were broken into hours apart in October. The burglars made off with $20,000 in cash and caused $1,000 in damage to Kelce’s home, according to a police report obtained by NBC affiliate KSHB of Kansas City . Mahomes has called the ordeal “frustrating” and “disappointing.” This trend has spread to other cities including Chicago, Houston and Dallas. “Law enforcement has long recognized this pattern of crimes across the Midwest,” Hamilton said. “It’s not something they have been immune to.” Law enforcement from coast to coast, including the FBI, has been tracking these criminal networks for years, with suspects linked to South American gangs appearing in nearly every state, Hamilton said. “It’s totally military”-level technology, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer told NBC News over the summer. “People we’ve arrested here in Orange County have criminal records coming from the country of Chile.” If Southern California law enforcement has made progress in reducing these crimes, it may be driving more of these operations to other regions of the country. The NBA and NFL urged players to take preventive measures, such as activating alarm systems and surveillance cameras, securing valuables in safes and avoid oversharing on social media. “The FBI reported that, in most of the incidents, the homes were equipped with alarm systems that were not activated,” reads the NBA memo obtained by NBC News on Friday. “The FBI also reported that the homes were all unoccupied and, in most cases, no dogs were present.”
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 95, SOUTH FLORIDA 88It's time for the holidays, which means robust family conversations and seemingly never-ending courses of food. But for the more tech-savvy among us, the journey home could also mean we'll be called on to provide a backlog of tech support to parents, grandparents and other family members. And with generative AI being used to supercharge some major cyber scams this year, it's also a good time to teach and not just fix. Here are some tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season: Whether it's Windows, macOS, iOS or Android, simply keeping your operating system and apps up-to-date will help protect your family's computers and devices against a surprising number of security threats, such as malware, viruses and exploits. Most operating systems, especially those for mobile devices and their app stores, typically have auto-updates turned on by default. Be sure to double-check the device to make sure it has enough storage space to carry out the update. (More on this below.) Keeping apps updated may also reduce the number of "Why isn't this app working?" type of questions from your relatives. Chances are someone in your family is going to have a completely full mobile device. So full, in fact, that they can no longer update their phone or tablet without having to purge something first. There are many approaches to freeing up space. Here are a few you can easily take without having to triage data or apps. According to some admittedly unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That's a lot to remember. So as you help your relatives reset some of theirs, you may be tempted to recycle some to keep things simple for them. But that's one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against. Instead, try introducing your forgetful family member to a password manager. They're useful tools for simplifying and keeping track of logins. And if you want to impress a more tech-savvy cousin or auntie, you could suggest switching to a more secure digital authentication method: passkeys. As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, you and your family should be more vigilant about who to trust. Artificial intelligence and other technologies are giving bad actors craftier tools to work with online. A quick way to remember what to do when you think you're getting scammed is to think about the three S's, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard's deputy chief security officer "Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected," she said. Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls frequently target vulnerable individuals like seniors, people with disabilities, and people with debt. So-called romance scams target lonely and isolated individuals. Quiz scams target those who spend a lot of time on social media. Check our AP guide on the latest scams and what to do when you're victimized. Home internet speeds are getting faster, so you want to make sure your family members are getting a high-speed connection if they've paid for one. Run a broadband speed test on your home network if they're still rocking an aging modem and router. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
State A VB: Panthers Surge Past Titans 3-1
Major stock indexes we mixed on Wall Street in afternoon trading Monday, marking a choppy start to a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 21 points, or 0.1% as of 2:22 p.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.NoneAthletic Bilbao vs. Real Madrid: Head-to-head record and past meetings
Gary Lineker jokes about his Match Of The Day exit as he returns to showI'm a home theater obsessive, and these are the Black Friday soundbar deals I recommendDuke of York ‘ceased all contact’ with spy-accused man after concerns raised
A former president of the Calgary Homeless Foundation says he is deeply concerned by the Alberta government’s recent decision to overhaul the funding scheme for organizations providing services to homeless people. Tim Richter, who served as the foundation’s president from 2008 to 2012 and who now leads the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, a national charity, says the change is dangerous and will lead to more people falling through the cracks. Under the current model, the foundation and six other non-profit and other organizations act as local hubs and receive a lump sum of government money, which they distribute to smaller organizations in their area. But provincial Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon announced Friday that the government plans to ditch that model, and distribute the funding itself through existing government grants. Richter says under the current model, hub organizations like the foundation and Edmonton’s Homeward Trust ensure that smaller organizations within the same city work together to ensure needed services are available, and gaps are filled. He worries that under the new model, that unity and communication will be lost. “This turns back the clock on the homelessness response in Alberta 15 years,” he said. “It is a terribly dangerous move that will cost more, hurt people in the long run, and leave homelessness to explode across the province.” However, Nixon said Friday that the agencies receiving funding to dole out are essentially acting as middlemen, and it will be more efficient to eliminate that step. He also said the new process would improve “accountability and oversight” of the programs and services made available through the funding, and gave a couple of examples of funds being used in ways that didn’t align with the government’s goals. “We’ve seen evidence in the past of organizations distributing tents out into the community,” he said. “That would be a great example of where our government is focused on shelter and housing, not on providing encampments.” In an interview late Friday Nixon dismissed Richter’s concerns. “(Funding) will continue to be based on community need, and continue to go to frontline services associated in those communities,” he said. He also said the government provides a combined $101.5 million annually to the seven hub organizations and the new model is anticipated to increase the funding available. But Richter said the province will lose the local oversight and flexibility that the hub organizations provide. “Homelessness is local, and you need local leadership and local focus and local decision-making,” Richter said. “Who will be more efficient and more effective in coordinating a local response, people on the ground or somebody in a government office in Edmonton?” “What this announcement signals is that the government of Alberta does not want to solve homelessness, because solving homelessness requires building coordinated systems focused on ending it.” In an email Friday Homeward Trust said it wasn’t able to comment on the change. Kaely Cormack, a spokesperson for the Calgary Homeless Foundation, said the agency was only notified of the change Friday and is waiting for more details from the government. Janis Irwin, the Opposition NDP housing critic, is also critical of the government’s overhaul and says the move raises questions about which anti-homelessness organizations will receive funding going forward. Irwin said that given the UCP government’s staunch opposition to harm reduction services and total focus on addiction recovery, she thinks organizations like Boyle Street Community Services in her Edmonton riding could be at risk for losing funding. “I think it’s fair to think that they’ll be in jeopardy under this plan,” Irwin said, adding that she’s also concerned the province will lose data the hub organizations provide on homelessness in the province. “They’re going to be taking away the support for these organizations that provide the data that they should be using to make evidence-based decisions and they’re really going to be putting a whole lot of more unhoused folks at risk.” Nixon also announced Friday that a panel was being established to advise the government’s approach to homelessness, with a specific focus on homelessness in rural areas. The panel will also be tasked with engaging service providers on the new funding process over the next few months.What is on the mind of an apartment owner who rents a 70 sq.m. flat, in an old building in Athens’ central Pangrati district, for 800 euros? It is renovated, but it is squeezed in a narrow street, with a tiny balcony. It is not the only egregious example. Dozens of such ads for rentals are published daily or recycled in groups with desperate people looking for an apartment and telling their stories. Eurostat data summarize this unbearable socioeconomic reality: Greeks pay, on average, 37% of their income on housing, the highest percentage in the EU. In cities, they pay over 40%. The government attempts to intervene with moderate housing programs. However, in the meetings between the two sides, the owners and the renters, logic seems to have been abandoned. So, apart from the facts (that low wages are not balanced by existing tax cuts) and the inevitable domino effect (one problem affects the other), there are also the absurd demands that appear daily. Obviously, the owners also have their own arguments: Collecting rent often contributes to a low pension or limited finances. Still, ruthless exploitation cannot become a synonym for “utilizing” an asset. Furthermore, the Greek stock of properties for sale or rent is old, with their average age exceeding 40 years. It is not only the purchase and rental market in Greece that is unregulated, but also the behavior of the owners. Negotiations with potential renters do not obey any rules, but only the mentality of “take it or leave it.” The network of causes that connects and influences the issue of housing is complicated – it starts with tax evasion and ends with meager salaries. Once again, the extended family is called upon to fill the gaps, to weave a safety net for its younger members, to grant or share housing. The consequences for the balance of this social ecosystem are obvious. Within this complex reality, in addition to the lack of housing offered for rent or purchase, another element emerges: the surge of blind self-interest, a product of the most solid individualism, that is not only strengthened by poverty but also by the unaccountability of Greek society.Conflict in Rakhine: Dhaka cannot engage with non-state actors
NoneThe move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania’s 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a parliamentary election on December 1 a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Mr Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis,” he said. “It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romania’s 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It is widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Mr Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it is entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns”. Romania was plunged into turmoil after Mr Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the December 8 run-off, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Mr Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Mr Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organise the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighbouring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all politicians from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.
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SINGAPORE: On Nov 12, 2020, amid the chaos of a contentious United States presidential election and a global pandemic, Jiang Fan, president of Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall platforms, took the stage to announce the performance of its 11.11 “Singles’ Day” shopping festival . The highlight was the total GMV (gross merchandise value) of 498.2 billion yuan (US$68.8 billion), a staggering 86 per cent increase compared to 2019. It was a moment of triumph for Chinese e-commerce – and the last time Alibaba launched the 11.11 with such fanfare. Since 2022, major Chinese e-commerce platforms have replaced GMV announcements with vague metrics, such as the number of small merchants doubling their sales or brands with over 100 million yuan in sales. For the recently concluded 2024 edition , Alibaba reported that 45 brands surpassed 1 billion yuan GMV on Tmall, while JD claimed a 20 per cent increase in the number of shoppers. Yet, both platforms again refrained from revealing total GMV. Traditionally, 11.11, alongside the mid-year 6.18 shopping festival, has served as a key barometer for consumer confidence, which has become a focal point of China’s efforts to boost its slowing economy. But in the absence of official figures, analysts and media are left to interpret third-party data. E-commerce data firm Syntun, a popular reference point, estimated that overall ecommerce sales grew 26.6 per cent to 1.44 trillion yuan this year. HOW USEFUL IS THE BAROMETER? This growth sounds promising on paper. During my visits to Hangzhou (home to Alibaba) and Yiwu (one of China’s largest e-commerce hubs) during 11.11, it was evident that e-commerce participants – from merchants to logistics operators – took the event seriously, striving to outdo competitors. So, why the silence from platforms about total GMV? Several factors are at play. First, there has been a shift in tone amid fierce competition. Before the pandemic, 11.11 was a celebration – a chest-thumping display of dominance by confident e-commerce giants. But the past few years have seen China’s e-commerce landscape morph from a duopoly (of Alibaba and JD) into a fierce battleground, with Pinduoduo, Douyin and Kuaishou now claiming 40 per cent of the market. Founders of both Alibaba and JD have returned to steer their companies amid this war of attrition. In such a competitive and uncertain environment, public boasting feels out of place. Leaders lack the mood or energy for fanfare. Moreover, in an economic climate where sentiment is fragile, the announcement of eye-popping numbers risks being misinterpreted - strong figures could invite criticism of profiteering or being out of touch, while weak ones might spark pessimistic headlines which the government dislikes. Better to say as little as possible. Then there is the question of the GMV’s relevance. The utility of 11.11 GMV as a measure of consumer confidence has become debatable. High return rates - reaching 80 to 90 per cent for fashion and jewellery sellers on live commerce channels - blur the real value of sales. Moreover, the festival’s timeline now varies across platforms, with some stretching it to 35 days this year, making year-on-year comparisons complicated. Interestingly, this year, e-commerce platforms in the United States are also extending their Black Friday promotion period to be as long as two weeks. Pinduoduo’s strategy of offering low prices year-round has further diminished the allure of shopping festivals. When consumers can find bargains every day, what are the incentives for brands and consumers to invest extra time and attention for a singular event like 11.11? Can category-level insights still provide some clarity? Perhaps, but even those numbers come with caveats. For instance, electronics emerged as one of the best-performing categories this year, but that is likely bolstered by the 150 billion yuan subsidies introduced in August to encourage appliance upgrades. BACK TO BASICS This year, it was quicker and easier to determine the US election results than to gauge the relative performance of China’s ecommerce platforms. Ultimately, the value of 11.11 as a barometer for consumer confidence has diminished. The event’s headline figures often obscure more than they reveal. Instead of focusing on inflated GMV figures, it’s more insightful to consider the fundamentals driving consumer behaviour. Confidence stems from secure job prospects, stable property values and a robust stock market – factors squarely within the government’s purview, not the platforms’. Though the stock market rally was short-lived, it underscored the potential for decisive actions to revive consumer sentiment. While the government has unveiled new measures targeted at banks and local government, it has so far avoided direct stimulus for households. As for ecommerce platforms, they must adjust to the new reality. Regardless of how much confidence returns, the explosive growth of the past two decades is unlikely to repeat. Instead, expect more Chinese platforms to look outward, competing on the global stage. Just take a look at Pinduoduo’s Temu and Taobao’s recent promotions in Singapore. China’s 11.11 shopping festival has evolved from an extravagant spectacle into a quieter affair, reflecting both competitive pressures and broader economic uncertainty. For businesses and policymakers alike, the focus should shift from fleeting metrics to the structural factors that truly inspire consumer confidence: A belief that the future holds more promise than today. Jianggan Li is CEO of Momentum Works, a Singapore-based venture outfit, and co-author of Seeing The Unseen: Behind Chinese Tech Giants’ Global Venturing.Their expectation levels may have been different, but neither Rutgers nor Seton Hall has had the most promising start to the season. New Jersey's two power-conference programs will try to author a signature win when the Pirates visit the Scarlet Knights for the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. Rutgers (6-4) endured a three-game losing streak before picking up its first Big Ten win of the season Tuesday, 80-76 over Penn State. The Scarlet Knights have enjoyed plenty of attention thanks to five-star freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, but they've also put a loss to Kennesaw State on their resume. They'll try to assert their dominance over Seton Hall (5-5), which has lost to Fordham, Hofstra and Monmouth while fielding one of the weakest offenses in Division I. At 60.1 points per game, the Pirates rank sixth-to-last in the country, even as they limit opponents to 59.4 points per outing (the No. 11 scoring defense). Rutgers is 5-0 at home after leading by as many as 15 in the Penn State victory. Harper had 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Bailey produced 15 points and 15 rebounds. "They're like a sixth defender for us," Harper said of the fans. "We've been on the road for 20 days so seeing all of our fans, and seeing how loud they were, it meant the world to us." The student section will be especially fired up to see the rival Pirates, which could make free-throw shooting an issue for them. They rank No. 350 in the country at 60.3 percent from the foul line entering Friday. However, Seton Hall pulled out a road win the last time the game was played at Rutgers. In a defensive rock fight in 2022, the Pirates prevailed 45-43. Rutgers got revenge last season at Seton Hall's place, winning 70-63. But most players on both rosters are new and will experience the rivalry game for the first time. "I don't have a Jersey player on my team, right?" Pirates coach Shaheen Holloway told NJ.com . "So I have to get those guys to understand rivalries." Seton Hall will lean on Chaunce Jenkins (11.8 ppg) -- who was limited in the team's 85-76 loss to Oklahoma State on Sunday due to a knee injury, but is cleared to face Rutgers -- and Isaiah Coleman (11.7 ppg), one of three returning players from last year's team. For Rutgers, Harper is excited about the rivalry having grown up in New Jersey and watched his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., play in the game. At 23.4 ppg, Dylan Harper is the third-leading scorer in the country, and he adds 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest. Seton Hall leads the all-time series 42-32. --Field Level Media
OSHaRE's preparing special Christmas mealsReal Madrid will continue their La Liga title defence when they travel to San Mames for Wednesday's tricky test against Athletic Bilbao . Los Blancos bounced back from their Champions League loss against Liverpool to clinch a 2-0 victory in Sunday's home league meeting with Getafe thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe . Real Madrid finished the weekend just one point adrift of leaders Barcelona with a game in hand, while Athletic Bilbao ended matchday 15 in fourth spot after they came from a goal down to beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at Vallecas. Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides. © Imago Previous meetings: 242 Athletic Bilbao wins: 76 Draws: 45 Real Madrid wins: 121 Real Madrid boast a favourable record in this fixture, but Athletic have enjoyed their fair share of success in meetings with Los Blancos, having claimed 76 victories in 242 matches between two of the biggest sides in Spain. However, Athletic have found wins hard to come by in recent encounters, with their previous nine competitive meetings producing one win, one draw and seven defeats. Their only victory in that run of games took place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in February 2022 when Alex Berenguer came off the bench to knock Real Madrid out of the cup. Los Blancos may have experienced disappointment on that occasion, but they have managed to avoid defeat in each of their previous 18 La Liga matches against Los Leones, including a couple of 2-0 victories in the 2023-24 campaign. Bellingham scored his first Real Madrid goal in an opening day win in August 2023, before Rodrygo netted a brace to fire Real Madrid to all three points when the two sides last faced off at the Santiago Bernabeu in March. While San Mames has a reputation for being a tough place to visit, Real Madrid have enjoyed success on their recent trips to Athletic's cathedral, having won each of their five head-to-head away meetings in La Liga. In fact, Los Blancos have avoided defeat in each of their previous nine away league games against Athletic since they fell to a 1-0 defeat in March 2015 when Valverde was in his first spell as Los Leones boss and Carlo Ancelotti was in his first stint as Real Madrid manager. Real Madrid have done an impressive job of negating Athletic's attacking threat in recent away encounters, keeping clean sheets in five of their last seven visits to San Mames in the league.
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