xbol Cooper Rush passed for two touchdowns, Dallas returned two kicks for scores and the visiting Cowboys held off the Washington Commanders in a wild fourth quarter for a 34-26 win. Dallas led 10-9 after three quarters. With Washington trailing 27-26, Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left, but Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game. Juanyeh Thomas of the Cowboys then returned the onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown. Rush completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards for Dallas (4-7), which snapped a five-game losing streak. Rico Dowdle ran 19 times for 86 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 10 catches for 67 yards. Jayden Daniels was 25-of-38 passing for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for reeling Washington (7-5), which has lost three straight. He ran for 74 yards and one score. McLaurin had five catches for 102 yards. Trailing 20-9 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels drove Washington 69 yards in nine plays and hit Zach Ertz for a 4-yard touchdown. Daniels ran for two points and Washington trailed 20-17 with 3:02 remaining. KaVontae Turpin muffed the ensuing kickoff, picked it up at the one, and raced 99 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-17. Austin Seibert's 51-yard field goal pulled the Commanders within 27-20 with 1:40 left, With the score tied 3-3, Washington took the second half kick and went 60 yards in 10 plays. On third-and-three from the Dallas 17, Daniels faked a handoff, ran left and scored his first rushing touchdown since Week 4. Seibert missed the point after and Washington led 9-3. Dallas answered with an 80-yard drive. A 23-yard pass interference penalty gave the Cowboys a first-and-goal at the 4. Two plays later Rush found Jalen Tolbert in the end zone and the extra point made it 10-9. Brandon Aubrey's 48-yard field goal made it 13-9 with 8:11 remaining in the game. On the next play, Daniels hit John Bates for 14 yards, but Donovan Wilson forced a fumble and Dallas recovered at the Washington 44. Five plays later, Rush found Luke Schoonmaker down the middle for a 22-yard touchdown and Dallas led 20-9 with 5:16 left. The first quarter was all about field goals. Aubrey's field goal attempt was blocked on the opening drive and Michael Davis returned it to the Dallas 40. Washington later settled for Seibert's 41-yard field goal. On the next Dallas drive, Aubrey hit the right upright from 42 yards out, and then Seibert missed from 51 yards. With 14 seconds left in the half, Rush found Jalen Brooks for a 41-yard gain to the Washington 28. On the next play Aubrey connected from 46 yards to tie it. --Field Level MediaAffiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate banking products to write unbiased product reviews. Instead of making vague new years resolutions, break down large financial goals into specific actions. if you haven't already, saving at least a month's worth of emergency savings is more important than rushing to pay off your debt. Before January 1, take time to review your personal or family financial wellness. The holidays are already emotionally loaded, with complicated family reunions and fraught travel plans. On top of that, the emotional aftermath of Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes through with a vengeance. One minute, you might feel like a badass for finding the best sales on the internet, and the next you might feel guilty for spending too much or splurging on something luxurious. Holiday spending emotions can lead to making unrealistic financial New Year's resolutions. Financial planner Mamie Wheaton of LearnLux shares four common financial New Year's resolutions about money that never work, and what to do instead. Mistake 1: Swear you pay down all your debt this year "You really have to ask yourself why you want to pay down that debt," says Wheaton. "Sometimes, it's emotional. People get attached to becoming debt-free." Wheaton says that before you focus all your energy on paying off debt, it's more urgent to secure at least one month worth of emergency savings. An emergency fund can help you and your family survive financial hardship while keeping you from accruing even more debt. Wheaton suggests keeping your emergency savings in a high-yield savings account that you can easily access during emergencies. One month is the bare minimum, but experts generally recommend aiming to save at least three months' worth of living expenses. If you already have an emergency fund, take a closer look at the interest rates on your debts. "Any debt with interest rates above 4%, like credit card debt, should be prioritized," says Wheaton, "but otherwise, your money might be used better in other areas such as investments or retirement." The average 10-year stock market return is about 10%, which means your investments could grow significantly faster than your debt over time. While debts with high interest rates can easily snowball, it's more feasible to take your time paying off debts with sub-4% rates and let your money grow elsewhere instead. Compare Today's Rates Mistake 2: Vague financial resolutions Break down a large goal into bite-sized microgoals with shorter deadlines and six-month milestones to track your progress, Wheaton suggests. Once you have specific and measurable steps toward that large goal, it's easier to keep the momentum. Instead of saying, "I'm going to save $100,000 for retirement," Wheaton suggests, say "I'm going to increase my 401(k) contribution by 5% this year." You can even break it down to how much you plan on adding to your 401(k) every three months. Or, instead of saying, "I'm going to pay off all of my debt in one year," she continues, try "I'm going to stop using all of my credit cards, and pay off the card with the lowest balance." Mistake 3: Starting your resolutions on January 1 There's no automatic switch that goes off at midnight on January 1 that magically changes your behavior. Building new habits requires a bit of planning. Wheaton suggests setting a few days aside to review your 2021 finances, to enter the new year with a solid plan in place. Here are a few questions to ask yourself while looking at your numbers for the year: Am I cash-flow positive every month? Do I bring in more cash than my spending? Am I spending too much money on my credit card then relying on an end-of-year bonus to pay them off? Did I end the year with more debt than I started with? Which monthly subscriptions can I cut out? Am I on track to meet my retirement goals? Mistake 4: Keeping money goals out of your relationship "One thing I've seen in my 14 years of experience is that couples need to have open conversations about their goals," says Wheaton. "If one partner wants to save up for a house, and the other wants to save for retirement, it's best to sit down before the beginning of the year and see how you can both prioritize goals as partners." In a similar vein to the end-of-year review for individuals, couples can ask each other the following questions to get clear on new-year goals: How do you feel about our finances this year? (This question is especially important for couples who don't make the same amount of money but contribute an equal amount to household spending.) How did your credit score change this year? Are we on the same page about our retirement goals? Are we still on track to meet our previous retirement goals? Are we utilizing the best benefits our employers have to offer? Should we switch to one joint health insurance policy? Instead of making a vague resolution you and your partner probably won't keep past February 1, base your resolutions on your end-of-year review and make them easier to stick with. Don't know where to start? Consider a financial advisor. Finding a financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to three fiduciary financial advisors who serve your area in minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Start your search now. This article was originally published in December 2021.

Bemba Royal Establishment Partners with Zambia's Telecom for SMS TechnologyST. PAUL, Minn. — The emotion was written all over Ville Heinola’s face Monday as he prepared to play his first NHL game in more than 22 long — at times excruciatingly painful — months. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * ST. PAUL, Minn. — The emotion was written all over Ville Heinola’s face Monday as he prepared to play his first NHL game in more than 22 long — at times excruciatingly painful — months. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? ST. PAUL, Minn. — The emotion was written all over Ville Heinola’s face Monday as he prepared to play his first NHL game in more than 22 long — at times excruciatingly painful — months. “Every time you watch the team play you just want to get out there and it kills you inside when you can’t,” Heinola told the following the Winnipeg Jets morning skate at Xcel Energy Center. “I’m just happy it’s over now and I don’t have to worry about that.” The watching and waiting and worrying finally ended as Heinola was in the Jets lineup for the first time since Jan. 19, 2023, as they took on the Minnesota Wild. “It’s been a long journey for me, for sure,” said the 23-year-old smooth-skating, puck-moving defenceman, who was selected 20th overall in the 2019 NHL draft. “It’s been a struggle to get back and feel good. But now it feels great and I’m super excited to be back.” Heinola’s medical history is rather heartbreaking, given that he’s seen two golden opportunities vanish due to circumstances beyond his control. The first occurred during training camp in 2023, when an impressive preseason meant he had earned a spot not only on the 23-man roster, but in the opening-night lineup as well. However, a broken ankle suffered in the final preseason tune-up set the course for a series of unfortunate events that would severely test the young Finn physically and mentally. By the time he’d made a full recovery a few months later, the Jets were flying high with no room for him on a crowded, healthy blue line so Heinola spent the second half of the season with the Manitoba Moose, waiting for an opportunity that would never come. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS files Jets defenceman Ville Heinola hit the ice with the big club in regular season action Monday for the first time in almost two years. Fast forward to 2024 training camp and, once again, the door was wide open. The Jets hadn’t re-signed free agents Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt, and Heinola was going to get a chance to play regular minutes. Before he could even get in an exhibition game, however, his surgically-repaired ankle developed an infection. The only remedy was to go back under the knife, which would cost Heinola two more months of action. “It’s been a long ride for him,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel. “But it is what it is. That’s why we said to him that he’s waited long enough. We wanted to get him a couple of quick games down with the Moose. Now it’s a case of he’s here, so go and show us what you can do. He’s pretty excited and I know he’s been waiting for this moment for a long time.” Heinola resumed skating a few weeks ago and agreed to a brief conditioning stint in the AHL, which culminated Saturday with him setting up the game-winning goal in the third period. “I think it helps a lot. Obviously, it’s been a while since I played with those guys. So just getting my legs and everything back the way it was,” said Heinola. “I feel like I had more power in my legs on Saturday. I think it takes a little bit to get back into game shape. But I’ve been working hard in the gym every single day, so I’m not really worried about my conditioning.” MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Heinola skates with the Moose in a school-day game on Thursday. For a change, Heinola’s timing couldn’t be better. His return comes after , sidelining him indefinitely. “Every time you see a guy go down it’s not a great feeling. For me, especially, I know how it is to not play and be out for a while,” said Heinola. “But I just hope he has a quick recovery and will be back soon.” Although Samberg and Heinola are very different players, the Jets were glad to have an injection of talent and youthful energy in their lineup. “The perseverance is incredible,” said defenceman Neal Pionk. “You see what he went through last year, you feel awful for him. There’s not a whole lot you can do. This year, you get all excited for him and you kind of look at things through his eyes and then he gets the bad news again in training camp and you just feel for him. I’m excited for him. You look at it as a bit of a morale boost.” Heinola took Samberg’s spot on the roster, but not immediately in the defence pairings. Haydn Fleury moved up to skate beside Pionk, while Heinola started Monday’s game with Colin Miller. “We’ve been talking a lot. Obviously, we haven’t played together yet. But he’s a great guy,” said Heinola. “He talks a lot, so it should make my job pretty easy to play with him. He’s obviously a great player. So I think we’re going to play pretty well together. Heinola could certainly find himself moving up the lineup, especially if he can show the form that has made him one of the best young defenceman in the AHL. “I just want to move him in slowly here, get him in the mix, get him feeling comfortable,” said Arniel. “Obviously, the pace is going to be even higher than it was on the weekend for him. He’s a mobile, real-good pass-first defenceman and we just want to get him comfortable, to get out there and feeling good and then we’ll see where it goes from there.” Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg (54) climbs over the boards and onto the bench after being injured in Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators. There’s no timeline for Samberg’s return. His toughness was on display as he blocked the Steven Stamkos slap shot, then managed to pick himself up, continue the shift and even try to get in the way of another blast before limping back to the bench. “That’s how tough he is,” Pionk said of his blue-line partner. “Not only that, but he skated off the ice on his own power. With a broken bone in his foot. That’s no joke. It says a lot about him. He’s willing to do the little things for the team. He always has. That’s one of his specialties, shot-blocking, he’s a warrior.” Dylan Coghlan is the only other healthy defenceman on the roster right now. The right-shot journeyman was a healthy scratch for a 22nd consecutive game on Monday. Logan Stanley has been sidelined since Nov. 9 with a mid-body injury, but took another step in his recovery as he joined the Jets for morning skate, albeit in a yellow non-contact jersey. He’s not expected to be ready for at least another week. “We’re going to have to step up by committee,” said Pionk. mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the before joining the in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. . Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

The Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____ Get local news delivered to your inbox!

IPL auction 2025: Complete list of players secured so farSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Getting blown out at Green Bay following another squandered late lead the previous week against Seattle has quickly turned the San Francisco 49ers from a Super Bowl contender into a team just fighting to get back to the playoffs. If San Francisco doesn't get healthy and eliminate the errors that led to Sunday's 38-10 loss to the Packers, the focus will turn from playoff permutations to what offseason changes are necessary. “I think everyone understands completely outside and inside what the situation is,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday. “That’s why the Seattle game was so tough of a loss and that’s why last night was even worse. We know what we got ahead of us. We know exactly what the playoff situation is. That is what it is. But really, all that matters is this week when you do need to go on a run and put a lot of wins to even think of that.” The task doesn't get any easier as the Niners (5-6) get set to play at Buffalo on Sunday night. The 49ers are hoping to get injured stars Brock Purdy , Nick Bosa and Trent Williams back for that game, but their presence alone won't fix everything that went wrong on Sunday . The defense got repeatedly gashed early and put San Francisco in a 17-0 hole before the offense even generated a first down. The running game never got going as Christian McCaffrey has looked nothing like the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year in his three games back from Achilles tendinitis. And whenever the Niners appeared to do something right, a penalty came back to haunt them. It added up to the most lopsided loss for San Francisco since the 2018 season, before Shanahan had turned the Niners into perennial contenders. “It’s probably one of the worst ones I’ve been a part of,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “It is embarrassing. You’ve got to take it on the chin, take it like a man and move on.” Despite the doom and gloom, the 49ers are only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West standings with six games to go. But San Francisco already has three division losses and a difficult schedule featuring games against the Bills this week and Detroit in Week 17. “My optimism is not broken by any means,” tight end George Kittle said. “We still have a lot of very talented players. We will get some guys back and I still have full trust in the coaching staff to put our guys in position to make plays. I have no worry about that. But definitely an uphill grind. We'll see what we’re made of, which I’m looking forward to.” Red-zone passes to Kittle. Backup QB Brandon Allen connected on a 3-yard TD pass to Kittle late in the second quarter for San Francisco's only TD. Kittle leads the NFL with eight touchdown catches in the red zone, which is tied with Vernon Davis (2013) for the most in a season for a Niners player since 2000. Kittle was the only consistent part of the San Francisco offense with six catches for 82 yards. Avoiding penalties. San Francisco had nine penalties for 77 yards and they were costly and sloppy. The Niners had 12 men on the field on defense on back-to-back plays, three false starts, a pass interference in the end zone and three penalties on special teams, including a holding on Eric Saubert that negated an 87-yard kickoff return by Deebo Samuel to open the second half. Rookie Dominick Puni had three penalties after being penalized just once in the first 10 games. DE Leonard Floyd. There were few positive performances on defense, but Floyd had both of the team's sacks. Run defense. San Francisco allowed 169 yards rushing, including 87 in the first quarter for the team's second-worst performance in the opening quarter since 1991. The Niners missed 19 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus, as Josh Jacobs gained 83 of his 106 yards rushing after contact. Purdy took part in a light throwing session without pain on Monday and Shanahan is hopeful he can return to practice Wednesday after missing the Green Bay game with a shoulder injury. ... Bosa (hip, oblique) and Williams (ankle) also could return this week after sitting out Sunday. ... LG Aaron Banks, DT Jordan Elliott and WR Jacob Cowing all in the concussion protocol. ... RG Dominick Puni (shoulder) and CB Deommodore Lenoir (knee) underwent MRIs on Monday and the team is waiting for results. ... CB Renardo Green (neck) and LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) are day to day. 11 — The Niners generated only 11 first downs, tied for the fewest in any game in eight seasons under Shanahan. They also had 11 in the 2022 NFC title game loss at Philadelphia when Purdy hurt his elbow and in Week 2 against Seattle in Shanahan's first season in 2017. The 49ers visit Buffalo on Sunday night. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

CCAR_McKie 10 pass from Vasko (Hensley kick), 8:15. GAST_FG Rickman 28, 14:07. GAST_Brock 19 run (Rickman kick), 8:38. CCAR_Courtney 5 pass from Vasko (Hensley kick), 4:16. CCAR_FG Hensley 43, :01. CCAR_C.Washington 18 run (Hensley kick), 10:56. GAST_FG Rickman 30, 7:06. CCAR_McKie 31 pass from Vasko (Hensley kick), 2:44. GAST_Brock 1 run (pass failed), :25. CCAR_Vasko 10 run (Hensley kick), 9:50. CCAR_FG Hensley 23, 8:33. CCAR_Fletcher 39 interception return (Hensley kick), 7:13. GAST_Fleming 6 pass from Lowe (Hurst pass from Lowe), 4:36. A_12,606. RUSHING_Coastal Carolina, Washington 20-124, Vasko 13-68, Bennett 8-43, Price 5-26, Lloyd 3-10, Taylor 1-5, Duplessis 1-1, (Team) 2-(minus 2). Georgia St., Brock 14-71, Veilleux 11-62, Lowe 3-47, Dukes 2-11, Beasley 3-11. PASSING_Coastal Carolina, Vasko 13-17-1-200, (Team) 0-1-0-0, Duplessis 0-1-1-0, Kim 0-1-0-0. Georgia St., Veilleux 15-26-4-205, Lowe 2-6-0-21. RECEIVING_Coastal Carolina, McKie 5-81, Tucker 3-31, Karr 2-35, Duplessis 1-41, Berrong 1-7, Courtney 1-5. Georgia St., Hurst 8-131, Dukes 3-15, Riles 2-26, Fleming 2-18, Brock 1-21, Milton 1-15. MISSED FIELD GOALS_None.Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley raised eyebrows after he single-handedly torched the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football in a 37-14 rout. Barkley, who signed with the Eagles this past offseason, has helped propel his team to a 9-2 start. Notably, his last two outings, including a record-setting performance in the win, have put his ceiling over the edge. Barkley's 26 carries for 255 yards and two touchdowns put him in a rare category amongst one of the NFL's all-time greats: Walter Payton. According to OptaStats, later released in graphic form by the Big Ten Football ' X ' account, Barkley's 500-plus scrimmage yards in a two-game span was enough to join Payton in the NFL history books. Saquon Barkley had a dominant career with Penn State Although some may quickly forget, Barkley made a name for himself in State College. Barkey's 43 rushing touchdowns are the most in school history. He played three seasons for the Nittany Lions, helping guide the team to the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2016-17 season. The New York Giants drafted Barkley second overall in 2018. He became a household name for a team still searching for an identity after years of turmoil post-2011, their last Super Bowl win. The Giants are likely regretting their decision to let Barkley walk. The team has stumbled to a 2-9 start through 11 games and is on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention after parting ways with ex-starting quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this month. Meanwhile, Penn State's victory against Minnesota kept its conference title hopes alive entering Week 14. A win against Maryland, plus a Michigan upset against Ohio State, would see the Nittany Lions play Oregon in Indianapolis next Saturday.Minnesota looks to stop skid vs. Bethune-Cookman

Despite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.

Repealing no-fault divorce has so far stalled across the US. Some worry that'll changeThirteen candidates are vying for the presidency in the European Union and Nato member country, with the vote expected to go to a second round on December 8. Polls opened at 7am local time and will close at 9pm, with Romanians abroad able to vote since Friday. By 2pm, 4.8 million people – about 27% of eligible voters – had cast their ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau. The final vote could see George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), face off against incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who is backed by Romania’s largest party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD). The presidential role carries a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy, and judicial appointments. Romania will also hold parliamentary elections on December 1 that will determine the country’s next government and prime minister. Mr Simion, 38, is a vocal supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump and has long been a figure of controversy. He campaigned for reunification with Moldova, which this year renewed a five-year ban on him from entering the country over security concerns, and he is banned for the same reason from entering neighbouring Ukraine. “I would like that in the next five to 10 years, for Romanians to be really proud to be Romanians, to promote Romanian culture, Romanian products,” he told reporters in the capital, Bucharest. “As a Romanian president, I will promote Romanian interests. In most cases, Romanian interests coincide with partner interests.” Mr Ciolacu said one of his biggest goals is “to convince Romanians that it is worth staying at home or returning” to Romania, which has a massive diaspora spread throughout EU countries. “Romania has a huge chance to become a developed economy in the next 10 years, where honest work is fairly rewarded and people have the security of a better life,” he said. “But for this, we need balance and responsibility... I am running for the Presidency of Romania because we need a change.” Other key candidates include Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party, former Nato deputy general secretary Mircea Geoana, who is running independently, and Nicolae Ciuca, a former army general and head of the centre-right National Liberal Party, which is in a tense coalition with the PSD. Romania has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. But Mr Simion of the AUR party said he opposes Romania — which has sent a Patriot missile system to Ukraine — contributing further military aid and that he hopes Mr Trump can “stop the war.” In 2020, the AUR party went from relative obscurity to gaining 9% in a parliamentary vote, allowing it to enter parliament. Opponents have long accused Mr Imion and AUR of being extremists, charges he denies. “We are sort of a Trumpist party in this new wave of patriotic political parties in Europe,” Simion said.

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