phmacao com

phmacao com A season of protests, forfeits and lawsuits ended quietly Saturday on the volleyball court with San José State losing the Mountain West Conference women's tournament final to Colorado State. The loss deprived San José State from claiming the conference's automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA tournament, which could have extended the controversy centered on the team's transgender player. Instead, top-seeded Colorado State earned the automatic bid by winning in four sets. Fewer than 200 spectators attended the match at UNLV, and the fans were respectful, cheering every player during pregame introductions and during the action. Players encouraged one another throughout the match and exchanged hugs when it was over. The only bit of political activity came when Colorado State star player Malaya Jones and teammates Kennedy Stanford and Naeemah Weathers knelt during the national anthem. Colorado State coach Emily Kohan told reporters the players have knelt before matches since 2020. "They've knelt since their freshman year, when the Black Lives Matter movement was going on, and, in this program, we raise critical thinkers to make decisions for what's important to them," Kohan said. "And, for those three, they're Black players, and it's been important to them for five years. And they've stood their ground for saying that this is something that they believe in, and we've all supported them." The focus on volleyball and sportsmanship was a welcome departure from a roller-coaster season in which four Mountain West teams — Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada-Reno — each chose to forfeit or cancel two conference matches to San José State. Boise State also forfeited its conference tournament semifinal match to the second-seeded Spartans, who had a first-round bye and only played one match in the tournament. The transgender player has been on the San José State roster for three seasons after transferring from a college on the East Coast, although this is the first season opponents have protested the player's participation. The player is not being named by The Los Angeles Times because they haven't publicly identified as transgender. The issue became public when San José State co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit in September against the NCAA filed by former All-American swimmer and anti-trans-athlete activist Riley Gaines. The suit alleges that NCAA transgender eligibility policies violate Title IX and the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Slusser alleges in the lawsuit that the inclusion of a transgender player poses an unfair advantage and safety hazards. The NCAA adopted new rules a year ago pertaining to transgender athletes, who must document sport-specific testosterone levels at the beginning of their season and again six months later. They also must document testosterone levels four weeks before championship selections. "We are steadfast in our support of transgender student-athletes and the fostering of fairness across college sports," said John DeGioia, chair of the NCAA board of governors and Georgetown president. "It is important that NCAA member schools, conferences and college athletes compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment and can move forward with a clear understanding of the new policy." Nevertheless, the schools that forfeited volleyball matches have the backing of politicians in their states. Idaho's Republican Gov. Brad Little recently signed an executive order barring sports teams at Boise State and other public schools in the state from playing against teams with transgender athletes. San José State was left to piece together its season against opponents willing to play. Colorado State was one of those. "Our team played their hearts out today, the way they have done all season," San José State coach Todd Kress said in a statement after the conference tournament loss. "This has been one of the most difficult seasons I've ever experienced and I know this is true as well for many of our players and the staff who have been supporting us all along. Maintaining our focus on the court and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities." Slusser, San José State associate head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose and 10 other current and former players filed another lawsuit Nov. 13 aimed at having the transgender player removed ahead of the conference tournament, stating that her inclusion violated Title IX rights for gender equity in federally funded institutions. But a federal judge last Monday rejected the lawsuit, and a day later, another judge rejected Slusser's appeal. The transgender player took the court along with Slusser and San José State was defeated, ending a turbulent season that Kress said included attacks on social media. "Our team prepared and was ready to play each match according to established Mountain West and NCAA rules of play," Kress said in his statement. "We did not take away anyone's participation opportunities. Sadly, others who for years have played this same team without incident chose not to play us this season. "To be clear, we did not celebrate a single win by forfeiture. Instead, we braced for the fallout. Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff, and many associated with our program." ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.TikTok edged closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19. The potential ban could strain US-China relations just as president-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20. TikTok said it would now appeal to the Supreme Court, which could choose to take up the case or let the circuit court's decision stand. "The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans' right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," the company said. TikTok will also be looking to Trump, who has emerged as an unlikely ally, arguing that a ban would mainly benefit Facebook parent company Meta's platforms, owned by Mark Zuckerberg. Trump's stance reflects broader conservative criticism of Meta for allegedly suppressing right-wing content, including the former president himself being banned from Facebook after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot by his supporters. The US government alleges TikTok allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It also says TikTok is a conduit to spread propaganda, though China and app owner ByteDance strongly deny these claims. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless ByteDance sells the platform by January 19. While recognizing that "170 million Americans use TikTok to create and view all sorts of free expression," the three-judge panel unanimously upheld the law's premise that divesting it from China's control "is essential to protect our national security." They found that the law did not hinder free speech as it was "devoid of an institutional aim to suppress particular messages or ideas." The judges also disagreed with the idea that less drastic alternatives than a sale by ByteDance would solve the security issues. US Attorney General Merrick Garland welcomed the decision saying "the Justice Department is committed to defending Americans' sensitive data from authoritarian regimes that seek to exploit companies under their control." Trump's support for TikTok marks a reversal from his first term, when the Republican leader tried to ban the app over similar security concerns. That effort got bogged down in the courts when a federal judge questioned how the move would affect free speech and blocked the initiative. Among those who helped Trump to the White House in this year's election was Jeff Yass, a major Republican donor with ByteDance investments. "Donald Trump could be a lifeline for TikTok once he takes office, but halting the enforcement of the ban is easier said than done," said Emarketer lead Analyst Jasmine Enberg. "And even if he does manage to save TikTok, he's already flip-flopped on his stance toward the app and there's no guarantee he won't go after it later." The president-elect launched his own TikTok account in June, gaining 14.6 million followers, but has not posted since Election Day. Despite the uncertainty, TikTok's presence in the United States continues growing. The platform reported $100 million in Black Friday sales for its new shopping venture, and Emarketer projects US ad revenue will reach $15.5 billion next year, accounting for 4.5 percent of total digital ad spending in the country. But Enberg warned a ban would significantly disrupt the social media landscape, benefiting Meta, YouTube, and Snap while harming content creators and small businesses dependent on TikTok. Gautam Hans, professor at Cornell Law School, said the judges treated the government's national security argument "with great deference... while undervaluing the radical effects this unfortunate decision will have for individual speakers and First Amendment doctrine." But given the unanimous ruling and the short timeline before the law's date of taking effect, it was "unlikely that the Supreme Court will take the case, which will almost certainly lead to TikTok's demise in just a handful of weeks," he added. In contrast, Carl Tobias, of the University of Richmond, said that given the "critical implications" of the issues in question -- national security and free speech -- the apex court would likely take the case. arp/aha

Bukayo Saka is likely to be sidelined until at least March following surgery on his hamstring, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed. Arsenal moved back up to second in the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Ipswich at the Emirates – their first fixture without Saka after the England winger tore his right hamstring in a 5-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend. Prior to Friday’s fixture, Arteta said Saka, 23, would be sidelined for “many weeks”, but speaking in the moments after his side saw out a win that keeps the pressure on leaders Liverpool, Arteta afforded a grizzlier timeframe for his star man. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be without a key player for months (Adam Davy/PA) “It will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer. It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, and the mobility of that. It is very difficult to say. “The replacement of Bukayo is going to be the team. There were moments where it flowed well tonight and moments where you could see there is still work to do. But I am certain that we are going to do that. We have to rely on the team and not the individual.” The length of Saka’s injury will come as a significant blow to Arteta, who is bidding to oversee Arsenal’s first Premier League title in two decades. Capping off 2024 with a W! Thanks for all the support this year Gunners ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5o8qIS6Dzq — Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) December 27, 2024 In Saka’s absence, and in the Gunners’ final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the game’s sole goal midway through the opening period. Gabriel, Havertz and Martin Odegaard all spurned chances to increase Arsenal’s lead in the second period, but their victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool – having played one match more than the Reds – and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Arteta continued: “I am very happy with the victory and the clean sheet and big parts of the game. They are difficult opposition and we are playing so many games. “You see that teams are winning from small margins. Today we could have made that margin bigger but we didn’t and we held our nerve in the last few minutes to defend well. Kai, what position are @Arsenal in? ✌️ #ARSIPS | #FestiveFixtures pic.twitter.com/JAlw7fkzAI — Premier League (@premierleague) December 27, 2024 “We should have scored more. We had big openings in the second half, the big header of Gabriel from one yard, but the team was consistent and conceded nothing and that is something that will always give us the chance to win games.” Arsenal will next be in action against Brentford on New Year’s Day. Ipswich, who remain second from bottom, three points away from safety, host Chelsea on Monday night. Ipswich suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Newcastle in the fixture which preceded their trip to the Emirates, and this marked their fifth loss from six games. “It was a good step back in the right direction for us,” said boss Kieran McKenna. “We didn’t hit our levels against Newcastle. We knew today we had to be resilient and we did that.”General Motors and LG Energy Solution extend their 14-year battery technology partnership to include prismatic cell development. The deal was announced on Monday (Dec. 2), and GM expects the prismatic cell technology developed under the agreement to power future GM electric vehicles as part of the company’s strategy to diversify its supply chain, leveraging multiple chemistries and form factors. Recommended Videos GM will continue to leverage the Ultium Cells plants in Warren, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee, which produce pouch battery cells, to meet growing demand for its electric vehicles. Prismatic cells feature a flat, rectangular shape with a rigid enclosure, allowing space-efficient packaging within battery modules and packs. That approach can reduce EV weight and cost while simplifying manufacturing by reducing the number of modules and mechanical components. LG Energy Solution has experience with prismatic cell production and an extensive patent portfolio in battery design and manufacturing technologies, including packaging. GM is embracing a technology-agnostic approach to battery cells to optimize range, performance, and charging speed, improving the experience for every EV driver. Ultium Cells has created thousands of jobs in the U.S., including Ohio and Tennessee. The battery cells produced at Ultium Cells plants power GM’s latest EVs, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, and Chevrolet Equinox EV, as well as the GMC HUMMER EV Pickup and SUV.

It’s been a monumental year for Palantir Technologies Inc., which has seen its business light up with accelerating sales growth fueled in part by momentum for its artificial-intelligence offering. That’s driven milestones for the shares, as well. Palantir’s stock .css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);} .css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{display:inline;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:200ms,200ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink020);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink030);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink030);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-color:var(--outlineColorDefault);outline-style:var(--outlineStyleDefault);outline-width:var(--outlineWidthDefault);outline-offset:var(--outlineOffsetDefault);}@media not all and (min-resolution: 0.001dpcm){@supports (-webkit-appearance: none) and (stroke-color: transparent){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-style:var(--safariOutlineStyleDefault);}}}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);} PLTR joined the S&P 500 SPX in September and has since been a standout. Palantir finished Thursday’s session as the index’s biggest year-to-date gainer, edging out Vistra Corp. VSTThe Jewelers & Coin Co. Announces New Online Private Appointment BookingQB Josh Allen and coach Sean McDermott deserve credit in Bills latest AFC East-clinching season

Smith's career-high 205 yards rushing carries San Diego past Morehead State 37-14Here are the billionaires stocking Trump’s next administration

None

Atiku urges probe intoilllegal firearms, military parade for president’s sonPunjab Bandh Today: From Govt Offices To Bank And Rail, Road And Airport Services - What's Open, What's Closed?TikTok closer to US ban after losing court appealgot booed at the MCG. Sound at this ground seems to bubble up, like in the old cartoons where witches prepare their potions, the pot frothing away with each new ingredient until one of them makes the whole thing explode. The happened between overs. It wasn't caught live, like Mohammed Siraj's send-off to Travis Head. That noise was full throated and organic and it was dwarfed on Friday when Kohli nicked off for 36 off 86. The crowd knew what had happened. They didn't need help from replays on the big screen or nudges on social media. The displeasure was instant and it rolled down like thunder. "BOOOOOOOOOO!" India had gone from 153 for 2 to 154 for 4. Seven balls earlier, Kohli had been involved in a mix-up and India lost their top-scorer of both the innings and the series. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks up to Kohli. At training, he steps off from facing the bowler to gather his inputs. Here he barely looked at him. They were three feet apart, both stuck at the bowler's end, and he barely looked at him. To be fair, though, the single wasn't on. Pat Cummins was too close at mid-on. There was incredulity in Australia's celebrations, and ferocity in everything they did afterwards. Those last five overs to stumps were pure theatre. Mitchell Starc came back into the attack. The slip cordon sprouted extra people. The idea that a ball could ever be left alone seemed increasingly obtuse. And half-an-hour's play began to stretch to eternity. Eighty-five thousand people added to the occasion as they synced their hands coming together to the bowler's feet pounding the turf. Kohli had been able to stay in his bubble for the entire time he was in the middle until right this very moment. Right this very moment, it popped. "He was really disciplined today," Steven Smith said at the press conference. "He was leaving nicely, making the bowlers come to him a bit more, and scoring well through the leg side and when we went short. So yeah, I thought we were in for a bit of a masterclass there. But fortunately, Barrel [Boland] got one to sort of straighten, probably off the line on that fifth, sixth stump. And it probably was one of the only ones he played at." Two years ago, here. A sizeable portion of the 172,389 that have come through the gates on days one and two of the Boxing Day Test have felt very differently. The put a big red ball on his nose and bumped subtlety off a cliff. "Clown Kohli" said the headline. feels less petty now. Kohli was name-checked by the head of the local organising committee for LA 2028 to explain how cricket got into the Olympics. He is the third-most followed sportsperson on Instagram after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. More to the point, Australia have seen him as their kind of player. Gifted. Positive. Never-give-up. The respect he used to get here wasn't grudging. It was genuine and it's eroded because he hasn't been making runs; far too busy making errors of judgment. There was one at Melbourne airport when he rounded on Australian media for disrespecting his privacy. Another at the 'G when he disrespected an Australian cricketer's privacy by making a beeline straight for him. Kohli was in the middle of turning all of that around. For 35 off 83 balls he was pristine. For the last 1 off 3 he was something else. Shaken. Resigned. Done. He didn't even look back once he edged the ball. His hands just dropped. He just knew. India needed him in the middle when their best batter of the tour, KL Rahul, was dismissed last ball before tea. There were still seven minutes on the clock for the resumption when he and Jaiswal walked out to the dugout. There has always been an eagerness about this batting. It is supposed to translate as wanting to be out there. But it was coming off wanting it too much. The run-out in the dying stages of the second day's play against New Zealand in Mumbai. Taking guard way in front of his crease in Perth. Chasing after that one cover drive that was supposed to get him into rhythm. On a Melbourne pitch that wanted to patch things up with the batters after putting them through the wringer for the last two or three years, all Kohli had to do was trust himself; trust his training to come through. And it did. The first thing he did once he made it to the crease was practice this leave. People sometimes do the front-foot push just to get a feel of the hands going through to the line of the ball. He'd done enough of that. When Kohli got off the mark, Cummins looked down at his hands curiously, as if to figure out just how he could bowl on the pads of one of history's greatest flickers of the ball. He was responding to length a lot better in this innings, actually shifting his weight back when he had to instead of always lunging forward. Even with his leaves. There were a couple that were wide of off stump but he still shifted his weight back, in response to the shorter length, and pulled his bat up. Then there was another against Cummins that was pitched up and on that fifth stump line. He covered his stumps, pressed forward, and then left. The impact point with the ball on the cover drive that brought him his first boundary was right under his eyes. Reaching for the ball has been his forever problem. He wasn't doing that here. He could only stomach shouldering arms to 34 deliveries across his five previous innings in this Test series. He did it 21 times here, in just two hours at the crease, and it looked so easy. He looked so good. Then came the run-out. Kohli looks for those rapid singles too. He managed one early in his innings, but that time he'd cushioned his shot and the man at short cover meant to prevent the rotation of strike became redundant. Later in his innings, he nudged one off his toes to the left of midwicket, who try as he might, couldn't get there, and the right of mid-on. "Been stealing doubles since 2012," he had said during one of his more dour centuries in the West Indies last year, pointing to the act of how he gets going simply by running between the wickets. The glamour shots look good on the reels but singles and twos are the essence of his batting. The fact that it led to his wicket two months ago and his partner's wicket now - both resulting in the team's implosion mere minutes before stumps - must be difficult to digest. Kohli got booed out of the MCG. But it almost seemed like he couldn't hear them. He had looked so good.

NoneWASHINGTON − President Joe Biden said Sunday he and first lady Jill Biden were “deeply saddened” by the commercial plane crash in South Korea that killed 179 people. “Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life that occurred as a result of the Jeju Airlines accident in Muan, Republic of Korea,” Biden said in the statement. “As close allies, the American people share deep bonds of friendship with the South Korean people and our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this tragedy. "The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance,” the president said. The flight, operated by Jeju Air, was en route from Bangkok Sunday morning when it veered off a runway and crashed into a wall at the Muan International Airport in South Korea, the country’s Transport Ministry said. The flight carried 175 passengers and six crew on board. Two of the crew members survived. The passengers included two Thai nationals, and the rest are believed to be South Koreans, according to the Transport Ministry. "After the plane collided with the wall, passengers were thrown out of the aircraft. The chances of survival (were) extremely low," Muan fire Chief Lee Jeong-hyeon said in a briefing translated by Yonhap news agency . "The aircraft has almost completely been destroyed, and it is difficult to identify the deceased. We are in the process of recovering the remains, which will take time." The National Transportation Safety Board wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that they are leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist South Korea’s investigation into the accident. South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok, who visited the crash site, announced a weeklong period of mourning. Jeju Air pledged full support for the surviving families, citing a $1 billion insurance plan.

Storm Darragh arrives in Belfast on Friday, 6 December (Photo by Luke Jervis / Belfast Telegraph) Storm Darragh arrives in Belfast on Friday, 6 December (Photo by Luke Jervis / Belfast Telegraph) Belfast Christmas Market will not open on Saturday over safety concerns. Pic: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX A deluge of rain and strong winds has led to travel chaos and event closures as Storm Darragh hits Northern Ireland. Up to 20 flights due to depart from Belfast City Airport tomorrow have been cancelled, with a further 15 expected arriving flights also scrapped. The cancellations are mainly domestic flights, but an early-morning journey to Amsterdam has also been called off. All Stena Line ferries due to sail from Belfast to Cairnryan – and vice versa – have thus far been cancelled on Saturday, apart from the 7.30pm and the 11.30pm routes. The Liverpool-Belfast ferries have also been cancelled. While no major issues have been reported yet from Belfast International Airport, a spokesperson noted to “please take care on roads if travelling to the airport and be sure to check the latest flight updates with your airline”. Belfast’s Christmas markets are one of multiple major events due to close this weekend, alongside a raft of sporting fixtures. Storm Darragh arrives in Belfast on Friday, 6 December (Photo by Luke Jervis / Belfast Telegraph) Two weather warnings have already come into force, with a third in place from 1am. The public being are warned by the Met Office of the potential for travel disruption, damage to buildings, power cuts, and even a threat to life. Two yellow weather warnings were issued by the national forecaster on Friday. A yellow warning for wind began at 3pm and is lasting until 6am on Sunday. There is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, falling trees and a small chance of power cuts, with the potential for danger to life in coastal areas or from flying debris. Separately, a yellow warning for rain also began at 3pm and is due to finish at 12 noon on Saturday. There is a slight chance that homes and buildings could be flooded, while there may be delays to transport if roads become overly saturated. The most serious warning is an amber alert for "potentially damaging winds", which is set to be in place between 1am and 9pm on Saturday. Gusts of up to 70 to 80mph are expected around coastal areas while inland winds could reach 60 to 70mph. Damage to buildings is possible with the potential for roofs to be blown off and power lines to be brought down. There is the potential for disruption to roads and public transport and the Met Office has also said that "flying debris and falling trees could result in a danger to life". The organisers of Belfast Christmas Market also confirmed that it will not open on Saturday as a result of the treacherous weather set to hit the city. Belfast Christmas Market will not open on Saturday over safety concerns. Pic: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX A spokesperson said: "Unfortunately due to the expected extreme weather, it will not be safe for us to open. We recognise this may be disappointing, however the safety of our visitors and traders is of the utmost importance. "At the moment the plan is to reopen on Sunday (December 8), however this is weather dependent." Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council confirmed they had “made the difficult decision” to cancel the Enchanted Winter Garden events and a number of parks and public spaces will be closed off to the public for the duration of Storm Darragh. Belfast Zoo will close on Saturday, as will all Belfast City Council’s grass and 3G pitches. All parks and playgrounds are also closed on Saturday and Parkruns are further cancelled. Household recycling centres and civic amenity sites will be closed throughout the day and the city’s cemeteries and crematorium grounds. In Mid Ulster, “for the first time ever”, Santa's Magical Forest - in Pomeroy Forest - has had to cancel because of bad weather. Anyone booked in for the Santa's Magical Forest Christmas experience will be contacted by the booking team there to arrange alternative arrangements, the council announced. The rain has also caused havoc, with the Shore Road, Ravenhill Road and the Short Strand experiencing severe flooding this evening. And various sports fans will have to pencil matches in for another date, as many games have already been postponed, including the Ulster Football Intermediate Club Championship Final between Arva and Ballinderry, and Saturday’s Premier Intermediate League clash between Queen’s University and Banbridge Town. NIE Networks warned that power cuts can happen in extreme weather, and several outages were logged on tonight across all six counties of NI. In the Republic, Met Eireann issued its highest level of alert covering counties Mayo, Clare, Galway, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo and Wicklow. Taoiseach Simon Harris urged those living in areas covered by red warnings to take them “extraordinarily seriously”. “A red weather warning does mean do not travel during that period of time, and even though it is a Friday night and coming up to the Christmas season, I’d really encourage people to heed that advice and indeed to follow closely weather advice in the hours ahead,” he said. Here’s what has happened throughout the day: Storm Darragh arrives in Belfast on Friday, 6 December (Photo by Luke Jervis / Belfast Telegraph) Watch: Belfast Charity launch annual appeal and 'Christmas Jumper Day'3D Printing in Automotive Manufacturing Market 2024 - 2031: Trends, Growth, and Opportunities | Exactitude ConsultancyTHESE Are The Perks Of Holding A10-Year US Visa, Indian Travel Vlogger Explains