Dec. 24—The first time the NFL ever scheduled games on Christmas Day, the Kansas City Chiefs played the Miami Dolphins in an AFC divisional round playoff game, and the result forced the league to abandon games on Dec. 25 for the next 17 seasons. The game went into triple overtime before the Dolphins came out with a 27-24 victory. The 82-minute, 40-second game remains the longest in NFL history, and it caused an uproar among fans, mostly housewives who were waiting to serve their Christmas dinners. The NFL listened and did not play another Christmas Day game until 1989. Since then, it's been a steady stream of Christmas games for the league as it capitalizes on the TV ratings and revenue holiday games generate. The Steelers and Chiefs will play the 31st NFL game on the holiday at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. If the Steelers win, they keep their hopes for an AFC North division championship. This is the third time in nine years the Steelers are playing on Christmas Day. They played on consecutive Christmases in 2016 and 2017. In '16, the Steelers played on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, prompting linebacker James Harrison to opine on Instagram shortly after the schedule was released: "Retirement sounds better than ever when you find out you have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's." Here's a look at some memorable games the Steelers have played on Christmas and Christmas Eve. If you're looking for a good omen against the Chiefs, the Steelers have won more on Christmas than on Christmas Eve over the years. Christmas Day, 2016 Antonio Brown's "Immaculate Extension" with nine seconds remaining gave the Steelers a 31-27 victory over the Ravens. Brown caught a short pass from Ben Roethlisberger short of the goal line and fought through Ravens defenders C.J. Mosley and Eric Weddle before reaching the ball across for the touchdown. Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, while Brown had 96 receiving yards. The victory clinched the AFC North division title for the Steelers and extended their winning streak to eight games. The streak would extend to 11 before the Steelers fell to the Patriots in the AFC championship game. Christmas Day, 2017 The Steelers beat the Texans 34-3 in Houston and clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs. This game is memorable for several reasons, not the least of which was the Steelers releasing James Harrison before the game after he became a distraction due to his decreased playing time behind a rookie named T.J. Watt. The Steelers didn't allow Harrison's departure to bother them. They raced out to a 20-0 halftime lead and cruised to the win. This game happened one week after the infamous Jesse James game against the Patriots, when his touchdown was overturned by NFL replay, paving the way for the Patriots to earn the top seed in the AFC over the Steelers. The Steelers never did get the rematch with the Patriots in the playoffs. As the No. 2 seed, they played host to Jacksonville in a divisional round game and lost 45-42. Christmas Eve, 1977 Terry Bradshaw threw three interceptions against the famous "Orange Crush" defense, and the Steelers fell to the Broncos 34-21 in an AFC divisional round game at Mile High Stadium. Broncos quarterback Craig Morton completed only 11 passes for 164 yards, but he did not commit any turnovers. The score was tied at 21 early in the fourth quarter after Bradshaw threw a touchdown pass to Larry Brown, but the Broncos scored the final 13 points on two Jim Turner field goals and a Jack Dolbin 34-yard touchdown catch. The Broncos would go on to beat the Raiders in the AFC championship game before falling to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII. Christmas Eve, 1995 Steelers receiver Yancey Thigpen dropped a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 11 seconds remaining, which dropped the Steelers' final regular season record to 11-5. For hardcore Steelers fans, it ruined their holiday, but Thigpen was laughing about the gaffe in the locker room after the game. Why? It was the regular season finale, and the game meant nothing to the Steelers, who had already clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC. But for the Packers, the game meant everything. The 24-19 victory gave them their first NFC Central division championship since 1972. The Steelers were hardly bothered by the last-second defeat. They beat the Bills in a divisional-round game at Three Rivers Stadium and got to play at home in the AFC championship game when the No. 1 seed Chiefs were upset by the Colts. The Steelers then beat the Colts and advanced to Super Bowl XXX in Arizona, where they fell to the Cowboys 27-17. Christmas Eve, 1994 It was another meaningless regular season finale for the Steelers in San Diego, and the Steelers treated it as such. With the No. 1 seed in the AFC wrapped up, starting quarterback Neil O'Donnell only played a little early in the game before giving way to backup Mike Tomczak, who threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns. While the game didn't mean anything to the Steelers, they might have inadvertently given some confidence to the Chargers, who were the No. 2 seed in the AFC. A few weeks later, the Chargers waltzed into Three Rivers Stadium and beat the Steelers 17-13 in the AFC championship game. It remains one of the most disappointing playoff losses in franchise history. (c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
BLAKE Lively could win an eight-figure sum and save her reputation after filing a 'strong' lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni, an expert has claimed. The actress, 37, is suing Baldoni for sexual harassment , aiding and abetting harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress , among other claims. Lively played the lead role of Lily Bloom in the movie, released this year, and was also a producer, while Baldoni directed and portrayed her love interest, Ryle Kincaid. The movie focused on domestic violence and featured sexual scenes. Lively alleges in her lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, that Baldoni, 40, showed her naked videos and images of other women and discussed his alleged previous porn addiction, among a litany of complaints. She claims after she raised her concerns about a "hostile work environment," Baldoni and others set out to destroy her reputation and hired a crisis management team. Blake Lively The complaint already features leaked text messages allegedly between Baldoni's publicist and a crisis management expert. After filing the lawsuit, Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman branded it "shameful" and claimed it was "false, outrageous and intentionally salacious, with an intent to publicly hurt." The U.S. Sun spoke to attorney Camron Dowlatshahi, partner at MSD Lawyers , who feels Lively has a very strong case against her former employer, and could walk away with millions of dollars. He said, "It's absolutely reputation-related. She has, between her and her husband, all the money in the world. Most read in Celebrity It's rare to have this much evidence from a third party pre-filing." "I don't think this is a money issue. I think this was her needing to change the narrative, and already it has. "Already it's had positive effects for her reputation, and I expect that it will continue for her. "You know, 99 percent of cases settle in advance of trial. "These type of cases, though, I will say are the outliers. "So with Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard, because there's so many emotions, and there's money on both sides ... they're willing to really litigate it to the fullest. So I wouldn't be shocked if that happened here. "In terms of settlement, I mean, obviously you're looking in the seven figures into the eight figures potentially." He predicted, "This is just the start. We haven't even gone through the discovery process. I'm sure there's more text messages to be had." Asked how Lively's team managed to get hold of the texts so quickly in the court process, Dowlatshahi said, "It's absolutely skilled lawyering. "Blake Lively's attorneys came up with a very targeted strategy of subpoenaing records through a kind of not very commonly used statute, is likely how they went about it." He added that it's rare to have this much evidence from a third party pre-filing, and doesn't look good for Baldoni, who has already been dropped by his talent agency, WME . "It's already having pretty serious consequences on his career. Having WME drop you is obviously a huge issue. "They did so because obviously Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are huge clients and they have to take care of their bigger clients, but the allegations are very serious and the evidence is strong. "So he's going to have to come up with a strong, targeted campaign and with legal defenses to back it up, to essentially revive his career because it's looking like it's dead." 'ALL-HANDS MEETING' The complaint claims Lively attended an "all-hands" meeting with Baldoni and others in January 2024 to discuss the "hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production of the film." Her husband, Reynolds , was also in attendance. Lively alleges to have asked for "no more adding of sex scenes, oral sex or on camera climaxing outside the scope of the script approved when signing onto the project." The lawsuit names six other defendants, including Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamey Heath and its cofounder Steve Sarowitz. "Ms. Lively never sought out conflict with Wayfarer, Ms. Baldoni, or Mr. Heath, but instead consistently attempted to speak up for a safe and respectful workplace privately in the hopes of protecting herself, as well as the cast and crew, without jeopardizing a film that she believed could make a difference in people's lives," the complaint alleges. "In response, Mr. Baldoni, Mr. Heath, and those working for them, sought to destroy Ms. Lively and anyone else who knew the truth." Rumors about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni not seeing eye-to-eye began earlier this year during the promotional tour for their movie, It Ends With Us. The film had a budget of around $25 million and was a box office hit, grossing a worldwide total of $351 million. But despite its success, Lively and Baldoni were hardly seen together during the promo tour. Internet sleuths noticed the pair didn't follow each other on social media, and many of the cast only followed Lively. TMZ then alleged that they fell out over "fat-shaming", and Baldoni supposedly kissing for too long during scenes. Baldoni hired a crisis management firm before reports began to emerge of Lively not being nice to interviewers and she was slammed for 'tone-deaf' comments about the movie. The film was released on Netflix days before Lively filed her lawsuit, which includes texts between Baldoni's publicist and a crisis management expert. Lively's team claims they were obtained through a subpoena, and one alleges Baldoni wanted the actress's career to "be buried." Asked what he feels the next steps will be for the lawsuit, Dowlatshahi said, "I would certainly expect him [Baldoni] and his team to circle up and think about potential claims, absolutely, to go on the offensive, and to release some evidence that could be potentially helpful for him in order to change the narrative because so much of this is about the PR." Colleen Hoover , the author behind the best-selling book ''It Ends With Us'' has also spoken out following the claims . In a post shared online, Hoover said Lively had been "nothing but honest, kind, supportive, and patient since the day we met." The author added: '"Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.'' Dowlatshahi went on, "I'm sure it was very difficult for her [Lively] to bring on this lawsuit. "This is not something that I think she took on lightly. This is her personal life on paper. What she experienced for many many months on paper documented. "There's going to be discovery. She's going to be deposed. She had to have known that by filing. Read More on The US Sun "So this is a lot of work for her, taking attention away from her other endeavors. "So she had to have taken this very, very seriously. She had to have been very, very harmed."
High Street retailers closed up shop on Boxing Day due to fears of spiralling staff costs, expert claims
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Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby will lead Team Canada into the NHL's inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off. The Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins captains were two of the 23 players named to the Canadian roster on Dec. 4 ahead of the round-robin tournament in Montreal and Boston this February. Team Canada's full 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off roster is below. FORWARDS DEFENSEMEN GOALTENDERS The Vegas Golden Knights are the most heavily represented NHL team on the Canadian roster with Stone, Pietrangelo, Theodore and Hill all heading to the tournament. The Tampa Bay Lightning are sending Cirelli, Hagel and Point, while Bennett and Reinhart will represent the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Team Canada's stacked forward group is led by two of the best playmakers in the NHL in McDavid and Crosby. Point and Stone could be tabbed to center Team Canada's bottom six, although Stone's role will come down to his availability. It could be an encouraging sign for the Knights that Stone, who has been sidelined since Nov. 6 with a lower-body injury, was named to the roster. Crosby skated during the 2024 All-Star Game alongside fellow Nova Scotia native MacKinnon. Both he and McDavid, who grew up near Bennett, could get the chance to skate on a line with old friends in February. Makar and Toews, who form the top pairing in Colorado and helped lead the Avs to the Stanley Cup in 2022, could be matched up once again for Team Canada. The biggest question regarding Team Canada's starting lineup could come down to the net as Binnington, Hill and Montembeault potentially each have a shot at starting in February. Binnington may have the edge in terms of experience, but Hill matches him with one Stanley Cup win, and Montembeault is putting up a strong season so far despite a struggling Canadiens defense. Reinhart, who leads the NHL with four short-handed goals headed into Wednesday, and Konecny, who paced all skaters with six last season, are likely to be dangerous additions to Canada's penalty kill. Lightning penalty killers Hagel and Cirelli are also likely to see ice time when a Canadian player is in the box. Notable players absent from the Team Canada roster are Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, Nashville Predators winger Steven Stamkos and Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele. Bedard remains a likely pick to represent Canada during the 2026 Olympics. The last best-on-best hockey tournament took place during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in 2016. Crosby, Marchand and Pietrangelo were featured on Team Canada's roster during the event, and Crosby was named MVP after leading Canada to victory. McDavid and MacKinnon also played in the tournament as members of the under-23 Team North America. Team Canada will be coached in the tournament by Jon Cooper, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. He will also coach the Canadian team during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. The puck drops on the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday, Feb. 12, as Canada takes on Sweden in Montreal. A rivalry matchup against Team USA is set for Saturday, Feb. 15, before Team Canada travels to Boston to take on Finland on Monday, Feb. 17. The championship game is set for Thursday, Feb. 20, at TD Garden.
Farage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbers
Noneby Sunil G Wijesinha Consultant on Productivity and Japanese Style Management Recipient of the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” from the Government of Japan Director, BizEx Consulting (Pvt) Ltd Email: bizex.seminarsandconsulting@gmail.com This is the season of Santa Clauses, Reindeer, Xmas cards and Gifts. This triggered my memory of a Christmas card I received long ago. I was fortunate to be selected to follow an ILO /MATCOM programme at the Vienna International Centre, Austria. The programme focused on training methodology and developing training material for managerial-level persons in Co-operative Societies through a more andragogy based methodology. It was an exhilarating experience for me, and at the end of two weeks, I had re-oriented my perceptions and attitudes on training methodology and developing training material, and acquired a vast knowledge in the area of andragogy training.. I received an interesting Xmas card from the MATCOM project at Christmas that year. It showed two Santa Clauses in conversation. The dialogue was something like this: First Santa “I taught my reindeer to sing” Second Santa : “But I have never heard your reindeer singing.” First Santa again : “I did not say he learnt to sing; I said I taught him to sing.” This hilarious exchange highlights a critical truth: teaching and learning are not synonymous. While teaching imparts knowledge and skills, learning involves internalizing, understanding, and applying what is taught. Simply put, teaching may occur without learning, and learning may happen without formal teaching. Rote Learning vs. Meaningful Learning The distinction between teaching and learning becomes even more apparent when we examine two approaches: rote learning and meaningful or active learning . Both have their place but differ significantly in their outcomes and effectiveness. Rote Learning: The Path of Memorisation Rote learning involves memorising information without necessarily understanding its meaning or context. This method emphasizes repetition, often at the expense of comprehension. While it can help recall facts, definitions, or sequences (e.g., multiplication tables or historical dates), its limitations become evident when critical thinking is required. A real-life example of Rote Learning Several years ago, we were recruiting at the executive entry level. All candidates were newly passed out university graduates of business or commerce degrees. In the written examination, one question was, “Peter Drucker states that the responsibility of communicating rests with the communicator, not with the recipient. – Discuss”. Not a single candidate discussed the quote. Still, they all reproduced the traditional communication diagram learnt in the university, showing the sender, the receiver, the message, the medium, interference, etc in a nice diagram. It was a shocking revelation. Last month, I interviewed two candidates who had received their degrees in financial engineering. Both failed to explain what the degree is all about and how a Financial Engineer could add value to our organization. Meaningful or Active Learning: The Path of Understanding Meaningful learning, in contrast, emphasizes understanding and connecting new information to prior knowledge. Active participation, critical thinking, and real-world application characterize this approach. It helps retain information longer and fosters the ability to analyse, evaluate, and create. Example of Meaningful Learning Following a course in Industrial and Systems Engineering in Japan, I was impressed with the approach used to make us understand the “time value of money”. I had completed my CIMA accountancy exams too by that time and could compare the two approaches to teaching this concept. In Sri Lanka, the lecturer came to class and wrote “Time Value of Money” on the board and explained the idea. Quite in contrast, in Japan the lecturer gave us a series of quizes, starting with a simple example where any layman could make an investment decision. We had to decide which alternative investment was more beneficial for each scenario. One by one, the examples were rolled out and became trickier. Finally, we discovered the “aha” moment when we started thinking that an amount realized now is better than the same amount a year later. We learned by experiencing different situations. We discovered the concept through guidance rather than being taught the concept. Professor Carson from Canada was one of our MBA course lecturers. He also lectured undergraduates and often said undergraduate students in Sri Lanka want to take notes rather than discuss a topic. He would joke that when he arrived at the lecture room and said, “Good Morning, Class,” most students would even write that down in their notebooks. Bridging the Gap: From Teaching to Learning The X-mas card’s humorous depiction of Santa highlights a common educational challenge: ensuring that teaching translates into learning. Effective teaching involves more than just delivering information; it requires creating an environment where students are motivated, engaged, and supported in their learning journey. Strategies to Promote Learning 1. Create a Supportive Learning Environment: Teachers can actively engage students with discussions, group activities, and problem-solving exercises. They can also use technology to enhance the learning experience, such as interactive whiteboards or educational apps. However, creating a supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes is not just a strategy; it’s a crucial responsibility for promoting learning. It’s about fostering a culture of learning and growth. 2. Encourage Critical Thinking Asking open-ended questions and encouraging debates can help students move beyond surface-level understanding. For example, analysing characters’ motivations and societal implications in literature classes fosters deeper engagement with the text. 3. Connect to Real-Life Contexts Relating lessons to students’ experiences or current events can make learning more meaningful. I still remember our school geography teacher teaching us about monsoon. I still remember his teaching that the rains during the big match in March were inter-monsoon rains. In training Co-operative Society managers, I realized that although they understood concepts such as Break-Even Analysis and Stock turnover ratios, they could not apply them to their organisation. We changed the method, so they brought their own data and practised using their own figures. This was a huge success. 4. Provide Feedback and Reflection Opportunities Feedback helps students understand what they’ve grasped and where they need improvement. Reflective practices, like journaling or group discussions, enable them to process and what they’ve learned. Conclusion: The Synergy of Teaching and Learning Teaching and learning are interconnected yet distinct. While teaching imparts knowledge, learning is acquiring and applying it. Rote learning has its place in specific contexts, but meaningful learning creates lasting understanding and fosters critical thinking. Educators must strive to bridge the gap between teaching and learning, ensuring that their efforts lead to genuine comprehension and application. As the Santa story humorously reminds us, teaching does not automatically lead to learning. Learning only occurs when we align teaching methods with learners’ needs and actively engage them. Therefore, let’s strive to make Sri Lanka a country of learners rather than of teachers. In this shift, educators have the most significant responsibility and the highest opportunity to make this difference.Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of ChristmasIt is controversies galore for Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams in 2024
Rocket Cos. Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsPHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid has missed 16 games this season because of left knee injury management, knee swelling, personal reasons and a three-game suspension. But after he misses his 17th contest against the Orlando Magic, the 2023 NBA MVP will start to wade into dangerous territory and be in jeopardy, once again, of being disqualified for regular-season awards. The NBA, in cooperation with the National Basketball Players Association, instituted a 65-game rule last season for awards, hoping it would deter players and teams from leaning on load management to take off games. The seven-time All-Star was disqualified last season after playing in only 39 games. The most games Embiid can play in this season is 65 if he participates in all of the remaining contests starting with Sunday’s game against the Bulls in Chicago. But that is highly unlikely since Embiid is not expected to play on back-to-back nights because of load management. Embiid, who has missed the last six games, is averaging career lows of 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.0 block. He’s also registering career lows of 37.9% shooting from the field and 16.7% on 3-pointers. While he’ll remain sidelined, Paul George will return after a one game of load management to face the Magic (16-8) at the Wells Fargo Center. Meanwhile, center Andre Drummond (sprained right ankle) was upgraded to questionable after being scheduled to miss the game. His status change could be tied with reserve center Adem Bona being sidelined with a bruised left knee. The Sixers (5-15) will look to avenge Wednesday’s 106-102 loss to Orlando. ©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Supreme Court seems likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on treatments for transgender minorsMcKewon: For its own and Nebraska’s sake, 2025 recruiting class needs to be a big hitThe Reform UK leader pushed back against reports suggesting that legal action would be the next step, saying he would make a decision in the next couple of days about his response if there is no apology for the “crazy conspiracy theory”. Mr Farage also said the party has “opened up our systems” to media outlets, including The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times, in the interests of “full transparency to verify that our numbers are correct”. His remarks came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Farage of “fakery” in response to Reform claiming they had surpassed the Tories in signed-up members. Mrs Badenoch said Reform’s counter was “coded to tick up automatically”. A digital counter on the Reform website showed a membership tally before lunchtime on Boxing Day ticking past the 131,680 figure declared by the Conservative Party during its leadership election earlier this year. Mr Farage, on whether he was threatening legal action or not, told the PA news agency: “I haven’t threatened anything. I’ve just said that unless I get an apology, I will take some action. “I haven’t said whether it’s legal or anything.” He added: “All I’ve said is I want an apology. If I don’t get an apology, I will take action. “I will decide in the next couple of days what that is. So I’ve not specified what it is.” Mr Farage, on the move to make membership data available to media organisations, said: “We feel our arguments are fully validated. “She (Mrs Badenoch) has put out this crazy conspiracy theory and she needs to apologise.” The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News & FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. I am now demanding apologises. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) On why Mrs Badenoch had reacted as she did, Mr Farage said: “I would imagine she was at home without anybody advising her and was just angry.” Mr Farage, in a statement issued on social media site X, also said: “The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. “Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News and FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. “I am now demanding Kemi Badenoch apologises.” A Conservative Party source claimed Mr Farage was “rattled” that his Boxing Day “publicity stunt is facing serious questions”. They added: “Like most normal people around the UK, Kemi is enjoying Christmas with her family and looking forward to taking on the challenges of renewing the Conservative Party in the New Year.” Mrs Badenoch, in a series of messages posted on X on Thursday, said: “Farage doesn’t understand the digital age. This kind of fakery gets found out pretty quickly, although not before many are fooled.” There were 131,680 Conservative members eligible to vote during the party’s leadership election to replace Rishi Sunak in the autumn. Mrs Badenoch claimed in her thread that “the Conservative Party has gained thousands of new members since the leadership election”. Elsewhere, Mr Farage described Elon Musk as a “bloody hero” and said he believes the US billionaire can help attract younger voters to Reform. Tech entrepreneur Mr Musk met Mr Farage earlier this month at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, amid rumours of a possible donation to either Mr Farage or Reform. Mr Farage told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: “The shades, the bomber jacket, the whole vibe. Elon makes us cool – Elon is a huge help to us with the young generation, and that will be the case going on and, frankly, that’s only just starting. “Reform only wins the next election if it gets the youth vote. The youth vote is the key. Of course, you need voters of all ages, but if you get a wave of youth enthusiasm you can change everything. “And I think we’re beginning to get into that zone – we were anyway, but Elon makes the whole task much, much easier. And the idea that politics can be cool, politics can be fun, politics can be real – Elon helps us with that mission enormously.”The Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT Sri Lanka) held its annual graduation ceremony at the BMICH on December 13, 2024, awarding degrees to 469 students. The event featured Chief Guest Joanne Owens-Crook, Head of Collaborative Academic Partnerships at the University of Staffordshire, UK, and Guest of Honour, Bernhard Stefan, Managing Director of Nestlé Lanka PLC. The graduates received degrees in Business, Computing, and Law, including BEng (Hons) Software Engineering, BSc (Hons) Computer Science, and LLB (Hons) Law. Among the graduates, 96 received First Class Honours, and 155 earned Second Class (1st Division) degrees. The ceremony also recognized the Gold Medallists, including Mihidukulasuriya Adrian Mark Joel Fernando and Flora Melani Shehara Pandithasekera. APIIT Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the University of Staffordshire and other global institutions, has produced nearly 6,000 graduates, contributing significantly to Sri Lanka’s human capital development. Bandula Egodage, Chairman of APIIT, encouraged graduates to find meaningful purpose in their careers.
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Aston Villa says it has failed in an attempt to have Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle overturned on appeal. The 21-year-old Colombia international was sent off 32 minutes into a 3-0 defeat in the Premier League at St. James’ Park on Thursday after appearing to stamp on defender Fabian Schar, prompting a furious reaction from Villa head coach Unai Emery, who later indicated that the club would appeal. However, Villa said Friday night that its bid was unsuccessful and the forward will now serve a three-match ban for violent conduct. “Aston Villa can confirm that our decision to appeal Jhon Duran’s red card in our match with Newcastle United has been rejected," a statement on Villa’s official X account read. "The player will now miss our next three matches.” Duran will miss Premier League games against Brighton and Leicester, followed by Villa's FA Cup third-round match with West Ham on Jan. 10. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerESPN announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman aren’t fans of the way some people have been talking about the new 12-team College Football Playoff . Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State all won their opening-round matchups with relative ease, leaving some to complain about the way the new format has shaken out. Fellow ESPNer Kirk Herbstreit at one point said that Indiana “was not a team that should’ve been on that field” after they were soundly beaten by the Fighting Irish. But Buck and Aikman did not feel the same and the pair defended the way things have gone this year in the CFP during a break in the action between the Packers and Saints on “Monday Night Football.” “I think the disappointment is for those that want to question whether those teams belonged in the playoff,” Aikman said. “I think to make those comments after the fact and after they had devastating losses by the amount that they did — I don’t know that that’s fair to anybody. We see teams in the Super Bowl that lose by large margins. And they were worthy. So, hat’s off to those winners and really all those teams — whether they lost last week or not.” Buck, who is an Indiana alum, chimed in on the topic as well and said the negative chatter didn’t diminish how “awfully proud” alumni of Indiana are after the year they’ve had. “And I think what it does is it diminishes the job that the teams that won did,” Buck said. “Like in the case of Notre Dame or Penn State and the job that they did in winning those games. I mean, it’s sports. And not everybody shows up with their A-game every night. But it’s been a fun collegiate season. Buck compared the conversation to the one that fans have during March Madness each year and the complaints some fans end up having about who made it and who did not. “I guess, you know, you can put 100 teams in there and there will still be someone upset about it,” Buck added. The College Football Playoff resumes on New Year’s Eve when No. 6 Penn State battles No. 3 Boise State.None