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A Romanian hard-right NATO critic and leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu are neck and neck after the first round of presidential elections, in a shock result threatening Romania's staunchly pro-Ukraine stance. or signup to continue reading After nearly 90 per cent of votes were counted, Calin Georgescu, 62, was at 22 per cent, while Ciolacu had 21.7 per cent. However, ballots from the sizeable Romanian diaspora, which are not included in the main tally on Sunday, show centre-right politician, Elena Lasconi, 52, first with 33.4 per cent and Georgescu second. Romania's president has a semi-executive role with control over defence spending - likely to be a difficult issue as Bucharest comes under pressure to uphold NATO spending goals during Donald Trump's second term as US president while trying to reduce a heavy deficit. Lasconi told supporters after exit polls were released giving her a small lead over Georgescu, with Ciolacu in first place, that she was optimistic about making the runoff. "But as you can see, the results are very tight, let us wait until tomorrow's results to rejoice." Campaigning focused largely on the soaring cost of living, with Romania having the EU's biggest share of people at risk of poverty. Georgescu is a former prominent member of the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians party. In 2021 he has called NATO's ballistic missile defence shield in the Romanian town of Deveselu a "shame of diplomacy" and said the North Atlantic alliance will not protect any of its members should they be attacked by Russia. Lasconi, a former journalist, joined the Save Romania Union in 2018 and became party head this year. She believes in raising defence spending and helping Ukraine, and surveys suggest she would beat Ciolacu in a runoff. Romania shares a 650km border with Ukraine and since Russia attacked Kyiv in 2022, it has enabled the export of millions of tonnes of grain through its Black Sea port of Constanta and provided military aid, including the donation of a Patriot air defence battery. "It will be a tight run-off, with the Social Democrat leader more vulnerable to negative campaigning due to him being an incumbent PM," political commentator Radu Magdin said. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementAs the memes continue to spread and the debates rage on, one thing is certain: the legend of Bai Shi and his exclusive thirst for Coca-Cola will endure as a testament to the enduring allure of urban myths and the enduring power of collaborative storytelling in the digital age. Whether you believe in the legend or not, one thing is for sure – it's a story that has captured the hearts and minds of netizens everywhere. Only time will tell what other mysteries and adventures await us in the ever-evolving landscape of the internet.The artwork showcases Master Chief in a new light, with his iconic green armor subtly transformed to reflect Dr. Jones' signature style. Clad in a weathered leather jacket and a fedora hat, Master Chief stands amidst a backdrop of ancient ruins, a glowing artifact clutched in his hand. The attention to detail in the artwork is truly exceptional, capturing the essence of both characters perfectly.
Dortmund, for their part, have also made it clear that they have no intention of selling Enmecha in the near future. The club's sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, has reiterated their commitment to holding on to their prized asset and building a team around him.
In response to these findings, a group of retired footballers has come forward to demand compensation from the Football Association (FA) for the health implications they are now facing. Many players who dedicated their lives to the sport are experiencing the devastating consequences of their careers, as they battle with memory loss, confusion, and other cognitive impairments associated with brain diseases.
Atletico Madrid, known for their gritty style of play, face off against Porto in a matchup that promises to be fiercely contested. Both teams will be looking to start their Champions League campaign on a positive note, setting the stage for an intriguing battle.Far-right populist looks set to enter runoff in Romanian presidential election
After days of grueling matches and intense showdowns, Team Answers emerged as the ultimate champions, showcasing their unwavering determination and skill on the virtual battlefield. With flawless gameplay and strategic maneuvers, they proved themselves to be a cut above the rest, earning the admiration and respect of fans and competitors alike.Meanwhile, Chelsea, another club with a history of big-money signings, has 4 players in the top 30 weekly wage list. The Blues, known for their ambitious transfer policy, have continued to attract top talent to Stamford Bridge, with players like N'Golo Kante, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Pulisic among the highest earners at the club.
In addition to Yoon and Kim, six other individuals have been named on the arrest list, signaling a widespread investigation into alleged corruption and criminal activities at the highest levels of government. The identities of these individuals have not been disclosed, but rumors and leaks from inside sources suggest that they may include high-ranking officials, politicians, and business leaders with close ties to the president and his inner circle.
West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski alert and conscious after being taken off on a stretcher
Dunelm's 'expensive looking' double duvet set is less than £14 using money-saving deal
LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford speaks about it often this time of year. The beauty of meaningful football in December. How invigorating it is. How it can’t be taken for granted. If anyone would know, it would be Stafford. Prior to his trade to the Rams before the 2021 season, Stafford’s teams didn’t often have things at stake by the time the calendar turned to the 12th month. He made the playoffs three times in 12 years with the Detroit Lions, and in the down years his team often wasn’t even in the hunt. But in the thick of his third December with the Rams – he missed the final month of 2022 with injuries – Stafford has continued to thrive as the weather gets colder. With four straight wins to start the month, Stafford has improved to 12-1 in December during his Rams tenure, with the chance to improve on that in Saturday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. “It’s nice to be on a little bit of a run right now. The cool thing about this group is we know that we earn every single bit of it,” Stafford said. “We don’t win the next game because we’ve won however many times before it. You don’t lose the next game because you had a hiccup the week before, whatever it is. You have to go out there and earn it every single week.” Stafford has completed 67% of his 100 passes this month for 773 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. That improves his overall December stats with the Rams (9-6) to a 66.8% completion rate for 3,272 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The only December loss for Stafford with the Rams came last season in a road game against the Baltimore Ravens that went to overtime and ended with a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown . Aside from that fluky result, a clean record. “He’s just clutch,” head coach Sean McVay said. “The best part about Matthew Stafford is he’s got all these amazing numbers and stats that he’s put up and he’s this special quarterback; he wants to win. And I think he understands what it takes, especially in that month when that’s such a critical time to be able to peak at the right time if you’re gonna get an opportunity to get into the tournament.” A moment that stood out to McVay this month came during the Rams’ final drive in a Week 15 win at San Francisco . After the two-minute warning and in 49er territory, leading by three and trying to add more to the scoreboard, Stafford stood in the shotgun formation with an empty backfield. He sent receiver Cooper Kupp in motion, which pulled defensive backs Talanoa Hufanga and Deommodore Lenoir across the field and away from tight end Colby Parkinson. The play wasn’t designed to go to Parkinson, but Stafford recognized the open man and found Parkinson on a seam route for a 14-yard gain. The play got the Rams a fresh set of downs to burn the 49ers’ timeouts and some clock, too, and put the team comfortably into Joshua Karty’s field goal range to add three extra points. “We’ve done a really nice job, especially as of late, just understanding that it’s really more about us than anything else,” Stafford said. “We go out there, we play the way we know how to play, do the things that we’re supposed to do and know how to play the game of football. It’s just whoever’s next up just happens to be. We’ve taken that approach as of late and it’s been a really good outcome for us.” Havenstein sits out practice Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein typically gets a veteran rest day on Fridays at this point in the season, or in this case with a Saturday game, on Thursday. But after injuring his shoulder in practice on Wednesday, Havenstein wouldn’t have been able to practice Thursday if he wanted to, McVay said. Asked if Havenstein will be able to play on Saturday, McVay said, “I’m hopeful. We’ll see.” But if Havenstein isn’t able to play, the Rams will turn to Joe Noteboom to fill in over second-year tackle Warren McClendon Jr.British Distorted India's History, Teachers To Play Vital Role In World Of Google And AI: RSS Chief
As fans eagerly anticipate the release of the Yakuza remake, they can now gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the immense effort and dedication that went into making this project a reality. The Director of Technology's revelations serve as a reminder of the passion and craftsmanship that underpins the gaming industry, showcasing that remaking a game is indeed much harder than one might initially think.IIHS launches young entrepreneurs’ hub
I feel like we have already seen a different Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, but some issues are going to take longer to resolve. The international break meant he only had a couple of training sessions with some of his players before facing Ipswich in his first game in charge, but there were still some patterns of play that looked promising. You could see an obvious balance to their team in Sunday's draw following the switch to his 3-4-3 system and there were certain things that he had clearly worked on and asked them to do. Amorim is trying to make United more composed and measured in possession, but there were also times when they passed forward quickly and with purpose. Overall, they looked more confident and courageous with the ball than they have done recently but, on the downside, it was still too easy to play through them when they were without it. That allowed Ipswich to grow into the game and, with the chances they had, they will probably be disappointed not to have won. Getting their wing-backs forward, like Amad Diallo did to set up their early goal, was a big part of United's attacking plan. Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho, the two players behind Marcus Rashford, were also getting into pockets of space, but were much narrower than Diallo and Diogo Dalot. Garnacho is usually a lot wider when he plays as a winger, but this was a different role for him, as I highlighted on MOTD2. The reason Amorim wants Garnacho and Fernandes in more central areas is because, as well as leaving space for the wing-backs, it also means that when they get the ball on the turn, they can run directly at goal. They did that several times in the first half, and it made United look a lot more dynamic and dangerous in attack than they did at the end of Erik ten Hag's spell as manager. It didn't last, however. I think Amorim would have expected a bit more from his side going forward after half-time, and he will be quietly disappointed they did not cause Ipswich more problems then. You have to give some credit to Ipswich's game management for that, though. They play a high-energy style and you cannot do that for 90 minutes. Their players had been working very hard when the game was more open and end-to-end, but there was a spell in the second half where they just dropped in and filled those spaces that United had utilised earlier. That settled the game down until Ipswich made changes that refreshed their front line, and United did not find a way of getting in behind them. Every system has its pros and cons and, even if this United team were used to playing 3-4-3, there are still issues that come with using that shape. While having Garnacho and Fernandes playing inside worked in an attacking sense, it meant Ipswich's full-backs could get up the pitch very easily, and double up with their wingers to give them overloads in the wide areas. The other problem with that formation is that it asks the two central midfielders to cover a lot of ground, particularly in a league as demanding as the Premier League. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen had a lot of work to do, and you could argue that the athleticism that is required is not their strongest trait. Ipswich played well and made it difficult for them, by dragging them everywhere. To play that role well, United's midfielders will need to be more than just mobile, too. They will both have to love the defensive side of the game and be able to spot danger then be fast enough to stop it. In the long run, I think Manuel Ugarte will be one of them. He needs a run of games to get his sharpness back but we have seen glimpses of how good he is, for example in the Europa League against Fenerbahce last month, and he has flourished under Amorim at Sporting before. As for who Ugarte will have alongside him, well it will probably be someone who is not at the club at the moment - there is going to have to be activity in the next couple of transfer window for them to get the type of player Amorim requires. Until that happens, United are always going to find it hard without the ball but this team is going to evolve, and so could Amorim's tactics. As I said on MOTD2, I would be amazed if United are still playing the same 3-4-3 system in a year's time because the Premier League is very different to continental leagues. If United are going to improve and become competitive for the title, I think Amorim's formation will evolve into something else but, in the meantime, at least their fans have already seen some progress. Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
Sokoto bombing: Survivor narrates painful death of parents, brothersHouse Republican leadership is blocking a proposal to narrow a controversial provision that grants intelligence agencies the power to spy on a vast number of American businesses to help the government spy. Congress in April reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a controversial surveillance designed to target foreign adversaries; however, it often surveils American citizens without a warrant. Tucked within this law is a provision, known as the electronic communications service provider (ECSP) definition, which broadly expanded the types of business and service providers that can be forced to assist the program to “any other service provider who has access to equipment that is being or may be used to transmit or store wire or electronic communications.” The dramatic expansion of the ECSP raised alarm bells. Privacy advocates decried it as a “trojan horse” for “PATRIOT Act 2.0.” Marc Zwillinger, a top FISA expert and one of the FISA Court Amici, wrote that any American business could have its communications tapped by a landlord: The new amendment would — notwithstanding these exclusions — still permit the government to compel the assistance of a wide range of additional entities and persons in conducting surveillance under FISA 702. The breadth of the new definition is obvious from the fact that the drafters felt compelled to exclude such ordinary places such as senior centers, hotels, and coffee shops. But for these specific exceptions, the scope of the new definition would cover them. That’s not a “narrow” change. ... It also means that any U.S. business could have its communications (if one side is foreign) tapped by a landlord with access to office wiring, or the data centers where their computers reside, even if it eliminates the possibility that the same surveillance could be conducted with the assistance of hotels, restaurants, community centers, and other public retail establishments. For a specific hypothetical example of how this surveillance could occur, see our prior blog post . Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), a former attorney general, in April argued that the FBI has proven they do not deserve to have more power to surveil Americans, given their history of abuse. However, despite the widespread concern about the provision, the Senate moved to pass the FISA reauthorization bill since it faced a time crunch to pass the Section 702 reauthorization bill. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, promised he would fix the apparent issues with the definition in another intelligence bill in 2024. Now that Congress is wrapping up its work ahead of the holiday season, lawmakers are slipping the intelligence bill into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a must-pass defense bill. The Senate’s version of the intelligence bill included an amendment to limit the ECSP definition to cloud computer servers, rather than the seemingly endless number of businesses that might have to help the government spy. The New York Times reported that House Republican negotiators have insisted that the amendment to fix the ECSP definition stay out of the NDAA. House Republicans with authority to decide what will be folded into the defense bill include Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH). Spokesmen for each office did not respond to the Times . A spokeswoman for Warner’s office said that he determined to fix the provision “whether it’s in this Congress or the next.” The ESCP definition was purposely written vaguely to mark its purpose from foreign adversaries, and the Times noted that its motivation was a secret FISA court opinion, which stated that the original definition of the law did not cover cloud servers. House Republican leadership’s objection to the ECSP amendment in the NDAA raises questions as to whether or not leadership intends for Section 702 to apply to more Americans, businesses, and service providers. Speaker Johnson’s office did not respond to a comment request as to whether Johnson backs the removal of the ECSP fix in the NDAA, or if this means that the Speaker wants Section 702 to apply to more Americans, businesses, or service providers than what Chairmen Turner or Warner claimed during this year’s FISA debate, given that the fix specifically scopes the expansion to the FISA court opinion Turner and Warner cited. Chairman Turner’s office did not respond to a similarly worded comment request. Privacy advocates’ best shot at addressing this provision, in and out of Congress, would likely be in mid-2026 when Section 702 expires again. Many of these advocates said that there is a dire need for reform to address this issue. Bob Goodlatte, the former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and senior policy adviser to the Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability (PPSA), told Breitbart News in a written statement: This measure passed because of assurances that this insanely broad authority would be narrowed. The promise of a fix was made and accepted in good faith, but that promise is being trashed by advocates for greater surveillance of our citizens. Unless Congress reverses course, Americans’ data that runs through the Wi-Fi and servers of millions of small businesses, ranging from fitness centers to department stores, small office complexes, as well as churches and other houses of worship, will be fair game for warrantless review. This would truly transform our country into a thorough surveillance state. I can’t imagine the next Congress and new Administration would welcome that. [Emphasis added] “The current definition of an electronic communication service provider (ECSP) is way too broad under RISAA, sweeping in not just communication service providers, but any service provider, expanding the covered entities by tens of thousands. This is an unacceptable outcome, and Congress should take advantage of the opportunity to fix this overbroad definition issue in the NDAA,” James Czerniawski, a senior policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity, told Breitbart News. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said, “If that fix doesn’t go through and the next administration misuses these sweeping new FISA powers ... no one will be able to claim they didn’t see it coming.” Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3 .
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