ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons are back in first place in the NFC South and again in control of their playoff hopes. Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. showed the poise in his first NFL start the Falcons will need to take advantage of their opportunity to end a six-year playoff drought. Powered by a big-play defense that produced two pick-6s, a solid starting debut by Penix and two rushing touchdowns by Bijan Robinson, the Falcons cruised past the hapless New York Giants 34-7 on Sunday. On Sunday night, the Falcons (8-7) received the assist they needed when Tampa Bay lost at Dallas . Because the Falcons swept the Buccaneers, they hold the tiebreaker advantage if they remain tied atop the division. The Falcons have games remaining at Washington on Sunday night and at home against Carolina to close the regular season. If Atlanta wins both games, it would win the division and have a home playoff game. The Falcons are assured of their best record since a 10-6 finish under coach Dan Quinn in 2017, their most recent playoff season. Quinn is in his first season as Washington’s coach and has led the Commanders (10-5) to three straight wins, including Sunday’s 36-33 victory over Philadelphia. RELATED COVERAGE The Darnold-Jefferson connection is thriving for the surging Vikings Patriots coach Jerod Mayo believes narrow loss to Bills shows potential of his young team Garrett’s comments about his future add wrinkle to Browns’ worst season since 0-16 in 2017 Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, was promoted after coach Raheem Morris benched Kirk Cousins. Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards with one interception on a pass that should have been caught by tight end Kyle Pitts. Penix is not a dual-threat quarterback, but he showed the ability to escape pressure in the pocket that Cousins lacks following his 2023 Achilles tendon injury. The left-hander’s superior arm strength also was immediately obvious. What’s working Robinson’s production provided a safety net for the offense which helped make for a smooth transition to Penix. Robinson had scoring runs of 2 and 4 yards. Robinson has rushed for 10 touchdowns this season. He’s the first Atlanta player with 10 more more rushing touchdowns since Devonta Freeman during the 2016 Super Bowl season. Robinson ran for 94 yards on 22 carries and had 103 yards from scrimmage. His 11th game this season with at least 100 yards from scrimmage are the most for the Falcons since Warrick Dunn’s 11 in 2005. Morris said Robinson deserves to be considered with Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley in discussions regarding the league’s top running backs. “Bijan has been outstanding all year in the things that he’s able to do,” Morris said. “He’s special. If it wasn’t for this other guy out in Philly, he’d get a lot more recognition across the league. But that guy is having a special year, and Bijan’s not far behind him.” What needs help With kicker Younghoe Koo on injured reserve and watching from the sideline, Riley Patterson was wide left on his first field-goal attempt from 43 yards. Patterson rebounded to make attempts from 52 and 37 yards. Stock up Jessie Bates III and Matthew Judon each had a pick-6 to highlight a day of big plays for the defense. Arnold Ebiketie had his fifth sack of the season and added a fumble recovery. Kaden Ellis added a strip-sack. He also has five sacks this season, including sacks in four consecutive games. It is the longest streak for Atlanta since Patrick Kerney had sacks in five straight games in 2001. Stock down There was some thought that a change at quarterback could be good news for Pitts, who often seemed to be missing in action with Cousins running the offense. After all, a tight end often is a natural target for quick passes from a rookie making his first start. Instead, Pitts had a poor start to the Penix era when he bobbled his first pass from the left-hander, creating an interception by cornerback Cor’Dale Flott. Pitts caught a 7-yard pass on his only other target. For the season, Pitts has 41 catches for 543 yards and three touchdowns. Injuries There will be much interest in this week’s injury report after WR Drake London (hamstring) was hurt in the second half. Morris provided an optimistic postgame outlook on London. CB Antonio Hamilton (quad) did not return after leaving the game in the first half. Key number 8: Bates has four interceptions and four forced fumbles. His combined eight forced turnovers lead the NFL. Next steps The game against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders is a reminder Penix was only the fourth of six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Daniels, from LSU, was the No. 2 overall pick behind Caleb Williams by Chicago. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflPhillies add depth to bullpen with 1-year deal for reliever Joe Ross
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The international community’s efforts in tackling the global plastics crisis have reached a pivotal moment, leading up to the fifth and last scheduled intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-5) to take place in Busan, South Korea starting on November 25. If countries agree to an international framework to reduce the production and consumption of plastics, the world could finally begin to put an end to the ubiquitous impacts of plastics that are present everywhere, from the highest mountain summits to the deepest ocean valleys, and in human blood veins. All eyes are on Busan, as critical questions on production reduction, phasing out hazardous chemicals, and a financial mechanism for treaty implementation still remain unanswered, despite two years of negotiations. Strong commitment for plastic reduction has been at the center of the contention, and it will be the instrumental key to the success of the negotiations. South Korea holds a unique position as one of the earliest members of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC) and as the host nation of the fifth INC. The country has the fifth largest crude oil refining capacity , and is the fourth largest ethylene producer as well as one of the biggest producers and consumers of single-use plastic in the world. Given this complex set of interests, South Korea has maintained an ambiguous stance on production reduction in the negotiations. The country has not signed the “Bridge to Busan” declaration that calls for achieving sustainable levels of production of primary plastic polymers, signed by over 40 countries. Domestically, the Korean government has voiced its concerns about the potential impacts of the global plastics treaty in weakening industrial competitiveness, causing frustration to communities and the public, who deserve a treaty that can address the root cause of the global plastic pollution crisis. South Korea has constantly emphasized downstream approaches inside and outside of the official negotiation space, such as waste management technology, recycling, and alternative materials including so-called bioplastics. Seoul’s promotion of “innovations” enabled by the private sector, and its intention to expand green official development assistance (ODA) to “ share Korea’s innovative waste management technologies ,” raised concerns among civil society organizations in South Korea. Much of these worries come from the waste policy and practices being pushed by the government in the name of “circularity,” including “waste-to-energy” incineration and “plastic-to-fuel” technologies such as pyrolysis and gasification, and waste burning in cement kilns. In addition to the plans for building out these polluting waste-burning technologies nationwide, the private sector, in some cases in partnership with the South Korean Ministry of Environment, has been exporting incineration and pyrolysis facilities to China, Turkiye, Russia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. In response, domestic and international civil society, united under Uproot Plastics (a coalition organized by civil society groups based in South Korea to “root out” plastic problems), has been calling on the Korean government to take firm actions to support a strong global plastics treaty. Since February 2024, the groups have organized a public forum, various dialogues with the Ministry of Environment, and press conferences to urge the government to own up to its responsibility befitting its role as the host nation of the negotiations. The key messages were centered around how South Korea must express its clear support for reducing plastic production as the first step toward addressing plastic pollution, to prevent the global plastics treaty from being reduced to merely a waste management-focused treaty as pushed by oil-producing nations and their supporters. Fortunately, there are clear signs of a silver lining. As a member of the HAC, Korea endorsed the ministerial statement for the fourth INC that underscored the polluter pays principle and the importance of legally binding provisions to limit the production and consumption of primary plastic polymers to sustainable levels. INC-4 also affirmed that the global plastics treaty should be in line with the goals of existing multilateral environmental agreements such as the Paris Agreement. This pledge for reduction of primary plastic polymers was reaffirmed by the ministerial statement for INC-5 endorsed by 66 members of the HAC. On November 4, South Korea’s Minister of Environment Kim Wan-seop showed commitment to lead the way toward reducing plastic production during the INC-5 for the first time, at a press briefing marking the 100th day since the minister took office. He stated that production reduction must come before plastic waste recycling, noting that the plastic pollution problem will not be solved without plastic reduction. With this timely statement made just three weeks ahead of the INC-5, now is high time for South Korea to endorse the Bridge to Busan declaration and take a strong stance to defend the global mandate and targets for plastic production reduction at the upcoming negotiations. Despite threats coming from a few plastic-producing countries, South Korea can be a game-changer at INC-5 by taking leadership as a major polymer producer, a HAC member, and an INC host. There are uplifting success stories and ample opportunities for growth in South Korea’s reuse initiatives as well, which can inspire other nations to replace single-use plastics with reusables in restaurants and cafes, and to introduce reusables for food delivery, large-scale events including festivals, sports games, and funerals, etc. Citizens will continue to keenly watch the negotiation processes. The whole world is looking at the South Korean government to exercise its influence as the host country of the fifth meeting. Seoul must demonstrate leadership in pushing strong language on production reduction and reuse for a strong global plastics treaty that protects the future of the planet from toxic pollution. The “Uproot Plastics” is a collaborative effort based in South Korea, involving 16 domestic and international environmental organizations. These include Action for a Carcinogen-free Korea, Almang Market, Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Green Environment Youth Korea (GEYK), Green Korea United (GKU), Greenpeace Korea, Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM), Korea Zerowaste Movement Network, Korean Women’s Environmental Network (KWEN), National Council of the Green Consumers Network in Korea, Our Sea of East Asia Network (OSEAN), RELOOP, Seoul Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (Seoul KFEM), Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health (WIOEH), and Zero Waste Citizen Center. The coalition is working together by attending INC sessions, hosting forums, running public campaigns, and holding press conferences in support of an ambitious global plastics treaty.In the last fiscal year, 30 percent of Chattogram Wasa's water was wasted, resulting in significant revenue loss. Its system loss has doubled in the past decade, up from 15.24 percent in 2013-14 fiscal year. However, many of its customers are being billed for more water than they actually use. According the its annual report, Chattogram Wasa produced 176,511 million litres of water in 2023-24, but lost revenue from 52,962 million litres, categorised as Non-Revenue Water (NRW). With an average tariff of Tk 19.37 per 1,000 litres, the agency lost over Tk 100 crore in potential revenue. The NRW or system loss refers to water that is either lost or unaccounted for after it is produced. The system loss at Chattogram Wasa is the highest among the four state-run water supply agencies. By comparison, Rajshahi and Khulna Wasa had system loss rates of 17.5 percent and 29 percent respectively in FY 23-24, while Dhaka Wasa's NRW rate was 20 percent in 21-22, according to data from the respective agencies. Despite spending an enormous Tk 6336 crore on network expansion and pipeline replacement, Chattogram Wasa's wastage continued to rise over the years. Officials have attributed the huge revenue loss to leakages in the pipelines, illegal connections, and errors in metering. Consumers and water resource experts have also blamed some unscrupulous Wasa staffers for stealing water by manipulating the metering system. This wastage has also caused severe water supply shortages for many of Chattogram Wasa's 89,508 customers. "I get water once a week, but I still billed around Tk 600 every month under the minimum bill system," said Habib Ullah, a resident of the port city's Cement Crossing area. Faruk Hossain, whole lives in the Mokbul Ahmed Society area of Patenga, said people of his locality get water 8-10 times a month. "We only receive 8-12 units [1 unit = 1,000 litres] of water each month, but we are being charged for 30 units under the average billing system," said Faruk. Sajjad Hossain, a revenue officer at Chattogram Wasa, acknowledged that many consumers are being billed for more water than they actually use. Consumer rights activist SM Nazer Hossain said Wasa's inefficiencies are placing a financial burden on customers who are forced to pay extra. "System losses directly affect consumers. If these losses were reduced, Wasa would generate more revenue and wouldn't need to hike prices," said Nazer, vice president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB). He accused some unscrupulous Wasa staffers of manipulating meters to steal water. "The system loss will persist unless authorities take firm action against those involved." Maksud Alam, chief engineer of Chattogram Wasa, admitted that metering errors are the primary way water is stolen. "System loss occurs in all water supply agencies across the country, but we are working to reduce it to the ideal level," he stated. He said the internationally accepted NRW standard is 15 percent. NEW PIPELINES FAIL TO REDUCE WASTAGE To cut wastage, Chattogram Wasa replaced old pipelines stretching around 45 km under the Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (phase-1) at a cost of Tk 1,715 crore. The scheme was implemented with a loan of Tk 919 crore from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Besides, old pipelines stretching 150 km were replaced under the Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project at a cost of Tk 1,539 crore, with a Tk 1,265 crore loan from the World Bank. The Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (phase-2) was carried out at a cost of Tk 3,082 crore to replace 700 km of pipelines, with another Tk 2,451 crore loan provided by the JICA. These three projects were implemented between 2011 and 2023. However, despite all these development works, at least 900 million litres of water worth Tk 25 crore is still wasted annually on average due to leakages in pipelines. Asked why wastage continued to grow despite major development works, Maksud said, "The system loss from leakages in pipelines is 5 percent. The remaining 25 percent loss is caused by other issues that still need to be addressed." Muhammad Rashidul Hasan, head of the Urban and Regional Planning department at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), attributed the huge water wastage to poor planning. "Chattogram Was installed the new pipelines without proper planning, which has led to leakages in pipelines again." Chattogram Wasa currently supplies around 45 crore litres of water daily through a 1,300km pipeline. However, 35-40 percent areas of the port city still remain out of its service network.CLEVELAND, Ohio — Carlos Santana Part 3 is official. The Guardians announced the signing of the switch-hitting first baseman on Monday afternoon. The news of Santana agreeing to a one-year $12 million deal broke Saturday night, right after the Guardians traded first baseman Josh Naylor to Arizona. More Guardians coverage What awaits manager Stephen Vogt in his second year as Guardians’ manager? Breaking down the Guardians’ trade of Josh Naylor and the return of Carlos Santana (Podcast) Did the Guardians trade Andrés Giménez to make room for Travis Bazzana? Hey, Hoynsie Cleveland wouldn’t confirm the signing until the 38-year-old Santana passed his physical. Santana is well known to Cleveland fans. He became a hot prospect when the Indians acquired him from the Dodgers for Casey Blake on July 26, 2008. He made his big league debut in 2010 as a catcher. Santana’s first stay in Cleveland lasted from 2010 to 2017 until he became a free agent and signed with the Phillies. Santana’s second stay ran from 2019 through 2020 and now he’s back again after hitting 23 homers and winning a Gold Glove for his play at first base with the Twins. Santana has worked his way around the diamond from catcher to third base to first base. In the 2016 World Series, before the National League accepted the DH, he played left field against the Cubs at Wrigley Field for the Indians. The first thing Santana is going to have to do is find a place to live in Cleveland. He sold his Cleveland home on Thursday, just before the Guardians were able to come to terms with him. Santana in his 10 years in Cleveland ranks second in walks with 881, is tied for sixth with 216 home runs and ranks eighth in extra base hit with 503. In a Cleveland uniform he is a .251 lifetime hitter with a .818 OPS (onbase percentage+slugging percentage), 2743 doubles, 14 triples and 710 RBI in 1,334 games. Over 15 years in the big leagues Santana leads all activate layers with 1,277 walks and he ranks in the top 10 in runs, hits, total bases and doubles. In his 13 full seasons in the big leagues, Santana has averaged 130 games, while driving in 60 or more runs. The 40-man roster is now at 40 players.
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