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Mark Allen's UK Championship semi-final clash with Barry Hawkins on Saturday night was a game even the most devoted of snooker fans would have struggled to stick with. The match started at 7pm in the York Barbican and it took almost two and a half hours for the first four frames to be played and give everyone a break for the mid session interval. It's a race to six frames for a place in the final against Judd Trump. After another drawn out affair in frame five after the interval, the BBC commentary team began to suspect Antrim man Allen was playing games of a different sort. Indeed, it was Allen's regular sparring partner Shaun Murphy who labelled the pace of play a 'clear gameplan' from the world No.3. Read next: Mark Allen believes he may need to 'see someone' after worrying admission on his results Read next: Mark Allen says Ronnie O'Sullivan is GOAT but he is 'law unto himself' and should show 'more respect' "It's completely within the rules, he's not doing anything wrong. But at what stage do we question whether the amount of time Mark Allen is taking over simple decisions is a tactic to annoy his opponent?," said Shaun Murphy. "I think we are witnessing an extremely clever, well thought out match from Mark Allen to try and beat the man. "It's an old school tactic. It's from a playbook my generation and Mark's generation are from. And it's perfectly within the rules. But I can't see any reason, other than that for why he's taking so long. As you look at Barry in his chair, you might say it was working." John Parrott was on co commentary and countered, adding: "I grew up playing against Terry Griffiths and Cliff Thorborn. Trust me, that was no day at the beach. You just got to find a way to comepete with it and put up with it. "If someone plays slow, you got to have patience." On the table, Allen took frame five with a break of 64 - his highest of the match to date from either player. Another epic frame followed with Allen again coming out on top - despite Murphy being baffled by some of Allen's shot selections once again. Other world champions, Steve Davis and Ken Doherty, were asked about the possible tactic and how that was in sharp contrast to Allen's usual pacy play. The 'Pistol' is defending champion of the snooker Shoot Out, where speedy play is the order of the day. "I'm not sure it's deliberate, like Shaun says," replied six-time world champ Davis. "He probably would have been in the top three or four fastest players in the world but over the last couple of seasons he'd be way down. His average shot time is 32 seconds (here)," remarked Dubliner Doherty. Davis added: "He's been getting success by being more granite and obviously that encourages him to do more of it. He's gone back to his coach with a view to alignment or technical issues. I've got a feeling that's a red herring. "I think his coach should be telling him to speed up, get a bit of rhythm, get a bit of feel back. Because without playing shots regularly, you lose your touch. If you are playing disjointed snooker, you get out of position." The race to six semi-final ran long into the night in York ahead of Sunday's final. With three hours played, Allen led 4-2. Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inboxThe 3 best automatic litter boxes of 2024, tested and reviewed
Simple and comforting, reminiscent of delectable chocolate and coffee, Mocha Mousse (Pantone 17-1230), the color of the year 2025, is an invitation for thoughtful indulgence, harmonious comfort and feelings of contentment. "We look to a mellow brown hue whose inherent richness and sensorial and comforting warmth extends further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others," stated Laurie Pressman, Pantone Color Institute Vice President. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.
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KYIV, Ukraine — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile. escalating the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday’s Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Ukrainian military officials said the missile that hit Dnipro reached a speed of Mach 11 and carried six nonnuclear warheads, each releasing six submunitions. Speaking Friday to military and weapons industries officials, Putin said Russia will launch production of the Oreshnik. “No one in the world has such weapons,” he said. “Sooner or later, other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development. “We have this system now,” he added. “And this is important.” Putin said that while it isn’t an intercontinental missile, it’s so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin’s claim that even with conventional warheads, “the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow’s talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasizing that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It’s not a trick ... there will be consequences,” he said. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday’s missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He said the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday's previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations "in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who said it's not the first time such a threat has been received. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday's attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine’s fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country’s largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad.Army-Navy game has added buzzTrump aims to appoint son-in-law’s father as US ambassador to France
Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirlingThe Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has been a diehard politician and reputed for keeping in constant contact with his people, especially when he served as the governor of Zamfara state between 2019 and 2023. He was, however, allegedly rigged out of office by the then cabals in Aso Rock just because he fought the attempted unlawful naira swap policy which he jointly challenged along with two of his colleagues (former Kaduna governor, Nasiru El-Rufa’i and former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello) and defeated the federal government in court where the Supreme Court ruled by halting the swap policy. Matawalle’s position as the North-west Presidential Campaign Council Coordinator ensured that the APC won a landslide in the 2023 presidential election in the Northwestern zone of the country where he served with dedication, transversing wider campaigns in the zone for Tinubu/Shettima ticket. This earned him respect and more recognition from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who later appointed him as the Minister of State for Defence as the administration kick started the business of governance. He officially moved to the federal capital, Abuja to serve as a National Executive Council member representing Zamfara state despite the desperate opposition staged against him in his home state of Zamfara by his successor and other callous elements within and outside the state. As a former governor, the minister stayed away from the state in order to maintain political peace but at the same time, he kept in touch with and saw his people either by proxy or they would go to Abuja to meet him while he also assisted many people cutting across party divide especially those affected by human and natural disasters, with his support sometimes coming even before the arrival of state government intervention. The situation remained so until after many pleas by the people of the state particularly APC members that he should come to the state, that Matawalle finally yielded last Friday, December 21, 2024, for a six-day official/private visit by visiting banditry and other disaster victims, inspecting some military formations and meeting party members and relatives. Driving by road from Abuja to Gusau through Kaduna, the minister stopped over at all the military check points along the road where he encouraged personnel to be more committed to their assigned responsibilities assuring them that the federal government has made adequate arrangements to provide more sophisticated weapons and other benefits to ensure the complete elimination of the criminals by the incoming year 2025 with the military on their part hailing the federal government over the information. On arrival in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital, the minister was received by an overwhelming crowd of party supporters, party faithful, well-wishers, party leaders and other stakeholders who made a beehive of activities around the former governor’s GRA residence with traders of various wares making brisk business while entertainers and praise singers chose their acquaintances to raise money. Following his declaration that his six days stay will positively impact the people, the minister made sure that anyone who came smiled back home. Addressing the crowd of supporters, Matawalle implored them to continue to be law abiding, peaceful, and prayerful so that APC’s leadership with him as governor will return to the state. He explained that he would be coming to the state very often, hence so that they would be strategizing for a greater Zamfara. The minister also continued to meet and interact with APC leadership ranging from SWC, state exco, local government party chairmen, elders, youths, women, and other critical stakeholders where he explained more about the reforms of the Tinubu administration which are not anti-North but aimed at improving the standard of Nigerian citizens economically, socially and politically without denying any region. He explained the security measures being put in place to restore peace in the North-west and the country as well as in providing all the needed support to security agencies especially the military to fight banditry that is bedevilling the North-west and assured that the government will ensure that in the coming year 2025, all forms of banditry and other criminalities are eliminated. He said the current military operations in the zone is yielding positive results because of the deployment of committed and patriotic military personnel in most of the flash points as large number of bandits were being neutralised and some are on the run, he appealed to the citizens to support government and security agencies with genuine intelligence that will lead to success. Matawalle also said that security is everybody’s concern and the need to take every person and property’s security serious and urged citizens to support the troops with prayers for success rather than condemnation. The minister’s home visit has created more awareness about President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda and a lot of people have changed their perception. APC is honoured by the minister’s visit because he exhibited a high sense of belonging to all party members and supporters at all levels.
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Atlanta rapper OG Maco has died. He was 32. The musician, whose real name was Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr, grew up in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, Georgia. His 2014 debut single “U Guessed It” was a landmark of the trap genre and became a viral hit on Vine and other social media platforms. An official remix featuring 2 Chainz helped the song reach the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. His death was confirmed in a statement by his family on his offical Instagram account: “With heavy hearts, we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved Ben, known to the world as OG Maco. “His life was a testament to resilience, creativity, and boundless love. Through his music, passion, and unwavering spirit, he touched so many lives and left a lasting impact. “While we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate the extraordinary life he lived – one that will continue to inspire and uplift others. Maco’s influence, both as an artist and as a person, will remain forever etched in our hearts.” The statement concluded: “For those who wish to offer condolences, share memories, or connect with the family, please reach out through this account. Your support means more than words can express. “To all of Maco’s fans, friends, and supporters: thank you for standing by him throughout his journey. Today, we celebrate a life that was extraordinary in every way.” According to TMZ , Maco was admitted to hospital on December 12 after suffering what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He spent two weeks in a coma before taking a turn for the worse and entering into critical condition. As well as his breakout single “U Guessed It”, Maco was also known for collaborating with Diplo on single “Doctor Pepper” and for his 2021 debut album The God Of Rage . If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org
The Miami Dolphins will be without two starters on defense as they look to climb back to .500 on Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Browns . Linebacker Anthony Walker (knee) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (knee) missed practice this week and are officially out for Week 17. The Dolphins listed six players questionable for Sunday in the final injury report : Left tackle Terron Armstead (knee), safety Jordan Poyer (knee/finger), wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (knee), wide receiver Dee Eskridge (knee), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (wrist), and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip). While Tagovailoa and Hill were both limited throughout the week, they’re expected to be good for Sunday’s matchup in Cleveland. Coach Mike McDaniel added that Hill had a strong week of practice after a few dropped passes against the San Francisco 49ers . “I thought he had a phenomenal week of practice,” McDaniel said Friday. “Not only from an execution of assignment perspective, but the way he attacked the ball. “What I don’t like – drops happen in the game of football; pretty much 100 percent of the time people are trying to catch it, but there’s technique to catching the football that a lot of times you get weary of people getting passive when the ball’s in the air because of past experiences. And not only was he catching a ton of footballs this week, but he was doing so aggressively.” Armstead was stout last week against the 49ers despite missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday . He returned to practice Friday and practiced in full, which has McDaniel hopeful he’ll anchor the offensive line Sunday. “I’m optimistic because it’s Armstead and we’re going to see him out there today and he’s coming off a very good game, so I know he’s going to do anything and everything. But I’m optimistic for today and for the game.” Keeping with the optimism, McDaniel added that Poyer is trending in the right direction, and while there’s still some uncertainty surrounding Waddle — McDaniel is optimistic ‘because of the way he goes at it.’ The Browns will be without tight end David Njoku (knee), defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (knee), and wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion). Njoku is second on the team with 64 receptions and leads the team with five receiving touchdowns, while Tillman ranks second on the team with 11.7 yards per reception. Originally a primetime Sunday Night showdown , the kickoff between the Dolphins and Browns is now slated for 4:05 p.m. at Huntington Bank Field.IT Operations Analytics Market Top Trends, Future Scope, Outlook, Size, Share, Applications, Advance Technology And Forecast - 2029
Green and Jamiel score long TDs and Lehigh rallies to defeat Richmond 20-16 in FCS playoff openerWASHINGTON − The White House is urging the Federal Communications Commission to crack down on U.S. telecom providers after at least nine were breached in a massive Chinese hacking and spying campaign that targeted senior government officials. Voluntary compliance with cybersecurity practices are inadequate to protect against hacking from foreign actors, the White House's deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, Anne Neuberger, said on a Friday call. The Biden administration official urged the FCC to impose regulations that would make it harder, riskier and costlier for hackers to access Americans' data in response to the Salt Typhoon hack that affected an unknown number of Americans. More: Apple, Android users on notice from FBI, CISA about texts amid 'massive espionage campaign' "We know that voluntary cybersecurity practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure," Neuberger said. The commission is expected to hold a vote on the proposal by Jan. 15, a week before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump . The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. More: Trump taps Brendan Carr, who opposed Kamala Harris' SNL cameo, to lead the FCC Federal authorities first acknowledged the hack in October. After an investigating they revealed weeks later that "a broad and significant cyber espionage campaign" by the Chinese government had taken place. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, pushed telecommunications companies to beef up their security and directed Americans to use encrypted communications in response as they worked to determine the scope of the beach. More: Cyberattacks on critical US infrastructure keep happening. How worried should we be? Previously, the White House said that at least eight companies were impacted. A ninth company, which the White House did not name, has been identified. Verizon, AT&T and Lumen are among the companies previously named. The U.S. government does not know how many people were impacted, Neuberger said. But it is their understanding that "a large number" of individuals in the Washington, D.C. area and Virginia were geolocated, with the aim of identifying who the phones belonged to for "follow on espionage and intelligence collection of communications, of texts and phone calls." 'We will never know' scope and scale of Salt Typhoon phone hack Fewer than 100 individuals are estimated to have been targeted with further spying, she said. Chinese hackers were careful about their techniques, she added. "They erased logs. In many cases, companies were not keeping adequate logs," she said. "So there are details that likely ... we will never know regarding the scope and scale of this." Australia and the UK already have stricter requirements in place, Neuberger said, that may have led to the hacks discovery and containment faster. The U.S. says it believes the Chinese had the capability to geolocate millions of individuals and record phone calls at will because of the broad access they had into networks. The Chinese government has previously denied it was involved in the hack.
Even in this banner season for military academy football — complete with winning streaks, national rankings and a conference championship — the biggest goal remains the same. For Army: Beat Navy. For Navy: Beat Army. With the college football landscape changing at a furious rate, the significance of this matchup adds a dose of tradition to mid-December, amid all that talk about the transfer portal and the new expanded playoff. "We've had a good year. You make it a great year by winning this game coming up on Saturday. Frankly, that's just the way it goes around here," Army coach Jeff Monken said. "It's a game and a season really all of its own. We don't apologize for talking about it all the time. We talk about it all the time, and it's 365 days a year." Saturday in Landover, Maryland, is the 125th matchup between Army and Navy, and although these two programs are long removed from their days winning national titles and Heisman Trophies, this is a historic moment in the rivalry. The Black Knights and Midshipmen have combined for 19 wins this season, their highest total ever entering this game. Army (11-1) is ranked 19th in the AP poll after beating Tulane last week to win the American Athletic Conference — the first league title of any kind in the team's 134-year history. Navy (8-3) was ranked as well earlier this season after starting with six straight victories. "I knew we were going to be an improved football team," Navy coach Brian Newberry said. "Didn't know exactly what that was going to look like. I think certainly we've improved in a lot of different areas. I'm excited about the season we've had." This was Army's first season in the AAC, putting the Black Knights and Midshipmen in the same league, although their annual matchup is considered a nonconference game. For a while, there was a chance the teams could meet twice, with a conference championship clash coming before the regularly scheduled Army-Navy game, but that didn't happen. Their most prominent common opponent came from outside the league. Notre Dame handed both Navy and Army its first loss, beating the Midshipmen 51-14 and the Black Knights 49-14. Within the AAC, both teams beat Temple, UAB and East Carolina. Army beat Tulane and Rice and Navy lost to those two teams. Army and Navy also each won its nonconference game against Air Force. Those victories over Air Force mean this season's Commander-In-Chief's Trophy comes down to the Army-Navy game. It's the first time since 2017 that both teams enter this game with a shot at the trophy. It's also the first time since 2017 that both teams enter the game with bowl bids secured. Navy faces Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl and Army takes on Marshall in the Independence Bowl. This year's Army-Navy game is at the Washington Commanders' home stadium in Landover. It was also held there in 2011. This is the first time the game has been in Maryland since Baltimore hosted it in 2016. Baltimore is also up next in 2025. Army quarterback Bryson Daily has 29 rushing touchdowns this season, which is tied for the FBS lead with running back Ashton Jeanty, Boise State's Heisman finalist. Only one QB in FBS history has run for more TDs in a season than Daily. That was Navy's Keenan Reynolds, with 31 in 2013. "You come here to play in this game. The biggest stage possible, millions of people watching and a sold-out NFL stadium. It's awesome," Daily said. "None of the games that happened before this matter. We're going into this game like we're 0-0, they're 0-0 because that's just how you have to come into this game." Navy's closest game this season — win or lose — was a 56-44 win over Memphis. The Midshipmen are the only FBS team that hasn't had a game this season decided by eight points or fewer. AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Mr Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker”. Mr Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Mr Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was co-operating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. Mr Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Mr Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison – the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the US attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Mr Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Mr Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offences “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was US attorney”. Mr Trump and the elder Mr Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.Jaland Lowe, Pitt charge past LSU in second half to move to 6-0Backflip Releases AI Model That Turns Text Into Physical Reality, Backed By $30M from NEA and Andreessen Horowitz