BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Aston Villa had to settle for a 0-0 draw with Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday after a last-gasp effort by Morgan Rogers was chalked off for a foul on Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio. Villa thought they had won it at the death to end a six-game winless streak when Di Gregorio failed to catch a free kick but Diego Carlos fouled the Juventus keeper as Rogers was lashing the ball into the net, and boos poured out from Villa fans after the final whistle. The match was far from a classic, with Juventus seemingly content to keep possession, and both sides squandered chances, with Villa's best coming from Lucas Digne who hammered a free kick off the crossbar seconds before halftime. Midway through the second half, Francisco Conceicao's header from a corner looked destined for the back of Villa's net but goalkeeper Emi Martinez dived to get his fingertips to the ball. Unai Emery's Villa, who had kicked off their Champions League campaign with three victories and three clean sheets, are ninth in the table after five games, while their Italian visitors, who had only 14 outfield players available on Wednesday, are 17th. (Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Ed Osmond)Everton boss Sean Dyche admits a win over Liverpool will ease 'heat' on his job ahead of final top flight Merseyside derby at Goodison Park
Ruben Amorim urges Man Utd to ‘run like mad dogs’ in bid to turn season roundDETROIT — The vehicles that Rivian Automotive builds in Normal ranked last for reliability among new cars in the latest survey from Consumer Reports , though the nonprofit organization reported improvements in dependability of electric vehicles overall. Rivian, which makes all of its electric pickup trucks, SUVs and commercial delivery vans at a facility on the community's west side, came in last out of 22 auto brands evaluated. The result offers a stark juxtaposition with a different Consumer Reports survey released in February, when Rivian was found to be No. 1 in customer satisfaction for the second straight year . Jake Fisher, head of Consumer Reports' automobile test center, noted the California-based automaker is a new company with new electric models that have more glitches. As a startup, it can't use proven powertrains from prior generations yet. "It's expected that you're going to have issues when you have nothing to carry over" from previous model years, Fisher said. A long line of unsold 2024 R1S electric utility vehicles sits at a Rivian service center Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in east Denver. Steven Elek, senior automotive data analyst, offered a similar explanation in a video posted online with the survey results. "They never built cars before a couple years ago," he said of Rivian, which began production in Normal in 2021 , "and now they're building EVs. Well, you're seeing EV powertrain problems — like the battery packs; the charging system; the climate system, which is different in EVs." The interior of a 2023 R1S sports-utility vehicle is shown at a Rivian delivery and service center Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in Denver. Rivian fared better, however, in Consumer Reports' road tests, where it earned a No. 16 ranking out of 32 brands . Analysts reported that vehicles were "comfortable, startlingly fast, and very capable off-road," with a "practical" range and plenty of cargo room. Drawbacks cited in Consumer Reports' analysis included the screen-based control of some essential functions, like adjusting air vents, and "an aggressive regenerative braking system that makes its vehicles difficult to drive smoothly." A spokesperson for Rivian did not respond to a request for comment. EV reliability grows overall Overall, Consumer Reports concluded vehicles with internal combustion engines and gas-electric hybrids remain far more dependable than EVs — but that gap is narrowing. Consumer Reports subscribers, who filled out surveys during much of 2024, reported electric vehicles had 42% more problems than gas autos on average. But that was down from 79% more in the 2023 survey. The survey released Thursday measured reliability of vehicles mainly from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 model years. Plug-ins, which travel a short distance on battery power before a hybrid powertrain kicks in, had 70% more problems than gas vehicles, but that was less than half the difference found in last year's survey. The reason for the improvement? EV and plug-in technology are maturing, Fisher said. "As the automakers get more experience with the new technologies and new platforms, they will improve." He said he expects plug-in and electric vehicles to keep getting better, further closing the gap with gas vehicles. But one thing may stand in the way: Automakers often test new automation and other features on EVs, and the new stuff is prone to glitches. "Until we get to where an EV is just a car that does practical things with their own powertrain, I'm not sure they'll ever catch up totally" to gas vehicles, Fisher said. The new technology may offer more than the next wave of EV buyers would like, as EVs move from early adopters to more practical mainstream buyers, Fisher said. "There are people who just want a car that's easy to maintain," he said. "I don't use gas. I don't need this automation feature and electric door handles or whatever the heck they are putting out." Consumer Reports has noted that concerns about EV and plug-in quality add to issues that may have buyers hesitating before switching from gasoline engines, including concerns about higher up-front costs, too few charging stations and long charging times. Gas-electric hybrids, which switch from internal combustion to electric power to get better mileage, were about as reliable as cars with combustion engines. While the technology is pretty technical, it has been refined for a quarter century, mainly by pioneer Toyota, Fisher said. "CR's tests have shown that they are often quieter, quicker and more pleasant to drive than their gasoline-only counterparts," he said. Through September of this year, the last month for which all automakers have reported results, electric vehicle sales are up 7.2%, plug-in sales rose 11.6%, but hybrids led with a 32.6% increase, according to MotorIntelligence.com . So who made the top of the list? Consumer Reports said its 2024 survey of subscribers representing about 300,000 vehicle owners found Subaru was the most reliable brand for the first time, followed by perennial top finishers Lexus and Toyota. Rounding out the top five were Honda and its Acura luxury brand. It was the first time since 2020 that neither Toyota nor its Lexus luxury brand were in the top spot, Fisher said. The highest-ranked brand from a U.S.-based automaker was General Motors' Buick at No. 11. The lowest, after Rivian, were GM's Cadillac luxury brand, GMC, Jeep and Volkswagen, Consumer Reports said. The magazine and website didn't get enough data this year to rank Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lucid, Maserati, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Porsche and Ram. Electric vehicle sales leader Tesla finished 17th, down three spots from last year's survey. Used 2024 Subaru Outback sports-utility vehicles at a Honda dealership Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Subaru took first place in the survey by following the same formula that Toyota uses to get high reliability scores: It doesn't make huge changes when updating or unveiling new vehicles, Fisher said. Instead of going with new engines or transmissions, Subaru carries parts over from the prior generation. "They don't fix what's not broken," he said. "They continue to refine their products, and because the products perform quite well, they don't have to have big changes." The survey found the gas-powered Toyota RAV4 small SUV was the most reliable vehicle, followed by the Toyota Corolla compact car. The RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid was third, followed by the RAV4 gas-electric hybrid, Fisher said. Consumer Reports' survey of its subscriber base does not represent all vehicle purchasers in the U.S. or the population that bought specific vehicle types. The survey results were released at a meeting of the Automotive Press Association of Detroit. Mateusz Janik contributed to this story. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
From a 10-year-old to a Muppet to a president-elect, NYSE bell-ringers range from famous to obscure
In a bygone era, two of the authoritarian Middle Eastern leaders —Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Muammar el-Gaddafi—were hunted down before being executed. Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of crimes against humanity by an Iraqi Special Tribunal while Gaddafi was severely beaten up by rebel forces before being shot to death. Still, some Arab rulers who were deposed but survived included Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia in 2011, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in 2011, and Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen in 2012. But there was one rare exception—in Asia. Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was driven into exile—first, seeking refuge in the Maldives, then in Singapore and finally in Thailand. When he ran out of safe havens, or so the story goes, he returned to his home country –but not to his lost presidency. In Asia, there were several other political leaders who were ousted from power and went into exile, including Nawaz Sharif, Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan, Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand and most recently Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. When the Taliban captured power back in 1996, one of its first political acts was to hang the Afghan President Mohammed Najibullah in Ariana Square in Kabul. And, when it assumed power a second time, it ousted the US-backed government of Ashraf Ghani, a former World Bank official, armed with a doctorate in anthropology from one of the most prestigious Ivy League educational institutions in the US: Columbia University. In a Facebook posting, Ghani said he fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeking safe haven because he "was going to be hanged" by the Taliban. If that did happen, the Taliban would have earned the dubious distinction of being the only government in the world to hang two presidents. But mercifully, it did not. Last week, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad lost his battle for survival against a 14-year-old civil war in his country, he went... Thalif Deen
The Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ©2024 South Florida Sun Sentinel. Visit at sun-sentinel.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.US senator says mysterious drones spotted in New Jersey should be 'shot down, if necessary'
To play Maria Callas, Angelina Jolie had to learn how to breathe againMissouri’s new law boosting the minimum wage and providing paid sick leave for workers should be thrown out because it violated constitutional rules on ballot initiatives, a coalition of business advocacy groups argued in a lawsuit filed Friday. Proposition A, a ballot measure that passed by a wide margin, would increase the state’s minimum wage on Jan. 1 and guarantee paid sick leave for hundreds of thousands of workers starting May 1. The lawsuit, filed with the state Supreme Court, argues the election results should be overturned because of several constitutional violations, including alleged violations of the state constitution’s single-subject requirement. The coalition of plaintiffs includes Associated Industries of Missouri, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Missouri Grocers Association, the Missouri Restaurant Association, the National Federation of Independent Business, and three individuals associated with those groups. “While Proposition A is bad policy and will have extreme and detrimental effects on Missouri’s businesses, that is not the basis of this action,” the coalition stated in the petition. “Instead, the election irregularities and the constitutional violations are so significant that the election results must be overturned and Proposition A must be declared invalid.” The defendants are Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who is responsible for the ballot summary statement, and Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, responsible for the fiscal note summary. JoDonn Chaney, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, said the office is “in the process of reviewing” the lawsuit. Fitzpatrick’s office didn’t immediately return a request for comment Monday. All contests to statewide election results are heard by the state Supreme Court. Marilyn McLeod, president of League of Women Voters of Missouri, called the lawsuit “anti-democratic” and “reprehensible” in a press release. “These special interest groups could have raised their legal concerns at any other point in the process before the measure appeared on the ballot,” McLeod said. “...We are appalled that judges will be asked to overturn the wishes of the Missouri electorate,” she added, “but we are confident that they will see that wages and benefits are clearly part of the same subject on compensation and will reject this lawsuit.” Terrence Wise, a leader with the Missouri Workers Center, an organization of low-income workers, said Proposition A provided a “chance for change and hope” to low-wage workers across the state. “It’s sickening to me that corporations are trying to steal our victory away and quiet the will of the voters who made this win possible,” Wise said. Proposition A passed with 58% of the vote and had the support of numerous unions, workers’ advocacy groups, social justice and civil rights organizations, as well as over 500 business owners. The state’s minimum wage will increase to $13.75 in January and then $15 on Jan. 1, 2026. Employees can begin accruing and using sick time on May 1, 2025, earning one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to five days per year for businesses with fewer than 15 employees and seven days per year for larger businesses. Some workers are exempt, including government employees and workers at businesses that have less than $500,000 in annual revenue. The lawsuit alleges that the proposition’s fiscal note and summary on the ballot were “insufficient and unfair.” For instance, the lawsuit argues the summary wasn’t sufficiently nuanced about the caps on paid sick time or which employers are exempt. Plaintiffs also argue the measure contains multiple subjects in violation of the single-subject constitutional requirement, and the clear-title rule, because benefits and wages should be considered distinct issues. Advocates have previously said wages and benefits are part of overall compensation packages, so fall under the single-subject requirement. They have also said there were several opportunities for the group to voice an opinion with concerns about the language earlier, and they didn’t. And the lawsuit argues the proposition violates equal protection laws, through “similarly situated parties being treated differently,” citing the paid sick-leave exemptions for certain workers. The details of the law are similar to those in states that have already adopted policies to expand access to paid sick leave. Paid sick leave measures also passed in Alaska and Nebraska last month, bringing the number of states with such laws to 18. The plaintiffs want the Supreme Court to overturn the election results and declare the fiscal and ballot summaries wrong. The business coalition had previously said they were exploring “all available options, including possible legal action.” The main focus of concern among business advocacy groups has been with the sick leave portion of the proposition, arguing it constrains business owner’s freedom to make their own decisions and opens them up to liability if they don’t follow the requirements. Because the measure changes state law but not the constitution, the legislature could modify or overturn it without returning for a new vote of the people. Advocates from both sides have told The Independent they see that as unlikely, and see overturning the will of voters as unpopular.