Now that the NBA is set to enter the second quarter of the season, it's a great time to check in on the MVP race. While many fans may deem it too early to tell, a few NBA stars are already setting themselves apart as front runners in the race to becoming this season's Most Valuable Player. Even though Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid was last year's MVP, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić has been absolutely dominating the race. Jokić has won the award in three of the past four seasons. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Jokić is once again putting together another dominating MVP-caliber season. It's not going to be a cakewalk this season though for the Nuggets' star center, as there are a few other stars this season who are off to an incredible start. Here's a list of our front runners to look out for in the MVP race. In fact, the Milwaukee Bucks would like a word! Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been carrying the Bucks on his back this season, leading his team to wins in 10 of their last 12 games. Antetokounmpo is also leading the league in scoring at 32.5 points per game. We've ranked our top five MVP frontrunners for the 2024-25 season. 5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Season Stats: 28.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 8.1 apg Following Doncic's return to the court, the Mavericks put together a seven-game win streak. There's no question the Slovenian guard is one of the most prolific scorers in the league, making him one of the top five leaders in points per game. Fans often question his ability defensively, always making his case for an MVP title controversial, but the consistency offensively is always there. 4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Season Stats: 28.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 5.6 apg This season we've been able to see Tatum really emerge as the team leader, helping keep his team comfortably seated at the No. 2 spot in the East. After coming off an NBA Championship season, the Celtics roster has taken a few severe hits early in the season with players like Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis all missing games due to injury. That said, Tatum has been putting the team on his back, stringing together some huge wins behind some incredible performances of his. Tatum leads the Celtics in almost every stat category including scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals. He's making a very strong case to add an MVP trophy to his hardware case. 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder Season Stats: 29.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.5 apg Offensive consistency is the first thing that comes to mind when bringing up what Gilgeous-Alexander is doing in Oklahoma City this season. It's very normal to see him come out night after night and score between 25-30 points, easily. What's been even more impressive is his playmaking and closing skills this year. The Thunder are coming off a big playoff run from last season, and haven't seemed to miss a beat behind the offensive production from Gilgeous-Alexander. Fans are interested in seeing if the dominance can translate into more success from the Thunder, but they definitely have an MVP-caliber player just based on the first quarter of the season. 2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Season Stats: 32.6 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 6.6 apg If you thought Antetokounmpo couldn't get any better than he already has been in previous seasons, you've thought wrong. The "Greek Freak" has shown massive improvement in his shot selection, shooting 61.1% from the field. Not only does he now lead the league in scoring, but he's leading his team up the Eastern Conference standings, as the Bucks now sit at No. 6 in the East. Critics initially believed the Bucks would need to become playoff contenders in order for Antetokounmpo to make a real case for the MVP title this year, but after leading his team to win 10 out of 12 of the Bucks' last games, that may not be an issue any longer. 1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets Season Stats: 29.9 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 10.4 apg Not only has Jokić fully emerged as the front-runner in the NBA MVP race so far, but you could also make a case for him being the most impactful player in the league. The Nuggets truly sink or swim when Jokić isn't on the floor as opposed to when he is. This is reflected in Denver's offense, as the Nuggets are last in the NBA offensive rating without him, and first when he's healthy and on the court. Having won three of the last four MVP titles, many wondered if there was ever a chance of Jokić slowing down: there isn't. He is the only NBA player to be top five in scoring, rebounds, and assists. He also leads the Nuggets in steals, meaning, as much as fans are reluctant to agree, he's improved defensively as well. It could be another scary season for the NBA with Jokić terrorizing the league. For more NBA news, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports .
Nick Kyrgios takes a swipe at Jannik Sinner's Aussie coach Darren Cahill amid doping scandal: 'Have some class' Nick Kyrgios infuriated by Darren Cahill honour at Australian Tennis Awards Darren Cahill is the coach of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner Kyrgios has been a vocal critic of Sinner after doping saga By JAMES COONEY FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 23:20, 9 December 2024 | Updated: 23:20, 9 December 2024 e-mail View comments Nick Kyrgios was left furious after finding out that Jannik Sinner 's coach Darren Cahill was presented the 2024 Coaching Excellence honour at the Australian Tennis Awards on Monday, labelling the announcement 'a joke'. As he prepares for his return to tennis, Kyrgios has been among the most vocal critics of world No.1 Jannik Sinner for returning two positive drug tests earlier this year. When news reached Kyrgios that Sinner's coach was the recipient of the 2024 Coaching Excellence award from Tennis Australia, he was left fuming. 'This is a joke right - have some class and integrity people,' he posted on X. Sinner first tested positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol during Indian Wells on March 10, then again eight days later. He was provisionally suspended, but on both occasions he successfully appealed and was allowed to continue playing while the evidence was assessed. Nick Kyrgios was left fuming after finding out that Jannik Sinner's coach Darren Cahill was awarded the 2024 Coaching Excellence award by Tennis Australia Jannik Sinner pictured with coaches Simone Vagnozzi (left) and Darren Cahill (right) This is a joke right 😂 - have some class and integrity people. — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) December 9, 2024 The International Tennis Integrity Agency took the case to an independent tribunal in August, when Sinner's explanation for why there had been an extremely small quantity of clostebol in his system – less than a billionth of a gram – was accepted. Sinner was successful in convincing the tribunal that his two positive tests had been a consequence of contamination. Sinner's explanation for the banned substance entering his system was due to his physio Umberto Ferrara using a spray that contained clostebol to treat a wound on the tennis star's finger. The 23-year-old's team explained Ferrara had purchased the spray in Italy, one of the few countries that allows people to purchase products containing clostebol over-the-counter. Kyrgios, who has called Sinner a drug cheat, insists he has no issue with Sinner personally, but admitted he will struggle to look past the saga if they ever face on another on court. 'It's nothing against Sinner personally at all. He's one of the greatest tennis players we have right now. I'm not denying that. Nothing against him personally,' Kyrgios said. 'I'm definitely not going to be warm and hospitable like I was before. I just want a level playing field for everyone. That's what this fight is for. 'I got tested at my hotels two days ago. We do get tested consistently. This is a sport I've played my whole life. If the playing field isn't the same for everyone, you kind of lose the integrity of the sport a little bit.' Sinner returned two positive drug tests earlier this year Kyrgios has been a loud critic of Sinner and other players who have tested positve Meanwhile, Kyrgios announced last week that he is aiming to make his highly-anticipated Grand Slam return at the Australian Open in January. The 29-year-old will make his return to the court at the World Tennis League this month, having only played one game of professional tennis in the past two years due to injury. He had ruled himself out of the Australian Open in 2023 due to a knee injury that required surgery, before having to pull out of the French Open later that year with a foot injury . However, now, it's been confirmed that Kyrgios will finally make his return to a tennis major for the Australian Open next month. Kyrgios, who will play with a protected ranking of 21, will be one of six men and six women using protected rankings at Melbourne Park. Nick Kyrgios Jannik Sinner Italy Share or comment on this article: Nick Kyrgios takes a swipe at Jannik Sinner's Aussie coach Darren Cahill amid doping scandal: 'Have some class' e-mail Add comment
Behind-the-scenes rush as clock ticks for sale of Bamburi Cement
Golden State Valkyries select 4 players to begin building roster through WNBA expansion draft SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Golden State Valkyries have selected center Iliana Rupert of Atlanta, guard Veronica Burton of Connecticut, guard Carla Leite of Dallas and forward Maria Conde of Chicago with their initial picks of the WNBA expansion draft. Those four became the first players for the new Bay Area franchise that’s set to begin play next season. Friday's expansion draft was the first for the WNBA in 16 years since the Atlanta Dream joined the league in 2008. Golden State is able to acquire the contract or negotiating rights to one player from each of the other 12 WNBA teams. Lionel Messi wins MLS MVP award, the latest trophy on a long list of honors for the Inter Miami star FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi is the MVP of Major League Soccer for 2024. The award comes after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miami’s 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentina’s national team. He still factored into a league-high 36 goals by scoring 20 and assisting on 16 others. His 2.1 goal contributions per 90 minutes played is the best by any player in any season in MLS history. MLS revealed the voting results Friday. Messi edged out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernández for the award, which is determined by a poll of players, club technical staff and select media members. NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun Watson CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The league has been reviewing the case for months, trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email that "there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damage before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson has played in just 19 games over three seasons for the Browns. Former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber returning to Cleveland Guardians on 1-year deal, AP source says CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that right-hander Shane Bieber is returning to the Cleveland Guardians after making just two starts and undergoing Tommy John surgery last season. Bieber had been expected to leave the AL Central champions, but will be back after agreeing to a one-year, $14 million contract that includes a $16 million player option for 2026. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner made just starts in 2024 before having the surgery on his troublesome elbow that bothered him the previous campaign. The 29-year-old Bieber has spent all seven big-league seasons with Cleveland. NBA returning to China for pair of Suns-Nets preseason games in 2025 The NBA is returning to China next season. The league has struck a deal to play preseason games there more than five years after the league was effectively banned for Commissioner Adam Silver not punishing Daryl Morey for tweeting support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Brooklyn and Phoenix will play games in China’s gambling hub of Macao on Oct. 10, 2025, and again two days later. There are more games planned for China in 2026, a source told The Associated Press. American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — American ski racer Lindsey Vonn darted through the shadows on the speed course at Copper Mountain on a frigid morning. She was on the hill Friday as she tries to make a comeback to skiing nearly six years after her last race. Vonn plans to enter a series of lower-tier FIS downhill and super-G races this weekend at Copper Mountain, Colorado. It could be the first step toward seeing her on the World Cup circuit again. Scottie Scheffler goes on a run of birdies in the Bahamas and leads by 2 NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler used a big run of birdies to take a two-shot lead in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Scheffler had seven birdies on the front nine for a 29. The world No. 1 added one birdie on the back nine to lead by two over Justin Thomas and Akshay Bhatia. Scheffler found no need to apologize for only one birdie on the back nine. He says it simply was a matter of the ball being a little closer to the hole and a few more putts going in. Scheffler already has eight victories this year, including Olympic gold. A's GM David Forst says the team wanted to make a statement with Luis Severino's contract SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Athletics general manager David Forst says the team wanted to make a statement going into its new home. That was one the factors that led to its deal with Luis Severino. The 30-year-old Severino was formally introduced by his new club after finalizing a $67 million, three-year contract. The veteran right-hander was a free agent for the second straight offseason after going 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 182 innings during his only season with the New York Mets. It’s the largest deal ever for the low-budget A’s, topping a $66 million contract for third baseman Eric Chavez covering 2005-10. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is stepping away from ESPN for an extended time to deal with health issue Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is stepping away from his ESPN analyst role for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge, the network said in a statement. Moss revealed last week that he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family. The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made his announcement on Instagram from the set of the network’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness. No Bevo? SEC tells Texas there's no room for its 1,700-pound longhorn at title game vs. Georgia ATLANTA (AP) — The Southeastern Conference championship game will not feature another mascot showdown. The league says there's not enough space on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for No. 2 Texas to bring along its 1,700-pound longhorn Bevo XV for the game against No. 5 Georgia. The teams have two of college football’s most famous mascots. There should be enough sideline space for Georgia’s pure white English bulldog, Uga XI. Before the 2019 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Bevo XV toppled his barrier and began to charge at Uga X. Texas handlers were able to pull Bevo back before any harm.Trump taps authors and influencers of Project 2025 for key roles in new administration
However, the husband of the woman has claimed that the reduction procedure, which involved terminating seven of the fetuses, cost them over 40,000 yuan. This financial burden has raised concerns about the accessibility and affordability of medical procedures for high-risk pregnancies, especially for low-income families. The husband's statement has also sparked debate about the responsibility of healthcare providers in such cases, as some argue that the cost should be covered by the hospital or government due to the unique and extreme circumstances of the pregnancy.
Overall, the outcome of these deliberations will have far-reaching implications for the individuals involved, as well as for the broader principles of justice and equality in the United States. It is imperative that the considerations and actions taken by the White House in this regard are guided by a genuine commitment to upholding the values and ideals upon which the nation was founded.In the end, it will come down to which team can execute their game plan effectively on the day. Leverkusen will look to continue their winning streak and solidify their position at the top of Group D, while Internazionale will be determined to close the gap and challenge for the top spot.
As the train carried him towards his destination, the elderly man's actions lingered in the minds of those who witnessed his unconventional entry into the subway station. His story served as a reminder that age should never be a barrier to pursuing one's goals and that with determination and persistence, even the seemingly impossible can be achieved.
The United States military recently conducted a series of airstrikes in Syria, targeting 75 different sites in an effort to weaken the presence of the Islamic State terrorist group in the region. The airstrikes, carried out by both manned and unmanned aircraft, were part of a coordinated effort to disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Islamic State forces operating in Syria.In conclusion, the 183.5 RMB Luckin Coffee co-branded cup incident serves as a cautionary tale for brands in the importance of prioritizing safety and quality in their product designs. By addressing the issue promptly, offering solutions to affected customers, and implementing stricter quality control measures, brands can protect their reputation and ensure the well-being of their customers in the future.
As the train carried him towards his destination, the elderly man's actions lingered in the minds of those who witnessed his unconventional entry into the subway station. His story served as a reminder that age should never be a barrier to pursuing one's goals and that with determination and persistence, even the seemingly impossible can be achieved.The retrial of the high-profile case involving famous Chinese writer Yu Hua and the victim Yang Niuhua is scheduled to take place on December 19th. This marks the second trial in the ongoing legal battle between the two parties. Yang Niuhua has expressed her determination to confront Yu Hua for the sixth time in court, as she continues to seek justice and closure for the alleged injustices she has faced.
In his impassioned speeches and one-on-one conversations with teammates, Mbappé has emphasized the importance of accountability and dedication. He has urged his fellow players to put the interests of the team above their personal ambitions and to work together towards a common goal.
WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump’s election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps’ Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump’s agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump’s choices portend for his second presidency. As budget chief, Vought envisions a sweeping, powerful perch The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president’s proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration’s agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” Vought could help Musk and Trump remake government’s role and scope The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025’s and Trump’s campaign proposals. Vought’s vision is especially striking when paired with Trump’s proposals to dramatically expand the president’s control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government’s roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump’s changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump’s choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans’ health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Homan and Miller reflect Trump’s and Project 2025’s immigration overl ap Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump’s longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump’s West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump’s Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” Project 2025 contributors slated for CIA and Federal Communications chiefs John Ratcliffe, Trump’s , was previously one of Trump’s directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document’s chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe’s chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe’s and Trump’s approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025’s FCC chapter and is to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts. ___
NoneThane Cyber Fraud: 54-Year-Old Woman Duped Of ₹12 Lakh In Digital Arrest Scam After Fake Police Call; Case RegisteredAs investigators delve deeper into Jacob's past and unravel the web of deception he had woven, the true extent of his criminal activities is yet to be fully uncovered. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of misplaced trust and the importance of exercising caution when extending a helping hand to strangers.
Munoz's goal against Manchester City not only showcased his individual skill and talent but also highlighted Watford's resilience as a team. Facing a formidable opponent like Manchester City requires a high level of concentration, teamwork, and determination. Munoz's goal served as a testament to Watford's fighting spirit and their ability to rise to the occasion against top-tier teams.Initially, the massages seemed to provide the singer with the comfort and relaxation she sought. However, as she continued to indulge in frequent sessions, her body began to react negatively to the excessive manipulation of her muscles and tissues. After the third intense massage, she suddenly lost all feeling in her lower body and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with a rare and severe spinal cord injury.