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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Sasa Ciani and Filip Skobalj scored 15 points apiece and Tyem Freeman added five of his nine points in overtime to lead UIC over Little Rock 77-69 on Sunday. Ciani added 10 rebounds for the Flames (7-4). Skobalj made 5 of 11 from 3-point range. Javon Jackson scored 13. Jackson sank three free throws with less than a second left to force OT tied at 64. The Trojans (6-5) were led by Johnathan Lawson, who posted 25 points and eight rebounds. Isaiah Lewis added 11 points and two steals. Tuongthach Gatkek had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Skobalj scored nine points in the first half for UIC, which trailed 32-30 at halftime. Skobalj hit a 3-pointer with 2:45 left in OT to put the Flames up 68-65 and they stayed in front from there. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The Cardinals (11-2), who earned their highest seed in program history at No. 6, travel to face third-seeded South Dakota State in the quarterfinals. Brack Peacock kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead with 8:48 before halftime. Villanova (10-4) tied it on 49-yard field goal by Ethan Gettman almost five minutes later. Late in the third, Gettman gave the Wildcats their lone lead when he kicked a 52-yarder. Calzada connected with Roy early in the fourth and Peacock added insurance in the last stanza with a 35 yarder with 4:14 remaining. Lontrell Turner had 120 yards rushing on 18 carries for Incarnate Word. Connor Watkins threw for 103 yards and an interception for Villanova whose offense was outgained 437-138. The Wildcats hadn't been kept out of the end zone since Nov. 5, 2022 when Towson beat Villanova 27-3. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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An Australian Senate committee has backed a bill that would ban social media for children under 16 but said social media platforms should not force users to submit personal data such as passport and other digital identification to prove their age. Australia plans to trial an age-verification system that may include biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off, some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labor government is rushing to pass the bill, largely supported by the opposition Liberal party, by the end of the parliamentary year on Thursday. In its report published late on Tuesday, the Senate's environment and communications legislation committee said social media platforms "must set out alternative methods for assuring age as reasonable steps with consideration given to the age assurance trial." A progress report on the age assurance trial must be submitted by the communications minister to the parliament by Sept. 30, 2025, the committee said as it urged the government to "meaningfully engage" with youth when framing the law. "Young people, and in particular diverse cohorts, must be at the centre of the conversation as an age restriction is implemented to ensure there are constructive pathways for connection," committee Chair Senator Karen Grogan said. Some independent lawmakers have criticised the government for trying to pass the legislation in a week. The bill was introduced last Thursday, submissions on it closed on Friday, and a brief hearing was held on Monday. In separate submissions, Google and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms said the social media ban should be delayed until the age-verification trial finishes. Bytedance's TikTok said the bill needed more consultation, while Elon Musk's X said the proposed law might hurt children's human rights. The planned law would force social media platforms to take reasonable steps to ensure age-verification protections are in place. Companies could be fined up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for systemic breaches.
LAS VEGAS — There are three races remaining in the Formula 1 season and Max Verstappen of Red Bull is close to a fourth consecutive world championship, which can wrap up Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. All is not smooth sailing headed into this final month of racing: "It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everybody," said Mercedes driver George Russell, a GPDA director. "It's a hell of a lot of pressure now onto the new race director (with) just three races left. Often, as drivers, we probably feel like we're the last to find out this sort of information." The Andretti team is expected to receive F1 approval to join the grid, albeit without Michael Andretti, who has scaled back his role dramatically since the IndyCar season ended in September. Many drivers, particularly seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, have been at odds with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem since his election following the 2021 season finale. In the GDPA statement, they reminded the sanctioning body "our members are adults" who don't need lectures and fines on foul language or jewelry bans, and simply want fair and consistent race control. There's been no response from Ben Sulayem, and won't be this weekend since he does not attend the LVGP. He will be at Qatar and the finale in Abu Dhabi next month. Hamilton doesn't think all the behind-the-scenes changes will be a fan topic as the season comes to a close. But he noted that consistency from race control is all the drivers have asked for, while throwing his support behind Domenicali and the job Maffei has done in growing F1 since Liberty took over. "I really hope Stefano is not leaving because he's been so instrumental in changes and progress to this whole thing," Hamilton said. "And he knows the sport as well as anyone. But all good things do come to an end, and whoever they put into place, I just hope they are like-minded. But sometimes you have to shake the trees." That's just what happened with the surprise departure of race director Wittich. Although drivers have been unhappy with race officiating this season and held a private GPDA meeting in Mexico City, Russell said they had no prior warning Wittich was out. The race director is the referee each weekend and Wittich has been in charge since 2022, when Michael Masi was fired following the controversial 2021 season-ending, championship-altering finale at Abu Dhabi. Now the man in charge for the final three races is Rui Marques, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 race director. Las Vegas, which overcame multiple stumbling blocks in last year's debut before putting on one of the best races of the season, is a difficult place to start. Verstappen can win his fourth title by simply scoring three points more than Lando Norris of McLaren. "It's a bit weird with three races to go to do that," Verstappen said. "It doesn't matter if you're positive or negative about certain things. I thought in Brazil there was definitely room for improvement, for example. It's still a bit weird having to now then deal with a different race director." Charles Leclerc of Ferrari wondered why the move was made with only three races to go. "To do it so late in the season, at such a crucial moment of the season, it could have probably been managed in a better way," he said. The drivers have consistently asked for clearer guidelines in the officiating of races, specifically regarding track limits and racing rules. The drivers have no idea how Marques will officiate, highlighting a disconnect between the competitors and Ben Sulaymen's FIA. "We just want to be transparent with the FIA and have this dialogue that is happening," Russell said. "And I think the departure of Niels is also a prime example of not being a part of these conversations." The GDPA statement made clear the drivers do not think their voice is being heard. "If we feel we're being listened to, and some of the changes that we are requesting are implemented, because ultimately we're only doing it for the benefit of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase," Russell said. "But I think there's a number of drivers who feel a bit fed up with the whole situation. It only seems to be going in the wrong direction." He also said the relationship between the drivers and the FIA seems fractured. "Sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution," he said. "You need to work together to improve the problem." Norris, who has battled Verstappen this year with mixed officiating rulings, said "obviously things are not running as smoothly as what we would want." Marques has his first driver meeting ahead of Thursday night's two practice sessions and then three weeks to prove to the competitors he is up for the job. Carlos Sainz Jr., who will leave Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season, hopes the drama doesn't distract from the momentum F1 has built over the last five years. "I think Formula 1 is in a great moment right now and all these rumors, I think in every team, every job, there's job changes," he said. "It's not big drama. I'm a big fan of the people you mentioned, they've done an incredible job in Formula 1 and Formula 1 is what it is thanks to these people. But it's just so emotional, especially the Stefano one. The only one that has a real effect is the race director. But I think if he does a good job, it should be transparent and nothing big." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:25 p.m. EST
Council officials who spoke to The Sunday Mail said thelocal authority had begun consultations with the Ministry of Local Governmentand Public Works on the way forward. Responding to an inquiry from this publication, HarareMayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said: “We have put on hold demolitions for now.” Separately, Harare acting chief development control officerMr James Mazvimba said council was engaging the Government. “We are engaging the Ministry (of Local Government) fordirection, but the demolitions will resume.” A fortnight ago, council began issuing 48-hour evictionnotices to residents in affected areas. Seventeen property owners in Mabelreign were among thefirst to be served, and the council planned to extend the exercise tohigh-density suburbs such as Budiriro, Kuwadzana, Glen View and Mabvuku. The City of Harare recently indicated that it plans todemolish over 5 000 houses built on illegal settlements across the city,enforcing 37 High Court orders authorising the move. Last week, Local Government and Public Works MinisterDaniel Garwe told our sister paper, The Herald, that Harare should put on holdits demolition plans. “We are human beings, and every human being has the rightto shelter,” said Minister Garwe. “There is a lot of excitement from the City of Harare interms of wanting to demolish people’s homes; they are playing to the gallery .. .” “Yes, we appreciate that those houses were illegally builtand people were not following the laid-down procedures; people built on landset aside for other activities and social amenities — schools and railway line. “We are aware of that as Government.” The Government, Minister Garwe said, had advised thecouncil to “give these people adequate notice to vacate those areas so thatthey can then come and demolish while these people are properly settledelsewhere”. “Give them three or four months’ notice; but they weregiving them four days, five days,” he said. The Harare City Council recently demolished over 30 housesin Belvedere, claiming the structures were illegally constructed oncouncil-owned land. The council argued that the demolitions were part of abroader operation to enforce urban planning regulations and curb unauthoriseddevelopments. According to city officials, the land had been unlawfullyallocated to homeseekers by a private company using fraudulent documents.Sunday Mail
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:25 p.m. ESTROSEN, TOP RANKED GLOBAL COUNSEL, Encourages Hasbro, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – HAS
Appalachian State hires South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains as head coachKeller: How to handle politics over the holidaysMACON, Ga. (AP) — Ahmad Robinson had 25 points in Mercer's 75-63 win over winless Chicago State on Sunday. Robinson shot 9 of 16 from the field and went 7 for 8 from the free-throw line for the Bears (6-4). Marcus Overstreet scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Angel Montas had nine points. Noble Crawford led the Cougars (0-12) with 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. Cameron Jernigan added 18 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Troy McCoy scored 11. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Healey signs jobs bill with legislative additionsSUZHOU: Dominant in the electric car sector, Chinese companies have been quietly consolidating their position in the lesser-watched trucking scene - but foreign tariffs and a perceived quality gap could signal roadblocks ahead, experts warn. The domestic supply chain and low-price strategy that helped make China’s EV car industry world-leading are being leveraged by established automakers and start-ups alike, aiming to similarly transform trucking. Electric trucks currently represent less than one percent of truck sales worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) - with China making up 70 percent of those sales in 2023. But the agency said it was “optimistic” policy and technology developments would see more widespread adoption in the next 10 years. “This industry, I believe, is ripe for disruption,” Han Wen, the founder of start-up Windrose, told AFP on a factory floor as the company’s first vehicles for delivery were assembled behind him. Fleets of electric heavy goods vehicles from China have been growing internationally, even as Western countries target the country’s EV cars with heavy sanctions. Chinese companies like BYD and Beiqi Foton have shipped trucks to countries including Italy, Poland, Spain and Mexico, and have opened assembly plants around the world. “China’s trucks are generally cost-competitive in emerging markets,” Stephen Dyer, from consulting firm AlixPartners, told AFP. “For mature markets, performance and durability do not yet meet the needs of most customers, but that is changing.” When it comes to emissions, “heavy-duty trucks are considered one of the more difficult to abate transport segments (after aviation and shipping)”, IEA analyst Elizabeth Connelly told AFP. Battery issues A major challenge is the trade-off between battery size and range. “The larger the battery, the longer the range. But the larger the battery, the heavier the truck... and the worse the fuel economy,” Connelly said. Chinese manufacturers have been seen as producing lower quality products than foreign counterparts. “Historically, Chinese trucks tended to have a shorter useful lifecycle than European or Japanese trucks,” AlixPartners’ Dyer told AFP. While that perception is changing, China’s flagship companies still lag rivals on factors like range and battery capacity. According to the Zero-Emission Technology Inventory, the median Chinese heavy duty truck range is 250 kilometers (155 miles), compared with 322 km in the United States. BYD - which in October beat Tesla in quarterly revenue for the first time -- says its 8TT model’s range is 200 kilometers, compared with the 800 kilometers promised by Tesla’s Semi truck. But Chinese manufacturers could close the gap quickly. Han’s Windrose says its semi-trucks can go up to 670 kilometers on a single charge. Meanwhile, battery giant CATL has rolled out truck battery-swapping facilities - where drained units can be immediately replaced, eliminating charging time altogether. China’s existing EV ecosystem is a massive advantage. “We’re very lucky to have the Chinese supply chain (for EVs),” said Han, noting Windrose was using an electric bus company’s factory to build its trucks. “There’s no doubt that China also will have an edge on the electrification of heavy-duty trucks.” More unpredictable are the testy geopolitical waters the sector risks stalling in. This year has seen important trading partners including the European Union and the United States impose hefty tariffs on Chinese EV cars, saying Beijing’s state aid to automakers undercut their own firms. China refutes this, but as its EV truck footprint grows globally, so could the risk of similar action be taken. “Governments in potential export markets want to protect their local industries,” said Sam Fiorani, at AutoForecast Solutions. US President-elect Donald Trump has promised huge tariff hikes on Chinese imports once he takes office. “Since EV truck volume is smaller than passenger EVs, there is a chance that EV trucks would fall a little under the radar in normal times,” AlixPartners’ Dyer said. But “these are not ‘normal times’ anymore and anything Chinese is high profile in the US government currently”, he added. Some companies have already taken steps that could mitigate this risk. BYD proudly touts its trucks as being “assembled by union workers in Lancaster, California”, while it has announced plans to build a factory in Mexico, and has plants in Hungary and Romania. Windrose’s Han told AFP the firm has consciously spread its operations across multiple countries, moving key headquarters to Belgium earlier this year. “We do embrace the fact that every major market would like its own domestic supply chain of EV,” he told AFP. But he added: “You have to start in China. We then try to move the supply chain globally... But you have to start in China. There’s no alternative.” — AFPCall of Duty-focused Twitter account ModernWarzone has shared a datamined clip of a gun that is also a bong you can smoke coming soon to Black Ops 6. That alone has me pondering the state of things, but the skin also seems to have sparked a heated debate in the comments: Why is it OK to have a bong gun in Call of Duty if it's against the terms of service to verbally abuse teammates? Only on X, "The Everything App." Before anything else, I'm gonna go ahead and tap the sign PC Gamer staff writer Morgan Park hung up last year: Every time a new shooter launches, you gotta start a countdown until it becomes a clown show of brands and hideous skins . Black Ops 6 appears to be speedrunning this process while also reaching for new heights of absurdity, including eye-searing skins that have some players begging to be able to turn them off . Soon you’ll be able to smoke a bong (your gun) in Call of Duty 😚💨🍃 pic.twitter.com/JuL016OqDJ December 5, 2024 The bong gun is truly an appalling, over the top masterwork. Were it a meal, it would give you gout instantly and you'd want to hide your face from god like you were eating ortolan . Neon, animated, Mtn. Dew-green glass globules festoon a black and gold assault rifle. As an inspect animation, you take off the stock, reattach it elsewhere on the gun, and hold it out to smoke a bowl—your lighter, by the way, is a diminutive fire-breathing lizard. It is so overpoweringly stupid and I don't even want to know how much it will cost, but also? I kind of respect the sheer "damn the world, and good taste" decadence of this thing. From first concept to implementation, how much money and how many man-hours does it take to make a bong gun? I would never buy a bong gun, but it gives me a kind of sick thrill to know that it's out there in the world, making people mad. I usually wouldn't put stock in the comments on X, "The Everything App," but there's quite a few people saying the same thing, they're getting a lot of heat, and the argument is so bizarre, so stupid , I'm reminded of internet greats like the Bodybuilding.com forum debate over how many days are in a week . "Comm banning players for swearing but promotion of drug use," declares one comment with 8,500 likes. "Imagine banning people for swearing etc but promoting using drugs," asserts another with an eye-watering 11,000 likes—11,000 people, give or take a few thousand bots, all expressing some approval of the argument. "But heaven forbid you tell someone they're trash at the game," another bemoans. One even shared a picture of the offensive chat warning they received. I counted at least 25 semi-credible (who even knows these days) comments complaining about Call of Duty's enforcement of its in-game code of conduct when the game contains references to drug use, including one that repeated the slur that they were temporarily banned for. I'd argue that playing an M-rated game with gun violence and fairly absurd depictions of what is, in real life, increasingly pedestrian and legal drug use doesn't entitle you to tell your teammates to kill themselves . But you know what? Not my circus, not my monkeys. Maybe having to see the bong gun is a fitting karmic punishment for being the sort of person who gets freaky in voice chat. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets. European markets are heading for a negative open as traders await the latest U.S. inflation data Wednesday. The U.S consumer price index data will likely influence how the Federal Reserve proceeds on interest rates at its Dec. 17-18 meeting. Economists polled by Dow Jones forecast that headline inflation rose 0.3% in November and 2.7% over the prior 12 months. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Wednesday, after major Wall Street benchmarks declined Tuesday ahead of the data, while U.S. stock futures were near flat Tuesday night. Earnings are set to come from Inditex and OPEC releases its latest monthly oil market report Wednesday. CNBC Pro: What's behind Siemens Energy's 300% rise this year — and what's next? Spun off from its parent company during the Covid-19 pandemic, Siemens Energy has been on a roller coaster over the past 18 months — from a near-death drop to a dizzying climb of over 310% this year. Despite these gains, investors and analysts remain bullish on the company's shares rising even further. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao European markets: Here are the opening calls European markets are expected to open in negative territory Wednesday. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 33 points lower at 8,244, Germany's DAX down 52 points at 20,295, France's CAC down 14 points at 7,372 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 21 points at 34,524, according to data from IG. Earnings are set to come from Inditex and OPEC releases its latest monthly oil market report Wednesday. — Holly EllyattLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Voters dejected by the presidential election results need to find a way to give back and remain involved, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Clinton presidential library. The former president urged audience members in a packed theater to remain engaged and find ways to communicate with those they disagree with despite a divisive political time. The two spoke about a month after former President Donald Trump's win over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Sasa Ciani and Filip Skobalj scored 15 points apiece and Tyem Freeman added five of his nine points in overtime to lead UIC over Little Rock 77-69 on Sunday. Ciani added 10 rebounds for the Flames (7-4). Skobalj made 5 of 11 from 3-point range. Javon Jackson scored 13. Jackson sank three free throws with less than a second left to force OT tied at 64. The Trojans (6-5) were led by Johnathan Lawson, who posted 25 points and eight rebounds. Isaiah Lewis added 11 points and two steals. Tuongthach Gatkek had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Skobalj scored nine points in the first half for UIC, which trailed 32-30 at halftime. Skobalj hit a 3-pointer with 2:45 left in OT to put the Flames up 68-65 and they stayed in front from there. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .None