UCF will attempt to shake off a dreadful offensive performance when it collides with LSU on Sunday afternoon in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The Knights (4-1) couldn't get anything going against No. 19 Wisconsin on Friday, going 21-for-62 from the field (33.9 percent) and just 2-for-17 from 3-point range (11.8 percent) en route to an 86-70 loss. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with 13 points while Keyshawn Hall and Dior Johnson added 11 apiece for UCF, which never led and fell behind by as many as 23. Knights coach Johnny Dawkins is hoping that his team's struggles don't carry over into the meeting with the Tigers (4-1). "We have to do better offensively," Dawkins said. "We have to space the floor better. We have to balance our offense between our perimeter and our bigs. Those are things that we didn't do consistently (on Friday)." LSU also needs to clean things up after committing 15 turnovers in a 74-63 setback against Pitt on Friday. Tigers forward Jalen Reed doesn't believe giving the ball away will be a lingering issue. "I feel like a lot of our turnovers were more on us than them," Reed said. "I feel like a lot of the turnovers were careless, but we're a better team than that and I feel like we'll take care of the ball better moving forward." Reed and Vyctorius Miller each posted 14 points in the loss to the Panthers, with Reed also hauling in seven rebounds. Cam Carter chipped in 11 points. Carter is putting up a team-leading 16.4 points per game. Jordan Sears (12.0 points per game), Reed (11.0) and Miller (10.2) also have scoring averages in double figures. Ivy-Curry (16.8 points per game), Hall (16.2) and Darius Johnson (13.0) have been leading the way for UCF. Sunday marks the first-ever meeting between the Knights and Tigers. --Field Level Media
HARARE – Several Zimbabweans are among the dozens arrested as part of a month-long crackdown by Northamptonshire Police targeting drink and drug driving offences over the festive period. According to the , the operation, which began on December 1 and runs until January 2, 2025, involves naming individuals charged with driving under the influence on the force’s website and social media pages in an effort to deter dangerous driving. This annual campaign aims to highlight the consequences of impaired driving while ensuring road safety during the holiday season. It features roadside checks and patrols at various times, including early mornings, when residual alcohol or drugs from the previous night’s celebrations may impair drivers. Notable Arrests Involving Zimbabweans Among those charged is Takwana Phiri, 27, of St Austell Way, Swindon, who was charged with driving over the legal alcohol limit. He is set to appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on January 10. Similarly, Philip Gobvu, 41, of Windsor Road, Wellingborough, pleaded guilty to driving over the alcohol limit and awaits sentencing. Gobvu was arrested after providing an evidential reading of 72 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, significantly above the legal limit of 35 micrograms. He was disqualified from driving and released on bail pending his sentencing on February 13. So far, 86 arrests have been made during the campaign. These include 66 drivers suspected of exceeding the alcohol limit, 19 for drug-related driving offences, and one for both. Comparatively, 2023 saw 97 arrests for drink driving and 37 for drug driving during the same campaign. Police are emphasising the importance of public awareness to curb the trend. Superintendent Richard James of Northamptonshire Police stated: “Naming offenders publicly is part of our commitment to ensuring safer roads. It’s about accountability and educating the public on the life-altering consequences of these actions.” The crackdown has sparked debates around the ethics of publicly naming offenders. Supporters argue that it acts as a deterrent, while critics believe it could lead to stigmatisation. Nonetheless, authorities maintain that the approach is necessary to address the ongoing risks of impaired driving. The campaign serves as a reminder to drivers worldwide, including Zimbabweans in the diaspora, about the serious repercussions of drink and drug driving, particularly during the holiday season. Authorities urge drivers to make responsible choices and consider alternative transportation options to prevent tragic outcomes and maintain public safety.US News Today Live Updates: In today’s dynamic landscape, staying updated on the latest developments across the United States is essential. US News delivers the most impactful and current stories from coast to coast, covering a broad spectrum of topics, including politics, economic trends, healthcare, social issues, and cultural shifts. From significant government actions and economic shifts to breakthroughs in technology and the latest social debates, we provide real-time updates and thoughtful analysis to keep you informed. Our goal is to keep you connected to the stories that shape American life, ensuring you’re always in the know on the news that matters. US News Today Live: What If Season 3: Release date and OTT streaming info US News Today Live: Shooting at Christian school in Wisconsin: Multiple injuries reportedDoorphone Video Intercom Market Forecasted for Strong Growth from 2024 to 2032
Arsenal moved back to second in the Premier League after dominating possession and shots but scoring only once to beat Ipswich Town at the Emirates. With Bukayo Saka ruled out for “many weeks” according to Mikel Arteta, Gabriel Martinelli started in his place and when his cross was cleared to Leandro Trossard on the left, he found Kai Havertz in the six-yard box to tap in after 23 minutes. Advertisement Arsenal controlled much of the game and Gabriel Magalhaes headed over a fine chance to make the game safe after an hour before Declan Rice had what would have been a fine volleyed goal from a corner blocked. A second goal never came but the win reduced the gap at the top to six points. Here Art de Roche breaks down the game’s key talking points. The benefits of Havertz and Jesus — and why did Rice play No 6? This was the second successive match in which Arteta started Gabriel Jesus and Havertz together, and the dynamics worked for Arsenal again. The attack versus defence nature of the game was set early on, meaning Arsenal could benefit from an extra attacker in midfield rather than fielding two more domineering figures alongside the creative Martin Odegaard . Both Havertz and Jesus were making runs into the six-yard box for the German’s opener. Jesus attacking the front post, and Havertz the back, gave Leandro Trossard options and Ipswich Town problems. Ipswich packing the box could have frustrated Arsenal, but having another body high up helped generate more threat than in the goalless draw against Everton , for example. These dynamics also see Declan Rice return to the base of midfield, rather than playing as a left-sided No 8. Arteta provided some insight on when he may play the England international in either position in his pre-match press conference, saying: “It depends. He’s going to play as a No 6 against a low block in relation to what the (opposition) No 9 does, if they stay with him or go with the centre-back. “But against a team that presses high and the 10 is man marking him, he’s going to have another role, so it depends a lot as well on the behaviour of the opponent.” Ipswich at home was a game that allowed Rice to be stable as a lone No 6. Even if there were moments when Ipswich played through Arsenal’s press, Havertz did well to track back. It also opened the game up, leading to chances like Jesus’ run in behind for a goal which was just slightly offside. Why do Arsenal score so many six-yard box goals? Havertz’s goal was Arsenal’s 13th inside the six-yard box this season. That is the highest number across the Premier League this season with Tottenham Hotspur (11) and Liverpool (10) closest to Arteta’s side. A share of these will come from corners, all three of Gabriel’s goals this season for example. Even if they already rank first in this regard, more goals like Havertz’s will be welcome in the second half of the season. Advertisement Of course, chances from these areas will be of higher quality. That is likely why Arsenal are more considered in their approach play, always probing for an opening. That tally could also represent another side of their game that can evolve, however. Four of Arsenal’s 32 Premier League goals this season have come from outside of the penalty area. In matches when the box is crowded with players waiting for a cross, creating more situations where shots can be taken from just outside the box could be useful. Jurrien Timber did so at 0-0 in the first half, driving through midfield before shooting himself. Although his shot was saved, it asked the Ipswich backline a different question and opened up a space that wasn’t presented again in the game. Arteta likes his team to maintain control for as long as possible, which contributes to scoring so many goals inside the six-yard box, but chaos similar to what was seen at Selhurst Park last week could help break games open a tad more. How do Arsenal concede so few goals at home? Arsenal seeing out that victory means they are the only team in the Premier League without a home defeat this season. They have won five and drawn three of their games at the Emirates this term, and are unbeaten in their last 11 home league matches in total. Matches are rarely transitional at the Emirates, which will play its part. Like against Ipswich, Arsenal tend to be dominant from start to finish, with moments in between that need to be managed carefully. Those moments were dotted throughout the second half against Ipswich, but David Raya was not put under any duress. The match ending 1-0 means that Arsenal have kept four consecutive home clean sheets in the league for the first time since November/December 2021. Considering the goals that they were conceding earlier in the season that made games more frantic, like against Southampton and Leicester City , that was a much-needed development. All this led to the travelling Ipswich fans chanting “Boring, boring Arsenal” in added time. The home crowd then responded with chants of “1-0 to the Arsenal” to bring a close to 2024 at the Emirates. What next for Arsenal? Wednesday, January 1 : Brentford (away), Premier League, 5:30pm UK, 12:30pm ET Recommended reading (Top photo: Stephanie Meek – CameraSport via Getty Images)
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The comeback has started. Green Bay intercepted Sam Darnold, converting the pick into a four-play, 16-yard drive that has the Packers within 20-10 of the Vikings. Darnold tried to hit T.J. Hockenson and instead watched Carrington Valentine intercept the pass. Valentine returned it 33 yards to the Minnesota 17 before Jalen Nailor forced Valentine to fumble. Keisean Nixon recovered for the Packers at the Minnesota 16. Josh Jacobs ran for 3 yards; Jordan Love completed a 9-yard pass to Romeo Doubs, and then Jacobs had runs of 2 and 2. The last was a touchdown run. He has scored in seven consecutive games and now has 17 carries for 69 yards.Lopetegui came into the game under pressure following some poor displays from the Hammers in recent weeks but they earned a hard-fought victory to end the Magpies’ three-game winning spell. Despite a promising opening from the hosts, Tomas Soucek headed West Ham in front before Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s first goal for the club after the break wrapped up victory. Lopetegui was pleased with his side’s display following a “tough match”. He said: “I am happy for the three points and am very happy against a good team like Newcastle, who have good players and a fantastic coach. “I think today was a tough match and we were able to compete as a team. “I think we deserved to win. Today they had many moments in the first half, but I think the second half we deserved to win and we are happy because you have to do these kind of matches against this type of team if you want to overcome them.” Newcastle started brightly and had plenty of chances in the first half especially, but the visitors responded after the break by retaining possession well. The win eases the pressure on Lopetegui, whose West Ham side face Arsenal on Saturday, and he believes the victory is an important feeling for his players. He said: “I think the only thing that is under our control is to play football, to improve, to defend well, to convince the players we are able to do better. “Today we did, but I think the only thing we can do is to do the things that are under our control, not today but every day. “So we had to keep with this mentality, but above all let me say we are happy for the players because they need this kind of feeling as a team to believe that we are able to do well as a team, to put the best for each player of the team.” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe admitted defeat was a missed opportunity for his side. The Magpies missed a series of chances in the first half, including efforts from Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, before Alexander Isak blasted a chance off target. Anthony Gordon also rolled an effort just wide of the post after the break and Isak headed wide of goal. Three points could have seen Newcastle move into the top six and Howe admitted his side need to learn from the match. “Yes, massive because the league is so tight that a couple of wins and the whole picture looks very different,” Howe said. “We’ll kick ourselves tonight because we knew the opportunity we had, a home game, Monday night, a great moment for us potentially in our season, so we have to learn from that and come back stronger.”
( ) is the as the electronic components maker notches a record high on accelerating sales and earnings growth. In intraday trading on the , Amphenol stock reached an all-time high of 75.67. With the move higher, it also cleared a short with a 74.92 , according to . Further, in afternoon trades on Monday, Amphenol stock was up 1.9% at 75.03. On Oct. 23, Amphenol stock touched a buy point of 70.84 from a 17-week consolidation period, according to charts. That occurred after it delivered better-than-expected results for the . Amphenol earned an adjusted 50 cents a share, up 28% year over year, on sales of $4.04 billion, up 26%, in the September quarter. Meanwhile, analysts polled by FactSet had expected earnings of 45 cents a share on sales of $3.81 billion. The Wallingford, Conn.-based company has now posted four straight quarters of accelerating sales and earnings growth. Amphenol Stock Gets AI Data Center Lift Amphenol designs and manufactures electrical, electronic and fiber-optic connectors and interconnect systems, antennas, sensors and sensor-based products and coaxial and high-speed specialty cable. It serves a diverse set of customers in the interconnect market. Further, its products are used in automotive, broadband communications, commercial aerospace, defense, industrial, information technology, mobile communications and other applications. In a client note Monday, JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee reiterated his overweight rating on Amphenol stock. The company has "favorable positioning within AI data centers," Chatterjee said. That business "is expected to ramp significantly" amid heightened capital spending by hyperscalers, he said. "We expect Amphenol's AI revenues to expand from about $1 billion in 2024 to about $3 billion in 2025," Chatterjee said. Amphenol stock is on the list.
Struggling Glasgow clothes retailer Quiz to ‘run out of cash’ in early 2025 after poor ChristmasUCF will attempt to shake off a dreadful offensive performance when it collides with LSU on Sunday afternoon in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The Knights (4-1) couldn't get anything going against No. 19 Wisconsin on Friday, going 21-for-62 from the field (33.9 percent) and just 2-for-17 from 3-point range (11.8 percent) en route to an 86-70 loss. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with 13 points while Keyshawn Hall and Dior Johnson added 11 apiece for UCF, which never led and fell behind by as many as 23. Knights coach Johnny Dawkins is hoping that his team's struggles don't carry over into the meeting with the Tigers (4-1). "We have to do better offensively," Dawkins said. "We have to space the floor better. We have to balance our offense between our perimeter and our bigs. Those are things that we didn't do consistently (on Friday)." LSU also needs to clean things up after committing 15 turnovers in a 74-63 setback against Pitt on Friday. Tigers forward Jalen Reed doesn't believe giving the ball away will be a lingering issue. "I feel like a lot of our turnovers were more on us than them," Reed said. "I feel like a lot of the turnovers were careless, but we're a better team than that and I feel like we'll take care of the ball better moving forward." Reed and Vyctorius Miller each posted 14 points in the loss to the Panthers, with Reed also hauling in seven rebounds. Cam Carter chipped in 11 points. Carter is putting up a team-leading 16.4 points per game. Jordan Sears (12.0 points per game), Reed (11.0) and Miller (10.2) also have scoring averages in double figures. Ivy-Curry (16.8 points per game), Hall (16.2) and Darius Johnson (13.0) have been leading the way for UCF. Sunday marks the first-ever meeting between the Knights and Tigers. --Field Level Media
How they voted: Ryan, Molinaro on veterans programs, anti-SemitismNoDerog/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Founded in 1872, Kimberly-Clark Corporation ( NYSE: KMB ) is a large multinational paper products company with an emphasis on baby, child, and family care. Income-focused investors have long prized KMB stock for its stable and predictable If you enjoyed this, consider Ian's Insider Corner to enjoy access to similar initiation reports for all the new stocks that we buy. Membership also includes an active chat room, weekly updates, and my responses to your questions. Ian Bezek is a former hedge fund analyst at Kerrisdale Capital. He has spent the decade living in Latin America, doing the boots-on-the ground research for investors interested in markets such as Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. He also specializes in high-quality compounders and growth stocks at reasonable prices in the US and other developed markets. Ian leads the investing group Ian's Insider Corner . Features of the group include: the Weekend Digest which covers everything from new ideas to updates on current holdings and macro analysis, trade alerts, an active chat room, and direct access to Ian. Learn More . Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Haryana Police and the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) jointly inaugurated India’s first Traffic Engineering Centre (TEC) and Organisational Development Centre (ODC) at the Traffic Towers, Gurugram, on Friday, said officials on Saturday. The centres, which is already operational, aim to improve traffic management and road safety, officials said. The initiative, supported by Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF) through its corporate social responsibility (CRS) funding, focuses on improving traffic management efficiency, reducing accidents, and enhancing road safety standards in Gurugram and other metropolitan cities, officials added. Speaking at the inauguration, Haryana director general of police Shatrujeet Kapur said, “This centre will significantly improve Gurugram’s traffic management, reduce road accidents, and save lives. It represents a collaborative effort to transform road safety in India.” The TEC is equipped with over 1,100 cameras for real-time road monitoring, allowing swift communication between the control room and on-ground personnel during peak traffic hours or accidents. Officials said that this system would help reduce response times, clear congestion efficiently, and improve commuter safety. Dr Rohit Baluja, president of IRTE, called the centres a “historic public-private partnership milestone.” He added, “We are proud to launch these transformative centres, which will set new benchmarks in traffic management and organisational development. We are grateful to Hyundai Motor India Foundation and Gurugram Police for their active support in this initiative.” The centres will also provide training for police officers in areas such as traffic enforcement, road safety audits, accident analysis, and driver behaviour evaluation, officials said. The ODC, in particular, will focus on sustainable traffic management systems through research and collaboration, covering road signage maintenance, transportation planning, and post-accident response. Additionally, the centres are expected to contribute to traffic engineering research, develop innovative enforcement technologies such as camera network and a diagnostic system, and assess highways for safety and efficiency. According to officials, with IRTE’s expertise, the initiative is projected to establish new standards in road safety and traffic management, benefiting commuters and stakeholders across India. The inauguration ceremony was led by DGP Kapur and Unsoo Kim, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor India, in the presence of police commissioner Vikas Arora and deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Virender Vij.Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll findsPennsylvania Sen.-elect Dave McCormick speaks to 'The Ingraham Angle' after Sen. Bob Casey conceded the election. Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey on Thursday announced he has conceded the race to Republican candidate Dave McCormick more than two weeks after Election Day . Casey said in a statement that he called McCormick to congratulate him. McCormick's campaign also independently confirmed the news to Fox News Digital. "I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate," Casey said in the statement. "As the first count of ballots is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last." "This race was one of the closest in our Commonwealth’s history, decided by less than a quarter of a point. I am grateful to the thousands of people who worked to make sure every eligible vote cast could be counted, including election officials in all 67 counties." RNC FILES TWO LAWSUITS IN PENNSYLVANIA AMID SEN BOB CASEY REFUSING TO CONCEDE RACE McCormick believes Pennsylvania voters are realizing the importance of the 2024 election. (Reuters/ Associated Press) The Pennsylvania State Department confirmed that all counties "have completed their initial count of all votes cast, with the exception of ballots under challenge." "This is a major step that marks the end of counties’ initial counting processes and signals that counties begin preparing their results for official certification. Thousands of election professionals have been working tirelessly since Nov. 5 to ensure every eligible vote cast by a registered voter is counted accurately. All of Pennsylvania’s election officials deserve our thanks, as well as our continued support while they complete their duties with integrity," the message said. The news comes after McCormick edged out Casey by just 17,000 votes to win the Senate seat, according to the most recent unofficial data from the Department of State – putting Casey well within the 0.5% margin of error required under Pennsylvania law to trigger an automatic recount. That recount began Monday and was slated to end Nov. 26. The Republican Party blasted Democrats this week for Casey's refusal to concede the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, taking aim at the three-term incumbent for moving ahead with a costly recount effort, despite their assessment that Casey lacked any achievable path to victory. They have also criticized the cost, noting that the recount will cost taxpayers an estimated $1 million. In his statement Thursday, Casey praised the democratic process and voters who turned out in the Keystone State. "When a Pennsylvanian takes the time to cast a legal vote, often waiting in long lines and taking time away from their work and family, they deserve to know that their vote will count," Casey said. "That’s democracy." Later Thursday, Casey took to X to thank his supporters. "During my time in office, I have been guided by an inscription on the Finance Building in Harrisburg: ‘All public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.’" He added: "Thank you for your trust in me all these years, Pennsylvania. It has been the honor of my lifetime." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said the news "hits me." "It’s been a supreme honor to have Bob Casey as a colleague, friend, and mentor," Fetterman said in a statement. "His legacy is a better Pennsylvania. Unassuming while delivering for PA for nearly two decades, he fought for working Pennsylvanians and unions, rural communities, seniors and people with disabilities—all of us. Bob Casey was, is, and always will be Pennsylvania’s best senator." EDITOR'S NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify that the Pennsylvania secretary of state had not announced the end of the recount as of Friday morning. Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the 2024 election and other national news.
CHARLEBOIS: Canada’s top food stories of 2024, a mix of triumphs and setbacksThe New England Patriots entered Sunday’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins feeling like they were a team ready to turn a corner after a season’s worth of struggles. A revealed just how much more work is left to do before they can make that pronouncement. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye struggled to make sense of things afterward but did make his own proclamation to his teammates. “I told some guys, just remember this feeling of really getting our butts whooped today, and it’s only up from here,” Maye said. There was plenty of bad football for the Patriots (3-9) to dwell on after losing for the third time in four games. It starts with self-inflicted mistakes, most notably committing 10 penalties for 75 yards, that left the team playing catch-up throughout the game. Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 221 yards with 26 yards rushing but had a costly strip sack in the third quarter that led to a Miami score. It was his seventh turnover in three games. There also are big issues to work out for a Patriots defense that allowed Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to complete 29 of 40 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns. New England coach Jerod Mayo said his team entered this week prepared for some tough film sessions with only Sunday’s matchup against Indianapolis left before its bye week. “Those are those hard meetings where you have to address the elephant in the room, but it’s no secret,” he said. “The good thing about the sport, it’s all recorded. You can go back and forth on it, but the film doesn’t lie.” What’s working It seems insignificant right now, but it was encouraging to see Maye end the game on some positive notes after Miami took a 31-0 lead. On the Patriots’ next possession, Maye connected on deep passes to Demario Douglas and Hunter Henry before capping the drive with a 38-yard TD pass to Austin Hooper. What needs help Offensive line. This week brought regression for a group that had found some consistency after starting Ben Brown (center), Vederian Lowe (left tackle), Michael Jordan (left guard), Mike Onwenu (right guard) and Demontrey Jacobs (right tackle) in consecutive games. It evaporated against a Dolphins defense that sacked Maye four times. For the day, New England’s O-line was whistled for seven of the team’s 10 penalties. Stock up DE Christian Barmore. In his second game of the season, he notched his first sack, dropping Tagovailoa for a 2-yard loss in the third quarter. It’s a big milestone for Barmore, who was diagnosed with blood clots shortly after the start of training camp. Stock down Lowe. He was whistled for four penalties in the first half on Sunday: three false starts and a hold. He also allowed Zach Sieler to beat him for a strip-sack on Maye late in the third quarter that set up the Dolphins’ final touchdown of the day. Injuries The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries on Sunday. However, Lowe did seem to be bothered by a shoulder injury that limited his practice availability leading up to the game. Key number 7 — The number of Dolphins’ offensive plays that went for 15 or more yards against the Patriots. Next steps The Patriots host the Colts on Sunday. ___ AP NFL coverage:
Google has named Debbie Weinstein, a senior executive for the tech giant in the UK, as its president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Until now, Ms Weinstein has been the US firm’s vice president and managing director in the UK and Ireland, having previously worked at Unilever. She said her focus will be on “unlocking AI-powered growth for everyone”, calling the current AI boom a “pivotal” time for the tech giant. Google has joined many of its rivals in launching a string of high-profile generative AI products in recent times, led by the firm’s generative AI-powered assistant, Gemini. “Europe, the Middle East and Africa is an amazingly diverse and varied region, but the enormous growth opportunity that AI can create is universal,” she said. “My focus will be on unlocking that AI-powered growth for everyone – users, businesses, partners and governments across every part of the region. “I’m excited to be stepping into this role at a pivotal time, in a company where I’ve spent the last ten years and leading a region where I’ve spent much of my life.” Google employs more than 29,000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with 56 offices across 35 countries in those regions working on many of the firm’s largest products, including its search engine, the Android mobile operating system and its Chrome web browser. Its AI research arm, at Google DeepMind, is also led from London. Philipp Schindler, Google senior vice president and chief business officer, said: “This is the AI era and we are only just beginning to see its transformative impact on business and society. “In such a pivotal moment for technology, I’m thrilled we’ve appointed a visionary leader to be our President of Google EMEA. “Debbie brings a track record of unlocking growth that benefits everyone, alongside the passion and focus needed to help our customers succeed, as we bring the best of Google’s Gemini-era to everyone across EMEA.”There are times when a postseason bowl seems like the first game of next year for the participating teams. That cliche means something a little different for NC State and East Carolina. The Wolfpack and Pirates face each other in the Military Bowl on Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland. Then they'll see each other again in about eight months. NC State opens the 2025 season at home against ECU on Aug. 30. There is certainly plenty of familiarity between these two programs, even though NC State (6-6) is in the ACC and East Carolina (7-5) is in the AAC. The teams — located about 80 miles apart — have met 32 times, most recently in 2022 when the Wolfpack won 21-20. From 1970-87, these teams played each other every year. Since 2004, they haven't gone more than two consecutive seasons without meeting. “Hour and a half down the road and you're playing — whether you play every year or don't play every year — I think it's still a rivalry," East Carolina coach Blake Harrell said. "Our fans still get excited. They still think that's a rivalry. Our players still think that's a rivalry.” NC State leads the series 19-13 and has won three straight — but East Carolina won three in a row before that. “It's weird playing a team that we open with next year,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said. “We don't play them that much. We play them every three years, so it's really a roster turnover. Every time we see them, it's a different ballclub for the most part. But yeah, finishing with who you open with is unique.” NC State and East Carolina met in the Peach Bowl in 1992 — during an eight-year hiatus in their regular-season series. ECU scored three touchdowns in the final 7:26 to win 37-34. “We had that time during COVID, we obviously all had some down time. I remember searching through YouTube, just past games to check out. That game did pop up," Harrell said. "That was a special moment for that team and that program at the time, and this could be a special moment for this team and this program.” NC State is playing in the Military Bowl for the first time. East Carolina was supposed to participate in 2021, but the game was canceled. The Pirates lost to Maryland in the 2010 edition. Harrell took over on an interim basis in the middle of the season when Mike Houston was fired. After leading the Pirates to four straight wins, Harrell had the interim tag removed . Freshman CJ Bailey took over at quarterback for NC State this season after concussion problems ended Grayson McCall's career. Bailey has completed 64.1% of his passes. Only Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson threw for more touchdowns as a freshman for the Wolfpack than Bailey, who has 14 TD tosses. “He's a really good player. Doesn't play like a freshman to me,” Harrell said. "Makes really good throws down the field, has a really good arm, and then if he takes off scrambling or if the quarterback-designed run game, he's a long strider. He can eat up some ground. Nobody ever catches him." 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-footballNo. 23 Texas A&M aims to hand Oregon first loss at Players Era
Democrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contest