Juan Soto introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15-year deal NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto put on a New York Mets jersey and cap for the first time after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized and talked about what made the difference in his decision. He said at his introductory news conference on Thursday that the Mets “showed me a lot of love." Soto was introduced at Citi Field a day after his deal was finalized. Speaking in the Piazza 31 Club, Soto was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and his agent, Scott Boras. Bill Belichick 'always wanted' to give college coaching a try. Now he will at North Carolina New North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick said he had long been interested in coaching in the college ranks. But it had never worked out until now, as he takes over the Tar Heels program. Belichick led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles during a 24-year run there that ended last year. University trustees approved terms of a five-year deal for him Thursday morning before he held his introductory news conference on campus. Wander Franco's sex abuse trial has been postponed 5 months PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — The trial against Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking, has been postponed until June 2, 2025. Dominican judge Yacaira Veras postponed the hearing Thursday at the request of prosecutors because of the absence of several key witnesses in the case. Franco’s lawyers asked the court to reconsider the postponement, arguing Franco must report to spring training in mid-February. The judge replied that Franco is obligated to continue with the trial schedule and his conditional release from detainment. Rape investigation that Swedish media say focused on Kylian Mbappé has been closed STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish prosecutors say they have dropped a rape investigation that was launched in connection with soccer star Kylian Mbappé’s visit to Stockholm in October. In a statement, lead investigator Marina Chirakova says there is not enough evidence to continue the investigation into the allegation at a hotel. Prosecutors never publicly named the suspect in the investigation but some Swedish media reported it was Mbappé. The Real Madrid striker visited Stockholm in October during a break in the Spanish league. At the time, Mbappé’s legal team dismissed those reports as false. Travis Hunter, the 2-way standout for Colorado, is the AP college football player of the year BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter is The Associated Press college football player of the year. Hunter received 26 of the 43 votes from a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second with 16 votes, and Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo received one vote. A throwback player who rarely left the field, Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver. He had four interceptions and 11 passes defensed as a shutdown corner. Hunter helped the the 20th-ranked Buffaloes to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the Alamo Bowl against BYU. 2034 World Cup visitors will live in 'a bubble' and not see real life, Saudi rights activist says LONDON (AP) — A Saudi human rights activist says soccer fans visiting Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup will live in a “bubble” that doesn't reflect real life there. Lina al-Hathloul is a London-based activist whose sister was jailed in Saudi Arabia then banned from travel after campaigning to end a ban on women driving. When FIFA confirmed the kingdom as the 2034 tournament host on Wednesday its president Gianni Infantino acknowledged “the world will be watching” for positive social change. Al-Hathloul says western people “will be very safe” at the World Cup but "will see a bubble of what Saudi Arabia is.” Team claims NASCAR rescinded approval to buy new charter unless federal antitrust suit is dropped CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A new court filing says NASCAR rejected Front Row Motorsports’ agreement to purchase a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing unless the team and 23XI Racing dropped their federal antitrust lawsuit against the stock car series. Front Row and 23XI rejected NASCAR's new revenue sharing agreement and have gone to court. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. Indian teen Gukesh Dommaraju becomes the youngest chess world champion after beating Chinese rival NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has become the youngest chess world champion after beating the defending champion Ding Liren of China. Dommaraju, 18, secured 7.5 points against 6.5 of his Chinese rival in Thursday's game which was played in Singapore. He has surpassed the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov who won the title at the age of 22. Dommaraju is now also the second Indian to win the title after five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand. The Indian teen prodigy has long been considered a rising star in the chess world after he became a chess grandmaster at 12. He had entered the match as the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after winning the Candidates tournament earlier this year. Hojlund scores twice for Manchester United to beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in Europa League Rasmus Hojlund scored twice after coming off the bench and Manchester United rallied to beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in the Europa League. The Denmark striker netted in the 88th minute after collecting Bruno Fernandes’ pass off a free kick to seal the victory. Ahead of the late games, United moved to fifth place with 12 points from six games. Hojlund came on in the 56th to replace Marcus Rashford and scored an equalizer six minutes later. In the Conference League a youthful Chelsea lineup made the most of a long trip to Kazakhstan by beating Astana 3-1 to stay perfect in the third-tier competition. Raiders player Charles Snowden facing misdemeanor DUI charge after Las Vegas arrest LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders football player Charles Snowden was arrested in Las Vegas on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence and released from custody. The NFL, the Raiders and Snowden’s attorneys acknowledged Thursday the 26-year-old first-year defensive end was arrested early Tuesday. He faces a scheduled court date in April. It’s not clear yet whether the arrest will affect Snowden’s status with the team. He has played every game this season, and the Raiders' next game is at home on Monday. Commissioner Roger Goodell can impose a three-game suspension without pay for a first violation of the league's alcohol abuse policy.
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026. MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 but is still working on the shape of the strike zone. An agreement for big league use would have to be reached with the Major League Baseball Umpires Association, whose collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1. Related Story: Commissioner Manfred Eyes 2026 Implementation “I would be interested in having it in ’26,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday after an owners’ meeting. “We do have a collective bargaining obligation there. That’s obviously a term and condition of employment. We’re going to have to work through that issue, as well.” Manfred said the spring training experiment will have to be evaluated before MLB determines how to move forward. “There’s two sides to that test,” he said. “It’s what the clubs think about it and also what do the players think about it? And we’re going to have to sort through both of those.” Related Story: Ongoing Experimentation with ABS in Minor Leagues Triple-A ballparks used ABS this year for the second straight season, but there is little desire to call the strike zone as the cube defined in the rule book and MLB has experimented with modifications during minor league testing. The ABS currently calls strikes solely based on where the ball crosses the midpoint of the plate, 8.5 inches from the front and the back. The top of the strike zone was increased to 53.5% of batter height this year from 51%, and the bottom remained at 27%. Related Story: Challenge System Implemented in Triple-A After splitting having the robot alone for the first three games of each series and a human with a challenge system in the final three during the first 2 1/2 months of the Triple-A season, MLB on June 25 switched to an all-challenge system in which a human umpire makes nearly all decisions. During the second half of the season, each team had three challenges in the Pacific Coast League and two in the International League. A team retains its challenge if successful, similar to the regulations for big league teams with video reviews. “I think we will have a spring training ABS test that will provide a meaningful opportunity for all major league players to see what the challenge system will look like,” Manfred said. “It won’t be in every single ballpark but we actually have a plan where every team will get meaningful exposure.”
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein was carted off the field with 5:32 left in the first quarter with an apparent left ankle injury during Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference game against host Louisville. The freshman was sacked at the Panthers' 49-yard line by Louisville's Ashton Gillotte, who rolled on the quarterback's ankle. Holstein was in a walking boot as he was helped to the cart. Holstein missed last week's game against Clemson after suffering a head injury in the loss to Virginia two weeks ago. Holstein was 3-for-5 passing for 51 yards and an interception before exiting. Nate Yarnell, who threw for 350 yards in the loss to Clemson, replaced Holstein. --Field Level MediaJalandhar: There does not appear to be any smooth implementation of two Akal Takht directives to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) pertaining to its working. While Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Sunday gave 20 days to SAD to accept former chief Sukhbir Singh Badal ’s resignation and, by doing so, increased it from the initial three days, the seven-member committee formed for enrolment in SAD has not started functioning or even coordinating within. The biggest hiccup is an argument being given by a section of SAD leadership: that their taking decisions on Akal Takht’s directives could lead to legal complications and become a challenge to the party’s registration with the Election Commission of India. SAD Sudhar Lehar convener Gurpartap Singh Wadala, a member of the seven-member committee, said there had been no initial coordination within the committee. “We can work only if a process of coordination is initiated within the committee by the SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, who heads it,” he said. Dhami told TOI he had conveyed to the Akal Takht jathedar that SAD acting on its directives could be seen as a case of a religious authority directing a political party. “I called upon the jathedar on Friday and discussed this. I have requested jathedar sahib to take advice from legal luminaries, so that the Akali Dal remains on a sound footing. We can start working after that,” Dhami said. Sources in SAD said this argument, of risk to SAD’s registration as a political party, was being strongly given in the top circles of the party, even as there was the ostensible reason that the party’s working president, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, and members of the working committee were also performing ‘tankhah’. SAD leaders had given this argument earlier when Akal Takht jathedar and four other high priests ordered Virsa Singh Valtoha’s expulsion from SAD for 10 years. As a way out, SAD accepted Valtoha’s resignation without referring to the Akal Takht directive. Certain other directives by Akal Takht on Dec 2 are set to impact Sukhbir’s political career, including the taking back of the ‘Path Ratan Fakhr-E-Qaum’ title from his father, late Parkash Singh Badal, posthumously, and the observation “this leadership has lost the moral right to lead the Akali Dal”. However, these two directives – pertaining to his resignation and membership drive – could have a bearing on his and his aides’ careers. The pronouncement from Akal Takht laid emphasis that the membership drive should be genuine and Aadhaar cards, etc., should be used to eliminate any bogus enrolment. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .How to protect your communications through encryption
Tweet Facebook Mail A Victorian snake catcher has warned people to beware of snakes seeking indoor shelter as the days get hotter and longer. Wyndhamvale-based Stewy the Snake Catcher wrote on Facebook that snakes were at risk of overheating during summer, because they cannot regulate their body temperature. "A snake's optimum temperature range is anywhere between 18 degrees to 30 degrees. Any hotter than that and they can really struggle," he said. READ MORE: Where is Assad? Russia solves the mystery of the Syrian dictator's escape Victoria-based Stewy the Snake Catcher posted this picture on Facebook to show how snakes squeeze under doors. (Stewy the Snake Catcher/Facebook) "When the temperature is too hot for snakes, they will enter houses, garages, warehouses, shops etc in order to cool down." Alongside the post, the snake catcher uploaded a photo of a red-bellied black snake flattening itself out to sneak under a closed door. "If you have your air conditioner going, a snake can sense the cooler air seeping from underneath your door, and they are absolutely amazing at squeezing into tight places," he said. READ MORE: Court blocks unions from striking after Sydney Trains talks break down Watch your fingers - can you spot the snake in the box? View Gallery "A (snake) can squeeze through a gap of about one-third of its body circumference." And, he said, if a snake can't squeeze through the gap, it can lie against the crack and absorb the cooler air that way. "So please always look down before you step out," Stewy wrote. Anybody who comes into contact with a snake is urged to call a snake catcher for advice and a possible relocation. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .College Football Playoff field: What went right, what went wrong
NoneAfter a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is garble that can't be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials had until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won't be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here's a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Texting Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you're an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there's a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, has also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” Chat apps To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption to all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent or lease customer data and has made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal's encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp, so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. What about Telegram? Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels" but contrary to popular perception, it doesn't turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts have warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France. Making calls Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding an IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
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