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If you're a meat lover, a big, juicy steak seared to perfection can deliver ultimate satisfaction. With the right equipment and know-how, any home chef can learn . But if you'd rather let someone else do all the work — let alone the dishes — the steak dinner of your dreams is worth an excursion to somewhere a little (or a lot) fancier than your usual hangouts. Even the kind of home cook who has a favorite meat thermometer and can tell a medium-rare steak by touch will happily leave the cooking to an expert for a special meal or celebration. As , diners are also flocking to trendy bistros and classic white-tablecloth restaurants that offer steaks worth the price tag. However, if you don't dine out at The Ritz every night, all this talk of tablecloths and bistros might seem a little intimidating. Never fear — the quick-to-judge servers of legend are largely found only in tales of restaurants past. In modern eateries, customer service is the name of the game. Still, there are several tips, hints, and unspoken rules that are good to know when going out for steak — including things you should never say when ordering it. 'I'd like my steak done medium plus' When a server asks how you'd like your steak done, your options are rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done. Each level of doneness is defined by a specific range on a meat thermometer, although only experienced chefs may possess the almost-magical talent for getting it right every time. How long it takes a steak to reach each level depends on the cut of beef, the individual steak's size and thickness, and the heat of the grill. A medium-rare steak, for example, should have an interior temperature of 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit; a medium one, between 140 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. For a 6- to 8-ounce steak, the difference between medium-rare and medium is determined by a minute or so on the grill. Ordering a steak done "medium plus" doesn't signal to the server that you are a person of such exquisite taste that the difference of 30 seconds' cook time is a deal-breaker. Your server probably hears something more like, "I don't understand how a restaurant kitchen works, and I'd really like to annoy the chef." Chefs and servers tend to concur that any "plus" order will likely be cooked to the higher temperature in the range. If you order a medium plus steak, it will almost certainly be served medium well. And it will be just fine. 'What steaks are trending right now?' Social media can be a great way of learning about new restaurants or dishes you've never tried. If someone you follow has posted photos of a gorgeous steak from a restaurant where you're dining, go ahead and ask your server about it. If the pic is of a seasonal special or something else that's no longer on the menu, the server can help guide you to something you'll enjoy, and it's worthwhile to follow that advice — because spending big bucks on a steak just for an Instagram post isn't your best dining option. We're not going to hate on anyone for ordering something just because it looks neat online. However, maybe make it a $7 fancy latte, not a $1,000 filet mignon wrapped in gold leaf at a blingy Vegas restaurant. Without a doubt, photos of a beautiful steak fit for a James Bond villain are eye-catching, and perhaps for a few minutes, . But paying for a chef to apply gold — or any such gimmick — to even the tastiest of steaks will likely result in your receiving insufficient bang for the buck. A properly prepared steak is timelessly delicious, and needs no trendy embellishments. 'I'd like the steak tartare well done' Steak tartare is one of . It's prepared from high-quality raw steak — typically beef tenderloin or top round — that's minced and mixed with capers, shallots, or other flavorings, and scooped onto crusty bread, toast points, or even potato chips. But whatever you scoop it onto, the steak is always raw. Asking for it to be cooked is like telling a sushi chef you'll have your sashimi grilled. Gourmets may mock people who order steak tartare this way, although a server would most likely just be confused, and worried about how you'd react to being gently corrected. Here's the thing: No server worth their apron minds helping diners to understand everything on offer. It's good customer service, which pays off in the form of better tips and the satisfaction of helping a fledgling regular find their new favorite dish. The terminally shy or introverted diner may wilt at the idea of asking to have French-cuisine terminology explained, fearing it will make them look foolish if they don't know their boeuf bourguignon from their Chateaubriand — let alone what they're getting into when ordering steak tartare. In fact, boldly ordering something you may not enjoy, particularly at fine-dining prices, is a much worse look. Instead, pregame by checking out menus online. That way, you can look up any unfamiliar terms ahead of time, minimizing awkward surprises at the table. 'I'll need lots of A.1. Sauce with my steak' You may wonder why asking for A.1. is a faux pas. After all, isn't it a steak sauce? Well ... kind of. In fact, while this iconic product's label called it "steak sauce" for many years, during the past decade the bottle is simply labeled "original sauce" as part of a marketing push to encourage customers to slather it on a wide range of foods. Commercial steak sauces were largely formulated to dominate or even disguise the taste of a lackluster cut of meat. Heavy on notes of salt, acid, and sugar, old-school steak sauce could probably make a gym sock palatable, and that's actually part of the problem here. A nice cut of steak has the potential to be truly transcendent when properly aged, seasoned minimally, and cooked over high heat to ideal doneness. Imagine you're the chef who selected this cut for the menu, lovingly prepared it, and sent it out to a diner ... only to have the customer douse it in a store-bought concoction laden with vinegar and corn syrup. Can you see how that might be a little insulting? Instead, look for sauce pairings on the evening's menu. Perhaps a velvety peppercorn sauce is offered over a tender filet. Meanwhile, at a Latin–influenced restaurant, the chef may insist that . If you're unsure of what you'd enjoy, ask your server for guidance. 'Can you heat up the blue steak?' While not quite eliciting the level of cringe as ordering a broiled tartare, asking to have a blue steak heated through is another sign that you might be following trends rather than your own tastes. In the past couple of years, countless videos have appeared on social media featuring blue steak. One of the first things you'll notice upon viewing such vids is that the steak really isn't blue at all. Which makes sense, because if you think about it for a minute or two (which is also the amount of time a blue steak is cooked per side), raw steak isn't blue. But it can be a deep red-purple, which is the proper color of the cold, almost-raw center of a steak cooked blue. Guidelines for preparation vary slightly, but many chefs agree that a blue steak should be seared in an extremely hot pan for a minute or two per side, until the outside is nicely browned and the interior barely cooked, shading to raw at the center. This level of doneness equates to an internal temperature of 115 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. So, is it safe to eat? The answer is yes ... almost certainly. A high-end restaurant will use only the freshest cuts, and should observe meticulous food safety. A proper sear to all surfaces — including the steak's sides — will kill off bacteria lurking on the meat's exterior. Nonetheless, the USDA recommends serving all steaks cooked medium at minimum. 'I'll take the filet, but with just a few changes' Ordering off-menu is one of those things that is supposed to make you sound sophisticated and in-the-know. All too often, though, it can make you sound like you're more accustomed to In-N-Out Burger than fine dining. Which is no dig at secret-menu items at In-N-Out ... but when ordering a $75 steak, you should trust the chef. Whether through years of culinary school, consistent five-star reviews, or likely both, the chef at a fine-dining eatery has developed a crowd-pleasing repertoire. But what about just a few little tweaks to make something on the menu just absolutely perfect, according to your exacting tastes? Still no. What may seem like small changes to you can be a real hassle for a busy kitchen. A request to substitute capers for peppercorns can throw off a busy line. Many chefs just refuse — but even if they say yes, that dish likely isn't going to get the loving care it deserves. Also, restaurant management may be reluctant to grant this request out of concern that images of off-menu items may be posted online, which can snowball into more orders for the same doctored dish. Of course, this doesn't apply to anyone with food allergies, or for very minor changes like having the sauce on the side. Let your server know about any food sensitivities, and ask them to recommend options. 'And make it quick' A good steak dinner should be a luxurious experience, so don't try to rush it. Anyone who's worked in an even slightly fancy restaurant will tell you that behind every "and make it quick" lurks a "prioritize my meal ahead of everyone else's." Making the front end of a restaurant seem calm and effortless takes a lot of effort from servers, bussers, and hosts. Making a busy kitchen run efficiently is equally difficult, it might just involve more yelling, depending on the restaurant. Issuing this kind of prima-donna directive can only result in resentment from every employee in the eatery. Cooking a sizable steak to medium takes at least 20 minutes, not counting the time it needs to rest after coming off the heat before plating. Asking for this to be rushed so that you can make a Broadway show is basically an impossibility. If you're in a hurry to catch a flight or a movie, but absolutely must get your beef fix first, stop by one of the , and save the upscale steakhouse experience for when you've got the time to fully appreciate it. 'What's your daily-special steak today?' Here's the thing about specials — sometimes they can, in fact, be a truly special experience. Other times, not so much. Done right, a special dish is something the chef crafts to take advantage of seasonal produce, or when some unexpected culinary wonder shows up from a trusted supplier. If the kitchen's favorite woodland forager appears with a basket of fresh ramps or rare wild mushrooms, those are going on the menu. Similarly, if the chef can order enough of a less-common cut (like a bavette or hanger steak) to add it to the menu, it'll likely by offered as a one-night-only special and priced accordingly. Unfortunately, these are exceptions, and otherwise you should avoid the specials. Why? Well, oftentimes a daily special is meant to move ingredients that have been sitting in the walk-in cooler a little too long, and even in the swankiest of joints, servers are encouraged to push them. The steak might still be delicious, but there's a decent chance that you'll end up eating something that might otherwise have been tossed a day or two later. 'Bring me a salt shaker' As with steak sauce or (shudder) ketchup, asking for salt can be a rookie move. In restaurants that take pride in serving high-quality steaks, the chefs are going to season your meal to what they consider perfection. One thing to take into account is that in an upscale restaurant, the chef and the sous chefs are tasting and seasoning dishes throughout the cooking process, often using kosher salt that is easier to handle due to its larger grains. Thus, in a well-run kitchen, the meat should come to you perfectly seasoned, with a finished taste that no amount of table salt can deliver after the fact. In addition, restaurants tend to see salt and pepper shakers as high-maintenance germ vectors. Nonetheless, the temperamental chef who storms out of the kitchen to berate unsophisticated diners as they shake some salt on their meal is largely the stuff of legend. If you have a bite or two and just really won't enjoy your meal without another dash of salt, go ahead and ask for a salt shaker. Better to (very slightly) insult the chef than not enjoy your steak to the fullest. 'I'd never drink white wine with steak' The culinary rule of thumb that red wine pairs well with beef and white wine goes with chicken or fish is not wrong ... it's just not the entire story. Indeed, you can rarely go wrong pairing a big, bold red with a big, rich steak. The flavors suit each other, as the red wine's tannins cut the steak's fatty mouthfeel, and the succulent meat mellows the wine's dryness. However, wine drinkers are more sophisticated than ever, and wine lists tend to carry a more diverse selection of regional and specialty wines than in days gone by. Options for an unusual but sophisticated pairing abound, so in that case, you can safely consider ordering a white wine with your steak. White wines can offer their own bold flavor profile, and lend themselves to fine-tuning your pairings. A rich, oaky chardonnay, for example, has an acidity that pairs well with a piquant steak au poivre. With an Argentinian steak, an imported Sémillon's robust body and richness plays well with chimichurri. For a full-flavored white that can stand up to even a dry-aged T-bone, an older bottle of Rioja blanco offers surprisingly nutty, honeyed flavors. If you tend to prefer white wines, or are just looking to try something new, ask the server or sommelier to recommend the right wine for your particular order. Or just lean into the luxury and spring for a nice bottle of Champagne. You'll rarely go wrong with the bubbly. 'Your biggest tomahawk steak, please' The tomahawk cut is a bone-in ribeye, generally a massive steak that's enough to serve at least two people. That bone is a serious chunk of rib, resulting in a presentation that would gain a hearty "yabba-dabba-doo!" from Fred Flintstone. Ribeye has long been a popular cut for its flavor, luxurious marbling, and hefty weight. The tomahawk variant has skyrocketed in popularity with the growth of social media, because whether it's wrapped in gold leaf or served like a weapon on a plate, it just looks cool. As steak goof-ups go, ordering the biggest size of this is a pretty minor one, provided you know what you're getting. Which is, a steak that's priced by the pound, with much of the usual ribeye meat carved off and the weight of a huge bone chunk jacking up the price. Add the fact that this is a specialty cut that the restaurant probably paid top dollar for, only to pass that cost along to you. Even without the bling, you can end up paying $1,000 for an oversized Japanese Wagyu tomahawk steak at a high-end restaurant. A less-exclusive spot may easily still charge $150 for a tomahawk, even when the ribeye without the bone is on their menu for half the price or less. Some insist that a bone-in steak is always more flavorful, but is it flavorful enough to be charged double? We're skeptical. 'I'd like my steak well done' Ordering a steak well done is one of the few things that's almost universally guaranteed to make you look like an ignoramus. Indeed, this is frequently cited as the biggest mistake you can make ordering a nice cut of beef, so listen up. In fact, listen to Anthony Bourdain, a man who knew his way around a restaurant kitchen. Bourdain repeatedly warned that restaurants reserve their worst cuts of meat for customers who order it well done, because after it's been cooked that thoroughly, the meat's imperfections are imperceptible. What if you really, really want your steak served the color, texture, and tastiness of shoe leather? As a point of pride, chefs may be disinclined to cook a dish in a way that they feel will ruin it, but in most cases customer service wins out over the desire to outright refuse. To avoid this ethical quandary altogether, compromise by ordering steak medium well. Your steak will only be slightly pink at the center, nobody will mock you behind your back, and the subpar meat that Bourdain warned about will stay in the kitchen. And if you cut into your steak and just really can't handle what you see, it's okay to send it back and ask for the chef to give it another minute or two on the grill. RecommendedMikaela Shiffrin suffers abrasion on hip during crash on final run of World Cup giant slalomCarter, 39th president, dies at 100
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Donald Trump has threatened to seize the Panama Canal, revived calls to buy Greenland and joked about annexing Canada -- leaving the world guessing once again whether he is serious or not. By challenging the sovereignty of some of Washington's closest allies four weeks before he even returns to the Oval Office, the US-president elect has underscored his credentials as global disruptor-in-chief. His comments have renewed fears from his first term that Trump will end up being harsher on US friends than he is on adversaries like Russia and China. But there are also suspicions that billionaire tycoon Trump is looking for leverage as part of the "art of the deal" -- and that the former reality television star is grabbing headlines to look strong at home and abroad. "It's hard to tell how much of this he really wants, and how much is the latest soundbite that will be heard around the world," said Frank Sesno, a professor at George Washington University and former White House correspondent. "He puts other leaders in position of having to figure out what is literal and what is not," he told AFP. The idea of buying Greenland is not a new one for Trump. He also raised the prospect of purchasing the vast strategic island, a Danish territory, during his first term in office. He revived his push over the weekend when naming his ambassador to Copenhagen, saying the "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" for US national security. But he received the same answer this time as he did then, with Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede saying on Monday that the resource-rich island was "not for sale." Yet his most headline-grabbing remarks have been on Panama, as he slammed what he called unfair fees for US ships passing through and threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington. Trump said on Sunday that if Panama did not agree "then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America -- in full, quickly and without question." He also hinted at China's growing influence around the canal, which was built by the United States in 1914 to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It was returned to Panama under a 1977 deal. Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino dismissed Trump's threats, saying that "every square meter" of the canal would remain in Panamanian hands. Trump responded on TruthSocial: "We'll see about that!" Trump also teased neighboring Canada last week that it would be a "great idea" to become the 51st US state -- but against a dark backdrop of threatened tariffs. Sesno said it was hard for other countries to know how to deal with Trump's comments. "Well, it's clearly a joke. Or is it? said Sesno. "Imagine if you're the President of Panama, how do you react to something like that? You can't ignore it and your country will not let you. So the ripple effect of these comments is extraordinary." Trump's harsh treatment of US allies also stands in stark contrast to his repeated praise for the leaders of US foes -- including Russia's Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine in 2022 in a bid for a land-grab. But there is still likely to be method behind Trump's rhetoric. "Maybe the message is for China" when Trump talks about buying Greenland, said Stephanie Pezard, senior political scientist with the Rand Corporation. Just as Trump expressed concern about Beijing's influence in Panama, China's growing presence in the Arctic and its ties with Russia were "something that the US is really worried about," Pezard told AFP. But there could also be a signal to Denmark that 'If you're too friendly with China, you'll find us in your way" -- even though Denmark and Greenland had been "very good NATO allies." And perhaps Trump knows the reality. Any US plan to "buy" Greenland would be unfeasible "not just in international law but more broadly in the global order that the US has been trying to uphold," she said. dk/bgs
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Black Ops 6 free trial goes live next week with access to multiplayer and zombiesEpic's rolling out the holidays a bit early this year with Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga as a free game this week. The mammoth capstone to nearly 20 years of the Lego Star Wars series has a sprawling campaign that covers nine movies' worth of story. It's a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor and action platforming game to get for free. Like, a lot—probably 20 hours or so if all you want to do is beat the missions. A whole lot more if you're into collectathon gameplay. It's also couch co-oppable in the best, drop-in drop-out way. If that's not your speed, well, there's always Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop, which is also free from Epic this week. I'm told that buses can go several speeds, so I'm sure one of them will fit you. It's certainly, at least to me, a comedically all-ages and family-friendly duo of games. I can already imagine a parent parking their kid in front of the TV with Lego Star Wars while they sit back and brew a fresh, hot cup of tea to play Bus Simulator 21. Preferably after having come home from their day job of driving a bus. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga earned a 77% PC Gamer review back in 2022. "Lego Star Wars has been working its strange magic ever since 2005, and the series' keen jokes have often been able to elevate what might otherwise just be a soulless melding of two brands. The Skywalker Saga seeks to be the definitive entry, covering all the ground of previous games in the series, as well as including The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker in Lego form for the first time. The result is a grab-bag of different gameplay styles all lent just enough depth to make them work, held together by that through-line of humor and charm," said reviewer Ted Litchfield. "The Skywalker Saga's competent design is elevated by its infectious, charming sense of humor," he concluded. 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. You can find them both for free and add them to an Epic account on the Epic Game Store's free games page .
NoneThere are more NBA Cup games taking place on Friday, Nov. 22 including a matchup with the Boston Celtics going against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston . Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using FuboTV and DirecTV Stream, which both offer a free trial or with SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available . The Celtics are 12-3 after handing the Cleveland Cavaliers their first loss of the season. That win over the Cavaliers was also Boston’s first win in the NBA Cup to move the Celtics to 1-1. The Wizards lost their lone NBA Cup game so far and are 2-11 overall. Washington has lost nine straight games and is yet too win in November. Who: Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards When: Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. EST Where: Capital one Arena in Washington D.C. Stream: FuboTV (free trial) ; Sling ; DirecTV Stream (free trial) Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide , where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts. More College Football What is FuboTV? FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME . From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial, and $20 off the first month for new costumers. What is DirecTV Stream? DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX , Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz. What is SlingTV? SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation. RELATED CONTENT: Analysis: Some NBA teams know it’s time to shake out of early-season slides — or else By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer MIAMI (AP) — Postgame interviews in the NBA typically start about 10 minutes after the final buzzer. Coaches usually speak first, followed by a few players. When a team wins, most people are in a great mood. When a team loses, not so much. That’s the normal routine. Things are not normal for Philadelphia right now. Philadelphia lost in Miami on Monday night, the 76ers wasting an early 19-point lead and falling 106-89. The game ended at 9:51 p.m. It took more than an hour for coach Nick Nurse to emerge for his postgame media session. The reason — a team meeting, because the 76ers had a lot to talk about after falling to 2-11 on the season. “Sorry for the delay,” Nurse said to the half-dozen or so reporters who waited out his arrival. He took questions like normal, then the locker room opened and a few players talked as well. There’s a lot of the season left. The first quarter of the 82-game marathon isn’t even over. It’s not time to start panicking. But some teams, quite frankly, know it’s time for things to get better — Philly atop that list. Since the NBA went to the current 16-team playoff format in 1984, there have been only four teams with losing records after 15 games that made it to the NBA Finals: San Antonio in 1998-99, Detroit in 2004-05, Boston in 2021-22 and Miami in 2022-23. They were all 7-8. That’s bad news for Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Miami — three teams that just haven’t hit anything close to their best stride yet. Injuries are a huge part of that; Khris Middleton hasn’t played yet for Milwaukee, Joel Embiid played Monday night for only the third time this season for the 76ers, and the Heat got Jimmy Butler back after more than a week Monday but were without Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr. But the Heat are 6-7, the Bucks are 5-9 and 76ers are 2-11. And that’s not anywhere near what those clubs expected coming into the year, injuries or no. “There’s urgency there, for sure,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “If you look at in both conferences, there’s urgency throughout the conferences. And I think there’s parity. It brings out great competition. It brings out all these different emotions. You win a game, you feel like everything is great. You lose a game, you feel like the world is coming down. That’s what competition does, particularly when you’re jostling so competitively in the standings where there’s a lot of teams bunched up.” Philadelphia hasn’t scored 100 points in three of its last four games, hasn’t even reached 90 points in either of its last two games. And here’s a weird stat: the 76ers are 2-0 in overtime games this season, 0-11 in games that end after 48 minutes. “Listen, it’s obviously difficult, right? Don’t like the losing, that’s for sure,” Nurse said. “I mean, it doesn’t matter. The games are coming and we’ve got to figure some things out. We’ve got to play better. Got to get our guys on the floor. There’s a lot of things going on. But we’ve got to go out and play and somehow sustain. A lot of these games, there’s lots of very good moments for long, long stretches.” Cleveland and Boston have obviously separated themselves atop the Eastern Conference; the 15-0 Cavaliers visit the 11-3 Celtics in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night. From there, the rest of the East — from Orlando at 9-6 to Philly in a group at 2-11 — are separated by just six games, with about a million games left to play. Nobody is out of it, certainly not a 76ers team that has Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and an NBA champion point guard in Kyle Lowry. “I mean, 2-11 is pretty bad, of course,” Philly’s Jared McCain said. “But it’s still the beginning of the season. Least minutes played as a team together, so I say it all the time: Give us grace. We’ve got to get better.” To be fair, there was nothing that seemed to be shattered in the 76ers' locker room when the team meeting finally ended. No broken whiteboards, no signs of trouble, and many players were cracking jokes. “We had a meeting? I didn’t know,” Embiid said, which was his way of letting reporters know that he wasn’t going to spill the tea on anything that got said behind closed doors. He did concede, however, that he might need to be more aggressive going forward. The 76ers are figuring out how to make all the pieces fit, but Embiid knows they can’t keep going down this path. “We’ve got that record,” Embiid said, “and something needs to be done about it.” The Associated Press contributed to this article
Today inour Daily Dose of Social Media, we review the most significant activities andEntertainment from ATP and WTA players. Iga Swiatek shared photos of her time at the Billie Jean King Cup after a historic performance for Poland, reaching the semifinals before losing to Italy, who were crowned champions on Wednesday. Jannik Sinner and Chris Evert were among those offering congratulations for Italy's title on social media. The elimination of the USA in the Davis Cup marked the day, and Nicole Melichar launched strong criticism against Bob Bryan for including Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul in the doubles. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal was seen happy reuniting with his family shortly after his retirement and elimination in the Davis Cup. Evertand Sinner praised Italy's Billie Jean King Cup triumph Chris Evertand Jannik Sinner praised Italy's victory in the Billie Jean King Cup final.The former World No. 1 congratulated the European team for securing their fifthtitle in the most prestigious tournament in women’s team tennis. Led by JasminePaolini, the Italian team defeated surprise finalists Slovakia following winsby World No. 4 Paolini against Rebecca Šramková and Lucia Bronzetti overViktória Hrunčáková. The men’sWorld No. 1, Jannik Sinner, shared an Instagram story featuring a post by theItalian Tennis Federation celebrating the victory, including photos of theentire team: Paolini, Bronzetti, Sara Errani , Martina Trevisan , ElisabettaCocciaretto, and captain Tathiana Garbin. The 18-timeGrand Slam champion Evert reposted a message on X (formerly Twitter) wherePaolini celebrated the title and took the opportunity to praise the whole team.The Italians avenged their 2023 final loss to Canada, adding another crown totheir titles in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2013. “Congratulations to Team Italy!Look at those smiles... What a year! You all exude so much spirit and joy andfun..... Great messaging and role models for the sport! ,” Chris Evert wrote. Congratulations to Team Italy! Look at those smiles...What a year! You all exude so much spirit and joy and fun ..... Great messaging and role models for the sport! https://t.co/Zdf598tqGE Forza Jannik via IG pic.twitter.com/PquTCEsIux Messi, Maradonaand the Pope: The unique banner from Argentina at the Davis Cup Argentinefans travelled to Malaga to support their country in the Davis Cup, bringingalong a particularly eye-catching banner. The team returned to the Finals aftermissing out in 2023 and faced favourites Italy, led by Sebastián Báez andFrancisco Cerúndolo. Images fromthe stadium, shared by the official Davis Cup account, showcased a massivebanner from Argentina. It featured iconic footballers Diego Maradona and LionelMessi, highlighting the World Cups and Copa América titles won by the SouthAmerican nation. The banner also included a photo of Pope Francis, with thecaption: "With the Hand of God, the Messiah, and the Pope, we're going foranother World Cup." Unfortunately for the Argentinians, they won't have another day to display the eye-catching banner, as they were eliminated by the defending champions. Despite an early win by Cerundolo over Musetti, Sinner later had no trouble against Báez and sent it to doubles. In the decisive match, Matteo Berrettini teamed up with Sinner to defeat the specialists Máximo González and Andrés Molteni, advancing to the semifinals where they will face Australia. Siempre por más, Argentina #CopaDavis I @AATenis pic.twitter.com/zXEVuuFTId USA's doubles snub? Melichar-Martinez calls out Bryan's faith in Shelton and Paul NicoleMelichar-Martinez criticises Bob Bryan's decision to field Ben Shelton andTommy Paul in Davis Cup doubles. USA Captain Bob Bryan made a last-minutechange in the Davis Cup series against Australia, opting to replace doublesspecialists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram—both former world No. 1s and silvermedallists in Paris 2024—with Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul for the decisivematch. Thedecision raised eyebrows, especially given Bryan's legacy with his brother Mikeas the most decorated doubles duo in tennis history. Despite his expertise,Bryan chose not to rely on his doubles players, and Shelton and Paul weredefeated in straight sets by Jordan Thompson and Matthew Ebden (4-6, 4-6). Formerdoubles world No. 6 Nicole Melichar-Martinez shared her disagreement on socialmedia, criticising the exclusion of Ram and Krajicek. "Very curious as to why @RajeevRam and @AustinKrajicek aren’t playing the doubles tie right now @usta@DavisCup#watchmoredoubles" “Doubles players are'specialists' for a reason... they’re good at what they do. Why not trust inthem??," she added later. Especially when you have 2 former #1s...” wrote the 31-year-old American,who recently reached the WTA Finals semifinals alongside Australian EllenPerez. Very curious as to why @RajeevRam and @AustinKrajicek aren’t playing the doubles tie right now @usta @DavisCup #watchmoredoubles Doubles players are “specialists” for a reason... they’re good at what they do. Why not trust in them?? Especially when you have 2 former #1s ... ‘Thank you’: Swiatek shares appreciation for Team Poland Iga Swiatek shared photos on Instagram from her time at the Billie Jean King Cup, where Team Poland achieved their best-ever result by reaching the semifinals, with the 5-time Grand Slam champion leading the charge. Swiatek claimed victories over Paula Badosa and Linda Niskova in singles and partnered with Katarzyna Kawa to defeat Bouzkova and Siniakova in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, they faced Italy, who went on to become champions of the tournament. Despite Swiatek's singles win over Paolini, Italy secured the victory in the decisive doubles match, with Paolini and Sara Errani sending Italy to the final. Nonetheless, the 4-time French Open champion expressed her gratitude for representing Poland in the competition and shared a heartfelt message on social media for her team: “Thank you ❤️,” she posted alongside photos of the team celebrating their quarterfinal win over Czechia. Una publicación compartida de Iga Świątek (@iga.swiatek) First images of Rafael Nadal with his son after retirement surface The 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, was seen for the first time with his son following his retirement. Nadal played his last match against Botic Van de Zandschulp in the Davis Cup, losing 4-6, 4-6. Later, Spain was eliminated after Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers lost in doubles to Wesley Kolhoff and Van de Zandschulp. The retirement was somewhat overshadowed by the elimination of the European team and the absence of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. However, Nadal was seen smiling off the court, particularly when reunited with his son Rafa and wife Xisca Perello. In the video, the legendary tennis player is seen greeting and hugging his family at the Martin Caperra Arena in Malaga after the on-court tribute concluded. pic.twitter.com/3BGacUFyJw https://t.co/jDkE9x6YpQ This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.NEW DELHI: INS Tushil, the country’s latest stealth missile frigate that was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia on December 9, is expected to reach the country’s western coast in mid-February, officials aware of the development said on Sunday. It will be a part of the Mumbai-based Western Fleet, the officials said. It was commissioned in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh, who described the warship as a “proud testament” to India’s growing maritime might and a “significant milestone” in the long-standing friendship between the two countries. As part of strengthening the bilateral relations and naval cooperation between India and Morocco, INS Tushil arrived at Casablanca, Morocco, on December 27, on its way to India. The warship will also carry out anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Guinea off the west African coast before it arrives in India, the officials said. In October 2023, India and the European Union carried out their maiden naval exercise in the Gulf of Guinea to boost maritime security cooperation including fighting piracy. INS Sumedha, an offshore patrol vessel, was then joined by Italian, Spanish and French warships for the drills. Tushil (or the protector shield) is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6, and six such vessels are already in service --- three Talwar class ships, built at Baltic shipyard in St Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at the Yantar shipyard. Tushil has an indigenous content of around 26%, double that of the previous Teg-class frigates. This includes contributions from 33 firms including Bharat Electronics Limited, BrahMos Aerospace (an India-Russia joint venture), and Nova Integrated Systems (a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Advanced Systems Limited). Tushil is part of an over $2.5-billion deal with Russia for four more Krivak/Talwar class stealth frigates for the Indian Navy, two of which were to be constructed at the Yantar shipyard and the remaining two will be built at the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) with technology transfer from Russia. The second Russia-made frigate. Tamal, is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy in mid-2025. INS Tushil is designed for blue water operations across the spectrum of naval warfare in all four dimensions --- air, surface, underwater and electromagnetic. It is armed with a range of advanced weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Shtil surface-to-air missiles with enhanced range, upgraded medium-range anti-air and surface guns, optically controlled close-range rapid fire gun system, torpedoes, rockets, and advanced electronic warfare and communication suite.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.comNoneMikel Arteta says he will be “very much involved” in Arsenal ’s hunt for a new sporting director and insists the club will look to hire someone that can take them to “a different level”. The Gunners are currently searching for a replacement for Edu after the Brazilian resigned from his role earlier in November. Edu, who has been with Arsenal since 2019, is set to take up a senior position working for Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’ growing portfolio of clubs after serving a six-month notice period. Arsenal have begun the process of finding Edu’s successor and it was a topic of discussion last week when Arteta and other senior staff flew to the US to meet the club’s owners , Josh and Stan Kroenke. “Well, I can talk about what we are doing right now and I'm going to be very much involved in that process,” said Arteta, when asked how much say he will have in who the new sporting director is. “Because we want to find the right person first of all and the right person has to be someone who is able to co-operate and make each other better and take us to a different level. That is the objective of it.” Jason Ayto, who was previously Edu’s No2, is currently Arsenal’s interim sporting director and Arteta hailed his qualities when asked about him on Friday. “Edu and I probably got a lot of the praise, but the work behind it is done by this guy and Jason has been phenomenal,” said Arteta. Ayto was part of the executive team that flew to the US last week, with managing director Richard Garlick and executive vice-chair Tim Lewis also present. Arteta has said the talks were constructive and allowed them the opportunity to map out the next three years, as well as looking at what has happened in the past. “Well, there are other kind of things across the club,” he said. “Obviously that they need more vision in terms of what’s going to happen in 24 months, 36 months. “But what we especially spend time on is what’s going to happen in the next 12 months and what happened in the previous six or 12 months. “As well looking back we make a lot of decisions and understand, evaluate how those decisions were made, what was the process behind it, have they worked, yes or no? “And for some of them it’s still too early because in football time can fluctuate and can change the relation to what happens in the context. “But it’s just living there or being there, you see. The reception, how they talk to you, how they look at you, the questions that they ask, the interaction that you have and it cannot be any more positive. Again, I’m not talking from my side but it’s a joy to have the owners that we have.” Arsenal have endured a tough start to the season and go into Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest sitting nine points off Premier League leaders Liverpool. Arteta, however, believes the club’s owners are keeping calm and he is convinced his side will “kick on” over the next run of games. “I think it’s got its moments and I think it’s very important that we all feel comfortable and uncomfortable,” he said. “And this sport, elite, and the demands that we have is sometimes putting the temperature up a little bit, sometimes brings it down and everybody needs it. “I’m the first that needs that. And not only from them, from the coaches, from the players, media, it’s great to have that. So you are always seeking to be the best and evaluate and judge yourself in the right way.”
It looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not." Get local news delivered to your inbox!By challenging the sovereignty of some of Washington's closest allies four weeks before he even returns to the Oval Office, the US-president elect has underscored his credentials as global disruptor-in-chief. His comments have renewed fears from his first term that Trump will end up being harsher on US friends than he is on adversaries like Russia and China. But there are also suspicions that billionaire tycoon Trump is looking for leverage as part of the "art of the deal" -- and that the former reality television star is grabbing headlines to look strong at home and abroad. "It's hard to tell how much of this he really wants, and how much is the latest soundbite that will be heard around the world," said Frank Sesno, a professor at George Washington University and former White House correspondent. "He puts other leaders in position of having to figure out what is literal and what is not," he told AFP. The idea of buying Greenland is not a new one for Trump. He also raised the prospect of purchasing the vast strategic island, a Danish territory, during his first term in office. He revived his push over the weekend when naming his ambassador to Copenhagen, saying the "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" for US national security. But he received the same answer this time as he did then, with Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede saying on Monday that the resource-rich island was "not for sale." Yet his most headline-grabbing remarks have been on Panama, as he slammed what he called unfair fees for US ships passing through and threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington. Trump said on Sunday that if Panama did not agree "then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America -- in full, quickly and without question." He also hinted at China's growing influence around the canal, which was built by the United States in 1914 to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It was returned to Panama under a 1977 deal. Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino dismissed Trump's threats, saying that "every square meter" of the canal would remain in Panamanian hands. Trump responded on TruthSocial: "We'll see about that!" Trump also teased neighboring Canada last week that it would be a "great idea" to become the 51st US state -- but against a dark backdrop of threatened tariffs. Sesno said it was hard for other countries to know how to deal with Trump's comments. "Well, it's clearly a joke. Or is it? said Sesno. "Imagine if you're the President of Panama, how do you react to something like that? You can't ignore it and your country will not let you. So the ripple effect of these comments is extraordinary." Trump's harsh treatment of US allies also stands in stark contrast to his repeated praise for the leaders of US foes -- including Russia's Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine in 2022 in a bid for a land-grab. But there is still likely to be method behind Trump's rhetoric. "Maybe the message is for China" when Trump talks about buying Greenland, said Stephanie Pezard, senior political scientist with the Rand Corporation. Just as Trump expressed concern about Beijing's influence in Panama, China's growing presence in the Arctic and its ties with Russia were "something that the US is really worried about," Pezard told AFP. But there could also be a signal to Denmark that 'If you're too friendly with China, you'll find us in your way" -- even though Denmark and Greenland had been "very good NATO allies." And perhaps Trump knows the reality. Any US plan to "buy" Greenland would be unfeasible "not just in international law but more broadly in the global order that the US has been trying to uphold," she said. dk/bgs