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Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. The Capitals updated Ovechkin’s status Thursday after he was evaluated by team doctors upon returning from a three-game trip. The 39-year-old broke the leg in a shin-on-shin collision Monday night with Utah's Jack McBain, and some of his closest teammates knew it was not good news even before Ovechkin was listed as week to week and placed on injured reserve. “Everyone’s bummed out,” said winger Tom Wilson, who has played with Ovechkin since 2013. “We were sitting there saying: ‘This is weird. Like, it’s unbelievable that he’s actually hurt.’ It’s one of those things where like, he’s going to miss games? I’ve been around a long time, and it’s new to me.” Ovechkin in his first 19 seasons missed 59 games — and just 35 because of injury. Durability even while throwing his body around with his physical style is a big reason he is on track to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894 goals that once looked unapproachable. “He doesn’t go out there and just coast around,” Wilson said. “He’s played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He’s a power forward, the best goal-scorer ever maybe, and he’s a power forward that plays the game really hard.” Ovechkin surged to the top of the league with 15 goals in his first 18 games this season. He was on pace to break the record and score No. 895 sometime in February. “You know when goal-scorers start scoring, it’s dangerous,” said defenseman John Carlson, who has been teammates with Ovechkin since 2009-10. “There was a bit of that in the downs that everyone was feeling about it too, of course. We see him coming to the rink every day, we know what’s at stake. You never want anyone to get injured, but there’s a lot to it and certainly he was playing his best hockey in years.” AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlGus Malzahn resigns as Knights head football coach, leaves UCF for FSU’s offensive coordinator position | Sporting News
Radiation Monitoring Unit LaunchedFormer Harry Potter film actor Rupert Grint faces a hefty tax bill after losing a legal battle with UK authorities. Login or signup to continue reading Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the magical film franchise, was ordered to pay 1.8 million pounds ($A3.5 million) in 2019 after HM Revenue and Customs, the United Kingdom's tax agency, investigated his tax return from seven years earlier. The agency said Grint had wrongly classed 4.5 million pounds in residuals from the movies - money from DVD sales, TV syndication, streaming rights and other sources - as a capital asset rather than income, which is subject to a much higher tax rate. Lawyers for Grint appealed but after years of wrangling a tribunal judge ruled against the actor this week. Judge Harriet Morgan said the money "derived substantially the whole of its value from the activities of Mr Grint" and "is taxable as income". Grint, 36, starred in all eight Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011 as the boy wizard's best friend, and is calculated to have earned about 24 million pounds from the role. He previously lost a separate court battle over a 1 million pound tax refund in 2019. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!
U.S. imposes new controls on chip exports to ChinaThe Washington Commanders released 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes on Saturday, cutting ties with another high draft pick from the previous regime. All of previous coach Ron Rivera's first-rounders — including edge rusher Chase Young in 2020, linebacker Jamin Davis in ‘21 and wide receiver Jahan Dotson in '22 — are now gone. Forbes never showed progress to the new staff led by coach Dan Quinn and was a healthy scratch twice this season and did not play in two other games during which the 23-year-old was in uniform. It's unclear if Forbes' release means anything about the status of cornerback Marshon Lattimore , the Commanders' trade deadline pickup in early November who still has not played for them because of a hamstring injury. Lattimore was listed as doubtful for Washington's home game Sunday against Tennessee. The Commanders (7-5) also put running back Austin Ekeler on injured reserve because of a concussion . They elevated kicker Zane Gonzalez and defensive tackle Carl Davis from the practice squad in preparation for facing the Titans (3-8). Washington has lost three in a row to fall from first place in the NFC East to the conference’s final wild-card spot. The most recent loss, last weekend against division rival Dallas, came when Austin Seibert missed his second extra point of the game, which would have tied it with 21 seconds left. Seibert went on IR earlier in the week with a groin injury that Quinn said the kicker reported Monday. While injuries have piled up as the Commanders await their late bye week, the choice of Forbes has been second-guessed since the moment Rivera's front office chose the 166-pound Mississippi State defensive back with the 16th pick over Christian Gonzalez and others. Gonzalez was selected next, by New England, and has started 16 games for the Patriots. Forbes was benched last season by Rivera, who was in charge when Washington selected Davis ahead of offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw in '21 and traded down to take Dotson the following year instead of safety Kyle Hamilton or receiver Chris Olave. Forbes has two interceptions and 12 passes defensed in 20 games. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
Stock market today: Wall Street wavers at the start of a holiday-shortened week
Pandas An An and Ke Ke celebrate their 1st Christmas in Hong Kong HONG KONG (AP) — A pair of five-year-old pandas, named An An and Ke Ke, celebrated their first Christmas early in a Hong Kong park, munching on special treats and looking cute for the cameras. An An, the male panda, was presented with an ice slab that had “Merry Christmas” written on it with sweet potato and carrots while Ke Ke, his female companion, got a snowman garnished with slices of carrot and apple in a special press event Monday before visitors streamed to the park. China sent the pair to Hong Kong in late September in a bid to boost tourism in the city. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby: Spurs-Knicks Christmas game is also an animated one at Disney World NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. While Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are facing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, an alternate animated telecast will have the teams playing in the Magic Kingdom, with some Disney characters participating. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. 'Squid Game' returns looking for win with season 2 The first season of “Squid Game” was Netflix's most-watched series and went on to win a variety of accolades including the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series for Lee Jung-jae and a directing award for Hwang Dong-hyuk. The show returns for its second season on Dec. 26 and is already nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama. It's rare for TV shows made in Korea to have more than one season but Lee describes Hwang as “a genius.” A third and final season has already filmed. Netflix is also invested in expanding its “Squid Game” universe with a reality competition series and an English-language version in development. In the ruins of a bombed-out church in Lebanon, there's now a tiny Christmas tree DARDGHAYA, Lebanon (AP) — A Christmas tree stands among the fallen stones in the ruins of a Catholic church in southern Lebanon that was hit by an Israeli airstrike during the war with Hezbollah. It's a small and modest tree. There are no lights because the war destroyed power lines. The ground is too uneven to set up the Nativity scene. The priest says his blood pressure went up and he lost his balance when he saw the church's destruction. Now he leads Mass in an underground room that serves as a temporary worship space. He tells the community it “is more like the cave where Jesus was born.” Burt, the huge Australian crocodile who had a cameo in ‘Crocodile Dundee,’ dies at 90 The Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, says the huge crocodile that rose to fame with a cameo in the movie “Crocodile Dundee” has died. The aquarium says Burt died over the weekend and was at least 90 years old. A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 5 meters long. The 1986 movie stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile, before being saved by Dundee. Elaborate holiday light displays are making spirits bright in a big way CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. But others are adorned with thousands of blinking lights synched to blasting music. In Mesa, Arizona, 14 homeowners have been going all-out on holiday lights for 30 years, and those buying homes in the neighborhood often find the attics full of décor left behind by previous owners. In Santa Clarita, California, residents began coordinating their holiday lights to bring some joy to their community after an earthquake. And in Edmond, Oklahoma, those looking to the western sky will easily spot the Miranda family’s elaborate display featuring images and music from the movie “Wicked.” Santa braves the sticky heat of the Amazon jungle to bring gifts to children in Brazilian village CATALAO, Brazil (AP) — Santa Claus has braved the sticky heat of the Amazon rainforest this weekend, taking two boats to bring gifts to the children of a small village near the Brazilian city of Manaus. The visit was arranged by Amigos do Papai Noel, a Brazilian charity that has been taking gifts to children in the Amazon rainforest for the past 26 years. More than 600 children from different villages gathered in Catalao to receive presents from Santa, who dressed in his traditional nightcap, white gloves and red suit, while enduring the stifling jungle heat. NASA's Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before NEW YORK (AP) — A NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. On Tuesday, Parker will pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface. That's nearly seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft. Scientists won’t hear from Parker until a few days after the flyby. It’ll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand what drives the solar wind and why the corona is so much hotter than the sun's surface. 174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after a lift cracks WINTER PARK, Colo. (AP) — Officials are investigating what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders. The evacuation happened Saturday on a gondola lift at Winter Park Resort. A spokesperson says the lift stopped automatically when a crack was detected in a structural piece of the lift. Passengers were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours. No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday season. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales.Count Orlok looms over Nosferatu like the Cloverfield monster. While he is among the first voices we hear, and the first faces we see, the full reveal of Orlok’s form comes much later. When we see him in all his glory — with all the sores, sylphlike limbs, and ponderous movements — he looks like a reanimated corpse. Bill Skarsgård’s mannerisms mark a striking difference from the comparatively youthful (and alive) Ellen, played by Lily-Rose Depp. This was exactly as director Robert Eggers hoped. “I enjoy the fact that he is represented like a folk vampire,” Eggers told Polygon ahead of the film’s premiere. “These early folk vampires look like corpses, and they’re in this state of putrefaction.” Eggers said the goal for Orlok’s look wasn’t really to be a flip of the bird (or the bat, as the case may be) to noted resplendent vamp like Twilight ’s Edward Cullen or True Blood ’s Bill Compton. Rather, it was yet another expression of Eggers’ constant aim: historical accuracy and immersion. His directive was “What does a dead Transylvanian nobleman look like?” — which led him to Skarsgård’s look, long sleeves, where ample fabric would communicate his wealth — and eerie movement. Still there’s a distinct sense of evolution as an audience member. If horror really is an expression of the anxieties of the time, Orlok’s decrepit form signifies something very different than the rash of undead that arrived in the 2010s. To Eggers — and certainly in Nosferatu — there’s something powerful in what a more folkloric vampire represents; not a gleaming beauty or impossible love, but something corrupted, unnatural, and maybe even disturbingly familiar, if you were one of the townsfolk whose loved one emerges from a grave. Like most Nosferatu stories, Orlok is represented in Eggers’ film as more of a horror than a hunk; he also represents a sort of forbidden desire for Ellen. “To have the attraction to this figure... I think he was probably a beautiful man at some point, but now he’s covered in maggots,” the director said. “That’s interesting to me.” Eggers, for his part, was eager to bring out the sexual subtext of Nosferatu , calling his version a clear “demon lover story” and likening it to Wuthering Heights (which he reread while trying to crack the script). Depp’s Ellen is both a catalyst for Orlok’s awakening and her own pull to something darker, while also being a “victim to 19th-century society.” “As much as she is a victim of the vampire, she can see into another realm, and has a certain kind of understanding that she doesn’t have the language for,” Eggers said. “But people are calling her melancholic and hysteric and all of these things. And tragically, the only ‘person’ that she can kind of connect with is this demonic force, this vampire, this demon lover. [And] Orlok is also alone.” It’s notable that in Eggers’ Nosferatu it’s her connection with Orlok that awakens him , ensnaring her and those around her into his game. It’s the pull between the two that is constantly teased apart in the film, a thing she runs from as much as it sends her into a trance. Nosferatu ’s power lies in not trying to make that repression legible with a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Instead, Orlok’s pull is both rejoinder and repulsion, amorous and grotesque in equal measure. That connection — between Ellen and Orlok, between 2024’s Nosferatu and past iterations of this story, between folk vampires and their more modern kin — is what makes it go so hard. “Something that’s great about the Max Schreck performance [from the 1922 Nosferatu ] is how he’s so slow,” Eggers said. “Obviously there’s some sped-up camera stuff, but in general: There’s a way in which Nosferatu is like the Terminator. He’s not getting anywhere fast, but he’s going to get you, and there’s no fucking way he’s not.” Nosferatu arrives in theaters on Dec. 25. Entertainment Feature Horror Movies
Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another recordTransportation and virtual health top needs at Rural Voices healthcare discussion eventREYKJAVIK, Iceland -- Icelanders voted to elect a new parliament Saturday after disagreements over immigration, energy policy and the economy forced Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to pull the plug on his coalition government and call an early election. This is Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis devastated the economy of the North Atlantic island nation and ushered in a new era of political instability. Opinion polls suggested the country could be in for another upheaval, with support for the three governing parties plunging. Benediktsson, who was named prime minister in April following the resignation of his predecessor, struggled to hold together the unlikely coalition of his conservative Independence Party with the centrist Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement. “My expectation is like, something new going to happen, hopefully," said Hörður Guðjónsson, voting in the capital, Reykjavik. “We always have had these old parties taking care of things. I hope we see the light now to come in with a younger people, new ideas.” Iceland, a nation of about 400,000 people, is proud of its democratic traditions, describing itself as arguably the world’s oldest parliamentary democracy. The island’s parliament, the Althingi, was founded in 930 by the Norsemen who settled the country. Fierce weather in the sub-Arctic nation threatened to hamper some voters getting to polling stations on Saturday, with heavy snow blocking roads in many areas. The weather could also delay the delivery of ballot boxes to counting centers after polls close at 10 p.m. (2200GMT). Voters are choosing 63 members of the Althingi in an election that will allocate seats both by regional constituencies and proportional representation. Parties need at least 5% of the vote to win seats in parliament. Eight parties were represented in the outgoing parliament, and 10 parties are contesting this election. Turnout is traditionally high by international standards, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 parliamentary election. A windswept island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland normally holds elections during the warmer months of the year. But Benediktsson decided on Oct. 13 that his coalition couldn’t last any longer, and he asked President Halla Tómasdóttir to dissolve the Althingi. “The weakness of this society is that we have no very strong party and we have no very strong leader of any party,’’ said Vilhjálmur Bjarnason a former member of parliament. “We have no charming person with a vision ... That is very difficult for us.” Despite the electoral headwinds, Benediktsson expressed confidence that his Independence Party could emerge on top. “It was an uphill battle for my party, initially, but as we moved on into the election campaign, I think things started to turn our way and I feel that this will be a very exciting election day,” he said. The splintering of Iceland's political landscape came after the 2008 financial crisis, which prompted years of economic upheaval after the country's debt-swollen banks collapsed. The crisis led to anger and distrust of the parties that had traditionally traded power back and forth, and prompted the creation of new parties ranging from the environment focused Left-Green Alliance to the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy and individual freedoms. “This is one of the consequences of the economic crash,’’ said Eva H. Önnudóttir, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland. “It’s just the changed landscape. Parties, especially the old parties, have maybe kind of been hoping that we would go back to how things were before, but that’s not going to happen.” Like many Western countries, Iceland has been buffeted by the rising cost of living and immigration pressures. Inflation peaked at an annual rate of 10.2% in February 2023, fueled by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While inflation slowed to 5.1% in October, that is still high compared with neighboring countries. The U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.6% last month, while the European Union’s rate was 2.3%. Iceland is also struggling to accommodate a rising number of asylum-seekers, creating tensions within the small, traditionally homogenous country. The number of immigrants seeking protection in Iceland jumped to more than 4,000 in each of the past three years, compared with a previous average of less than 1,000. Repeated eruptions of a volcano in the southwestern part of the country have displaced thousands of people and strained public finances. One year after the first eruption forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavik, many residents still don’t have secure housing, leading to complaints that the government has been slow to respond. But it also added to a shortage of affordable housing exacerbated by Iceland’s tourism boom. Young people are struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder at a time when short-term vacation rentals have reduced the housing stock available for locals, Önnudóttir said. “The housing issue is becoming a big issue in Iceland,'' she said. ___ Danica Kirka reported from London. Jill Lawless contributed to this report from London.Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Progyny, Inc. ( NASDAQ:PGNY – Free Report ) by 282.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 42,013 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 31,014 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Progyny were worth $704,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of Progyny by 703.9% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 46,475 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,328,000 after purchasing an additional 40,694 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Progyny by 3.0% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 756,228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,636,000 after buying an additional 22,012 shares in the last quarter. Kestrel Investment Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Progyny during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,005,000. Farallon Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Progyny by 120.8% during the 2nd quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,308,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,436,000 after acquiring an additional 715,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS grew its holdings in shares of Progyny by 15.7% in the 3rd quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 976,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,366,000 after acquiring an additional 132,672 shares during the last quarter. 94.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have recently commented on PGNY shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Progyny in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Progyny from $31.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Progyny from $22.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Progyny from $30.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, BTIG Research downgraded shares of Progyny from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Progyny presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $25.42. Progyny Stock Up 0.6 % Progyny stock opened at $15.57 on Friday. Progyny, Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.39 and a 12 month high of $42.08. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $15.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $22.31. The stock has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.44. Progyny ( NASDAQ:PGNY – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.26). Progyny had a net margin of 5.03% and a return on equity of 11.36%. The firm had revenue of $286.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $296.85 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.16 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Progyny, Inc. will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Progyny Profile ( Free Report ) Progyny, Inc, a benefits management company, specializes in fertility and family building benefits solutions in the United States. Its fertility benefits solution includes differentiated benefits plan design, personalized concierge-style member support services, and selective network of fertility specialists. 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