188jili orig The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia. RELATED STORY | Russia says Ukraine fired 6 US-made missiles at the Bryansk region, days after Biden policy shift Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. “This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern," Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The U.S. was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said. The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British missiles in strikes Tuesday and Wednesday on southern Russia, Putin said. Those strikes caused a fire at an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region and killed and wounded some security services personnel in the Kursk region, he said. RELATED STORY | Biden authorizes Ukraine's use of US-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia “In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in kind,” the Russian president said, adding that Western leaders who are hatching plans to use their forces against Moscow should “seriously think about this.” Putin said the Oreshnik fired Thursday struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety — something Moscow hasn’t done before previous aerial attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially said Russia hadn’t warned the U.S. about the coming launch of the new missile, noting that it wasn't obligated to do so. But he later changed tack and said Moscow did issue a warning 30 minutes before the launch. Putin's announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the use of the missile was an "obvious and serious escalation in the scale and brutality of this war, a cynical violation of the UN Charter.” He also said there had been “no strong global reaction” to the use of the missile, which he said could threaten other countries. “Putin is very sensitive to this. He is testing you, dear partners,” Zelenskyy wrote. “If there is no tough response to Russia’s actions, it means they see that such actions are possible.” The attack comes during a week of escalating tensions, as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the Dnipro attack was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said hours before Putin's address. “And how afraid he is.” Russia was sending a message by attacking Ukraine with an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of releasing multiple warheads at extremely high speeds, even if they are less accurate than cruise missiles or short-range ballistic missiles, said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “Why might you use it therefore?” Savill said. "Signaling — signaling to the Ukrainians. We’ve got stuff that outrages you. But really signaling to the West ‘We’re happy to enter into a competition around intermediate range ballistic missiles. P.S.: These could be nuclear tipped. Do you really want to take that risk?’” Military experts say that modern ICBMs and IRBMs are extremely difficult to intercept, although Ukraine has previously claimed to have stopped some other weapons that Russia described as “unstoppable,” including the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile. David Albright, of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, said he was “skeptical” of Putin’s claim, adding that Russian technology sometimes “falls short.” He suggested Putin was “taunting the West to try to shoot it down ... like a braggart boasting, taunting his enemy.” Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use the U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an angry response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Russia’s formal lowering of the threshold for nuclear weapons use did not prompt any changes in U.S. doctrine. She pushed back on concerns that the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike deeper inside Russia might escalate the war. ′′They’re the ones who are escalating this,” she said of the Kremlin — in part because of a flood of North Korean troops sent to the region. More than 1,000 days into war, Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. Analysts and observers say the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords.

People walk past the logo of COP29 United Nations climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: Reuters Countries have agreed to an annual finance target of $US300 billion ($NZ514bn) to help poorer countries deal with impacts of climate change, with rich countries leading the payments, according to a hard-fought deal clinched at the COP29 conference in Baku. The new goal is intended to replace developed countries' previous commitment to provide $US100 billion per year in climate finance for poorer nations by 2020. That goal was met two years late, in 2022, and expires in 2025. The agreement was criticised by developing nations, who called it insufficient, but United Nations climate chief Simon Steill hailed it as an insurance policy for humanity. "It has been a difficult journey, but we've delivered a deal," Steill said after the agreement was adopted. "This deal will keep the clean energy boom growing and protect billions of lives. It will help all countries to share in the huge benefits of bold climate action: more jobs, stronger growth, cheaper and cleaner energy for all." "But like any insurance policy – it only works – if the premiums are paid in full, and on time." The COP29 climate conference in the Azerbaijan capital had been due to finish on Friday, but ran into overtime as negotiators from nearly 200 countries struggled to reach consensus on the climate funding plan for the next decade. At one point delegates from poor and small island nations walked out in frustration over what they called a lack of inclusion, worried that fossil fuel producing countries were seeking to water down aspects of the deal. The summit cut to the heart of the debate over financial responsibility of industrialised countries - whose historic use of fossil fuels have caused the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions - to compensate others for worsening damage wrought by climate change. It also laid bare divisions between wealthy governments constrained by tight domestic budgets and developing nations reeling from costs of storms, floods and droughts. Countries also agreed Saturday evening on rules for a global market to buy and sell carbon credits that proponents say could mobilise billions more dollars into new projects to help fight global warming, from reforestation to deployment of clean energy technologies. Countries are seeking financing to deliver on the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) above pre-industrial levels - beyond which catastrophic climate impacts could occur. The world is currently on track for as much as 3.1C (5.6F) of warming by the end of this century, according to the 2024 UN Emissions Gap report, with global greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels use continuing to rise. WHAT COUNTS AS DEVELOPED NATION? The roster of countries required to contribute - about two dozen industrialised countries, including the US, European nations and Canada - dates back to a list decided during UN climate talks in 1992. European governments have demanded others join them in paying in, including China, the world's second-biggest economy, and oil-rich Gulf states. The deal encourages developing countries to make contributions, but does not require them. The agreement also includes a broader goal of raising $US1.3 trillion in climate finance annually by 2035 - which would include funding from all public and private sources and which economists say matches the sum needed to address global warming. Securing the deal was a challenge from the start. Donald Trump's US presidential election victory this month has raised doubts among some negotiators that the world's largest economy would pay into any climate finance goal agreed in Baku. Trump, a Republican who takes office in January, has called climate change a hoax and promised to again remove the US from international climate cooperation. Western governments have seen global warming slip down the list of national priorities amid surging geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and expanding conflict in the Middle East, and rising inflation. The showdown over financing for developing countries comes in a year that scientists say is destined to be the hottest on record. Climate woes are stacking up in the wake of such extreme heat, with widespread flooding killing thousands across Africa, deadly landslides burying villages in Asia, and drought in South America shrinking rivers. Developed countries have not been spared. Torrential rain triggered floods in Valencia, Spain, last month that left more than 200 dead, and the US so far this year has registered 24 billion-dollar disasters - just four fewer than last year.South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol survived impeachment Saturday as his ruling party refused to join an opposition bid to oust him after he shocked the nation and its allies by briefly declaring martial law. The impeachment vote failed to gain the 200-vote hurdle needed to suspend the president from duties, after the ruling party boycotted the vote. A lengthy standoff followed as the opposition waited for ruling party members to change their minds and vote. Despite some of them doing so it eventually became clear the motion wouldn’t pass. The opposition, which controls a majority in the legislative body, has said it will push quickly for another vote. The attempt to oust the president came after Yoon, 63, shook markets and surprised world leaders by declaring martial law for the first time since South Korea became a democracy nearly four decades ago. He rescinded the order six hours later after lawmakers raced to the National Assembly and voted down the decree. While the outcome leaves Yoon in office for now, the ruling People Power Party will need to quickly find ways to shore up the administration and stabilize the situation to avoid the kind of escalating public protests seen in South Korea in the past. PPP leader Han Dong-hun vowed to seek the president’s orderly exit to minimize the turmoil, telling reporters that Yoon will be effectively suspended from duties until he steps down. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will take the lead role in running state affairs through close consultations with the ruling party, while communicating with opposition parties, the party leader said. Under the country’s constitution, the prime minister’s role is to assist the president and direct the ministries following orders from the president. Minutes after the failure of the vote, opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung accused the ruling party of betraying the public. He apologized for failing to pass the motion, as other opposition lawmakers stood by him holding banners that read, “Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol.” “We will ultimately impeach Yoon Suk Yeol,” Lee said. “We will return the state back to normal for you as a Christmas gift.” The ruling party’s decision to boycott the vote came hours after Yoon apologized for plunging the country into a political crisis, saying he would leave it up to the ruling party to decide his fate. The opposition bloc needed only eight votes from the ruling PPP to impeach Yoon. But Yoon’s conservatives refused to vote in favor of the motion, a move that would’ve likely handed their political opponents a big win in an early election that would have followed if he was removed. The impeachment bid looked set to fail much earlier Saturday evening when members of the ruling party left the National Assembly without voting. But before casting their ballots, opposition members together called on each member of the PPP by name to return to vote. “This incident will be written in our history, one that’s been built by the blood and sweat of our people,” parliamentary speaker Woo Won-shik said, as he urged ruling party lawmakers to return to the chamber and vote. “The head of a conservative group cannot speak alone for individuals’ consciences and values.” In an unexpected twist, two of them did, adding to the one PPP member who already voted. That emboldened the opposition to leave proceedings at a standstill with several hours remaining before the 72-hour limit for the voting period was due to expire. The votes by the three PPP members had prompted protesters outside the National Assembly to chant “five more to go.” As of 7 p.m., police estimated at least 100,000 people were gathered near the parliament to demand Yoon’s impeachment, compared with 18,000 Yoon supporters gathered near Gwanghwamun as of 6 p.m., according to Yonhap News. But the chances of the impeachment failing strengthened when one of the ruling party members who cast a ballot said he voted against it. The crowds started to thin as the likely result became clearer, the temperature dropped and food stalls started packing up having sold out of refreshments. “I had planned to take rest this weekend but I felt so scared after martial law,” said Park Hye-rim, a 33-year-old office worker from northern Seoul. “Even if impeachment is voted down, I will come back to rally again and again. I will not give up.” The political uncertainty in South Korea appears likely to persist, according to Jun Rong Yeap, a market strategist at IG Asia Pte. “Growing public outcries and intensifying pressure from the opposition party could potentially increase the risk of defections among PPP members,” he said, adding that the sustained uncertainty could remain a drag on its equities market into the new week.

Rucker added six rebounds for the Black Knights (6-6). Ryan Curry scored 15 points while shooting 4 for 9 (3 for 8 from 3-point range) and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line and added five assists. AJ Allenspach shot 4 of 4 from the field and 4 for 5 from the foul line to finish with 12 points, while adding eight rebounds. The Roadrunners (6-6) were led by Amir "Primo" Spears, who recorded 22 points and nine rebounds. Tai'Reon Joseph added 16 points and two steals for UTSA. Raekwon Horton finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Army went into halftime ahead of UTSA 39-35. Rucker scored 11 points in the half. Rucker scored 16 points down the stretch in the second half to help lead Army to a three-point victory. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It’s a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It’s all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person’s response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn’t happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It’s not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn’t respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I’m hoping it’s slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.”

Washington 62, Cal St.-Fullerton 58NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen's stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday's showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn't paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”The billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Elite meeting of the minds 🌟 pic.twitter.com/R4d8EArqTp — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 30, 2024 Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. "This shows where we are at and we need to keep improving. It is November now. This is good but we want to be better again. We have to be better again." 👊 Reaction from the boss ⬇️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) November 30, 2024 Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”

NoneGeorge Pickens Escapes Fine from Browns Brawl

Quinn runs for 154 yards, 2 TDs to lead Texas Southern over Arkansas-Pine Bluff 31-23AP News Summary at 5:17 p.m. EST

NonePINE BLUFF, Ark. (AP) — Quintell Quinn ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns to lead Texas Southern to a 31-23 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. Quinn scored on a 32-yard run to open the scoring midway through the first quarter, and his 75-yard touchdown run gave Texas Southern a 17-13 lead with 6:59 remaining in the third. A little more than three minutes later, Jace Wilson threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Trenton Leary that stretched the Tigers' lead to 24-13. Athean Renfro added 55 yards rushing with a 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter for Texas Southern (5-6, 4-4 Southwestern Athletic Conference). DJ Stevenson threw a touchdown pass and an interception for Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-8, 2-6). Abdulbasit Osholake had an 80-yard pick-6 that tied it 7-all late in the second quarter for the Lions. ___ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Republicans recommended on Friday that the state write laws banning transgender girls and women from participating in high school and college sports, setting the stage for action in the 2025 legislative session. The vote by a committee that was studying the issue is hardly a surprise. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a possible Republican contender for governor in 2026 — announced almost identical goals at the panel's first meeting in August . It’s an issue that’s already been addressed in Georgia. Legislators in 2022 empowered the Georgia High School Association to regulate transgender students' participation in sports. The association, which regulates sports and activities for all public schools and some private schools, then banned transgender boys and girls from playing on the school sports teams matching their gender identity. Jones and others argue that doesn't go far enough and that lawmakers themselves need to act. It's a sign Republicans believe there is more political gain in fears about transgender women playing women’s sports or using women’s bathrooms. At least 26 mostly Republican states have passed laws or rules to restrict transgender girls from participating high school sports and, in some cases, transgender women from college sports , according to the Movement Advancement Project, a gay rights group. In Georgia, additional action appears more likely now after House Speaker Jon Burns and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, have voiced support for further legislation. Jeff Graham, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Georgia Equality, said his group is playing defense, concerned about the possibility of other bills that could further restrict gender-affirming care or ban transgender people from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. “We’re expecting that it’ll be at least what we saw in 2023 and 2024, with the number of bills and more than likely laws,” Graham told reporters Friday. But Burns, from Newington, has said he's not interested in other bills dealing with transgender people besides those dealing with girls' and women's sports. Republican State Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming, who led the Senate study committee, said Friday that he, too, is not interested in a broader bill regulating bathroom usage, although his committee recommended that schools that host sporting events require athletes to use locker rooms based on their assigned sex at birth. Dolezal said senators would seek to write legislation that regulated public schools and colleges, as well as private institutions that compete against public schools and colleges. The committee also recommends that people be able to sue or file grievances if schools break the rules, and that state money be withheld from schools that break the rules. Supporters of more action have focused on the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, swam for the University of Pennsylvania and won the 500-meter freestyle . The NCAA has since revised its policy on transgender women’s participation, saying it will follow the rules of respective athletics federations. World Aquatics, the swimming governing body, banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. That means Thomas wouldn’t be allowed to swim in NCAA events today. “My basic contention that this is a solution in search of a problem remains,” Graham said. He said he fears that many people who oppose laws that seek to restrict transgender people will be afraid to testify and lobby at the Georgia Capitol, citing assault charges against a man accused of shaking U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in a Capitol office building in Washington, D.C. Dolezal repeatedly tried to turn down the emotional temperature of the issue on Friday. “I think that there’s a group of people that wants to be respected and I think that they deserve respect,” Dolezal told reporters. “But I also think that you can be respectful, but also recognize that in the sporting arena, fairness and competition is important.”

‘Control freak’ Victoria Beckham’s terrifying well-organised day revealed from ice baths to £2k face masks & same meal

Over the course of 2024, China’s foreign trade development has maintained a good momentum, with overall quality and structure improvement and stable growth. The achievements have not come easily considering the current slowing global economic recovery, intensifying trade protectionism and intertwined geopolitical conflicts. China’s foreign goods trade increased by 4.9 percent year-on-year to reach 39.79 trillion yuan ($5.45 trillion) in the first 11 months of 2024, demonstrating stable growth and ongoing structural improvements, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed. “With the concerted efforts of both stock and incremental policies in the field, China is expected to end the year with a smooth performance in foreign trade and achieve the goal of stable quality and quantity,” Lü Daliang, spokesperson of the GAC, said at a press conference on December 10. While maintaining a stable growth in foreign trade, China also vowed to share its vast market with the world by boosting the expansion of imports, including policy support, platform construction and transport facilitation. In the first 11 months, China’s imports from all the least developed countries (LDCs) that have established diplomatic relations with China increased by 12.4 percent, nearly 10 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of China’s imports, according to GAC data. Honey from Rwanda, wild aquatic products from Uganda, peanuts and sesame from Chad, fresh pine nuts from Afghanistan ... In 2024, more and more agricultural products have been exported to China, opening its market to more and more countries through major trade events and e-commerce. The 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), held in November in Shanghai, featured 37 LDCs, with the event organizers providing more than 120 free exhibition booths specifically for businesses from these countries. “This is the second time that we have participated in the CIIE ... We have 30 companies coming to the expo this year compared with about 20 in 2023,” Kassim Kone, a delegate from the Mali Export Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Mali, told the Global Times, an indication of how Mali values this event. Bangladesh also showcased a variety of products at the 7th CIIE, ranging from leather to food. Some of these products are already being exported to China, Md Ziaur Rahman, the commercial counselor of the Embassy of Bangladesh in China, told the Global Times. “Since its launch, the CIIE has been providing facilitation for LDCs. For the past seven years, more and more products from LDCs have entered the Chinese market through the CIIE, which contributed to the industrial development and improvement of people’s livelihood in these countries,” Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on November 7 at a regular press conference. Shanghai launched the 2024 Shanghai Silk Road E-commerce Carnival in May 2024, under which Meione (Shanghai) Network Technology Co conducted a special promotion event exclusively for African products, selling raw materials such as cocoa cubes, coffee extracts and tea extracts from African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, Meione said in a statement shared with the Global Times. China has been facilitating market access for more imports, especially for LDCs. Starting from December 1, 2024, China gave zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to LDCs. China is the first developing country and major global economy to implement this initiative, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said. Regarding China’s zero-tariff treatment policy for LDCs, of which Bangladesh is one, Rahman said that “this policy will significantly promote trade for countries like ours, and we are very grateful for it.” “This demonstrates China’s commitment to forge a global development partnership, under which no country or individual should be left behind,” Zhu Qiucheng, CEO of Ningbo New Oriental Electric Industrial Development, an exporter of home furnishing products, told the Global Times on Friday. China’s foreign trade, while with increasing imports from more countries and keeping a stable growth in 2024, also improved its mix, with exports of high-quality and high-tech products particularly increased. Specifically, mechanical and electrical products accounted for nearly 60 percent of exports in the first 11 months, of which automatic data processing equipment and its parts, integrated circuits and automobiles exports grew by double digits, according to GAC data. Exports of the “new trio,” namely, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products, have become China’s new business cards in the world. It means that in the “smile curve” of the global manufacturing industry, Chinese foreign trade enterprises are moving toward the upstream of the global value chain. The curve is called a “smile” because the two ends of the curve (R&D and after-sales service) have higher value, while the middle section (manufacturing) is relatively lower in terms of value creation. According to the latest data from China Automobile Dealers Association, China’s cumulative export volume of new-energy vehicles was 1.72 million units in the first 10 months of 2024, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year. “Compared with labor-intensive goods such as textiles and clothing, the ‘new trio’ represents technology-intensive products, which are transformed and upgraded to high-end, intelligent and green – meaning higher added value,” said Zhu. The transformation and upgrading of China’s economic and trade structure have been demonstrated through China-initiated trade events, such as the CIIE, the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), and the China International Supply Chain Expo. The Canton Fair, for example, used to mainly showcase consumer goods. But in recent years, the proportion of intermediate and capital goods on display has increased to 12 percent, the Global Times learned from the organizer. In the machinery exhibition area where capital goods are concentrated, the number of booths has increased by more than 50 percent in the past five years. With increasingly advanced technologies, together with China’s world-leading manufacturing level and stable supply chains, Chinese enterprises are making high-tech products more affordable for the world, Liu Jinshi, chief engineer of Ston Robotics Changzhou Co, told the Global Times. While China’s position in the global trade market is gradually shifting to the middle and high-end in terms of industrial chains and value chains, the country’s trade partners are also diversifying. In particular, its trade with developing and emerging markets grew at a fast pace. In the first 11 months, China’s trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road cooperation saw a year-on-year increase of 6 percent, while that with ASEAN members rose by 8.6 percent. In this period, China’s foreign trade with Latin America increased by 7.9 percent and that with Africa up 4.8 percent, according to GAC. The foreign trade of goods this year showed a good performance, both from the perspective of trading partners and the structure of traded goods, Wan Zhe, an economist and professor at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times. “The export growth of products with high technologies is strong, reflecting the increasing quality of China’s industrial development,” said Wan. China’s economy has demonstrated strong resilience, great potential and vitality. The country is building a new economic development pattern of “dual circulation” with the domestic market as the mainstay and the domestic and overseas markets reinforcing each other and China is capable of resisting the impact of external shocks, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen, said on November 22 at a press conference. The State Council recently issued a package of policy measures aimed at promoting the stable growth of foreign trade, while the MOFCOM, the GAC and other departments launched specific measures to accelerate the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade, further optimize the business environment at ports, and promote the convenience of customs clearance for enterprises, said Lü. The recent Central Economic Work Conference further stressed efforts to promote high-standard opening up while keeping foreign trade and foreign investment stable as being one of the key tasks for 2025, according to the Xinhua News Agency. “Looking ahead, favorable conditions are stronger than unfavorable factors, such as declining global demand and growing trade barriers and protectionism. There is a basis and support for China to achieve steady growth of imports and exports,” said Zhu. Source: Global TimesThe billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Elite meeting of the minds 🌟 — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. "This shows where we are at and we need to keep improving. It is November now. This is good but we want to be better again. We have to be better again." 👊 Reaction from the boss ⬇️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”