casino guru best casinos HANNAH BETTS: Cosmetics expert reveals her beauty resolutions for 2025 UK beauty expert Hannah Betts reveals what she is focusing on for 2025 READ MORE: The 15 best beauty buys this year as chosen by YOU (and they start from just £1.22!) By HANNAH BETTS FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 20:45 GMT, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 20:45 GMT, 29 December 2024 e-mail View comments We got there! Christmas has been skipped or staggered through, and New Year is honing into view. I hope you've had time to rest and zone out a bit, recharge and refuel. Now for a little light retooling. When I say I'm writing about New Year's resolutions, I'm not suggesting that there's an inadequate 2024 you to be reformed for 2025. We're adults and we're fine. However, January 1 does provide a useful focusing device for reappraising the things we do and tweaking them around the edges. And our beauty rituals are no exception. Here are the five things I'll be doing over the next few days, and you might want to, too. Relax The greatest gift I gave myself this Christmas was those earplugs one sees youngsters sporting to block an ever-demanding world. My Loop Switch 2s (£54.95, loopearplugs.com ) can be switched between 'quiet' (peace), 'experience' (decreasing concert volume) and 'engage' (lowering people's voices) modes. I now crave a Loop Dream set (£44.95) to keep beside my bed. I'll still hear my alarm, just not those morning planes that have been waking me with a stressed jolt. I'll slather myself in Nikura Sleep Essential Oil Blend (£5.99, nikura.com ) and use them with my Drowsy Silk Sleep Mask (from £52, drowsysleepco.com ) for the ultimate beauty sleep. Hannah Betts reveals what her beauty resolutions are ahead of 2025 Think Use this interlude to ponder, read and watch. Magazines will yield a wealth of ideas - even merely the advertising looks. While I highly recommend Lisa Eldridge's YouTube videos, you may be galvanised by a novel in which the heroine has a signature beauty gesture or a friend's party look for tomorrow night. Maybe you'd like to go into 2025 with a fresh hair colour, or foundation technique? Now is the time to fantasise. Look I was talking to a great British beauty the other day, and she told me that what she wants in a make-up artist is not fiddling about with different gimmicks, but someone who takes a long look at her face, then acts on those findings. Do the same. Is your mirror midlife eyesight-ready? I use the excellent Mirrorvana Double-sided with 10X/1X Magnification (£25, amazon.co.uk ). Restock Go through your cosmetics kit, axing anything that isn't working such as old make-up and balding brushes. Then clean the remaining blighters. Wash, sanitise and/or replace your cosmetics bag, too. Restock your cleanser, use up pots of old cream and streamline your kit to see you into spring. It's going to be cold – make sure your face is ready for this. And lay down some hand and hair nourishment, too. January 1 provides a useful focusing device for reappraising the things we do and tweaking them around the edges. And our beauty rituals are no exception (Stock Image) Plot January and February are a great time for winning little projects such as bolstering your eyebrows or growing your nails. You might wish to invest in silk pillowcases to be gentle on skin and hair. (I rely on stray eyeliner-proof black Bedsure Satin Pillowcases for Hair & Skin, £5.04 for two, amazon.co.uk ). You may commit to a beauty supplement, or yearn to whiten your smile (me, too – watch this space). I'll be 54 in March, meaning pigmentation is setting in, so I'll be looking into remedies. I also intend lifting my features with my hands using Deciniee Gua Sha Massagers (£12.89 for two, amazon.co.uk ) and the brilliant Mini Eye Cool Rollers (£4.99 each, amazon.co.uk ), which are exquisitely soothing. Perhaps you will resolve not to let your lips crack before resorting to balm, or conclude: 'Scent makes me feel alive. I shall wear it every day.' Small tweak, beautiful New Year. See you in 2025. RACE YOU TO IT! Nutriburst Enhanced Hydration + Beauty Electrolyte & Vitamin Formula Parched skin and brittle hair and nails are the price of festive dehydration brought on by booze, central heating and simply not drinking enough water. Stockpile Nutriburst Enhanced Hydration + Beauty Electrolyte & Vitamin Formula (from £9.49 for six sachets, amazon.co.uk) for New Year. £9.49 Shop MY ICON OF THE WEEK: Nicole Kidman The actress admits that she is 'pretty addicted' to By Terry's Baume de Rose Lip Care Make-up artist Kate Synnott used Beauty Pie to get Kidman, 57, glowing for her new thriller Babygirl. She prepped with Superluminous Skin Glow Filter Tinted Hyaluronic Complexion Brightener (members’ price £20, beautypie.com), followed by the Everyday Great Skin Hyaluronic Blur Concealer (£12.50) and Triple Beauty Luminising Highlighter Wand (£11). COSMETIC CRAVING Olixa Gummy Facial Cleanser Removing a party face in the wee small hours is a chore. What’s needed is Olixa Gummy Facial Cleanser (£28.50, olixabeauty.com), the bestseller from this natural skincare brand. Plant-based ingredients create an antioxidant-rich formula designed to refine tone, boost hydration and brighten the complexion. However, it’s the texture that stands out: xanthan gum lending glue-like grip. Work a dollop into dry skin, pressing and lifting to create suction. Wet fingertips and continue to massage until the cleanser turns milky, then rinse. Understandably cherished by make-up artists, one application eradicates every scrap of slap – no cloth required. Then, hit the sack in a state of virtue. £28.50 Shop PARTY PIECES Pat McGrath Eye Shadow Quad Sublime Blooms in Opalescent Orchid Pat McGrath Eye Shadow Quad Sublime Blooms in Opalescent Orchid (£55, patmcgrath.com) Floral fantasies for tomorrow night and into spring. £55 Shop Hildun Immortal Metallic Eyeliner in Silver Hildun Immortal Metallic Eyeliner in Silver (£16, hildunbeauty.co.uk) Glinting, mirror-like, metallic – go from desk-to-disco with a swipe of each lid. £16 Shop Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Balm (£34.40, boots.com) Sheer skin tint which gives a fresh, youthful sheen. £34.40 Shop Lisa Eldridge Kitten Lash Mascara Lisa Eldridge Kitten Lash Mascara (£29, lisaeldridge.com) Flirtatious length and curl is so now. Kitten Lash is purr-fect. £29 Shop Dior Addict Lip Glow in 63 Pink Lilac Dior Addict Lip Glow in 63 Pink Lilac (£33, dior.com) Have the most kissable mouth for New Year’s Eve. Warm-toned women should pick 75. £33 Shop TikTok Chinese New Year Share or comment on this article: HANNAH BETTS: Cosmetics expert reveals her beauty resolutions for 2025 e-mail Add comment

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Sanz is a former Associated Press reporter.

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Coach Hansi Flick was sent off for protesting a penalty decision and Barcelona was held at Real Betis to 2-2 in La Liga on Saturday. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé helped Real Madrid close on the leaders. Flick showed his frustration over a decision to send Betis to the spot, but he also said after the match that his youthful team, which included two 17-year-old starters, must improve. “We are a young team and we need to improve a lot,” Flick said. “We must be stronger, especially when we play away. We have quality, but we have to show it in every game.” Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty following a video review when Betis forward Vitor Roque fell in the area following a brush with Frenkie de Jong. Giovani Lo Celso converted the 66th-minute penalty to level the score after Robert Lewandowski put the visitors ahead in the 38th with his league-leading 16th goal. Substitute Ferran Torres scored from a pass by Lamine Yamal to put Barcelona back in front in the 82nd, but Assane Diao struck in injury time to secure the draw for Betis. Barcelona has dropped points in four of the last five rounds. Its latest slip in Seville let Madrid close to within two points with a game still to play after it rolled to a 3-0 win at Girona. Flick said he was surprised by the referee’s decision to expel him, but refused to criticize his sending off or the penalty decision that came after the ref viewed video replays. “I said nothing really to anyone, it was a reaction for myself,” the former Bayern Munich boss said about his alleged protest. “I am really disappointed about (the sending off) because that has never happened to me, but maybe here (in Spain) it is like this.” Bellingham rifled in a loose ball for the 36th-minute opener and extended his scoring streak to five rounds. He then set up Arda Guler to double Madrid's lead in the 55th when he threaded a long ball through Girona's defense. About five minutes later the England midfielder asked to be substituted for an apparent left-thigh injury, although coach Carlo Ancelotti said he was “fine” and left the game for precaution. Mbappé capped the victory with a goal from a tight angle, helping him rebound from his failure to score a penalty in a loss at Athletic Bilbao midweek. Madrid lost left back Ferland Mendy to an apparent leg issue as well. Madrid was already missing defenders Éder Militao and Dani Carvajal to serious leg injuries, and coach Carlo Ancelotti said David Alaba won't be fit to play until January. Madrid visits Atalanta on Tuesday in the Champions League, where it has lost three of five matches. After outscoring opponents 29-5 during a run of seven straight wins that included big victories over Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Barcelona has hit its first dip in form since Flick’s arrival last summer. The skid over the past month includes its first home loss to the modest Las Palmas in over 50 years and wasting a 2-0 lead in a draw at Celta Vigo. Barcelona bounced back with a 5-1 win at Mallorca this week, but the draw at Betis may be the most worrying setback for Flick yet. His team could have lost if it wasn’t for the goalkeeping of Iñaki Peña, who among his saves turned back a powerful point blank strike by Chimy Ávila. Flick said his team played poorly and its only “good play” in the first half was the pass by Jules Koundé that set up Lewandowski. His remedy was for his team to speed up its passing game and reduce the number of long balls that Flick said were not his team's strength. Flick also defended substituting Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri, and Dani Olmo — the team's best attacking players along with Yamal — for the need to rest them ahead of Barcelona's Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. Yamal put Barcelona back in charge after he threaded the ball through the Betis backline for Torres to score. That was the 17-year-old’s league-leading ninth assist. Diao, however, unleashed the celebrations in Benito Villamarin Stadium when he used the inside of his right leg to redirect a cross by Aitor Rubial just inside the far post of Peña’s net. “We are disappointed because we missed a chance to get a win by conceding a late goal,” Koundé said. “We let them take the game to us.” Manuel Pellegrini’s team remained in 11th place after ending a run of seven consecutive home losses to Barcelona. Isco Alarcon returned to the field for the first time since the Betis midfielder broke a bone in his left fibula in May. The former Real Madrid playmaker played the final minutes as a substitute. Valencia's disgruntled supporters jeered their team after a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano left it in the relegation zone. Las Palmas also beat last-placed Valladolid 2-1. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

A burden has been lifted off Lora Wood’s shoulders. Lora Wood was one of 39 people who had non-violent convictions pardoned by President Joe Biden on Dec. 12, 2024. For 20 years, the 39-year-old Maxwell, Nebraska resident has been living under the pall of having been convicted of a felony. That limited her career opportunities. It also made her unable to own a firearm, which, as a livestock farmer, created difficulty at times. Wood was one of 39 people who had their non-violent convictions pardoned by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday. Biden also commuted the sentences of close to 1,500 people. Wood’s pardon stems from 2004, when she pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Wood said when she was 19, she got involved with the wrong guy. Wood served one year in federal prison in Illinois and four years under supervised release as part of her plea agreement. Today, Wood said she's happy; living with her husband, Jeremy, and two children. She works as a graphic designer for Pro Printing and Graphics — a printing company owned by her mother-in-law in North Platte — and spends time on the farm. Having been clean for 20 years, Wood remains active in the community. She volunteers helping animals through Paws-itive Partners Humane Society in North Platte. With the humane society, she has organized pet food fundraisers, including Woofstock, an event where people can come with their dogs to a carnival-like atmosphere. She also works with therapy dogs. Wood began applying for a pardon five years ago. As part of her application process, the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed her, her family and her employers both present and past. When she got the call on Wednesday, she was moved to tears. “I was really excited,” she said. “This has been one of those things where you don’t have any information. It just came out of the blue.” In a press release, the White House noted Wood’s steady employment and volunteer service. The White House added Wood has been praised for her work ethic and devotion to her children. Although it does not expunge Wood’s conviction, she believes the pardon will give her better job opportunities and access to a firearm, which she said would come in handy if she needs to put down a sick pig at her and her husband’s farm. “Trying to put down a pig without a gun is a very difficult process,” Wood said. “We have to call neighbors to do it for us.” She also said the pardon would allow her to visit nursing homes to help comfort residents with a therapy dog. Wood said her drug conviction prevented her from doing that. Wood is thankful her pardon will now allow her to put a dark chapter of her past behind her. “It’s definitely lifted a burden off my shoulders,” she said. “I can move forward and basically never have to think about it again.” A few snowflakes rest on a hand rail at the Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens in Omaha on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Watie White prepares to hang the portraits he drew for an exhibit inside the carriage house at the Joslyn Castle in Omaha on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Watie White poses for a portrait holding some potraits he drew that will hang in an exhibit inside the carriage house at the Joslyn Castle in Omaha on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Creighton's Pop Isaacs (2) goes up for a 3-pointer s head coach Greg McDermott motions in the background during the second half of a men's college basketball game against Kansas at the CHI Health Center in Omaha on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. Creighton players react as they are unveiled on the NCAA Volleyball Tournament bracket during a watch party at DJ's Dugout in Omaha on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. Creighton's Jackson McAndrew (23) and Fedor Žugić (7) take a selfie with fans after defeating Kansas, 76-63, at the CHI Health Center in Omaha on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

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A burden has been lifted off Lora Wood’s shoulders. Lora Wood was one of 39 people who had non-violent convictions pardoned by President Joe Biden on Dec. 12, 2024. For 20 years, the 39-year-old Maxwell, Nebraska resident has been living under the pall of having been convicted of a felony. That limited her career opportunities. It also made her unable to own a firearm, which, as a livestock farmer, created difficulty at times. Wood was one of 39 people who had their non-violent convictions pardoned by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday. Biden also commuted the sentences of close to 1,500 people. Wood’s pardon stems from 2004, when she pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Wood said when she was 19, she got involved with the wrong guy. Wood served one year in federal prison in Illinois and four years under supervised release as part of her plea agreement. Today, Wood said she's happy; living with her husband, Jeremy, and two children. She works as a graphic designer for Pro Printing and Graphics — a printing company owned by her mother-in-law in North Platte — and spends time on the farm. Having been clean for 20 years, Wood remains active in the community. She volunteers helping animals through Paws-itive Partners Humane Society in North Platte. With the humane society, she has organized pet food fundraisers, including Woofstock, an event where people can come with their dogs to a carnival-like atmosphere. She also works with therapy dogs. Wood began applying for a pardon five years ago. As part of her application process, the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed her, her family and her employers both present and past. When she got the call on Wednesday, she was moved to tears. “I was really excited,” she said. “This has been one of those things where you don’t have any information. It just came out of the blue.” In a press release, the White House noted Wood’s steady employment and volunteer service. The White House added Wood has been praised for her work ethic and devotion to her children. Although it does not expunge Wood’s conviction, she believes the pardon will give her better job opportunities and access to a firearm, which she said would come in handy if she needs to put down a sick pig at her and her husband’s farm. “Trying to put down a pig without a gun is a very difficult process,” Wood said. “We have to call neighbors to do it for us.” She also said the pardon would allow her to visit nursing homes to help comfort residents with a therapy dog. Wood said her drug conviction prevented her from doing that. Wood is thankful her pardon will now allow her to put a dark chapter of her past behind her. “It’s definitely lifted a burden off my shoulders,” she said. “I can move forward and basically never have to think about it again.” A few snowflakes rest on a hand rail at the Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens in Omaha on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Watie White prepares to hang the portraits he drew for an exhibit inside the carriage house at the Joslyn Castle in Omaha on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Watie White poses for a portrait holding some potraits he drew that will hang in an exhibit inside the carriage house at the Joslyn Castle in Omaha on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Creighton's Pop Isaacs (2) goes up for a 3-pointer s head coach Greg McDermott motions in the background during the second half of a men's college basketball game against Kansas at the CHI Health Center in Omaha on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. Creighton players react as they are unveiled on the NCAA Volleyball Tournament bracket during a watch party at DJ's Dugout in Omaha on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. Damany Rahn, CEO of the Heart Ministry Center, poses for a portrait at FRESH Floral in Omaha on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. FRESH Floral helps support the Heart Ministry Center, a nonprofit that aims to provide food, healthcare and a way forward for people affected by poverty. The Omaha World-Herald 2024 All-Nebraska Volleyball Team, from left, Lincoln Lutheran's Keri Leimbach, Norris' Anna Jelinek, Papillion-La Vista South's Charlee Solomon, Omaha Skutt's Addison West, Fremont's Mattie Dalton, Omaha Westside's Ashlyn Paymal and Grand Island's Tia Traudt photographed at Steelhouse Omaha on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Siblings Aria, 9, and Apollo Taylor, 6, hold out alfalfa for a Camille, a camel from Scatter Joy Acres during the annual Christmas in the Village in Omaha on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Rebels on a lightning advance through Syria said they were nearing the capital Damascus on Saturday, although the Bashar al-Assad government denied the army had withdrawn from areas around the city. The rebels claimed they had encircled the city. Here's your 10-point cheat sheet to this big story "Our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital," said rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani, with the Islamist-led alliance that launched the offensive, news agency AFP reported. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group which has headed the assault, told fighters to prepare to take the seat of Assad's government, just over a week into a renewed offensive in the long dormant conflict. "Damascus awaits you," said HTS's Ahmed al-Sharaa in a statement on Telegram, using his real name instead of his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Syria's defence ministry said army forces were "present in all areas of the Damascus countryside". "There is no truth to news claiming our armed forces... have withdrawn" from positions near Damascus, it said. Syria's presidency denied reports that Assad had left Damascus, saying he was "following up on his work and national and constitutional duties from the capital". HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. Proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments, it has sought to soften its image in recent years. As the Islamist rebels seize more territory, they have sought to reassure minority groups living in areas now under their control. "We ask that all sects be reassured... for the era of sectarianism and tyranny has gone away forever," said Abdel Ghani. Since the offensive began last week, at least 826 people, mostly combatants but also including 111 civilians, have been killed. The United Nations said the violence has displaced 3.7 lakh people. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Syria must not be allowed to fall into the hands of "terrorist" rebels fighting the forces of Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad. "It's inadmissible to allow the terrorist group to take control of the lands in violation of agreements which exist, starting with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 which strongly reiterated sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Syrian Arab Republic," Mr Lavrov said at an event in Qatar, referring to a 2015 UN resolution for a political settlement in Syria. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a "political solution to the conflict", his spokesperson said on Friday, in a call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. US President-elect Donald Trump, however, on Saturday said the US should "not get involved" in the situation in Syria. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, and the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. There has been no public signal that the Biden administration is contemplating such an intervention. Trump has long taken an isolationist approach, and during this year's presidential campaign he often said he could end the Ukraine and Gaza wars "quickly."

ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Jackson Paveletzke scored 23 points as Ohio beat Morehead State 88-76 on Saturday night. Paveletzke also contributed eight rebounds for the Bobcats (4-5). Elmore James scored 16 points, shooting 6 for 8, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc. AJ Clayton went 5 of 10 from the field (2 for 7 from 3-point range) to finish with 14 points. The Eagles (3-6) were led in scoring by Tyler Brelsford, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists. Jalen Breazeale added 13 points for Morehead State. Kade Ruegsegger also had 12 points, six rebounds and three steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Minor league pitchers Luis Moreno, Alejandro Crisostomo suspended after positive drug tests

Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightingsOTTAWA, Ontario—Tuomas Uronen scored at 1:46 of overtime to give Finland a 4-3 victory over the defending champion United States on Sunday in the world junior hockey championship. Uronen, who plays for the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League, came down the right side on a rush and beat goalie Trey Augustine high to the glove side. The Americans lost for the first time in three games. They'll finish Group A play Tuesday night against Canada. Finland has won two straight after an opening loss to Canada. In the late game at Canadian Tire Centre, Carter George made 18 saves to help Canada rebound from an overtime loss to Latvia with a 3-0 victory over Germany. Jesse Kiiskinen, Julius Miettinen and Arttu Alasiurua also scored for Finland, and Petteri Rimpinen made 41 saves. Carey Terrance of the Erie Otters of the OHL, Cole Hutson of Boston University and Brody Ziemer of Minnesota scored for the United States. Augustine, from Michigan State, stopped 29 shots. For Canada, Oliver Bonk opened the scoring midway through the first period, Caden Price made it 2-0 with 4:58 left in the game and Mathieu Cataford added an empty-netter. In Group B at TD Place, Sweden and Czechia each improved to 3-0 ahead of their showdown Tuesday night in the round-robin finale. Tom Willander had two goals and assist in Sweden’s 7-5 victory over Switzerland. Eduard Sale scored twice to help Czechia beat Slovakia 4-2.‘We may see an elected govt next year’

What to know about a Wisconsin man who faked his own death and fled to Eastern Europe