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Donald Trump has urged the US Supreme Court to pause a federal TikTok law that would ban the popular social media app or force its sale, with the Republican US President-elect arguing that he should have time after taking office to pursue a "political resolution" to the issue. TikTok and its owner ByteDance are fighting to keep the popular app online in the United States after Congress voted in April to ban it unless the app's Chinese parent company sells it by January 19. They have sought to have the law struck down, and the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. But if the court does not rule in ByteDance's favour and no divestment occurs, the app could be effectively banned in the United States on January 19, one day before Trump takes office. "This case presents an unprecedented, novel, and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national security concerns on the other," Trump said in a filing on Friday. "Such a stay would vitally grant President Trump the opportunity to pursue a political resolution that could obviate the Court's need to decide these constitutionally significant questions," the filing added. Free speech advocates separately told the Supreme Court on Friday that the US law against Chinese-owned TikTok evokes the censorship regimes put in place by the United States' authoritarian enemies. Trump indicated earlier this week that he favoured allowing TikTok to keep operating in the United States for at least a little while, saying he had received billions of views on the social media platform during his presidential campaign. The US Justice Department has argued that Chinese control of TikTok poses a continuing threat to national security, a position supported by most US lawmakers. TikTok says the Justice Department has misstated the social media app's ties to China, arguing that its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the United States on cloud servers operated by Oracle Corp. The company added that content moderation decisions that affect US users are made in the United States.
By Jonathan Spicer and Maya Gebeily ISTANBUL/DAMASCUS (Reuters) - After 13 years of civil war, Syria's opposition militias sensed an opportunity to loosen President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power when, about six months ago, they communicated to Turkey plans for a major offensive and felt they had received its tacit approval, two sources with knowledge of the planning said. Launched barely two weeks ago, the operation's speedy success in achieving its initial goal - seizing Syria's second city, Aleppo - took almost everybody by surprise. From there, in a little more than a week, the rebel alliance reached Damascus and on Sunday put an end to five decades of Assad family rule. The lightning advance relied on an almost perfect alignment of stars for the forces opposed to Assad: his army was demoralised and exhausted; his main allies, Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah, were severely weakened by conflict with Israel; and his other key military supporter, Russia, was distracted and losing interest. There was no way the rebels could go ahead without first notifying Turkey, which has been a main backer of the Syrian opposition from the war's earliest days, said the sources, a diplomat in the region and a member of the Syrian opposition. Turkey has troops on the ground in northwest Syria, and provides support to some of the rebels who were intending to take part, including the Syrian National Army (SNA) - though it considers the main faction in the alliance, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), to be a terror group. The rebels' bold plan was the brainchild of HTS and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the diplomat said. Because of his former ties to al Qaeda, Golani is designated as a terrorist by Washington, Europe and Turkey. However, over the past decade, HTS, previously known as the Nusra Front, has tried to moderate its image, while running a quasi-state centered on Idlib, where, experts say, it levied taxes on commercial activities and the population. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's government, which struck a deal with Russia in 2020 to de-escalate fighting in northwestern Syria, has long opposed such a major rebel offensive, fearing it would lead to a new wave of refugees crossing its border. However, the rebels sensed a stiffening of Ankara's stance towards Assad earlier this year, the sources said, after he rebuffed repeated overtures from Erdogan aimed at advancing a political solution to the military stalemate, which has left Syria divided between the regime and a patchwork of rebel groups with an array of foreign backers. The Syrian opposition source said the rebels had shown Turkey details of the planning, after Ankara's attempts to engage Assad had failed. The message was: "That other path hasn't worked for years - so try ours. You don't have to do anything, just don't intervene." Reuters was unable to determine the exact nature of the communications. Hadi Al-Bahra, head of the internationally-recognized Syrian opposition abroad, told Reuters last week that HTS and SNA had had "limited" planning together ahead of the operation and agreed to "achieve cooperation and not clash with each other". He added that Turkey's military saw what the armed groups were doing and discussing. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking in Doha on Sunday, said Erdogan’s effort in recent months to reach out to Assad failed and Turkey "knew something was coming". However, Turkey's deputy minister for foreign affairs, Nuh Yilmaz, told a conference on Middle Eastern affairs in Bahrain on Sunday that Ankara was not behind the offensive, and did not provide its consent, saying it was concerned about instability. Turkey's foreign and defence ministries did not respond directly to Reuters questions about an HTS-Ankara understanding about the Aleppo operation. In reply to questions about Turkey's awareness of battlefield preparations, a Turkish official told Reuters that the HTS "does not receive orders or direction from us (and) does not coordinate its operations with us either." The official said that "in that sense" it would not be correct to say that the operation in Aleppo was carried out with Turkey's approval or green light. Turkish intelligence agency MIT did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was unable to reach a representative for HTS. VULNERABLE The rebels struck when Assad was at his most vulnerable. Distracted by wars elsewhere, his military allies Russia, Iran, and Lebanon's Hezbollah failed to mobilise the kind of decisive firepower that had propped him up for years. Syria's weak armed forces were unable to resist. A regime source told Reuters that tanks and planes were left with no fuel because of corruption and looting - an illustration of just how hollowed out the Syrian state had become. Over the past two years morale had severely eroded in the army, said the source, who requested anonymity because of fear of retribution. Aron Lund, a fellow at Century International, a Middle-East focused think-tank, said the HTS-led coalition was stronger and more coherent than any previous rebel force during the war, "and a lot of that is Abu Mohammed al-Golani’s doing". But, he said, the regime's weakness was the deciding factor. "After they lost Aleppo like that, regime forces never recovered and the more the rebels advanced, the weaker Assad’s army got," he said. The pace of the rebel advances, with Hama being captured on Dec. 5 and Homs falling on or around Sunday at the same time government forces lost Damascus, exceeded expectations. "There was a window of opportunity but no one expected the regime to crumble this fast. Everyone expected some fight," said Bassam Al-Kuwatli, president of the Syrian Liberal Party, a small opposition group, who is based outside Syria. A U.S. official said on condition of anonymity that while Washington had been aware of Turkey’s overall support for the rebels, it was not informed of any tacit Turkish approval for the Aleppo offensive. The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Turkey's role. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said that Russia's abandonment of Assad led to his downfall, adding that Moscow never should have protected him in the first place and then lost interest because of a war in Ukraine that never should have started. Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday noted his country's role in weakening Hezbollah, which sources told Reuters withdrew its remaining troops from Syria on Saturday. GAZA FALLOUT Sources familiar with Hezbollah deployments said the Iran-backed group, which propped up Assad early in the war, had already withdrawn many of its elite fighters from Syria over the last year to support the group as it waged hostilities with Israel - a conflict that spilled over from the Gaza war. Israel dealt Hezbollah heavy blows, particularly after launching an offensive in September, killing the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah and many of its commanders and fighters. The rebel offensive in Syria began the same day as a ceasefire came into effect in the Lebanon conflict on Nov. 27. The sources familiar with Hezbollah said it did not want to engage in big battles in Syria as the group focused on starting a long road to recovery from the heavy blows. For the rebel alliance, the withdrawal of Hezbollah presented a valuable opportunity. "We just wanted a fair fight between us and the regime," the Syrian opposition source said. Assad's fall marks a major blow to Iranian influence in the Middle East, coming so swiftly after the killing of Nasrallah and the damage done by Israel to Hezbollah. Turkey, on the other hand, now appears to be Syria's most powerful external player, with troops on the ground and access to the rebel leaders. In addition to securing the return of Syrian refugees, Turkey's objectives include curbing the power of Syrian Kurdish groups that control wide areas of northeast Syria and are backed by the United States. Ankara deems them to be terrorists. As part of the initial offensive, the Turkey-backed SNA seized swathes of territory, including the city of Tel Refaat, from U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. On Sunday, a Turkish security source said the rebels entered the northern city of Manbij after pushing the Kurds back again. "Turkey is the biggest outside winner here. Erdogan turned out to be on the right - or at least winning - side of history here because his proxies in Syria won the day," said Birol Baskan, Turkey-based political scientist and former non-resident scholar at Middle East Institute. (Additional reporting by Laila Bassam in Beirut, Tuvan Gumrukcu and Matt Spetalnick in Washington in Ankara; Writing by Tom Perry; editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
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Is Justin Baldoni's career over after Blake Lively's sexual harassment allegation? Actor faces fresh trouble amid scandalIn Civilization 7 , unlike previous games in the series, any leader can lead any civilization. So your choice of civilization is completely independent, allowing for a huge set of possible bonuses. And while your chosen leader will follow you all the way to the end, you'll choose a new civilization for each of the three acts: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Each civ comes with a unique ability, unique civics, at least two unique units, and one or more unique infrastructures (which is basically the new name for unique buildings). They also specialize in two of the six civ attributes (Cultural, Economic, Diplomatic, Expansionist, Militarist, and Scientific). Here are all of the civs we know about so far: Age: Antiquity Historical context: Founded in the 1st century CE and hitting its height around the 500s, the Aksumite Empire was based around what is now Northern Ethiopia, and was considered by some an equal to Rome and Persia. Attributes: Cultural, Economic Unique ability: Kingdom of Natural Wealth. All resources that produce Gold produce more of it. Unique military unit: Dhow. An early naval unit with increased strength on coasts and the ability to create a naval trade route. Unique civilian unit: Tankwa. A trade ship that cannot be pillaged and has increased trade route range. Unique improvement: Hawlit. Produces culture for each adjacent wonder, but can only be built on flat land. Our advice: The Asksumites are poised to dominate in coastal trade, with safe shipping lanes and an advantage in coastal naval combat. Saving up some gold for later ages while your culture flourishes seems like a wise plan. Age: Antiquity Historical context: One of the oldest complex agricultural civilizations, they're known today for some rather large triangles and many of the earliest depictions of furries and scalies. Fun fact: Cleopatra lived closer to the present day than to the last time you finished an entire campaign of Civ on Marathon speed. Attributes: Cultural, Economic Unique ability: Gifts of Osiris. Tiles on navigable rivers give more Production. Unique military unit: Medjay. Infantry with increased strength in friendly territory, and an even higher bonus for being stationed in an owned settlement. Unique civilian unit: Tjaty. Produced in any city with a Necropolis, granting one of several randomized historical figures with unique bonuses. It's like if a loot box was a guy with a cool hat. Basically you're replacing one of the standard Great Person lists (in this case the Vizier) with a unique, Egypt-specific list that is better. Unique quarter: Necropolis. Gain Gold every time a wonder is completed in this city. Unique building: Mastaba. Produces Culture, as well as bonus Gold for adjacent Desert tiles. Unique building: Mortuary Temple. Produces Gold, as well as bonus Happiness for adjacent navigable rivers. Our advice: Settling near navigable rivers is obviously a must. But beyond that, Egypt is deceptively flexible, and could fit a lot of different playstyles. Even if you want to play aggressively, it may be better to let your enemies come to you first, so you can take advantage of your home turf combat bonuses. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Age: Antiquity Historical context: The starting point for the majority of national myths that seek to set everything West of the Levant as a special, cool place where all the special-est, coolest people came from, they are credited with the Olympics, Western philosophy, and some pretty damn impressive beards. Attributes: Cultural, Diplomatic Unique ability: Demokratia. Increased Influence (that'd be the new diplomatic currency in Civ 7) on Palaces. Unique military unit: Hoplite. Increased strength when adjacent to another Hoplite. Unique civilian unit: Logios. Similar to Egypt's Tjaty, this is like a unique Great Person that can spawn as one of several randomized historical figures with different bonuses. Aristotle, Plato, Sappho—the gang's all here. They replace the vanilla Scholar and can only be built in cities with an Acropolis. Unique quarter: Acropolis. For every city-state you are suzerain of, your Parthenon building produces extra Gold. Unique building: Parthenon. Produces Culture, as well as bonus Influence if placed on rough terrain. Unique building: Odeon. Produces Happiness, as well as bonus Culture for each adjacent quarter. Our advice: The Greeks are definitely set up to master the Culture game, but you could also get some early conquest done with Hoplites if you make the most of their formidable formation fighting. Building a league of city-states should also be a major priority. Age: Antiquity Historical context: The Han dynasty of China reigned from the 200s BCE to the 200s CE, laying many of the foundations for later Chinese civilization and even giving their name to the Han ethnicity that most Chinese people identify with today. Attributes: Diplomatic, Scientific Unique ability: Nine Provinces. The Capital and new Towns gain two population the first time they get a growth event, instead of just one. Unique military unit: Chu-Ko-Nu. You've seen these guys, I'm sure. It's like a repeater crossbow. They have a zone of control (which most ranged units do not) to prevent other units from simply marching right past them, and higher defense than other early archers. While they can engage from up to one tile away, they also get increased strength at point-blank range. Unique civilian unit: Shì Dàfū. It's another one of those loot box guys, replacing the Scholar just like Greece's Logios, and representing a variety of important figures in early Chinese history from Laozi to Meng Ke (known as Mencius to Western scholars). Unique improvement: Great Wall. We're back to building this thing in individual segments. Each one gives Culture, as well as bonus Happiness for each adjacent Great Wall segment. Also increased combat strength for defenders on the same tile. Wall segments have to be built in a continuous line. They can eventually loop around, but they can't branch off. Our advice: A very defensible capital and early bonuses to population growth give you a lot of options, and as usual for a Chinese civ in Civ, they will be a natural pick for a Science-focused playstyle, albeit one that now depends a bit more on RNG. Age: Antiquity Historical context: The Khmer Empire was founded around 800 CE, making it one of the youngest starter civs in Civ 7, centered on what is today Cambodia. They came to control most of mainland Southeast Asia at their height. Attributes: Expansionist, Scientific Unique ability: Ksekam Chamnon. Urban districts next to rivers retain the output of any natural resources they were built on top of. Unique military unit: Yuthahathi. A cavalry unit with increased combat strength but reduced speed. It cannot be damaged by floods. Unique civilian unit: Vaishya. A merchant that cannot be damaged by floods and ignores movement penalties in flooded tiles. Unique improvement: Baray. Produces Food, increasing based on the number of floodplains within the borders of the settlement it is built. You can only build one per settlement and it must be on flat ground. Our advice: Natural disasters from Civ 6's Gathering Storm expansion are getting folded into the base game in Civ 7, and the Khmer are particularly well-equipped to survive and thrive with the natural flood cycles. Boosted food production and lower opportunity costs for urbanization will allow them to pursue many different strategies. Age: Antiquity Historical context: Founded in 322 BCE, the Maurya Empire grew to be the largest empire in South Asia up to that point. Controlling land from what is now Afghanistan all the way to the Bengal Delta, they were the cultural and political predecessors of most Indian subcontinent civilizations that came after them. Attributes: Militaristic, Scientific Unique ability: Dhamma Lipi. When you unlock Mysticism in the civics tree, you can choose an additional Pantheon bonus to represent your diverse religious beliefs. Unique military unit: Purabhettarah. A cavalry unit that has increased strength when fighting fortifications. Unique civilian unit: Nagarika. A settler that gives bonus Happiness on city halls. Unique quarter: Matha. Increases Happiness in the city where it is built. Unique building: Dharamshala. Produces Happiness, as well as bonus Science for every adjacent quarter. Unique building: Vihara. Produces Happiness, as well as bonus Culture for adjacent mountains. Our advice: Indian civs tend to focus on growth in Civ, and the Maurya seem to be no exception. But rather than speeding things up with food, they provide a lot of ways to keep your population centers happy. So you might grow slower, but the maximum population you can manage is greater. They are well-equipped for conquest and aggressive settling, as well as culture and science. Age: Antiquity Historical context: Less of an empire than a series of related societies that existed mainly in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula from at least 2000 BCE, they were renowned for their early discoveries in astronomy and the development of a complex writing system. Attributes: Diplomatic, Scientific Unique ability: Skies of Itzamna. Palaces produce bonus Science for every adjacent tile with vegetation. Unique military unit: Hul'che. A ranged unit that can see and move through tiles with vegetation as if they were open land. Unique civilian unit: Jaguar Slayer. A replacement for the Scout that can place a hidden Jaguar Trap on vegetation tiles. Enemy units that enter the tile take damage and immediately end their movement. Unique quarter: Uwaybil K'uh. Gains bonus production every time you research a technology. Unique building: Jalaw. Produces Happiness, as well as bonus Culture for every adjacent quarter. Unique building: K'uh Nah. Produces Science, with a bonus for every adjacent tile with vegetation. Our advice: Mayans were my pick for the best Science civ in Civ 6, and they still definitely lean in that direction. Though, as with other civs we've seen so far, it seems like their bonuses are more focused on giving you extra bonuses for doing science rather than making your science go faster. They also seem like they're going to be one of the most difficult and advanced civs, since you have to preserve the natural spaces around you to make the most of their bonuses. Age: Antiquity Historical context: Arising some time around 800 CE, the Mississippian cultures built the largest pre-Columbian city we know of in what is now the United States at Cahokia, as well as most of the examples of monumental architecture from that region. They went into decline some time before European contact for what are still poorly-understood reasons. Attributes: Economic, Expansionist Unique ability: Goose Societies. All buildings produce bonus Food for each adjacent resource. Unique military unit: Burning Arrow. An archer with increased strength against fortified districts and siege units. Its attacks apply a burning status to the targeted tile that deals damage to units on the burning tile for a number of turns. Unique civilian unit: Watonathi. A merchant that gains bonus Gold for every resource you gain access to when it creates a trade route. Unique improvement: Potkop. Produces Gold, as well as bonus Food for every adjacent resource, and must be built on flat land. Our advice: The Burning Arrow is a really interesting early game unit, letting you do some battlefield control that no one else has access to, which makes the Mississippians a really interesting pick for a militaristic playstyle. Otherwise, their ways to get bonus food will enable a lot of different playstyles. Age: Antiquity Historical context: The Achaemenid Persian Empire was founded in 550 BCE and was one of the great powers of the ancient world. At its height, they controlled land from India all the way to modern Libya and had a complex system of local governors. Attributes: Economic, Militaristic Unique ability: Hamarana Council. Infantry units have increased combat strength when attacking. Unique military unit: Immortal. A melee infantry unit that heals for a small amount after defeating an enemy unit. Unique civilian unit: Hazarapatis. A replacement for the Commander that starts with the Initiative promotion, allowing your units to move after "unpacking" from a commander. (In Civ 7, Commanders basically scoop up all of your adjacent units onto its tile to make armies easier to move, but you can't fight without unpacking them.) Unique improvement: Pairidaeza. Produces Culture and Gold, but cannot be built adjacent to one another. Our advice: Being able to sustain a conquest with self-healing Immortals lends itself to being very aggressive very early. You always want to be going on the attack, even when defending. I haven't played around with it yet, but I also think that having all your commanders start with Initiative is going to be huge. The Persians might be the best early warmonger civ. Age: Antiquity Historical context: Come on, even FPS players know this one. They built some roads and aqueducts. They did some conquests with their legions. They did a lot of arguing in elaborate spaces, and eventually had their government overthrown by a dictator. We can probably learn from at least a couple of those things, even today. Attributes: Cultural, Militaristic. Unique ability: Twelve Tables. Bonus Culture on all districts in the Capital and in Towns. The notable thing here is that it does not apply to Cities that are not the Capital, which encourages building a single, super tall capital and keeping all your other settlements as Towns. Unique military unit: Legion. A melee infantry unit that gains increased strength for every Roman-specific tradition you have adopted into your Government. Unique civilian unit: Legatus. A Commander that is able to found new settlements after gaining enough promotions. Unique quarter: Forum. Produces Cultures, as well as bonus Gold for every Roman-specific tradition you have adopted into your Government. Unique building: Temple of Jupiter. Produces Happiness, as well as bonus Culture for adjacent Happiness-producing buildings. Unique building: Basilica. Produces Gold, as well as Influence for adjacent Culture buildings. Our advice: Rome can certainly conquer, but they seem to be, perhaps, even better as a culture/settler rush civ this time around. The playstyle of all roads leading back to Rome with Towns serving as your outposts means you'll need to be extra careful building and defending your capital for maximum imperium. Age: Exploration Historical context: The third Islamic Caliphate, established in 750 CE, they oversaw the flourishing of culture and science known as the Islamic Golden Age and ultimately repelled the Crusades. At their height, their territory stretched from Tunisia to modern Pakistan. Attributes: Cultural, Scientific Unique ability: Medina. When a Specialist is created, you gain Gold for each population living in a rural district in that city. Unique military unit: Mamluk. A cavalry unit that gets increased combat strength for every population in urban districts when occupying a settlement. Unique civilian unit: Ālim. A unique Great Person created in a city with an Ulema, which can appear as one of several important figures from the Islamic Golden Age such as Ibn Sina and Ibn Fadlan. Unique quarter: Ulema. All specialists in the city where it's built produce bonus Science. Unique building: Madrasa. Produces Science, with a bonus to Science for each adjacent quarter and Science building. Unique building: Mosque. Produces Happiness, with a bonus to Happiness for adjacent Culture buildings and bonus Culture for adjacent Happiness buildings. If you don't already have the ability to do so, this will unlock the ability to found a Religion. Our advice: The Abbasids may be the real Science powerhouse in Civ 7, with pretty decent bonuses to Gold and Culture as well. Mamluks are specialized for urban fighting, so you'll not only want to urbanize your own settlements, but focus on attacking highly urbanized ones. Age: Exploration Historical context: A Tamil empire founded in Southern India in 848 CE, they came to command a large trade empire with bases as far away as modern Indonesia, and were influential in the spread of Hinduism into Southeast Asia. Attributes: Diplomatic, Economic Unique ability: Samayam. You get an extra trade route from every trade agreement. Unique military unit: Kalam. A naval unit that can attack twice per turn. Unique civilian unit: Ottru. A naval commander replacement that reduces the strength of all military units within its command radius. Unique quarter: Five Hundred Lords. Increases the range of your trade routes. Unique building: Manigramam. Produces Happiness, with a bonus to Happiness for each adjacent trade building and bonus gold for each adjacent quarter. Unique building: Anjuvannam. Produces Gold, with a bonus to Gold for adjacent coasts and navigable rivers, and a bonus to Production for naval units. Can only be built on the coast. Our advice: Unsurprisingly, the Chola are highly specialized to be a maritime trade empire. In addition to supporting a formidable navy, the Ottru will also aid with coastal land battles. Beyond that, they aren't particularly biased toward any specific victory objectives. Age: Exploration Historical context: While the Hawaiian islands may have been settled by Polynesians as early as the 100s CE, they were united into a single kingdom in 1795 by king Kamehameha. So far, very little has been announced about this civ beyond the name. Age: Exploration Historical context: A powerful Hindu kingdom that existed in modern-day Indonesia from the late 1200s through the early 1500s. Its rise to power saw it allying with and then betraying Kublai Khan's forces when they invaded Java in 1293. Attributes: Economic, Cultural Unique ability: Negara. All Cities except the Capital have an increased Specialist Limit. After the Exploration Age, the Specialist Limit increase goes away, and the Specialists become inactive until you increase the Specialist Limit. Unique Quarter: Pura. Receive a Relic when completed. Unique Building: Candi Bentar. Receive a Culture Adjacency for Coast and Navigable River tiles. Unique Building: Meru. Ageless. Receive a Happiness Adjacency for Mountains and Wonders. Increased Happiness on Natural Wonder tiles. Unique civilian unit: Pedanda. Unique Missionary Unit. Receive Culture when you convert a Settlement to your Religion. Requires a Temple. Unique military unit: Cetbang. Unique Naval Unit. Has increased Combat Strength against Naval Units. Can pillage tiles at range with a reduced Movement cost. Associated Wonder: Borobudur. Adds Happiness. Increase Happiness on Quarters. Must be built adjacent to a Coast tile. Age: Exploration Historical context: Established in 1368, the Ming dynasty restored Chinese rule to China after a period of Mongol domination under the Yuan, founded by Genghis Khan and his successors. They were responsible for expanding the Great Wall of China into what we know it as today. Attributes: Economic, Scientific Unique ability: Great Canon of Yongle. You gain increased Science in the capital, but decreased Science per turn for every social policy you have added to your government. Unique military unit: Xunleichong. A melee infantry unit that also has a ranged attack, they gain bonus strength in flat terrain with no vegetation. Unique civilian unit: Mandarin. A replacement for the Merchant that gives you a large amount of Gold every time you build a road. Unique improvement: Ming Great Wall. Like the Han equivalent, it can only be built in a single, continuous line. Produces Gold for every adjacent fortification (including other Great Wall segments). Our advice: The Ming still excel in Science, but things get a bit trickier due to the social policy restriction. It's sort of an interesting way to model their later decline. Luckily, their focus on Gold should make up for this, or allow you to pivot to a different strategy entirely. Age: Exploration Historical context: Under Genghis Khan and his heirs in the 1200s, the Mongol Empire created a vast confederation of steppe people across Eurasia that controlled the largest land empire, by area, in history. They ruled all the way from Southern China to parts of modern Turkey and Romania. Attributes: Expansionist, Militaristic Unique ability: Bokh. When capturing a settlement, you get a copy of the strongest cavalry unit you can currently build. However, you have -50% production toward Settlers. You also gain victory points for the conquest victory objective differently from other civs. Unique military unit: Keshig. A ranged cavalry unit with increased movement that heals after defeating enemies. Unique civilian unit: Noyan. A Commander replacement with increased movement, it grants improved Flanking ability to cavalry units. Unique improvement: Ortöö. Produces Gold, and resets the movement allowance for any unit that lands on it. Can't be placed on rough terrain, vegetation, or rivers. Our advice: Hoo boy. This is gonna be fun. As you'd expect, the Mongolians are honed for fast conquests and controlling large land areas. Sustaining assaults with Keshigs will be trivial if you know what you're doing, but remember that they're probably not sufficient on their own to win sieges. Creating networks of ortöös will allow you to move startlingly fast across the open plains, but rocky, coastal areas, forests, and rivers will present strategic obstacles. Age: Exploration Historical context: In 1066, William the Bastard and a bunch of his bandit friends crossed the channel to seize the Kingdom of England on a dubious claim and make our eventual language of global communication way more complicated than it needed to be. Attributes: Diplomatic, Militaristic Unique ability: Normannitas. Land units get +1 movement when embarked, and +5 strength when adjacent to a coast. Unique military unit: Chevaler. A cavalry unit with increased strength against any unit that has less movement speed. Unique civilian unit: Sokeman. A Settler replacement that automatically builds a wall when a new town is created. Unique quarter: Donjon. Creates a Chevaler for free when built. Unique building: Motte. Produces Happiness if built on rough terrain, and functions as a fortification. Unique building: Bailey. Produces Culture for adjacent walls, and functions as a fortification. Our advice: Castles. That's it, that's the post. The Normans excel at protecting their outposts and building up defensive infrastructure, while also enjoying some residual benefits to amphibious warfare from their viking—with a lower-case v because it's a job and not an ethnicity but I realize I may have lost that battle for good—roots. They don't really excel at anything besides warfare though, just like William and his pack of pillagers. Age: Exploration Historical context: A North American people originally from what is now Ohio, and the namesake of the town where this author went to high school, they formed the core of a great confederacy that represented one of the most concerted Native efforts to curb US Westward expansion, under their chief Tecumseh. Attributes: Diplomatic, Economic. Unique ability: Nepekifaki. Settlements next to navigable rivers produce more Food on river tiles, but settlements that are not next to a navigable river produce less. Unique military unit: Kispoko Nena'to. A melee infantry unit with increased strength for every Empire Resource you possess. (The currently known Empire Resources include Gold, Iron, Ivory, Marble, and Wine.) Unique civilian unit: Hoceepkileni. A Missionary replacement that has increased movement, and that can cross rivers without ending its movement. Unique improvement: Mawaskawe Skote. Produces food, as well as bonus Gold for every adjacent resource. Can only be placed on tiles with vegetation, and not adjacent to another Mawaskawe Skote. Our advice: This is another one of those river valley boom civs, with the added twist that you can have a very deadly army if you manage to accumulate a lot of resources through expansion and trade. They aren't particularly biased toward any specific victory type. Age: Exploration Historical context: Founded in the 1430s, the Songhai Empire conquered much of inland West Africa, with its center in what is today the country of Mali. They were influential in the spread of Islam to sub-Saharan Africa. Attributes: Economic, Militaristic Unique ability: Tarikh al-Sudan. +15 trade route range for cities on navigable rivers. Trade ships can't be plundered while sailing on navigable rivers. Unique military unit: Gold Bangles Infantry. (Stats not yet shown.) Unique civilian unit: Tajiro. (Stats not yet shown.) Unique infrastructure: Caravansarai. (Stats not yet shown.) Our advice: We don't have the full picture of Songhai yet, but they seem tooled to be a strong inland trade civ, with the ability to secure routes overland and via rivers. Judging by their attributes and their historical reputation, they will also likely turn out to be a strong military civ. Age: Exploration Historical context: This civ represents the Spanish Empire as it existed from 1492 onwards. At the forefront of the European Age of Discovery, it came to control territory from modern-day Canada all the way down to Chile and Argentina, supported by influential religious missions and a powerful armada. Attributes: Expansionist, Militaristic Unique ability: Sigio de Oro. You get a 15% discount on converting a Town into a City, increasing to 30% if that town is considered part of the "Distant Lands." Unique military unit: Tercio. An infantry unit that has increased strength, and grants any adjacent units an additional +3 strength against cavalry (not stackable). Unique civilian unit: Conquistador. Another unique type of Great Person, which can appear as a number of significant figures from the Age of Exploration such as Christopher Columbus or Hernán Cortés. They each have a unique ability that can only be activated in "Distant Lands" (far from your starting Homelands), and start with the ability to cross ocean tiles. Unique quarter: Plaza. Produces bonus gold in the settlement where it's built for every settlement you own in Distant Lands. Unique building: Casa Consistorial. +5 Culture, and an additional +1 for every adjacent quarter and wonder. Can only be built in your Homelands next to a coast. Unique building: Casa de Contratación. +5 Gold, and an additional +1 for adjacent navigable rivers, resources, and wonders. Can only be built in your Homelands. Our advice: If you guessed the Spanish would be focused on exploration and overseas colonization, you would have guessed right. They will benefit greatly from settling tons of towns and cities in places distant to their capital, and should have a fairly easy time doing so. Culture seems to be their forte, but with all that imperial Gold coming in, you can probably go for any strategy you want. We haven't seen much about the Modern Age civs yet other than their names, but here's a little bit of historical context for each. Buganda : The Baganda people of modern Uganda (I know, this is a lot of similar-sounding proper nouns—the people are Baganda, the kingdom is Buganda, and the modern state is Uganda) unified under a single king in the 1200s, and it retains the status of a traditional kingdom under the Ugandan state to this day. They were one of the most powerful states in East Africa from the 1700s up until they were eventually colonized by the British in 1884. France: This civ is based on the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte. It only lasted for about three years, but in that time, managed to conquer the lion's share of continental Europe before succumbing to a coalition of a bunch of other nations who didn't like that very much. Japan: This civ represents the Japanese Empire, which lasted from the Meiji Restoration of 1868 up until their defeat in World War II in 1945. It was a time of great nationalism, expansionism, and militarism. So, like the French, I think we can expect them to have a pretty aggressive playstyle. Mexico: Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, at the time controlling most of Central America and much of what is now the Western and Southwestern United States. This civ is simply described as representing the "modern nation," rather than any specific historical government like the French and Japanese civs. Mughal Empire : A little bit of a stretch for the label of "Modern," the Mughal Empire existed from 1526 until it was finally absorbed into the British Raj in 1867. At its height, it controlled nearly all of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and even parts of Afghanistan. They had a very effective military for the time, so this will probably be yet another aggressive modern civ. Since any of these civs can be played with any leader, be sure to also check out our Civilization 7 Leaders guide to start planning how you'll mix and match your way to global pre-eminence.Nokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release 9 December 2024 at 22:30 EET Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 09.12.2024 Espoo, Finland – On 9 December 2024 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows: * Rounded to two decimals On 22 November 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to offset the dilutive effect of new Nokia shares issued to the shareholders of Infinera Corporation and certain Infinera Corporation share-based incentives. The repurchases in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokia’s Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024 started on 25 November 2024 and end by 31 December 2025 and target to repurchase 150 million shares for a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 900 million. Total cost of transactions executed on 9 December 2024 was EUR 3,645,000. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 210,777,220 treasury shares. Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement. On behalf of Nokia Corporation BofA Securities Europe SA About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future. Inquiries: Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications Nokia Investor Relations Phone: +358 40 803 4080 Email: investor.relations@nokia.com Attachment Daily Report 2024-12-09
has confirmed it'll bring the new twin-turbo, six-cylinder pickup to Australia in 2025 – more than 18 months after it was unveiled in North America. or signup to continue reading , Ram unveiled the facelifted DT-generation , resulting in its long-standing 5.7-litre Hemi V8 engine being axed and replaced by a newer 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline petrol six. While US deliveries have already started, the brand's official Australian distributor has until now been tight-lipped about when – or even if – we would get the 'Hurricane'-powered pickup in local showrooms. . That's now changed, with Ram Trucks Australia general manager, Jeff Barber, confirming it'll be released here at an undisclosed time in 2025. "We have been overwhelmed by the response to the , and we understand some buyers who want one of the last V8s may miss out," Mr Barber said in a media statement. "However, we hope to have enough stock to fulfil most orders. "We will have a very worthy successor next year powered by a new-generation turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine, but we will have more to say about that closer to local showroom arrivals." , Ram has received approval from the Australian government to sell five variants of the 1500 across two body lengths and with two engine outputs. The standard-output 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine (named SST SO) produces 313kW and 636Nm, while a high-output version (called SST HO) develops 403kW and 706Nm. For context, the Hemi V8 produces 291kW and 556Nm. Regardless of output, the Hurricane engine will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Approved variants include the Big Horn short-wheelbase (SWB) and long-wheelbase (LWB), the Laramie (with or without Rambox) and the flagship Limited, which is the only grade available with the more potent engine. The six-cylinder Ram 1500 is classified as an NB1 vehicle – rather than the V8's NA classification – which means its gross vehicle mass is between 3.5 and 4.5 tonnes, and it will be exempt from certain safety regulations such as ADR 85/00 (Pole Side Impact Performance). Not included in the approval documents are the fancy new Tungsten flagship, or the sportier Rebel or variants. Also missing is , which features a range-extender powertrain with a large battery and a 3.6-litre petrol V6 used as a generator. It's unclear if any of these variants will follow at a later point. Beyond the new engine, changes to the updated Ram 1500 include freshened exterior styling, as well as an improved 12-inch infotainment touchscreen or a new 14.5-inch unit, plus a 10.25-inch passenger display. The Ram 1500 will join the and in only being available with six-cylinder power – though its rivals feature V6s, not straight-sixes – as the becomes the only model remaining in the segment with a V8 engine. Content originally sourced from: Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement
Shoats has 18 in Siena's 66-53 victory against Canisius
OTTAWA - After being blanked 4-0 by host Canada the night before, Finland bounced back with a gritty 3-1 win over Germany during Friday's second day of competition at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! OTTAWA - After being blanked 4-0 by host Canada the night before, Finland bounced back with a gritty 3-1 win over Germany during Friday's second day of competition at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? OTTAWA – After being blanked 4-0 by host Canada the night before, Finland bounced back with a gritty 3-1 win over Germany during Friday’s second day of competition at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa. Emil Pieniniemi, Arttu Alasiurua and Jesse Kiiskinen scored for Finland, which outshot the winless German crew 43-32. Clemens Sager scored for Germany, which lost 10-4 to the defending champion United States on Boxing Day. Canada forward Tanner Howe (23) collides with Finland defenceman Mitja Jokinen (2) during first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship tournament action, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Finland led 1-0 after the first period and 2-1 heading into the third. Germany’s goaltender Linus Vieillard stopped 40 of 42 shots directed at him, while Petteri Rimpinen stopped 31 of 32 shots for Finland. Both teams play their next games Sunday when Finland plays the U.S. and Germany faces Canada. Earlier on Friday, Slovakia bounced back from a 5-2 opening-day loss to Sweden to edge Switzerland 2-1. Jan Chovan’s goal with 3:18 left in the third period snapped a 1-1 deadlock and lifted Slovakia to the victory. Daniel Jencko also scored for Slovakia. Eric Schneller scored for winless Switzerland, which lost 5-1 on Thursday to Czechia. Both teams had 29 shots on goal. Both teams play again Sunday when Slovakia faces Czechia and Switzerland plays Sweden. In later games Friday, Sweden will square off with Kazakhstan, while Canada will face Latvia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. AdvertisementA 46 year old former model who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of a mother of two had consumed 12 alcoholic drinks, which included cocktails, prosecco, wine and gin, in the hours before the crash. Ms Sheila Dunne (50) who was described by her daughter as “an amazing woman — worth her weight in gold’ died following a single vehicle crash in Sarsfield Court in Glanmire in Cork last February. Poignantly, her husband Ted had died of Covid 19 in February of 2021. The death of Ms Dunne left their two children without any living parent. The special needs assistant, was just 1.5 km from her home in Glanmire when the crash that ended her life occurred. Read more: Cost of living Ireland: Full list of social welfare payments excluded from yearly €780 increase Read more: Social welfare Ireland: One group to be paid the Christmas Bonus twice Jennifer Thomas of Oakfield View, Glanmire, Co Cork appeared before Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday having pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Sheila Dunne on February 11 last. Defence counsel Tom Creed, SC, told Judge Helen Boyle that “unfounded social media rumours” and inaccurate newspaper reports had circulated in the wake of the crash. He said that “malicious rumours” had spread in Cork that the body of Sheila Dunne had been moved in the vehicle. Investigating garda Dt Garda Mark Durcan confirmed that there was no truth to any suggestions that Jennifer Thomas or any other person had moved the body of Sheila Dunne following the crash. Detective Garda Durcan said that the accident occurred at 7.30pm on February 11 last at Sarsfield Court in Glanmire in Cork. Ms Thomas had been socialising with Sheila, her friend of over twenty years, from lunchtime that day when they went for a meal at a restaurant in Douglas in the city. They went to a bar in Blackrock in Cork and then on to a bar in Glanmire prior to getting in to Jennifer’s jeep. Dt Garda Durcan said that in the minutes before the crash occurred Jennifer fell asleep before the wheel twice whilst stopped at traffic lights. On one occasion a passer by observed that Jennifer was asleep and knocked on the window of the jeep telling her to park up. Instead she did two U turns in a matter of minutes and drove on the wrong side of the road at Hazelwood Road in Glanmire. She knocked down traffic cones as she drove towards Sallybrook and narrowly missed knocking down two pedestrians on the footpath. Dt Garda Durcan said that Ms Thomas took a left hand bend at Sarsfield Court in Glanmire and failed to straighten up entering a grass verge. The Bluetooth system in the car automatically called the emergency services. Speed was not a factor in the case. Dt Garda Durcan said that Ms Thomas was wearing her seat beat when the collision occurred. However Sheila Dunne was not. He indicated that the impact of the collision led Sheila, who was in the front passenger seat, to fall on top of Jennifer Thomas. Dt Garda Durcan said that roof had to be cut off the vehicle in order to extricate the women. He stated that when gardai arrived at the scene Jennifer Thomas was asked who was driving. She said that she was and then she “got erratic” and was unable to give a definitive answer. She then said that Sheila Dunne was driving as she had “more control.” When she was shown CCTV at a later date by gardai Ms Thomas accepted that she was driving. She also said said she had no recollection of the collision due to concussion. However, there was no medical evidence of concussion. Ms Dunne died in hospital two days after the crash. Lilley Dunne, the 23 year-old daughter of Sheila Dunne, said in her victim impact statement that she came to court with a “shattered heart” weighed down heavily by the loss of her “rock of a mother” Sheila. Lilley delivered her own victim impact statement and said she would forever miss her precious mother whom she described as a “pillar” in the community. She said that she was speaking on behalf of herself and her younger brother. “I stand before you today as his voice and to outline the devastation we have both endured. I want to try and express as vividly as I can how this tragic event has destroyed my life, my brother’s world and and our family unit as we know it.” Lilley said that she and her brother head already suffered the “unbearable” loss of their father Ted. “Now to experience the agonising loss of Mom, feels like a cruel twist of fate that I cannot comprehend. "On February 9, 2021 my dad died unexpectedly from Covid. We had to watch him take his last few breaths as they removed his ventilator, and then on February 13, 2024 I had to watch this all over again: watch my Mom’s heart slow to a halt. "This experience is what I can only describe as hell. My beautiful Mom was taken from us far too soon at the young age of fifty. In a car crash caused by a reckless decision made by a selfish individual. This choice has altered our lives forever. "We spent two days at my mom’s bedside hoping for a miracle. Out of respect, I made the decision to allow Jennifer to come in to say goodbye to my Mom. Knowing what I know now my decision would have been different.” Ms Dunne said that Jennifer’s absence of remorse had made the “grieving process so much more challenging". “It is incredibly painful to know that someone who withhold the truth in such a devastating way and it makes it harder to heal from this loss.” Lilley said that her mother would miss all the special milestones of her life such as her wedding and watching her become a mother. Ms Dunne insisted that Jennifer’s “malicious lies” trickled out to the “media vultures.” “Compounding our grief. Newspapers and social media outlets covered the story and reported that my Mom was the driver of the car. Jennifer’s complete fabrication painted a picture of my Mom, Sheila, that was far from the truth sensationalising the tragedy and worsening our family suffering.” Ms Dunne added that the life of her mother was “robbed” from her. “She has only started to live her life again after Dad’s passing. She will never get the opportunity to finish her bucket list, to see out the drams she had for her future or to watch TJ and I grow up.” Sheila’s mother Esther O’Brien said that she was “heartbroken” to have lost her daughter to a drunk driver. “This loss has not only shattered my life but has also left two precious grandchildren without their mother. My daughter was my biggest support. She was always there for me, providing love, care and companionship. We shared a deep bond, and she was my confidante, my source of strength. "Losing her has taken away my main support system at a time in my life when I need it most. "This is something no mother could anticipate. I grapple with anger and sadness — not just for my daughter but also for the reckless choice that led to this loss. It is hard to trust and feel safe in the world when someone’s selfish decision has had such devastating consequences. "My daughter was not only my child but my life source. Her absence has changed everything for me and for my grandchildren. Only for them life is not worth living. I will carry this pain with me for the rest of my life.” The court heard that Ms Thomas had ten previous convictions for road traffic offences, larceny and misuse of drugs. Defence barrister Tom Creed, SC, said that his client’s previous convictions for larceny and misuse of drugs occurred when she was a teenager. He emphasised that witnesses who arrived at the scene of the crash described his client as being distraught at the possibility that Sheila could have died. “(One eye witness) said she (Jennifer) was saying ‘please wake up please wake up’ to Miss Dunne. They tried to calm her. She (Jennifer) was saying ‘How can I live without her?” She was concerned for her friend. She (Jennifer) was hysterical. She was saying ‘look after Sheila.’ She appeared to be confused.” He said that unfortunately following this accident all sorts of “unfounded allegations” circulated in Cork. “One was that a phone call was made for someone to come to scene to move bodies. One was that she (Ms Thomas) was arrested for a charge of perverting course of justice which was never case. She voluntarily came to the station.” Mr Creed said that his client has suffered from long term mental health difficulties and often wishes that she died during the crash. He added that Ms Thomas was hugely remorseful for her actions. Mr Creed said that his client accepted that getting behind the wheel drunk was an “outrageous” thing to do. Judge Boyle offered her sincere condolences to the family of the deceased. She said that the family had painted a “wonderful picture” of Sheila. Judge Boyle reserved her decision in the case. Sentencing will take place on Thursday. Ms Thomas was remanded in custody pending her sentencing on Thursday. She was warned that she was facing a custodial sentence.
The Bears say they want to stay in Chicago, but their potential drive to the northwest suburbs just got easier. Team officials announced Monday they’ve reached a tentative agreement with the village of Arlington Heights and local school district leaders who’ve sparred with the Bears over the property tax valuation on the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse, the 326-acre plot the team closed on early last year as a potential new stadium site. After about a year of wrangling over the size of the team’s property tax bill — and a year of political roadblocks to the Bears’ hopes for funding a new stadium in Chicago — the team says it has a memorandum of understanding that opens the runway for them to land in Arlington Heights. But their first choice is still Chicago, team officials insist, raising the constant question of whether the Bears’ latest announcement is a push for leverage in stadium negotiations that have now stretched over three years. In a statement, team officials said they “remain focused on investing over $2 billion to build a publicly owned enclosed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront while reevaluating the feasibility of a development in Bronzeville.” “That being said, we remain significant landowners in Arlington Heights and establishing a framework for potential future development planning, financing and property tax certainty has been a priority since the land was purchased. We continue to have productive conversations with the village and school districts and are aligned on a framework should we choose to explore a potential development,” team officials said. Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said the property tax deal was not yet signed, noting it requires approval from the boards of the village, Township High School District 214, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 and Palatine Township Elementary District 15. “It’s pretty clear the Bears are still focused on the lakefront, but we’ve always considered Arlington Park and Arlington Heights a strong, if not the best contender, and I’m really optimistic about the progress we’ve made,” Hayes said. A spokesperson for the village and school districts said “we have a common understanding with the team on how to create a framework for potential development, financing, and property tax certainty in Arlington Heights that works for all parties.” Officials declined to say what number the sides landed on. It’s expected to be announced next week. A year after the Bears closed on their $197.2 million purchase, the Cook County Board of Review in February handed the Bears a $124.7 million valuation on Arlington Park, which would result in a property tax hit of about $9 million. The team argued their case to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, seeking to have the valuation lowered to $60 million, for a $1.7 million tax bill. The three suburban school districts, which are funded by property taxes, intervened in the case with proposals that would set the bill around $5 million. Once all but certain for a suburban move, the stalemate prompted the Bears to shift their focus back toward the Museum Campus, where the team in April unveiled a proposal for a $4.7 billion dome south of Soldier Field . Their plan, which requires upwards of $1 billion in public funding , drew cheers from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson — and cold shoulders from state lawmakers in Springfield. The team called an audible from their city stadium playbook earlier this month, and are now reevaluating the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville as a potential home, despite the fact team president Kevin Warren previously dismissed it as too narrow to house a modern NFL dome. Johnson’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday’s announcement. The Bears unveiled conceptual designs in 2022 for a massive mixed-use stadium district at Arlington Park, the home of Illinois’ most famous horse racing track for nearly a century until the last races were run in 2021. Their suburban proposal for the sprawling plot includes office space, a sportsbook, small residential neighborhoods, retail and park space alongside a $5 billion dome. They would need state help to fund that infrastructure work, a prospect similarly stymied so far in Springfield. Such a development would take about a decade to complete, the team has said. They’re under lease at Soldier Field through 2033 . The Arlington Heights mayor called it “a long road” to landing the property tax deal. “We’ve been working aggressively to get everyone singing from the same music over the last year,” Hayes said, adding that he doesn’t think the Bears are merely trying to raise pressure on state lawmakers to help them stay in Chicago. “I understand their desire to do their due diligence and get the best deal,” Hayes said. “That’s what we’re all doing.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have no intention of relocating from their Californian base, prepared to contest any potential deportation bids, as disclosed by Express.co.uk. A source with close connections indicated the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have firmly entrenched California as their residence and are resolved to stay despite any risk of expulsion from the United States. "There are no plans [for the Sussexes] to move from the US," asserted one insider. Another source commented: "Harry and Meghan feel at home in California, and they won't be leaving there without a fight." Adding that, "They have a very good legal team, and they have a lot of support behind them to ensure that they will be able to remain in the United States." Currently, Prince Harry, aged 40, is embroiled in legal action regarding his immigration status in the US. In his autobiography 'Spare', he confessed to previous substance use which includes cocaine, cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms; such admissions might lead to a rejection of his visa application. The Heritage Foundation, a right-wing policy institute, is demanding to see Harry's visa documents, insisting that his drug use should have prevented his entry into America, reports the Express . Although a court has recently decided Harry's visa files are to remain private, this aspect could undergo change were Donald Trump to assume the presidency once again. President-elect Trump, who is 78, previously hinted this year he may contemplate deporting Harry should visa-related complications arise. "I wouldn't protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That's unforgivable. He would be on his own," the president-elect remarked at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February. Following Donald Trump's victory, reports have come out suggesting that his past comments about deporting Harry might have worried the Sussexes. However, insiders claim that "Harry and Meghan are not fazed by the comments Trump made because they believe they have done everything correctly," adding, "Meghan is a US citizen, and Archie has just started a new school, so to leave the place they call home isn't even an option." Settled in Montecito since stepping down from Royal duties, the couple has allegedly bought a lavish £3.6 million villa in Portugal, not far from Princess Eugenie's holiday spot. But sources say, "The villa in Portugal is more an investment than anything else and construction hasn't even been completed yet," clarifying that the property is intended as a second home, a haven for vacations, and a wise fiscal endeavour rather than a main residence.
Morning Bid: China inflation eyed, global political uncertainty bubbling up - Yahoo FinanceRodgers Reveals One Major Complaint In OT Loss
Bombers GM Walters sees no need to blow up roster despite another Grey Cup lossRoss Barkley’s 85th-minute winner gave them victory after they had twice squandered the lead in Germany. John McGinn and Jhon Duran goals at the start of each half were cancelled out by Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner. But Barkley had the final say less than two minutes after coming off the bench as his deflected effort earned the points which sent his side third in the new Champions League league phase. The top eight automatically qualify for the next stage and with games against Monaco and Celtic to come, Unai Emery’s men are a good bet to avoid the need for a play-off round in their first foray in this competition. Leipzig are out, having lost all six of their games. Villa enjoyed a dream start and were ahead with less than three minutes on the clock. Matty Cash, playing in a more advanced position on the right, crossed for Ollie Watkins, who nodded down into the path of McGinn and the skipper made no mistake from close range. That gave the visitors confidence and they had enough chances in the first 15 minutes to have the game wrapped up. Lucas Digne’s cross from the left was begging to be converted but Watkins could not make contact from close range and then Morgan Rogers shot straight at Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Then Youri Tielemans found himself with time and space on the edge of the area from Watkins’ tee-up but the Belgium international disappointingly dragged wide. All that good work was undone in the 27th minute, though, as Emiliano Martinez was left red-faced. The Argentinian was too casual waiting to collect Nicolas Seiwald’s long ball and Openda nipped in to get the ball first and tap into an empty net. Duran was introduced at the break and needed just a couple of minutes to fire a warning when he drilled wide after a loose ball fell to him 14 yards out. But the Colombian got his goal in the 52nd minute, though it was another moment for the goalkeeper to forget. Duran was invited to drive forward and unleashed a 25-yard shot, which was hardly an Exocet, but still was too much for Gulacsi, who barely even jumped. It was his 10th goal of the season and sixth from the bench as he continues his super-sub role. The striker was not complaining and he thought he had doubled his tally shortly after when he converted Cash’s centre but the provider was ruled offside by VAR. Five minutes later, Villa found themselves pegged back again with a finish of real quality. Openda was sent clear by another long ball and his cross was perfect for Baumgartner to cushion a far-post volley back across goal and into the corner. Digne brought a save out of Gulacsi and then Openda shot straight at Martinez as both sides pushed for a winner. It was Villa who got it as Barkley saw his deflected effort wrong-foot Gulacsi and hit the back of the net.Revolutionizing Digital Access: Why Passkeys Are the Key to a Safer Online World - Tech Guide
