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The schedule, which sees Real Madrid playing mid-week matches followed by weekend fixtures, has become a routine that has raised eyebrows among fans and experts alike. The team's hectic schedule is a result of various competitions they are involved in, including domestic league matches, cup competitions, and European fixtures.

The incident, which has shocked fans and the wider community alike, began when the singer, whose name has been withheld at the request of her family, visited a local massage parlor for a routine session. Known for indulging in regular massages to relax and unwind after long hours of performing, she never anticipated that this particular session would have such devastating consequences.Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record"We would like to confirm that the fire incident at our data center has been successfully contained, and all individuals have been safely evacuated. We can also confirm that our cloud services remain operational, and we are working diligently to address any potential disruptions that may arise as a result of this incident," the official spokesperson for Alibaba Cloud stated.

One of the most exciting aspects of the new trailer is the introduction of new characters and storylines. Fans of the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy will be thrilled to see familiar faces such as Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli making a return, but they will also be introduced to new heroes and villains who will shape the course of the war. The trailer teases epic battle sequences, emotional reunions, and shocking betrayals, promising a story that is both thrilling and emotionally resonant.I hate Bluetooth in Windows . Add it to the list of gripes I have, but no matter how many times I go through the process of pairing and re-pairing different controllers on my PC, I always seem to run into issues with dropped connections and pairing failures when I go to play games with a controller on my PC. This $20 accessory solves that issue. I’m talking about the . It’s a little $20 dongle that I’ve used for years at this point, and it’s become such a staple of my PC setup that I rarely even think about it. If you’re looking to pad the stocking of a PC gamer in your life, it’s one of the most inexpensive accessories that can benefit nearly any PC gamer. The Bluetooth battle At a high level, the Wireless USB Adapter 2 is just a Bluetooth adapter. You plug it into your PC, hold down a tiny button until the light starts blinking rapidly, and pair your controller of choice, be it from Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, or even 8BitDo itself. I’ve gone through the pairing process literally hundreds of times with the adapter, and I’ve never once run into an issue. I can’t say the same with Bluetooth in Windows. Once a controller is paired, it’ll automatically reconnect to the adapter whenever you turn on the controller, giving off a little rumble to let you know it has paired successfully. I mainly use an Xbox Series X controller for PC gaming, but I’ll occasionally pop over to the DualSense for Sony’s first-party games or an for retro games. All of them work flawlessly. You’d have a hard time finding a PC these days that doesn’t support Bluetooth, and that prevalence should make an accessory like the Wireless USB Adapter 2 obsolete. But it doesn’t. Although basically any PC has Bluetooth connectivity, the quality of the connection varies wildly. Some PCs combine Bluetooth and Wi-Fi into a single chip, others have separate chips, and if you built your own PC , you might not have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth at all depending on your motherboard. The bigger issue is range, however, which is why I sought out the Wireless USB Adapter 2 in the first place. This is dependent on your PC, but for me, I constantly experienced missed inputs and lagging performance when using my PC’s built-in Bluetooth, particularly if I leaned my chair back while playing. Bluetooth has a very limited range, but I’ve never had an issue with connectivity with the USB Wireless Adapter 2. Broad support I use three main controllers on a Windows PC, and the Wireless USB Adapter 2 supports all of them. But it goes far beyond just what I use the adapter for. You can connect nearly any controller to nearly any modern system, and with the full features of the controller intact. As for what you can plug the Wireless USB Adapter 2 into, it supports Windows, macOS, Android, SteamOS, Switch, and Raspberry Pi. Short of the Xbox and PlayStation, it works with nearly any device you’d want to play games on. Controller support is even better. Of course, any 8Bitdo arcade stick or controller works, as do Xbox controllers from the Xbox One or Xbox Series X. Beyond that, you can pair a PlayStation controller from the PS3 up to the PS5, as well as the Switch Pro, Joy-Cons, Wii U Pro, and Wiimote controllers. With Switch controllers, the adapter supports 6-axis motion controls, and you get rumble support on Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation controllers. That doesn’t cover any controller, but it’s close. Basically any controller that supports Bluetooth will pair up without issues, and for most modern controllers, you can still access all of their features — assuming they work with the game you’re playing in the first place. Going beyond Bluetooth If broad support and hassle-free pairing isn’t enough, the Wireless USB Adapter 2 offers more. If you’re using one of the big three controllers — Switch Pro, PS4/PS5, or Xbox Series/One controller — you can use 8BitDo’s Ultimate software. It works with 8BitDo’s own controllers, too, though that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The Ultimate software is extremely powerful, offering a level of customization that you normally only find with the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller . It allows you to customize nearly every aspect of the controller, from button mappings to stick dead zones, and you can store all of the customization in a profile that’s easy to recall later. My personal use case for the Ultimate software is pretty simple. I have the vibration, trigger sensitivity, and joystick dead zones tuned for each of the three controllers I mainly use, and I swap between them as needed. You can go much deeper with the software if you want, though. You can swap the sticks or triggers, for example, and you can remap the face buttons on something like a Switch Pro controller to line up with the Xbox/PlayStation layout. Beyond full remapping support, you can program macros, including adjustable timing and support for eight-way inputs on the D-pad, which is very useful for pulling off tricky combos in fighting games. And with all of these settings, you can save them in a profile to easily swap over to if you don’t want to leave your controller with a wonky layout all of the time. The Wireless USB Adapter 2 is a simple accessory that’s surprisingly powerful. It gets around the issues with Bluetooth in Windows, and it makes your controller more powerful through the Ultimate software. If you have a PC gamer in your life, you don’t need to take out a second mortgage buying more PC hardware or play the guessing game with the next title they want to play — the Wireless USB Adapter 2 is a perfect stocking stuffer that nearly any PC gamer will appreciate.In conclusion, the recent events in South Korea and Syria have caught the United States off guard, leaving key allies in turmoil and the Middle East in a state of upheaval. The challenges facing the United States in both regions underscore the need for a more proactive and coordinated approach to effectively address the crises and advance its strategic interests in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.

Share a virtual helicopter with fair dinkum Hollywood royalty as the secrets of ancient landscapes are conquered by high-tech drones in Australia's vast, rugged northwest. or signup to continue reading "It gets under your skin. It's one of the last truly great wildernesses left on Earth," Luke Hemsworth, older brother to Liam and Chris, tells fellow explorers on a virtual flight into the Kimberley region. Isolation has helped to preserve the remote part of Western Australia as a biodiversity hotspot and keeper of deep-time stories. It is home to some of the world's biggest tides, rock formations that date back two billion years, and the world's oldest rock art galleries that have layers of images where artists have returned several thousand years after the first painters. Hemsworth says the area has always had an "inexplicable pull" for him, so when he finished high school in Melbourne he flew to the remote northwest region of Australia to work on a pearl farm and explore. He was also an obvious choice for the latest ground-breaking virtual reality (VR) documentary from award-winning Australian filmmaker Briege Whitehead. "There really is nowhere else like it on the planet," Hemsworth says, as narrator of The Great Kimberley Wilderness by White Spark Pictures. Whitehead says it took four years to create the 35-minute film, the first of a three-film deal with the National Museum of Australia, the Western Australian Museum, Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum and ScreenWest. "There's a lot of innovative technology that's going into it ... for the night-time lapses in particular," she said. A scene where the Milky Way perfectly aligns within Cathedral Gorge, which only happens for three nights of the year, required custom-built equipment they developed with tech giant Canon and local firm Camera Electronic. Otherwise, the cameras used for 360-degree filming look like giant soccer balls, with eight lenses around them to create the sense of immersion. "It is essentially eight cameras in one, to achieve shots like that," Whitehead explained. Nor was there a drone set-up available off the shelf that could carry a 6.5kg, 360-degree camera so they customised that with internationally renowned , which also worked with environmentalist Bob Brown on his recent film The Giants. White Spark Pictures says it is the first in the world to produce high-resolution video that is 360-degree and 3D, with drone shots that are then stabilised using their own technology. "We shoot everything between 8K and 12K, so as VR headsets get better and better, it's already future-proofed," Whitehead said. "We do all our sound mixing at Warner Bros in LA, and this was the first film that we've done theatrical VR sound mix - it's a first in the world for this medium, which is also why it sounds so amazing." Working with more than 11 Indigenous communities, Whitehead said creating the sense of presence required a "very fine balance" to be struck in what stories they wanted to tell - to simultaneously avert future foot traffic and welcome people to explore in the right way. The audience can journey to the three-tiered waterfalls in Carr-Boyd Ranges, filmed on Miriuwung Country, and to Oomari (King George Falls), filmed on Balanggarra Country, where a tourist could not go for cultural reasons. Aerial views of the pindan cliffs coastline at Walmadany (James Price Point), filmed on Jabirr Jabirr Country, take virtual explorers to the stunning headland north of Broome that was once a proposed location for a gas terminal. White Spark Pictures' head of operations Benn Ellard said the one thing they wanted people to take away from the film was a sense of belonging. "VR as a medium is a powerful tool for empathy ... by building a connection to country and to have people care for country as if it was their own," he said. The doco has debuted in Perth and opened on Boxing Day at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementThe phone debate: Protecting our child or embracing tech at age 11I'm A Celeb fans left raging over 'twist' as they brand episode 'most rigged ever'

SPECIAL REPORT – In the last days of 2024, The Cipher Brief turned to our network of experts – who spend much of their time looking at the risks and threats facing the U.S. and the rest of world – and asked them a different question, more in line with the holiday season: What gives them hope? While our focus – and theirs – is necessarily on war, cyberattacks, gray-zone tactics, the "Axis of Authoritarians," and so forth, here we asked the experts to reflect on one specific question: What, if anything, on the national/global security landscape gives you reason for hope? Their answers covered a range of issues and parts of the world – from the spirit of innovation to advances in AI to the Middle East (yes, "hope" and "Middle East" were joined in more than one answer). Some offered several paragraphs; others a single sentence; one respondent – the former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper – gave a two-word (and not so hopeful) answer. Taken together, they have given us much to think about, as 2024 draws to a close and the new year beckons. We hope they add notes of hope to your holiday season as well. General David Petraeus (Ret.) General David Petraeus served more than 37 years in the U.S. military with six consecutive commands, five of which were combat, including command of the Multi-National Force-Iraq during the Surge, U.S. Central Command, and Coalition and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. He is a partner in the KKR global investment firm and chairs the firm's global institute. Gen. Petraeus: The pace of America's technological innovativeness, the emergence of hugely impressive entrepreneurial young leaders in this country, and the basic qualities and attributes of the U.S. economic ecosystem are all sources of enormous hope, despite the return of geopolitics with a vengeance and the sheer number of complexities in the challenges around the world. General Frank McKenzie (Ret.) Gen. McKenzie (Ret.) is Executive Director of the University of South... Ethan MasucolThe Director-General, Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA), Oludolapo Eso-Ajanaku has affirmed the agency’s commitment towards taking proactive measures to stimulate economic growth in Oyo state. According to him, the agency remains committed to establishing a thriving, efficient, and organised signage ecosystem that aligns with the state’s broader economic and environmental development goals. Eso-Ajanaku said this while speaking with journalists in his office on Wednesday. He said “Looking ahead to 2025, OYSAA is poised to build on its achievements by intensifying its enforcement protocols to ensure regulatory compliance, further enhance revenue generation, and promote the aesthetic appeal of Oyo State through a well-organised Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising landscape. “These proactive measures are designed to foster collaboration, stimulate economic growth, and elevate the visual appeal of Oyo State. The agency remains committed to establishing a thriving, efficient, and organised signage ecosystem that aligns with the state’s broader economic and environmental development goals. “This accomplishment highlights the agency’s strategic internal reorganization, realignment of goals, and strengthened stakeholder engagement. The measures implemented in 2024 have positioned the agency for continued growth and success in 2025.” Speaking on the achievements of the agency in the year 2024, he noted that measures implemented by the agency in 2024 have positioned the agency for continued growth and success in 2025. He attributed the success of OYSAA in 2024 to the dedication of OYSAA’s management and staff while he also appreciated the Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde for his leadership and steadfast support in fostering an environment that has empowered the agency to maximise its potential and significantly enhance its contribution to the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Oyo State. He said, “For the first time since 2021, the Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA) has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing its previous performance benchmarks. “I attributed this success to the unwavering dedication of OYSAA’s management and staff and His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, for your leadership and steadfast support.“ Eso-Ajanaku highlighted to journalists key initiatives driving the agency’s improved performance. He emphasised the pivotal role of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), he said “The GRM serves as a channel for resolving disputes, addressing concerns, and ensuring transparency with practitioners and the general public and the impending deployment of GAPLOG, an innovative Geographic Information System (GIS)-based advertising asset management technological tool developed in collaboration with Bytes and Barter under the State Action Business Enabling Reform (SABER). “These initiatives are designed to enhance the ease of doing business, optimize revenue generation, and solidify OYSAA’s commitment to operational excellence in Oyo State.” Eso-Ajanaku further stated that OYSAA will intensify enforcement efforts in 2025 to remove illegal, abandoned, dilapidated, and clustered advertising structures, as well as those belonging to practitioners and business owners indebted to the agency. He, however, urged third-party practitioners and business owners to settle outstanding debts promptly, upgrade the quality of their advertising infrastructures, and maintain the cleanliness and aesthetic appeal of their advertising environments. These measures, he affirmed, aim to foster a more organized, efficient, and visually appealing Out-Of-Home (OOH) ecosystem in Oyo State. ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Advert practitioners owing Oyo govt N650m – OYSAA bossThe war in Ukraine must end and the shooting stop immediately, according to President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, in late night social media postings that came following the apparent demise of the President Bashar al-Assad Russian-backed regime in Syria, said that now is the time an end to the war in Ukraine. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse,” Trump wrote. The former president noted the war — which will enter its third year this February — has caused at least 400,000 Ukrainian casualties, and that “close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.” Al-Assad’s apparent decision to abandon his post and flee the country for Moscow proves that Russia has its hands full in Ukraine, according to Trump. “Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine,” he said. Trump’s assertion regarding Ukrainian casualties was later backed up by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who for the first time since the war began acknowledged the vast number of killed and wounded Ukrainian fighters. “Since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has lost 43,000 soldiers killed in action on the battlefield. There have been 370,000 cases of medical assistance for the wounded,” the former comedian shared , noting that of those casualties, “approximately half of the soldiers wounded in action are later returning to the battlefield, and that our data also includes light or repeat injuries.” “Since September this year, Russia has been losing troops on the battlefield at a ratio of 5-to-1, or even 6-to-1, compared to us. They want to seize more land before global pressure on them becomes unbearable,” he said. The fighting in Ukraine began in 2014, when Putin illegally invaded and annexed Crimea. It continued in a pair of separatist regions in the eight years that followed, but exploded into full-scale conflict in February of 2022. On Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the U.S. would provide another military aid package to Ukraine, a further nearly $1 billion worth of equipment that comes about a week after a similarly sized aid package was announced.

Another factor driving institutional demand for A-shares is the ongoing internationalization of the Chinese equity market. With the inclusion of A-shares in major global indexes such as MSCI and FTSE Russell, foreign institutional investors are increasingly looking to gain exposure to Chinese stocks. This trend has not only boosted liquidity in the A-share market but also attracted more institutional investors seeking to diversify their portfolios.

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16 . Australia's new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life — formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. And like efforts of the past to protect kids from things that parents believe they're not ready for, the nation's move is both ambitious and not exactly simple, particularly in a world where young people are often shaped, defined and judged by the online company they keep. The ban won't go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That's not clear, nor will it be easy. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have become so ingrained in young people's lives that going cold turkey will be difficult. Other questions loom. Does the ban limit kids' free expression and — especially for those in vulnerable groups — isolate them and curtail their opportunity to connect with members of their community? And how will social sites verify people's ages, anyway? Can't kids just get around such technicalities, as they so often do? This is, after all, the 21st century — an era when social media is the primary communications tool for most of those born in the past 25 years who, in a fragmented world, seek the common cultures of trends, music and memes. What happens when big swaths of that fall away? Is Australia's initiative a good, long-time-coming development that will protect the vulnerable, or could it become a well-meaning experiment with unintended consequences? The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. “It’s clear that social media companies have to be held accountable, which is what Australia is trying to do,” said Jim Steyer, president and CEO of the nonprofit Common Sense Media. Leaders and parents in countries around the world are watching Australia’s policy closely as many seek to protect young kids from the internet's dangerous corners — and, not incidentally, from each other. Most nations have taken different routes, from parental consent requirements to minimum age limits. Many child safety experts, parents and even teens who have waited to get on social media consider Australia's move a positive step. They say there’s ample reason to ensure that children wait. “What’s most important for kids, just like adults, is real human connection. Less time alone on the screen means more time to connect, not less," said Julie Scelfo, the founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, or MAMA, a grassroots group of parents aimed at combatting the harms of social media to children. “I’m confident we can support our kids in interacting in any number of ways aside from sharing the latest meme.” The harms to children from social media have been well documented in the two decades since Facebook’s launch ushered in a new era in how the world communicates. Kids who spend more time on social media, especially as tweens or young teenagers, are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, according to multiple studies — though it is not yet clear if there is a causal relationship. What's more, many are exposed to content that is not appropriate for their age, including pornography and violence, as well as social pressures about body image and makeup . They also face bullying, sexual harassment and unwanted advances from their peers as well as adult strangers. Because their brains are not fully developed, teenagers, especially younger ones the law is focused on, are also more affected by social comparisons than adults, so even happy posts from friends can send them into a negative spiral. Many major initiatives, particularly those aimed at social engineering, can produce side effects — often unintended. Could that happen here? What, if anything, do kids stand to lose by separating kids and the networks in which they participate? Paul Taske, associate director of litigation at the tech lobbying group NetChoice, says he considers the ban “one of the most extreme violations of free speech on the world stage today" even as he expressed relief that the First Amendment prevents such law in the United States "These restrictions would create a massive cultural shift,” Taske said. “Not only is the Australian government preventing young people from engaging with issues they’re passionate about, but they’re also doing so even if their parents are ok with them using digital services," he said. "Parents know their children and their needs the best, and they should be making these decisions for their families — not big government. That kind of forcible control over families inevitably will have downstream cultural impacts.” David Inserra, a fellow for Free Expression and Technology, Cato Institute, called the bill “about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike” in a recent blog post . While Australia's law doesn't require “hard verification” such as an uploaded ID, he said, it calls for effective “age assurance.” He said no verification system can ensure accuracy while also protecting privacy and not impacting adults in the process. Privacy advocates have also raised concerns about the law's effect on online anonymity, a cornerstone of online communications — and something that can protect teens on social platforms. “Whether it be religious minorities and dissidents, LGBTQ youth, those in abusive situations, whistleblowers, or countless other speakers in tricky situations, anonymous speech is a critical tool to safely challenge authority and express controversial opinions,” Inserra said. A spot check of kids at one mall in the Australian city of Brisbane on Wednesday didn't turn up a great deal of worry, though. “Social media is still important because you get to talk to people, but I think it’s still good that they’re like limiting it,” said Swan Son, a 13-year-old student at Brisbane State High School. She said she has had limited exposure to social media and wouldn’t really miss it for a couple of years. Her parents already enforce a daily one-hour limit. And as for her friends? “I see them at school every day, so I think I’ll be fine.” Conor Negric, 16, said he felt he’d dodged a bullet because of his age. Still, he considers the law reasonable. “I think 16 is fine. Some kids, I know some kids like 10 who’re on Instagram, Snapchat. I only got Instagram when I was 14." His mom, Sive Negric, who has two teenage sons, said she was happy for her boys to avoid exposure to social media too early: “That aspect of the internet, it’s a bit `meanland.'" Parents in Britain and across Europe earlier this year organized on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram to promise not to buy smartphones for children younger than 12 or 13. This approach costs almost no money and requires no government enforcement. In the United States, some parents are keeping kids off social media either informally or as part of an organized campaign such as Wait Until 8th, a group that helps parents delay kids' access to social media and phones. This fall, Norway announced plans to ban kids under 15 from using social media, while France is testing a smartphone ban for kids under 15 in a limited number of schools — a policy that could be rolled out nationwide if successful. U.S. lawmakers have held multiple congressional hearings — most recently in January — on child online safety. Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding. In July, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation designed to protect children from dangerous online content , pushing forward with what would be the first major effort by Congress in decades to hold tech companies more accountable. But the Kids Online Safety Act has since stalled in the House. While several states have passed laws requiring age verification, those are stuck in court. Utah became the first state to pass laws regulating children’s social media use in 2023. In September, a judge issued the preliminary injunction against the law, which would have required social media companies to verify the ages of users, apply privacy settings and limit some features. NetChoice has also obtained injunctions temporarily halting similar laws in several other states. And last May, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said there is insufficient evidence to show social media is safe for kids. He urged policymakers to treat social media like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use. “Why should social media products be any different? Scelfo said. “Parents cannot possibly bear the entire responsibility of keeping children safe online, because the problems are baked into the design of the products.” Associated Press Writers John Pye in Brisbane, Australia and Laurie Kellman in London contributed to this story.In addition to addressing internal Party matters, the plenary session may also touch upon broader issues of national importance. Given the current context of global economic challenges, geopolitical tensions, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the CCDI’s role in safeguarding national interests and promoting good governance becomes even more crucial.

Additionally, the managerial merry-go-round at Manchester United has further compounded the club's troubles. Since the departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, the club has struggled to find a suitable replacement, going through a string of managers including David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho, before settling on current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The constant upheaval in the dugout has hindered the team's progress and stability, with each new manager inheriting a squad that lacks cohesion and identity.As the dust settles from this latest market upheaval, investors and analysts alike are left to ponder the implications of such dramatic price swings in the cryptocurrency space. Will Bitcoin recover and continue its upward trajectory, or is this the beginning of a prolonged bear market for digital assets? Only time will tell."Fake News of Zoo Hiring 'Wild People' for $500 a Day Resurfaces"

Alabama left out of playoff as committee rewards SMU's wins over Crimson Tide's strong schedule

Adding to the drama of the CBA season, Qingdao pulled off a dramatic last-second victory over Jiangsu, showcasing their resilience and determination to compete at the highest level. This thrilling win not only secured their place in the standings but also solidified their reputation as a team that can rise to the occasion when it matters most.The 50-year-old executive was shot at about 6.45am as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The gunman appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Mr Thompson from behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police have not yet established a motive. “Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Ms Tisch said, adding that the shooting “does not appear to be a random act of violence”. Mr Thompson was struck at least once in the back and once in the calf, Ms Tisch said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The suspect, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a grey backpack, then fled on foot down an alleyway before pedalling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away. The shooter was at large, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs. “We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” the insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.” Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Police offered a reward of up to 10,000 US dollars (£7,860) for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The killing shook a part of New York City that is normally quiet at that hour, happening about four blocks from where tens of thousands of people are set to gather on Wednesday night for the annual Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting. Mr Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that the executive told her “there were some people that had been threatening him”. She said she did not have details, but suggested they may have involved issues with insurance coverage. UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the health care giant UnitedHealth Group. The group was holding its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Mr Thompson’s death. “I’m afraid that we – some of you may know we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” a company official told attendees, according to a transcript. “And as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today. I’m sure you’ll understand.” Mr Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as chief executive for more than three years. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programmes. Minnesota governor Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team”. “This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.

《Black Myth: Wu Kong》 Officially Announces Boss Challenge Update! Players Celebrate: Keep on EnjoyingHENDERSON, Nev. -- Aidan O'Connell will start at quarterback when the Las Vegas Raiders visit their AFC West rival and two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce made the announcement Wednesday, saying O'Connell had progressed well after breaking his right thumb on Oct. 20 in a 20-15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams . “He’s been dialed in obviously throughout this time that he’s been on (injured reserve),” Pierce said. "He’s been at all the meetings. He’s been very encouraging on the sideline. He’s got that laser-eye focus right now. Great opportunity for him.” Gardner Minshew broke his left collarbone on Sunday in a game against the Denver Broncos and is out for the season . The Raiders could have gone with Desmond Ridder to replace Minshew. Las Vegas signed Ridder off Arizona’s practice squad on Oct. 21. He started 13 games for Atlanta last season, passing for 2,836 yards and 12 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Pierce opted for O'Connell, who became the starter midway through last season and went 5-4 the rest of the way. Minshew beat him out for the job in the preseason but then struggled through five games. Pierce then put O'Connell in the starting lineup on Oct. 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. O'Connell completed 27 of 40 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown with an interception in the 32-13 loss . Then O'Connell was injured early the following week at Los Angeles and was placed on IR, sidelining him for at least four weeks. The Raiders on Monday designated him to return to practice, opening a three-week window in which O'Connell could be activated. That came this week. “He carried himself like a starter, even when he was on IR," Pierce said. "He did that when he was a backup. He did a great job of just being engaged with the players, engaged on the sideline, in meeting rooms. He’s the one speaking up, talking. You could just look at his eyes. You can look at his demeanor. "He wasn’t a guy like: ‘All right, I’m out for the season. I’m not going to play. No, I’ll be back. I’m ready to be back.’ And he worked his tail off to get back.” O'Connell has a short week to prepare, complicated further because the Raiders aren't having full practices. He was the last opposing quarterback to win at Arrowhead Stadium. Even though he didn't complete a pass after the first quarter, the Raiders walked away 20-14 winners in that Christmas Day game. Las Vegas can only play a little bit of a spoiler this week. The Raiders at 2-9 have lost seven consecutive games, and the Chiefs have their sights on becoming the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row. “Let’s call a spade a spade,” Pierce said. "The best team in football against the worst team in football. Let’s change the narrative, right? Let’s go out there and make it a dog fight. Let’s make it ugly. Let’s make it scrappy. It’s Black Friday. Let’s create a little chaos. Let’s get back to Raider football and have some fun and some personality. Let it loose.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL