Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference: No. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2, No. 21), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) League newcomer Arizona State has a three-game winning streak and BYU is coming off its first loss. The Cougars, after losing at home to Kansas, still control their own destiny in making the Big 12 championship game. They can clinch a spot in that Dec. 7 game as early as Saturday, if they win and instate rival Utah wins at home against No. 22 Iowa State. Arizona State was picked at the bottom of the 16-team league in the preseason media poll, but already has a five-win improvement in coach Kenny Dillingham's second season. No. 16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1, No. 16 CFP) at Kansas (4-6, 3-4), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox) Coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are in prime position to make the Big 12 title game in their return to the league after 13 seasons in the Pac-12. If BYU and Utah win, Colorado would be able to claim the other title game spot with a win over Kansas. The Buffs have a four-game winning streak. The Jayhawks need another November win over a ranked Big 12 contender while trying to get bowl eligible for the third season in a row. Kansas has won consecutive games over Top 25 teams for the first time in school history, knocking off Iowa State before BYU. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a touchdown in a school-record 14 consecutive games, while receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel both have more than 800 yards receiving. San Jose State is the only other FBS team with a pair of 800-yard receivers. Becht has 2,628 yards and 17 touchdowns passing for the Cyclones (8-2, 5-2), who are still in Big 12 contention. Oklahoma State goes into its home finale against Texas Tech with a seven-game losing streak, its longest since a nine-game skid from 1977-78. The only longer winless streak since was an 0-10-1 season in 1991. This is Mike Gundy's 20th season as head coach, and his longest losing streak before now was five in a row in 2005, his first season and the last time the Cowboys didn't make a bowl game. ... Baylor plays at Houston for the first time since 1995, the final Southwest Conference season. The Cougars won last year in the only meeting since to even the series 14-14-1. ... Eight Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. As many as six more teams could reach six wins. The Big 12 already has four 1,000-yard rushers, including three who did it last season. UCF's RJ Harvey is the league's top rusher (1,328 yards) and top scorer with 21 touchdowns (19 rushing/two receiving). The others with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons are Texas Tech career rushing leader Tahj Brooks (1,184 yards) and Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,128 yards). Cam Skattebo with league newcomer Arizona State has 1,074 yards. Devin Neal, the career rushing leader at his hometown university, is 74 yards shy of being the first Kansas player with three 1,000-yard seasons. Cincinnati's Corey Kiner needs 97 yards to reach 1,000 again. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Taoiseach Simon Harris said he also wanted to tell Nikita Hand, a hair colourist from Drimnagh, that her case had prompted an increase in women coming forward to ask for support. Ms Hand, who accused the sportsman of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, won her claim against him for damages in a civil case at the High Court in the Irish capital on Friday. The total amount of damages awarded to Ms Hand by the jury was 248,603.60 euro (£206,714.31). Mr McGregor said in a post on social media on Friday that he intends to appeal against the decision. That post has since been deleted. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Mr Harris said he told Ms Hand of the support she has from people across Ireland. “I spoke with Nikita today and I wanted to thank her for her incredible bravery and her courage,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that she knew how much solidarity and support there was across this country for her bravery. “I also wanted to make sure she knew of what the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre had said yesterday – that so many other women have now come forward in relation to their own experiences of sexual abuse as a result of Nikita’s bravery.” The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said the case has had a “profound effect” on the people the charity supports, and that over the first 10 days of the High Court case, calls to its national helpline increased by almost 20%. It said that first-time callers increased by 50% compared to the same period last year, and were largely from people who had experienced sexual violence who were distressed and anxious from the details of case and the views people had to it. Mr Harris said: “I wanted to speak with her and I wanted to wish her and her daughter, Freya, all the very best night, and I was very grateful to talk with Nikita today. “Her bravery, her courage, her voice has made a real difference in a country in which we must continue to work to get to zero tolerance when it comes to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. “I don’t want to say too much more, because conscious there could be further legal processes, but I absolutely want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her courage, for using her voice.” Justice Minister Helen McEntee praised Ms Hand’s bravery and said she had shown “there is light at the end of the tunnel”. She said: “I just want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her determination and the leadership that she has shown in what has been – I’ve no doubt – a very, very difficult time for her and indeed, for her family. She added: “Because of wonderful people like Nikita, I hope that it shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there are supports available to people, and that there is justice at the end of the day.” Ms Hand said in a statement outside court on Friday that she hoped her case would remind victims of assault to keep “pushing forward for justice”. Describing the past six years as “a nightmare”, she said: “I want to show (my daughter) Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” During the case, Ms Hand said she was “disappointed and upset” when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided not to prosecute the case after she made a complaint to the Irish police. In a letter to her in August 2020, the DPP said there was “insufficient evidence” and there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction. Ms Hand asked the DPP to review the decision, saying she felt she was being treated differently because one of the suspects was famous. Asked about the DPP’s decision not to prosecute, Mr Harris and Ms McEntee stressed the importance of the DPP’s independence on whether to prosecute. “There are obviously structures in place where the DPP can meet a victim and can outline to them their reasons for not taking the case,” Mr Harris said. “But there’s also always an opportunity for the DPP in any situation – and I speak broadly in relation to this – to review a decision, to consider any new information that may come to light, and I don’t want to say anything that may ever cut across the ongoing work of the DPP.” Ms McEntee stressed that there should “never be any political interference” in the independence of the DPP’s decisions. “I have, since becoming minister, given priority to and enabled a new office within the DPP to open specifically focused on sexual offences, so that this issue can be given the focus and the priority that it needs,” she said.

Josh Allen is clearly in the conversation for the NFL MVP award this season, but his Bills offensive linemen have already picked their choice for the award, making it known with the gift they gave the star quarterback for Christmas. Allen’s teammates gifted him a chain with his No. 17 along with “MVP.” On the back, it featured the names of all of the offensive linemen that have blocked for the quarterback this season. The Bills posted a video to their X page on Christmas Day that captured Allen showing off the gift with the caption, “O-Line always looking out for @JoshAllenQB.” “That’s so sick,” Allen was heard saying in the video. Allen has guided the Bills to a 12-3 record and a fifth consecutive AFC East title this season. The quarterback has thrown for 3,549 yards and 26 touchdowns — along with just six interceptions, his fewest since 2019. The MVP race will be a big storyline throughout the final weeks of the season, and Allen’s biggest competition could come from Ravens star Lamar Jackson, who had another huge game for Baltimore during their win Wednesday. Allen recently told the Associated Press that he was playing some of the best football of his NFL career. “I’m just playing this game, the same game that I’ve been playing since I was a little kid. And that’s kind of what it comes down to,” Allen said. “What I get to do is really fun, and I want to have as much fun as possible.” Allen also went through a significant off-the-field moment last month when he got engaged to actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld . The Bills quarterback acknowledged the support she’s given him this season. “She’s been a huge part. The morale, the support. When I get home, she’s my biggest fan, my biggest supporter. She’s just the best,” Allen told the AP.Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’Morgan Rogers looked to have given Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home in stoppage time, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. Contact seemed minimal but VAR did not intervene and Villa had to settle for a point in a 0-0 draw. “With the last action, it is the interpretation of the referee,” the Spaniard said. “In England, 80 per cent of those is given a goal and it’s not a foul. It’s very soft. “But in Europe, it could be a foul. We have to accept. “Everybody will know, in England the interpretation is different. The England referees, when actions like that the interpretation is a clear no foul but in Europe that interpretation is different. “They have to be working to get the same decision when some action like that is coming. I don’t know exactly why but we knew before in the Premier League that it is different. A very controversial finish at Villa Park 😲 Morgan Rogers' late goal is ruled out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the match ends 0-0 ❌ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MyYL5Vdy3r — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 “In Europe for example we are not doing a block like in England and we are not doing in front of the goalkeeper in offensive corners the same situations like in England. “When the action happened, I was thinking here in Europe it’s a foul. In England not, but in Europe I have to accept it. “At first, I thought the referee gave us a goal. In cases like that, it’s confusing because he has to wait for VAR. I don’t know what happened but I think so (the referee changed his mind with VAR).” It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. “We were playing a favourite to be in the top eight and usually a contender to win this competition,” Emery added. “We are a team who for a long time didn’t play in Europe and the Champions League and this year is very important. “We wanted to play competitive and we are in the right way. Today to get one point is very good, we wanted to win but wanted to avoid some mistakes we made in previous games. “We have 10 points and we’re happy.” Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. Juve boss Thiago Motta, whose side are 19th but still in contention to reach the top eight, said: “There’s just three games left to qualify. The next home against Man City, then Brugge, then Benfica. “One at a time, as we always did with the goal to qualify for the next round. “In the end we will try and reach our goal which is to go to the next round.”

ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at atlantatrackclub.org . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on etix.com . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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With grid connectivity and efficient power transmission as integral to the energy targets set as the power generation, the transmission and distribution (T&D) sector has been in the spotlight for somewhile now. With tenders bid and orders won at a more frequent pace, KEC International, a diversified yet prominent EPC player in this space, has been riding this structural trend. The shares of the company have risen around 93 per cent in the last one year and 338 per cent in the last five years, while BSE Power has returned a lower 33 per cent and 311 per cent during the same periods respectively. At bl.portfolio , we had recommended investors to HOLD on to KEC International on June 3, 2023, when the company was trading at a one-year forward PE of 21 times, considering the strong business prospects and margins bottoming out, even though supply chain challenges persisted. Since then, margins have gradually recovered and structural tailwinds aiding the overall sector continue to provide a long runway for growth. But supply chain challenges have continued, and more importantly, the valuations have run up far ahead before the thesis fully played out, resulting in one-year forward PE and trailing twelve-month (TTM) PE currently at an elevated 45 times and 74 times respectively. For comparison, Kalpataru Projects International, the closest listed peer, is currently trading at one-year forward PE and TTM PE of 27 times and 40 times respectively. Investors could consider locking in on the gains partially and take some chips off the table, considering the sharp rally of 58 per cent in the last six months. This is a valuation call. KEC International, part of the RP Goenka Group, is a diversified EPC player, executing projects across 30+ geographies, in segments such as transmission and distribution (T&D), civil, railways, cables, oil and gas, and solar. T&D is the company’s mainstay, contributing to around 50 per cent of its topline. KEC offers comprehensive solutions in this space, encompassing the design, manufacturing, supply, installation and commissioning of transmission lines, substations and underground cabling in both domestic and international markets. It is one of the recognised contractors of Power Grid Corporation, India’s leading power transmission player. Civil projects undertaken by KEC is diversified across water infrastructure, water treatment and it is also a construction partner for building warehouses, factories, buildings, data centres, while railways include various signalling, station construction, amongst others. The company is also involved in the implementation of KAVACH via a joint venture. Laying of pipelines for the oil and gas sector is another segment, while the company is also into EPC of solar power projects. The non-T&D businesses account for the remaining 50 per cent. EBITDA margins for T&D is around low double-digits, while for Non-T&D projects, it has been around 5 per cent. SAE Tower Holdings LLC, an acquisition made in 2011, to geographically expand in the US (now present in Brazil and Mexico too), which dropped into losses from FY21, was back in the black in FY24. This was a causal factor behind the dip in EBITDA margins, from around 11 per cent between FY17 and FY20 to 4.8 per cent in FY23, before recovering to around 6.6 per cent in FY24. Revenue growth and EBITDA margins were guided at 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively for FY25. Order intake, on the other hand, was guided for ₹25,000 crore, which, if met, would be the highest ever for the company. As of H1 FY25, the company’s revenue stood at ₹9,625 crore growing 10 per cent year on year – tepid, but impacted due to external factors. If not for manpower shortage (sustained from previous FY), delays due to heavy rainfalls in Gujarat and Rajasthan, where bulk of the T&D projects are under execution, and deliberate slowdown of water EPC projects due to payments issues with customer, H1 FY25 would have been stronger. Manpower shortage has been a widespread concern noted by most of the EPC players. EBITDA margin was at 6.4 per cent for H1 – 50-basis point year-on-year improvement. H2 FY25 is expected to be better on account of higher margin projects getting executed. EBITDA margins have been recovering steadily and this is the sixth consecutive quarter with year-on-year improvement. With old orders with lower margins expected to be executed and closed out this year and contribution from T&D segment continuing to rise, EBITDA margins are expected to inch up towards 9-10 per cent for FY26. Revenue contribution from T&D has been consistently on the rise with the same improving from 50 per cent in FY22 and FY23 to 53 per cent in FY24 to 55 per cent in H1 FY25. Order intake YTD as of October 2024 stood at around ₹13,482 crore – growth of 50 per cent year on year and this is apart from L1-s (lowest bidder, meaning the company is the lowest bidder in the tender process, but the order is yet to be awarded) of ₹8,500 crore, providing good revenue visibility. It is largely in line with the guidance and with H2 generally better than H1 in this industry, the management is confident of walking the talk. Orderbook is also at a high of ₹34,088 crore. T&D segment’s contribution to the orderbook, similar to the trend in revenue, has increased from 47 per cent in FY23 to 55 per cent in H1 FY24, in line with the increased frequency of tendering in this space. The management has said that they are reasonably hedged against commodity price hikes and that any volatility shouldn’t affect them materially. KEC is selective in its new projects, with emphasis on margin profile, working capital cycle, counterparty risk, execution risk and projects with front-ended cash flows and shorter execution timeframe. So, order intake in the railways, civil, oil and gas, and solar segment is expected to be constrained. In September this year, KEC concluded a fund raiser by way of QIP to the tune of ₹870 crore, issuing shares at a price of ₹955. The funds raised via the QIP will be used by KEC to repay debt, strengthening its balance sheet. This will help reduce interest costs, which has been hovering at 3-3.5 per cent of revenue since FY23 to 2.5 per cent for FY25. KEC has also planned for business realignment by transferring its cable business on slump sale to a newly-incorporated subsidiary for this purpose, to focus on that segment of the business. The management expects to grow at a brisk pace with recent investments in electron beam (e-beam) and elastomeric technology for high performance and specialty cables like green cables (eco-friendly) and EV charging cables. This realignment takes effect from January 1, 2025. The commissioning of its aluminium conductor manufacturing plant in Vadodara, which was scheduled for Q2, has been pushed to Q3 FY25. The aluminium conductors are used in power transmission and are efficient in it with lower transmission losses. This investment will help in backward integration. Comments

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP) — Elijah Lewis and Josh Pascarelli both scored 14 points as Marist beat New Hampshire 54-49 on Saturday. Lewis added six rebounds for the Red Foxes (4-1). Pascarelli shot 5 of 11 (2 for 4 from 3-point range). Jaden Daughtry finished 4 of 5 from the field to finish with nine points. The Wildcats (2-7) were led in scoring by Davide Poser, who finished with 11 points. Khalil Badru added 10 points and six rebounds for New Hampshire. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .