Kane hat trick against Augsburg hides Bayern's concerning lack of goalsIRVING, Texas (AP) — A rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation has produced some of the NFL's entertainment presentations including the Super Bowl halftime show, won’t impact the league's relationship with the music mogul. “We’re aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z’s really strong response to that," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday after the conclusion of the league's winter meetings. "We know the litigation is happening now. From our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl.” A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 when she was 13 years old, amended the lawsuit Sunday to include a new allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said the rape allegation made against him is part of an extortion attempt . The 24-time Grammy Award winner called the allegations “idiotic” and “heinous in nature” in a statement released by Roc Nation, one of his companies. The NFL teamed up with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2019 for events and social activism. The league and the entertainment company extended their partnership a few months ago. Kendrick Lamar will perform the Super Bowl halftime show at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9. Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-executive producers of the halftime show. Beyonce, who is married to Jay-Z, will perform at halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas. “I think they’re getting incredibly comfortable with not just with the Super Bowl but other events they’ve advised us on and helped us with,” Goodell said. “They’ve been a big help in the social justice area to us on many occasions. They’ve been great partners.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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Cal Baptist makes cross-country trip to battle Darius Johnson, UCFVANCOUVER - A confidence agreement between British Columbia’s New Democrats and the provincial Green Party stabilizes David Eby’s bare-majority government, while putting Green election promises on the legislative agenda. The agreement announced Friday outlines the basis on which the Greens’ two-member caucus will provide confidence to Eby’s party, which won election with 47 seats in B.C.‘s 93-seat legislature in October’s provincial election. The deal features key elements of the Greens’ election platform, including a commitment to growing a community health centre model for primary care and expanding public coverage of psychology services at a cost of $50 million. Deputy premier Niki Sharma said the framework focuses on areas of agreement between the two parties, while recognizing their positions won’t always align. The balance struck is “a way to keep government stable for four years ... without erasing the distinct identity that we both have as political parties,” she said Friday. The seven-page agreement says the house leaders of the NDP and the Greens “agree to establish a relationship of trust based on good faith and no surprises.” While set to last four years, it is subject to annual agreement at each parties discretion. It was important to the Greens throughout the negotiations to be able to disagree with government positions, Sharma told a news conference. “I know that we’ll have differences of opinions moving forward, but the fact that we can show a pathway where two political parties in a time of great polarization can come together for British Columbians, I think is a profound thing.” The October election saw two new Green members win seats, lawyer Rob Botterell, representing Saanich North and the Islands, and geological engineer Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, while the B.C. Conservatives won 44 seats. B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said after the election that he would work to bring the NDP government down if it continues with its “destructive policies.” When he was asked about the agreement on Friday, Rustad said he has always assumed the Greens would back the NDP. Eby is “fooling himself” if he thinks having the support of the Green Party is going to make it easier to pass legislation, Rustad said in an interview. “We are going to make it very difficult for him to move anything through the legislature that is continuing the destruction of British Columbia,” he said. “A week can be a long time in politics, so we’ll see what January brings. I don’t want to say anything further at this point.” The stability of Eby’s government had appeared shakier earlier this month when New Democrat Grace Lore announced she was temporarily stepping away due to a cancer diagnosis, though she said she intended to participate in important votes. Eby said in a statement Friday that the agreement with the Greens will “strengthen the stability of government and help deliver on the priorities of British Columbians.” While his party and the Greens are distinct and won’t always agree, the premier said they have “many shared values.” He said the deal sets out specific areas of action they will work together on, including health care, affordable housing, creating livable communities and growing a strong, sustainable economy. “We will continue to work with all MLAs who want to make the legislature work for people,” Eby said. Additional policy commitments outlined in the deal that reflect the Green platform include expanding access to housing aid for elderly renters and building 30,000 more units of non-market housing than the government had pledged. The agreement also commits to a review of B.C.‘s forests to “address concerns around sustainability, jobs, environmental protection an the future of the industry.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024.Retailers coax Black Friday shoppers into stores with big discounts and giveaways NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers in the U.S. have used giveaways and bigger-than expected discounts to reward shoppers who ventured out on Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving still reigns for now as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season even if it’s lost some luster. Analysts reported seeing the biggest crowds at stores that offered real savings. They say many shoppers are being cautious with their discretionary spending despite the easing of inflation. Stores are even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there are five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Online sales figures from Thanksgiving Day gave retailers a reason to remain hopeful for a lucrative end to the year. Inflation rose to 2.3% in Europe. That won't stop the central bank from cutting interest rates FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Inflation in the 20 countries that use the euro currency rose in November — but that likely won’t stop the European Central Bank from cutting interest rates as the prospect of new U.S. tariffs from the incoming Trump administration adds to the gloom over weak growth. The European Union’s harmonized index of consumer prices rose 2.3 percent, up from 2.0% in October, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. However, worries about growth mean the Dec. 12 ECB meeting is not about whether to cut rates, but by how much. Market buzz says there could be a larger than usual half-point cut in the benchmark rate, currently 3.25%. The ruble's in a slump. For the Kremlin, that's a two-edged sword Russia’s ruble is sagging against other currencies, complicating the Kremlin’s efforts to keep consumer inflation under control with one hand even as it overheats the economy with spending on the war against Ukraine with the other. Over time a weaker ruble could mean higher prices for imports from China, Russia's main trade partner these days. President Vladimir Putin says things are under control. One wild card is sanctions against a key Russian bank that have disrupted foreign trade payments. If Russia finds a workaround for that, the ruble could regain some of its recent losses. From T-shirts to thongs, how indie film merchandise became a hot commodity LOS ANGELES (AP) — Merchandise is nothing new. But in recent years, movie-inspired streetwear has exploded in popularity among film buffs, thanks in part to viral marketing campaigns put on by independent film studios. Take the hourslong line for one-day-only “Anora” pop-up in Los Angeles, for instance. Clothes are promoted as trendy and in limited supply and are often made in collaboration with popular brands. The experience of watching movies has become a less collective one in recent years. For many fans, repping their favorite films in public is a way to combat that. Stock market today: S&P 500 and Dow post gains and close out best month of 2024 NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed with solid gains as Wall Street put the finishing touches on one of its best months of the year. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 188 points, or 0.4%. The Nasdaq added 0.8%. Friday was an abbreviated trading day, with stocks closing at 1 p.m. ET and the bond market an hour later. Investors were looking to see how much shoppers are willing to spend on gifts for the holidays. Black Friday unofficially kicked off the holiday shopping season, although retailers had been offering early deals for weeks. Macy’s and Best Buy each gained around 2%. Vietnam approves $67 billion high-speed railway project between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north with the financial capital of Ho Chi Minh in the south. It is expected to cost $67 billion and will stretch 1,541 kilometers (957 miles). The new train is expected to travel at speeds of up to 350 kph (217 mph), reducing the journey from the current 30 hours to just five hours. The decision was taken by Vietnam’s National Assembly on Saturday. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and Vietnam hopes that the first trains will start operating by 2035. But the country has been beleaguered by delays to its previous infrastructure projects. Massachusetts lawmakers push for an effort to ban all tobacco sales over time BOSTON (AP) — A handful of Massachusetts lawmakers are hoping to persuade their colleagues to support a proposal that would make the state the first to adopt a ban meant to eliminate the use of tobacco products over time. Other locations have weighed similar “generational tobacco bans.” The bans phase out the use of tobacco products based not just on a person's age but on birth year. Lawmakers plan to file the proposal next year. If approved, the bill would set a date and ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after that date forever, eventually banning all sales. Santa's annual train visit delivers hope and magic to one corner of coal country ON BOARD THE SANTA TRAIN (AP) — Since 1943, the people of Appalachian Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee have looked forward to Santa’s arrival. Not in a sleigh on their rooftops, but on a train. At each stop of the CSX Santa Train there are dozens to hundreds of people. Many crowd around the back, where Santa and his helpers toss stuffed animals. Meanwhile groups of volunteer “elves” fan out with gifts, making sure every child goes home with something. Many of the children who line the tracks on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, waiting for Santa, are the third, fourth or fifth generation to do so. Sandra Owens has been coming for 43 years and now brings her grandchildren. She says, “The faces of the kids, that’s what makes me happy. You can’t see anything better.” Donald Trump's call for 'energy dominance' is likely to run into real-world limits WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is creating a National Energy Council that he says will establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world. It will be key in Trump’s pledge to sell more oil to allies and his intent to move away from President Joe Biden’s focus on climate change. But the president-elect’s energy wishes are likely to run into real-world limits. For one, U.S. oil production under Biden is already at record levels. And Trump’s bid to boost oil supplies and lower U.S. prices is complicated by his threat to impose 25% import tariffs on Canada and Mexico, two of the largest sources of U.S. oil imports. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau flies to Florida to meet with Trump after tariffs threat WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has flown to Florida to have dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Trump's picks for commerce secretary, interior secretary and national security adviser, and the three men's wives. From the Canadian side, the dinner guests included Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security. Trump’s transition did not respond to questions about what they had discussed or whether the conversation alleviated Trump’s concerns about the border. A smiling Trudeau declined comment upon returning to his West Palm Beach hotel late Friday.

SINGAPORE: No doubt policymakers in Tehran and Moscow are asking who lost Syria. In a tectonic rewrite of the Middle East’s geopolitical map, Bashar al-Assad was ousted on Sunday (Dec 8) after 24 years as president, leaving his principal backers struggling to limit their losses. Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to preempt the debate by firing Sergei Kisel, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, a week earlier – as soon as the rebels captured Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. The Kremlin has since confirmed that Putin personally decided to grant asylum to Assad and his family, who fled the capital Damascus for Moscow. Similarly, Iran quickly contacted the new rebel leadership to prevent what one official described as “a hostile trajectory" between the two countries. Iran’s state television said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the largest, best-armed rebel group, had guaranteed there would be no disturbance to the Sayyida Zeinab and Sayyida Ruqayya Shiite Muslim shrines in Damascus. "The main concern for Iran is whether Assad's successor will push Syria away from Tehran's orbit,” said a second Iranian official. The end of Assad’s reign is an existential threat to Iran, less so to Russia. That was evident in the contrast between the ransacking of the Iranian embassy in Damascus and the calm around Russia's Hmeimim air base and Tartus naval facility. RUSSIA MAKES THE BEST OF A BAD SITUATION Assad’s toppling will probably deprive Moscow of its two foremost military bases in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean and undermine its positioning as a major regional powerbroker. "What Tartus meant for Russia was the ability to project maritime power and political influence relatively uncontested in the Middle East and allowed it to punch above its weight," wrote retired Belgian naval officer Fredrik Van Lokeren. Leased to Moscow for 49 years in return for military assistance in 2015 during the Syrian civil war, the bases also allowed Russia to use Syria as a transit hub for Russian mercenaries operating in Africa. As Assad arrived in Moscow, Russian state television announced that the rebels had guaranteed the security of the military bases – from which Russian aircraft attacked as they advanced towards Damascus – and diplomatic missions in Syria. The rebel assurances helped soften the blow to Russian prestige. Russia can claim that it stuck by its friends while ensuring that the former president would be limited in his ability to attempt a comeback. In return, state-run Russian media have changed their tone. The press stopped describing the rebels as "terrorists", referring to them instead as the "armed opposition that has taken power in Syria". The Syrian embassy in Moscow raised the opposition flag even as Assad set foot on Russian soil. HIGHER EXISTENTIAL STAKES FOR IRAN The stakes are much higher for Iran. One of the three pillars in its defence strategy is now crippled. Lacking an air force and navy of any repute because of decades of United States and United Nations economic sanctions, Iranian defence relied on Syria and an alliance of non-state actors – dubbed the Axis of Resistance – for its forward defence, alongside the development of ballistic missiles and nuclear programme. The ousting of Assad and the weakening of Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia – which reached a recent ceasefire agreement with Israel just weeks ago – have all but neutralised the alliance’s deterrence element along two of Israel’s borders. Even starker, the alliance could have turned from asset into liability. Iran-backed Iraqi politicians and militia officials rejected Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s request that they send reinforcements to Syria in support of Assad. Iran and its allies will no longer be able to maintain a military presence in Syria or use the country as a support hub for Hezbollah. It will be forced to revisit its strategy and broader regional policies. FEARS OF A POPULAR UPRISING The fact that a popular armed insurrection toppled Assad has set off alarm bells in Moscow and Tehran. Russia has long viewed popular revolts in Ukraine and other East European nations as US-engineered efforts to destabilise Russia’s neighbourhood, while Iranians have repeatedly taken to the streets in mass anti-government protests over the years. “The situation in the Islamic Republic is not comparable to Syria at all. Nevertheless, one should take note of public opinion,” said conservative politician and journalist Naser Imani to an Iranian media outlet. Critics removed without explanation social media postings in which they asserted that Iran had wasted resources on supporting an unpopular leader in Syria, an implicit criticism of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a friend and staunch supporter of Assad. Even so, some fear that the collapse of the Assad regime could strengthen the hand of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its hardline supporters. IRGC members asserted that "abandoning" Assad constituted a "betrayal" that would have serious consequences for Iran. Kasra Aarabi, a Washington-based anti-Iranian activist, quoted a younger IRGC member as saying: “We zealous youth will not forget the cowardice of the decision-makers.” For Russia and Iran, the silver lining is that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham appears more interested in focusing on Syria’s rehabilitation and reconstruction rather than retaliation. In doing so, the rebels may help Assad’s backers save face while taking out one of their foremost regional assets. Dr James M Dorsey is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and the author of the syndicated column and podcast, The Turbulent World with James M Dorsey .