Ukrainian girls’ team finds hockey haven at Wickenheiser festival

ATLANTA (AP) — Even when grappling with a four-game losing streak and the uncertainty generated by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in that span, there is some solace for the Atlanta Falcons. They play in the NFC South. There is more good news: The Falcons' next two opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, are tied for the NFL's worst record at 2-11. Coach Raheem Morris says he is sticking with Cousins for next Monday night's game at Las Vegas. Sunday's 42-21 loss at Minnesota dropped Atlanta to 6-7, one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South. The Falcons hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Buccaneers, so if they can take advantage of their cushy closing stretch of games that also includes Washington and Carolina, they could salvage their season. “We’re right in this thing,” right guard Chris Lindstrom said Monday before acknowledging he is “obviously not happy or satisfied with where we’re at." Lindstrom said he maintains "the ultimate belief in what we’re doing and everything that we have going on and everything is still in front of us.” Cousins and the Falcons must solve their red-zone woes to maintain hopes of the team's first playoff appearance since 2017. The Falcons rank eighth in the NFL with 371 yards per game but only 19th with their average of 21.4 points thanks to their persistent problems inside the 20. Even the forgiving NFC South can't make up for the scoring problems caused by penalties, turnovers and other persistent breakdowns. “You can't live with it at all,” Morris said Monday when asked about Cousins' recent streak of interceptions. Even so, Cousins remains the starter as first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. awaits his opportunity. “It’s for sure Kirk is our quarterback but I have no hesitations about what our young man has been doing and how he has been preparing and the things he is ready to do,” Morris said. “So if that time ever came I would have a lot of confidence in what Mike is able to do, but Kirk is our quarterback. Kirk is the guy who is going to lead us.” With four sacks against the Vikings, the Falcons may have finally solved their longtime pass-rush woes. Atlanta had five sacks in a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 1, giving the team back-to-back games with at least four sacks for the first time since 2019. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie had one of Sunday's sacks, giving him four for the season. With nine sacks in the last two games, the Falcons have almost doubled their NFL-low total of 10 through their first 11 games. Even as the pass rush was productive, the Falcons' defense showed a sudden inability to prevent big plays through the air. Atlanta allowed four completions of more than 40 yards as Vikings receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson combined to catch five scoring passes from Sam Darnold, who did not throw an interception. Morris said the Vikings' strategy was to avoid cornerback A.J. Terrell, “making other people make plays, and we didn’t go out there and make them.” Running back Tyler Allgeier had nine carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Even while Bijan Robinson continued to produce with 22 carries for 92 yards and a score, Allgeier re-emerged as a strong complement with his second-highest rushing total of the season. Cousins has an unhealthy ratio of 17 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions. “Kirk was the guy who led us to the 6-3 record,” Morris said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out of the funk. ... For us, it’s going to be his opportunity to go out and right the ship and he has earned it.” 142: Wide receiver Darnell Mooney set a career high with 142 yards on six catches. It was the third game this season Mooney has led the Falcons in receiving yards. Former Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder is expected to start for the Raiders on Monday night after Aidan O’Connell's knee injury in Sunday's 28-13 loss at Tampa Bay. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

What is the state of the global mortgage market and to what extent can we rely on the headline data? The company BestBrokers has issued report on the housing affordability and real mortgage interest rates. This report reveals that Russia tops that list, with a rate of 12.30 percent. What does this headline rate reveal? Perhaps not as much as economists hope since the nominal mortgage interest rate does not always depict a realistic picture of the real estate market. BestBrokers have calculated the ‘real’ mortgage interest rates across 62 countries around the world by subtracting the inflation rate from the nominal mortgage rate. Based on data for the third quarter of 2024, it was found out that Russia holds the highest real mortgage interest rate with 12.30 percent. The Dominican Republic ranks second with an average real rate of 9.55 percent, followed by Mexico in the third place with a real mortgage rate of 7.48 percent. To fight inflation, the Bank of Russia increased its key interest rate five times in 2023, and by July of this year, it had reached 16 percent. In late October, the central bank hiked the interest rate to record-high 21 percent. How affordable is this? By considering the average net salary in Russia (which is $848.55) and an 8 percent inflation rate (which was current for the third quarter of year) then the “real” salary drops to $780.67 per month. This means Russia actually ranks 30th in terms of home price-to-income. In 2020 the Russian government introduced a preferential mortgage programme with rates of up to 8 percent. The approach was intended to support the real estate market during the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy also became popular among homebuyers and was extended until 2024. That was 2019. In 2024, is this mortgage goal within reach of the average citizen under Putin? The cost of a 100-square-metre property in Russia is about 222 real monthly wages ($173,481.50 according to Numbeo). This equals the average net earnings for 18 years and 6 months in the country. Mortgages vary considerably from one country to another. Beyond Russia, Sweden has the lowest real interest rate in Europe with minus 1.21 percent, followed by Belgium with minus 0.52 percent and Malta with minus 0.44 percent. Another interesting country is India, now ranking 10th with 6.63 percent, while South Africa appears on the list in11th position with 6.55 percent. Indonesia is 13th on the list with a rate of 5.73 percent, followed by Brazil with 5.55 percent and Poland where the real mortgage interest is 5.1 percent. As a comparator, the U.S. ranks 17th with 3.98 percent. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

Repeat banned driver who failed to do court-ordered work is fined insteadIBP honors 3 human rights lawyers: ‘An endangered breed’

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was banned Monday from travelling abroad, the justice ministry said, less than a week after he plunged the country into chaos by briefly imposing martial law. Yoon sent special forces and helicopters to parliament on the night of December 3 before lawmakers forced him to rescind the order by rejecting his decree. The unpopular leader narrowly survived an impeachment motion in parliament Saturday even as huge crowds braved freezing temperatures to call for his ouster. Despite remaining in office, a clutch of investigations has been closing in on Yoon and his close allies, including a probe for alleged insurrection. The ministry of justice confirmed on Monday that Yoon had become the first sitting South Korean president to be banned from leaving the country. A lawmaker was asked at a Monday parliamentary hearing whether Yoon had been banned from international travel. "Yes, that's right," replied Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the ministry. Also under travel bans for their roles in last week's events are former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun -- currently in detention -- and ex-interior minister Lee Sang-min. General Park An-su, the officer in charge of the martial law operation, and defence counterintelligence commander Yeo In-hyung are also barred from leaving South Korea. Investigators hauled Park in for further questioning Monday, and Yonhap news agency reported that prosecutors had asked for a warrant for Kim's formal arrest. The impeachment push failed to pass after members of Yoon's own People Power Party (PPP) walked out of parliament, depriving it of the necessary two-thirds majority. The PPP says that in exchange, the 63-year-old Yoon has agreed to hand power to the prime minister and party chief, prompting howls of protest from the opposition. "This is an unlawful, unconstitutional act of a second insurrection and a second coup," Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae said. Under South Korea's constitution, the president remains head of government and commander in chief of the army unless he or she is incapacitated, resigns or steps down. In such a case, power would then be handed to the prime minister on an interim basis until elections could be held. Claiming Yoon can remain in office but has delegated his powers to the prime minister and leader of his ruling PPP -- who is not an elected official -- is "a blatant constitutional violation with no legal basis", Park said. "Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol," he said. South Korea's ally the United States indicated it would still deal with Yoon but said it "will keep lines of communication open with all relevant parties". "President Yoon is the president of Korea, and the political process in Korea will play out, as it should, under Korea's laws and Korea's constitution," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. The defence ministry confirmed Monday that the embattled Yoon still oversees the country's security apparatus, despite the apparent power vacuum in a country that remains technically at war with nuclear-armed North Korea. "Legally, (control of military forces) currently lies with the commander in chief," defence ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou said. Yoon has apologised for "anxiety and inconvenience" caused by his declaration of martial law but has not stepped down, saying instead he would entrust decisions about his fate to his party. He also said he would accept all political and legal responsibility for the martial law fiasco. There is no constitutional basis supporting the ruling party's claim that Yoon can stay in office but hand over his power to unelected party officials, said Kim Hae-won, a constitutional law professor at Pusan National University Law School. "It seems to resemble an unconstitutional soft coup," he told AFP. "If there are issues with the president, there are ways laid out in the constitution such as suspending the president from his duties, and then move on to proceedings set out in the constitution, such as impeachment," he said. The opposition has already said they would try again to impeach Yoon, with leader Lee Jae-myung saying another vote would be held Saturday. burs-stu/ceb/bgs-sct/mlm

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NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against Zeta Global Holdings Corp. ZETA and certain of the Company's senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in Zeta, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp . Investors have until January 21, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in Zeta securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Davoodi v. Zeta Global Holdings Corp. , et al. , No. 24-cv-08961. What is the Lawsuit About? Zeta is a cloud-based technology company that provides a marketing platform to assist marketers in acquiring customers. The complaint alleges that Zeta represented that its marketing platform was powered by the industry's largest opted-in data set. On November 13, 2024, prominent investment research firm Culper Research published a report titled: "Zeta Global Holdings Corp (ZETA): Shams, Scams, and Spam." Based on Culper's investigation that included proprietary interviews with industry experts and former Zeta employees, the research firm found that Zeta's data set had been generated from a network of "consent farms" – i.e., sham websites designed to gather consumer data under false pretenses or awards that did not exist. Culper Research further wrote that these consent farms drove almost the entirety of Zeta's growth over the past 2+ years, representing 56% of its Adjusted EBITDA, and could result in devastating regulatory action. The news caused a significant decline in the price of Zeta stock. On November 13, 2024, the price of the company's stock fell 37%, from a closing price of $28.22 per share on November 12, 2024, to $17.76 per share on November 13, 2024. Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp . What Can You Do? If you invested in Zeta you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. • NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. • College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. • NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. • College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. • College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. • NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the first half of a Nov. 23 game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles. • College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. • NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. • NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. • NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. • Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. • Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship. Before the 2023 National Football League season started, it seemed inevitable that Bill Belichick would end his career as the winningest head coach in league history. He had won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and 298 regular-season games, plus 31 playoff games, across his career. Then the 2023 season happened. Belichick's Patriots finished 4-13, the franchise's worst record since 1992. At the end of the year, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft agreed to part ways. And now, during the 2024 season, Belichick is on the sideline. He's 26 wins from the #1 spot, a mark he'd reach in little more than two seasons if he maintained his .647 career winning percentage. Will he ascend the summit? It's hard to tell. Belichick would be 73 if he graced the sidelines next season—meaning he'd need to coach until at least 75 to break the all-time mark. Only one other NFL coach has ever helmed a team at age 73: Romeo Crennel in 2020 for the Houston Texans. With Belichick's pursuit of history stalled, it's worth glancing at the legends who have reached the pinnacle of coaching success. Who else stands among the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history? Stacker ranked the coaches with the most all-time regular-season wins using data from Pro Football Reference . These coaches have combined for 36 league championships, which represents 31.6% of all championships won throughout the history of pro football. To learn who made the list, keep reading. You may also like: Ranking the biggest NFL Draft busts of the last 30 years - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1969-91 - Record: 193-148-1 - Winning percentage: .566 - Championships: 4 Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers were synonymous with success in the 1970s. Behind his defense, known as the Steel Curtain, and offensive stars, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann, Noll led the squad to four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979. Noll's Steelers remain the lone team to win four Super Bowls in six years, though Andy Reid and Kansas City could equal that mark if they win the Lombardi Trophy this season. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, two years after retiring. His legacy of coaching success has carried on in Pittsburgh—the club has had only two coaches (Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) since Noll retired. - Seasons coached: 26 - Years active: 1999-present - Record: 267-145-1 - Winning percentage: .648 - Championships: 3 The only active coach in the top 10, Andy Reid has posted successful runs with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City. After reaching the Super Bowl once in 14 years with the Eagles, Reid ratcheted things up with K.C., winning three titles since 2019. As back-to-back defending champions, Reid and Co. are looking this season to become the first franchise to three-peat in the Super Bowl era and the third to do so in NFL history after the Packers of 1929-31 and '65-67. Time will tell if Reid and his offensive wizardry can lead Kansas City to that feat. - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1991-95, 2000-23 - Record: 302-165 - Winning percentage: .647 - Championships: 6 The most successful head coach of the 21st century, Bill Belichick first coached the Cleveland Browns before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000. With the Pats, Belichick combined with quarterback Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls in 18 years. Belichick and New England split after last season when the Patriots went 4-13—the worst record of Belichick's career. His name has swirled around potential coaching openings , but nothing has come of it. Belichick has remained in the media spotlight with his regular slot on the "Monday Night Football" ManningCast. - Seasons coached: 40 - Years active: 1920-29, '33-42, '46-55, '58-67 - Record: 318-148-31 - Winning percentage: .682 - Championships: 6 George Halas was the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears and coached the team across four separate stints. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," he built the ballclub into one of the NFL's premier franchises behind players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman. Halas also played for the team, competing as a player-coach in the 1920s. The first coach to study opponents via game film, he was once a baseball player and even made 12 appearances as a member of the New York Yankees in 1919. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 as both a coach and owner. - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1963-95 - Record: 328-156-6 - Winning percentage: .677 - Championships: 2 The winningest head coach in NFL history is Don Shula, who first coached the Baltimore Colts (losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets) for seven years before leading the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons. With the Fins, Shula won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, a run that included a 17-0 season—the only perfect campaign in NFL history. He also coached quarterback great Dan Marino in the 1980s and '90s, but the pair made it to a Super Bowl just once. Shula was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. You may also like: The 5 biggest upsets of the 2023-24 NFL regular season Get local news delivered to your inbox!Bond set at $1M for 23-year-old charged with fatal stabbing of grandfather