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casino fish table Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.The Dublin-based architect Thomas Cooley was consulted on the plans for the building which was designed by the printer and philanthropist Robert Joy. Cooley, who was born in London, worked in the neoclassical style on several public buildings in Dublin and together with James Gandon was part of a small team of architects. Joy had drawn an initial plan of the structure on a napkin in the George Inn where rich Presbyterian merchants and burgesses met to form the Society in summer 1752 with the aim of establishing a charitable hospital infirmary. With its spire, elegant wings, weathered brick, octagonal stone tower and original features, Clifton House stands on an eminence as one of the city’s finest Grade A-listed Georgian buildings. But the stylish exterior belies the social deprivation that brought it into existence. In 1740-41 a combination of atrocious grain harvests, shortage of milk and frost damage to potatoes led to a severe famine in Ulster with a death toll of around 300,000. When the Poor House opened it was incorporated by an Act of Parliament in Dublin in 1774 which gave it power over the welfare of citizens, especially the vulnerable and needy. It sheltered all creeds with beds for the homeless who carried out spinning and weaving work. Regular meals of stirabout, bread, broth, cheese, milk, and “pease porridge” (a savoury pudding dish) were served, while meat – then a rare treat – was provided every Sunday. A stay in the Poor House, however, was a temporary expedient to help people over difficulties before taking their place again in the outside world. It effectively became Belfast’s earliest hospital and in 1800 was where the first smallpox inoculation in Ireland was administered. In the early 1790s the freed African slave Olaudah Equiano visited Ireland to promote his autobiography and was invited to speak to the Society. He was well received throughout his Irish stay and described his welcome in Belfast as especially warm. As a progressive body the charity was influenced by the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. Those actively involved in setting it up included the Joy and McCracken families, while the United Irishmen Dr William Drennan and Samuel Neilson were supporters. However, in 1798, the year of the Irish Rebellion, the Society was given 48 hours’ notice from the military to clear the Poor House because of its radical connections. The building was eventually returned to them in 1800. One of the most illustrious names linked to the house was the abolitionist and social reformer Mary Ann McCracken, born in 1770. A founding member of the Poor House Ladies’ Committee, she became its treasurer, secretary, and chair, offering support to hundreds of women and children. Her mantra, preserved on a framed sign in the boardroom, states: “This world affords no enjoyment equal to that of promoting the happiness of others.” An active member of the Belfast Ladies Anti-Slavery Association, Mary Ann campaigned vigorously for an end to slavery. She refused to eat sugar because it was a product of the slave trade and West Indies plantations. Earlier this year, to coincide with International Women’s Day, a bronze statue marking her achievements was unveiled in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. In the foyer at Clifton House a display of heritage artefacts, including a cotton spinning wheel, wooden water pipes, and streetlamps from 1771, are a reminder of former times. A warning notice in the boardroom from an 1820 orderly book states: “If a window in this room is not kept open every day, when the weather is favourable, the allowance of tea, sugar, snuff, or tobacco will be withdrawn from those persons who get them.” The society’s work continues today. The grounds of Clifton House are still used as a home for the care of older people where mews accommodation is made available by a housing association. Present-day concerns over poverty are also addressed. Since December 2023, the society’s funding has ensured that 12,200 children in schools in North Belfast affected by the cost-of-living crisis, have had at least one nutritious meal a day. The Clifton House Interpretative Centre holds public tours, and the adjacent Clifton Street Cemetery is widely recognised as a significant historical site. Not only is the cemetery the resting place of notable families, it is also home to the mausoleum erected by John Dunville who established the Irish whiskey brand in 1808 and was renowned for his philanthropy. In keeping with its ethos, the charity has used the sestercentennial celebrations to bring people together to discuss the current reality of poverty and disadvantage, while an exhibition shines a spotlight on some of its proudest moments.

From Old to Bold: 5 Fresh Memecoins That Could Redefine Investments by 2025New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire gunsAlphawave IP Group plc ( OTCMKTS:AWEVF – Get Free Report ) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 322,600 shares, an increase of 131.8% from the November 30th total of 139,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 59,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.4 days. Alphawave IP Group Trading Up 2.7 % Shares of OTCMKTS AWEVF opened at $1.15 on Friday. Alphawave IP Group has a 12 month low of $1.02 and a 12 month high of $2.62. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $1.48 and a 200-day moving average of $1.66. About Alphawave IP Group ( Get Free Report ) Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Alphawave IP Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alphawave IP Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Ravens coach John Harbaugh briefly addressed Diontae Johnson's future with the team during a Monday press conference.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The long lines at polling places in the weeks leading up to the election suggested high voter turnout, and Chicago election officials early on said they expected near record numbers. But that wasn't the case. The Chicago Board of Elections reported that only about 67.9% of registered voters turned out in this election. The only presidential election that was worse was in 1996. The highest turnout among age groups was those 25-to-34. "We matched some of the trends that happen nationally and across the state of Illinois, far less voters showing up on Election Day," Max Bever with the Chicago Board of Elections said. "When the dust settled, it looks like we have only around 45% of voters who showed up." Another possible factor was Kamala Harris' early support may have plateaued too soon. "I think it's because we are such a deeply blue state that there was a presumption that, you know, the Democratic candidate was going to win hands down," ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington said. "There was a lot of optimism about Kamala Harris, and maybe that led people to believe they didn't have to show up at the polls." A bright spot in this election was in the 44th Ward where the Chicago Board of Elections said more than 96% of registered voters cast their ballot. That high level of interest is something that was readily evident to Ellen Rosenfeld who capitalized on it to win a seat in the 4th district school board race. "I had voters say to me, 'I came out just to vote for the elected school board.' So, I believe it drove quite a bit of the voters out to make their voices heard, because they care about CPS, they care about the kids, and they care about what happens to our city," Rosenfeld said. "Out of everyone would cast their ballots. Nearly 80% of people voted within those school board races. That is a very high percentage, wise, when you look at school board races across the country," Bever added. That data reaffirming the old mantra that "all politics is local."

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Jetliner skids off runway and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. Officials said all but two of the 181 people on board were killed Sunday in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. The 737-800 operated by Jeju Air plane arrived from Bangkok and crashed while attempting to land in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. Footage of the crash aired by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding across the airstrip at high speed, evidently with its landing gear still closed. Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 and injure 6 as severe weather system moves east HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system is threatening to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and Mississippi. Strong storms moving eastward Sunday are expected to continue producing gusty, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes through Sunday. That is according to National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira. So far, the line of severe weather has led to about 40 tornado reports from southeastern Texas to Alabama, Pereira said, but those reports remain unconfirmed until surveys of damage are completed. Netanyahu is getting his prostate removed as he faces crises on multiple fronts TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to have his prostate removed. The procedure Sunday comes he manages multiple crises including the war in Gaza and his trial for alleged corruption. The procedure shines a light on the 75-year-old Netanyahu's age at a time when he has tried to project strength while Israel is at war. Doctors say the procedure is routine and recovery is quick. An acting prime minister will temporarily take over during the prostate procedure. Netanyahu has previously faced health issues, including a heart condition requiring a pacemaker and a hernia operation earlier this year. A fourth infant dies of the winter cold in Gaza as families share blankets in seaside tents DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A fourth infant has died of hypothermia in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by nearly 15 months of war are huddled in tents along the rainy, windswept coast as winter arrives. The baby's father says the 20-day-old child was found with his head as “cold as ice” Sunday morning in their tent. The baby’s twin brother was moved to the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Their father says the twins were born one month premature and spent just a day in hospital, which like other Gaza health centers has been overwhelmed and only partially functions. Musk causes uproar for backing Germany's far-right party ahead of key elections BERLIN (AP) — Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy. Musk’s guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag, published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month he supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. 2024 was a year of triumphs and setbacks for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Here's how it unfolded The year 2024 saw President Vladimir Putin further cement his power as he sought to counter Russia's isolation over the war in Ukraine. He won a fifth term that will keep him in office until 2030 following an election with only token opposition. He tightened a political crackdown on Russian society, and his top opponent, Alexei Navalny, died in prison under still unknown circumstances. But gunmen massacred scores of people in a Moscow concert hall, and a bomb killed a top general in attacks that underscored security flaws. Ukrainian forces swept into the Russian region of Kursk, Putin boasted about a lethal new hypersonic missile, and a new Trump administration raised concerns about continued U.S. support for Ukraine. Azerbaijan's president says crashed jetliner was shot down by Russia unintentionally Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally. Aliyev told Azerbaijani state television on Sunday that the aircraft was hit by fire from the ground over Russia and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare. He accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the issue for several days. The crash on Wednesday killed 38 of 67 people on board. Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev on Saturday for what he called a “tragic incident” but stopped short of acknowledging Moscow’s responsibility. Russian man arrested for allegedly running LGBTQ+ travel agency found dead in custody A Russian man arrested for allegedly running a travel agency for gay customers has been found dead in custody in Moscow. That's according to independent news outlet Mediazona on Sunday. According to OVD-Info, Andrei Kotov of the Men Travel agency was in pretrial detention facing extremism charges. An investigator told Kotov’s lawyer that her client had died by suicide and was found dead in his cell. Just over a year ago, Russia’s Supreme Court effectively outlawed any LGBTQ+ activism in a ruling that designated “the international LGBT movement” as extremist. The move exposed anyone in the community or connected to it to criminal prosecution and prison. Syria's dwindling Jewish community can visit one of the world's oldest synagogues again JOBAR, Syria (AP) — Syria's civil war left one of the world's oldest synagogues partially destroyed. Now Syria's handful of remaining Jews are making pilgrimages to the synagogue in a Damascus suburb where people from throughout the region once came to pray. Syria used to have one of the world's largest Jewish communities, but in past decades their numbers dropped to nine in the capital. The head of the Jewish community there says Jewish personalities are offering to rebuild the Jobar synagogue that dates back nearly 3,000 years. It was badly damaged by bombardment when the neighborhood was controlled by opposition fighters. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career.Everything Joe Mazzulla said about Kristaps Porzingis’ return for Celtics

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Sunday the death of 20-day-old Jumaa Al-Batran, who succumbed to severe cold and the lack of proper heating in the tents of displaced families in Deir Al-Balah, located in the central Gaza Strip. The ministry also confirmed that Al-Batran’s twin brother is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. This tragic loss marks the fifth child to die from cold-related causes in just one week, highlighting the dire conditions faced by displaced families living in tents made of cloth and nylon. These families are struggling with a severe shortage of basic necessities, including adequate clothing, bedding, and blankets. In addition to the child fatalities, the Ministry of Health reported that the Israeli military carried out three attacks in the past 24 hours, killing 30 people and injuring 99 others. Since the escalation of violence on October 7, 2023, the death toll has risen to 45,514, with more than 108,000 injuries recorded. Meanwhile, the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, announced that its members had blown up a house in which Israeli soldiers were stationed in the Al-Sikka area east of the Jabalia camp, in collaboration with the Al-Aqsa Brigades and the Al-Amoudi Brigade. Additionally, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli “Merkava” tank with a high-explosive device. According to the brigades, the rescue force that arrived at the scene was subsequently targeted with a “Yassin 105” shell near Jabalia al-Balad, in the northern Gaza Strip.Brock Bowers sets NFL rookie records as the Raiders roll to a 25-10 victory over the Saints

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NoneTories blast province over ‘secretive approach’ to child-care oversightIf you haven't been on Elon Musk's X platform lately, you may have missed some of the most heated - and most frank - public debate in recent memory by incoming Trump administration officials and other conservatives on the value of the highly coveted H-1B foreign worker visas. President-elect Donald Trump has yet to weigh in, but his advisers and supporters appear to have very conflicting opinions on whether the H-1B visas are indeed "making America great again". According to the Department of Labor, the H-1B program is designed for "nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations... of distinguished merit and ability". A specialty occupation must include "the attainment of at least a bachelor's degree", and the programme is meant to "help employers who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the US workforce". A large portion of Trump's base is passionately opposed to greater immigration to the US, even if that means skilled labour, but some of Trump's most high-profile appointees to his incoming administration are staunchly in favour of it, deeming it a necessity, and want to increase its volume. The current debate began last week when the president-elect appointed Indian-American venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as senior policy adviser for artificial intelligence on the incoming White House team. Krishnan previously worked at Microsoft and was one of the founders of Windows Azure. Just before Christmas, one of Krishnan's earlier on X resurfaced, calling for an increase in skilled immigration - a reference to the H-1B program. He hoped Musk would tackle the issue in his new role. DOGE, Krishnan said, should do "anything to remove country caps for green cards / unlock skilled immigration". DOGE is the so-called Department of Government Efficiency initiated by the incoming Trump administration and will be c0-headed by South African immigrant, billionaire and Tesla CEO Musk, as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential contender and first-generation Indian immigrant. Krishnan was met with racist backlash from hundreds of Trump supporters, particularly after he was announced for the White House role. But both Musk and Ramaswamy lent him their support, agreeing that more foreign talent is necessary to fill what they feel are glaring gaps in US companies - and to keep the US the most competitive in the world. "The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low," Musk wrote on his social media platform. "If you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win." He that he is "referring to bringing in via legal immigration the top ~0.1% of engineering talent as being essential for America to keep winning". Ramaswamy took the argument a step further, American society itself. "Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). That doesn't start in college, it starts YOUNG," he wrote on X. "A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers," he added. "I know *multiple* sets of immigrant parents in the 90s who actively limited how much their kids could watch those TV shows precisely because they promoted mediocrity... and their kids went on to become wildly successful STEM graduates," referring to Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics degrees. "'Normalcy' doesn't cut it in a hyper-competitive global market for technical talent. And if we pretend like it does, we'll have our asses handed to us by China," he added. The backlash was swift from Trump supporters. "Turns out the 'waste' that DOGE wanted to cut from America was Americans," Auron MacIntyre, a columnist at the conservative news site The Blaze. Another user writing under a pseudonym said, "I'm still waiting on how this strategy benefits current Americans that worked to put [Ramaswamy] in this position." The post also triggered a wave of rampant racism directed primarily at Indians, coming from Trump supporters and opponents of immigration. Other notable figures also weighed in. Political analyst and founder of Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer, : "It's hard to win over Americans on attracting the best and the brightest from abroad when so many feel their own elected leaders haven't invested in them at home. Prioritize that, walk the talk, you (eventually) get more support for legal immigration." But it was the remarks from far-right political commentator and Trump loyalist Laura Loomer that may have been the most inflammatory, as she called Indians "third world invaders" and that "the average IQ in India is 76". Replying to another user who said they wouldn't want to live in India, she "you'd likely get raped on arrival". Loomer has 1.4 million followers on X. Citing an H-1B salary database for tech workers, she wrote that "nobody can afford to live off $70,000 in today's America," suggesting that tech CEOs prefer foreign workers because they could pay them less. Loomer's account on X was then suspended for 12 hours. As X users watched the feud play out over the holiday period, a self-described Democrat named Carlos Turnbull posted: "Loomer is noticeably not saying anything about Trump also bringing in H-1B workers to staff his clubs and Trump Vineyards. Probably just an oversight." The American Immigration Council says only 65,000 H-1B visas are awarded yearly, with 20,000 more going to people whose postgraduate studies were at US institutions. Most of these workers are in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, otherwise known as STEM. The H-1B visa lasts three years and can be extended for six. The employer must petition the government for it on a prospective worker's behalf, and if successful, the employer can also later choose to sponsor that worker for a Green Card: a permanent US residency. Currently, some 700,000 people work in the US under H-1B status. Over 85 percent of H-1B petitions received go to people of Indian (75 percent) and Chinese (12 percent) origin with Canada, South Korea and the Philippines rounding out the . The demand for H1-B visas far outstrips the supply and studies have shown that the programme fills employment gaps. Trump's first administration denied a larger portion of H1-B petitions compared to President Barack Obama's administration. The cities with the highest number of H1-B workers are in New York, San Jose, San Francisco and Dallas.

When Jurgen Klopp fashioned his first great Liverpool team, Mohamed Salah was the final piece in an attacking triumvirate that matched anything in Europe. With Salah on the right providing a blizzard of goals, Brazil's Roberto Firmino providing silky touches allied to moments of genius through the centre and beyond, plus Sadio Mane delivering selfless brilliance and menace on the left, Liverpool swept up the major prizes. The trio provided the Reds' adaptable, unstoppable spearhead – and now head coach Arne Slot's Liverpool machine has a new three-dimensional threat with echoes of the silver-lined past. Salah is the kingpin, his goal in the 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United racking up another remarkable number as it was his 20th goal in all competitions this season, a figure he has now reached in all of his eight seasons at Liverpool. Salah's goal and assist means he has now been involved in 52 goals in all competitions in 2024 – 29 goals and 23 assists - which is more than any other player in Europe's big five leagues. He has also scored and assisted in eight different Premier League games this season, already the most any player has achieved in a single campaign. "Mo and the word 'extraordinary' is something I have heard a lot over the last six months and he deserves that," said Slot. "He also works so hard for the team." Salah may be the headline act these days, but he is not working alone as Liverpool cut a swathe through the Premier League, where they have an eight-point lead going into 2025, and Champions League, where they also head the table in this season's new format. With Firmino and Mane now elsewhere, Slot has teamed Salah up with two potent allies – inherited from Klopp - who are increasingly making this look a season when the Premier League title returns to Anfield. All three of them scored in the thumping victory at London Stadium. Luis Diaz, who netted twice in the 6-3 win at Tottenham seven days before this West Ham rout, set them on their way. A player who was signed and utilised as a wide player when he arrived from Porto in January 2022, Slot now has the Colombian working the central areas to great effect, perhaps without Firmino's elegance but with real impact, especially as his finishing has become more reliable. And, on the left, the rangy, dangerous Cody Gakpo has found his natural home, a position where he was one of the stars of Euro 2024 for the Netherlands, a scorer and creator, with an ability to come in off the flank making decisive contributions while also showing a natural finisher's eye. Diaz's natural attraction to the wide areas also increases Liverpool's options in attack – but what makes them so dangerous is that Salah, Diaz and Gakpo are such a natural fit; three high-class operators tuned in to the same wavelength. When Liverpool won the Premier League in 2019-20, Klopp's front three barely changed throughout - Firmino played a part in all 38 matches, while Mane made 35 appearances and Salah 34. However, the numbers suggest they were nowhere near as potent as this new-look forward line. After 18 matches Gakpo, Diaz and Salah already have 30 goals between them, compared to 46 by the title-winning front three. On average, their shot conversion and big chance conversion rates are superior too. Individually, however, there are some noticeable differences... On the left, Gakpo's five goals - coming at one goal every 180 minutes - is down on Mane's, although he is lethal when presented with a big chance. Down the middle, Diaz is much more clincal and scoring at a faster rate than Firmino, but is providing fewer assists. And, on the right, Salah is just playing better than ever. His 19 goals and 10 assists compares favourably to the 17 goals and 13 assists he managed during the entire title-winning campaign. It then comes down to longevity. While their stats stack up over half a season, the 245 goals Salah, Mane and Firmino shared during the five years they spent together at Anfield is nothing short of remarkable. While it is too soon to put the trio in the same bracket as Salah, Firmino and Mane, there is no doubting the stunning contribution they have made to Liverpool's remorseless first season under Slot as they race clear at the top of the Premier League, with only one defeat in 18 games. And, as if they do not give opponents, not just those as truly abysmal as West Ham United, enough to worry about, Slot can also introduce the man who is arguably Liverpool's most clinical finisher. Diogo Jota proved this point with the final goal after Diaz, Gakpo and Salah provided the platform to establish a 3-0 lead by half-time. "If you see the goals shared around it is pleasing to see," added Slot. "If you only have one player scoring goals that's not helpful but it is always good to have someone scoring a lot of goals. "It was not only who scores the goals, it was the lead up to the goals that was positive, too."That’s why we turned to the experts — professional chefs and caterers and interior designers — to discuss some typical Thanksgiving mistakes and how to avoid them. Not prepping “The overriding first mistake people make is they think they have more time than they do,” said Bistro to Go Cafe and Catering executive chef Kate Kobylinski. She regularly hosts her extended family of 30 and knows “every single problem.” “Food takes longer to cook, the table takes longer to set and houses take longer to clean than you think.” Clean your house on Monday. On Wednesday, dice vegetables so they’re “food-show ready,” as Kobylinski put it. Prepare (but don’t cook) your green bean casserole (leaving off garnishes like fried onions) so it can just be popped in the oven and set the dining room table. Not enlisting help Don’t feel that you have to do everything yourself. But be as specific as possible when doling out the assignments. “Don’t let them make their own decisions!” Kobylinski said emphatically. Thanksgiving is “micromanager’s heaven.” For example, have someone bring ice on Thanksgiving Day because going out to buy it takes time and ice hogs freezer space. If you don’t like making desserts, have someone bring one. If a guest wants to prepare a side dish, great, but decide beforehand what they will bring. Ahead of dinner, interior designer Kacie Cope likes to set out all of her serving platters with Post-it notes attached denoting what will go on them. “You’ll be amazed if you have them labeled,” she said. “People can help in a jiff.” During the evening, Kobylinski gives people assigned jobs, such as serving drinks or taking charge of an after-dinner game. And the chef is forgiving about using premade ingredients, like gravy or cranberry jelly. “There’s no right or wrong way to make any of your foods,” she said. But you might want to give a homemade touch to prepared ingredients, like adding sauteed onions or celery to prepared gravy. Not defrosting your turkey “Everyone goes into Thanksgiving Day with a half-frozen turkey,” said Kobylinski. “And you can’t get the bag of giblets out because they’re frozen in place.” It takes one day for every 4 pounds of turkey meat to defrost in the refrigerator. (No, it is not safe to leave your frozen turkey out on the counter to thaw and breed bacteria.) So if you’ve got a 20-pound bird, you’ve got to start thawing on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. However, there are other methods. Kobylinski suggests submerging the bird and running a thin stream of cold water over it. “It doesn’t have to be a lot of water.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture says there are only three ways to safely thaw food: In the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. To safely thaw turkey in cold water, the USDA says it takes about 30 minutes per pound. Put the turkey in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and submerge it. Change the water every 30 minutes, and cook immediately when it’s thawed. If opting for your microwave, follow its instructions for thawing and cook immediately. Then, if you’re running late and need to speed things up to satisfy the hungry hordes, you can cut the bird in half before cooking (skin side up). This significantly reduces cooking time, requiring about 10 minutes per pound. Kobylinski also recommends resting the turkey on vegetables in the oven to keep the bottom from getting burned. Serving a dry, overcooked turkey Private chef and culinary educator Emily Larsen warns that those plastic thermometers in supermarket turkeys are setting you up for failure. The USDA says you should cook a turkey until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Plastic thermometers don’t pop out until the breast meat is at about 180 degrees, “when your turkey is completely dry,” Larsen said. Plus, people forget that meat continues to cook once it’s out of the oven. She recommends taking a bird out of the oven when it is at 155 degrees — she likes to use an inexpensive instant-read folding probe thermometer — and continue to monitor it. (Insert it into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding the bone.) “Ten dollars (for the thermometer) can save your Thanksgiving,” she said. Some feel that buying a frozen rather than fresh bird is another no-no, since freezing leaches water out of the turkey. However, if, despite your best efforts, your turkey is lacking moisture, Kobylinski has a fix: Put warm chicken or turkey stock and clarified butter into a mister and spritz sliced turkey with it before serving. You can do the same with dry stuffing, too. Overcomplicating the menu Thanksgiving Day is not the time to try out a completely new recipe. And you don’t have to lay out 10 side dishes. In addition to opting for a simple menu, Kobylinski also recommends figuring out how long your items will take to cook and what method of cooking they require ahead of time. Your turkey will be monopolizing your oven for four hours, so other oven foods should be limited or be easily reheated during the time that the turkey is resting. (As for resting a turkey, the chef puts her turkey on a hot plate with towels over it so “the meat rebinds itself and stabilizes for a smoother cut.”) “Stovetop items should be staggered,” she said, so you don’t have a frying pan and three pots all going at once. As a sample menu, she suggests you might have one baked potato dish and one mashed. And for vegetables, one baked dish and one that is blanched or grilled. Overcomplicating the decorating Interior designers advise against going too crazy with holiday-specific decor. “There’s a lot that’s being sold to us that we feel like we need,” said Pittsburgh interior designer Amanda Bock. Do you really need a turkey-shaped vase or pilgrim figurines? “They’re out for two weeks, and then you have to figure out where to store them,” Cope agreed. “It takes an already busy season and makes it stressful in an unnecessary way.” Cope says you can take things that are already part of your menu and use them as decor — a bowl of nuts or cranberries, or even removing the label from a cranberry sauce tin and repurposing it as a vase for flowers and fall leaves. Bock adds that dining room table decor should be kept to a minimum, since you’ll need space for your food. You don’t have to have “big chargers and five plates and three different glasses, plus all of your Thanksgiving food on the table,” Bock said. If you do have flowers or a centerpiece in the middle of the table, keep it low, Cope advised. “That way, you can actually see the person who’s across the table from you.” Tableware and tablecloths might be in fall colors, so they can be repurposed throughout the season. Water glasses or wine goblets could be amber-toned, Bock suggests. Inhibiting the party flow Well in advance of your guests’ arrival, think critically about the setup of your home. Don’t be afraid to rearrange your furniture so your guests move to different areas and don’t all congregate in your kitchen. “You want to make sure that there are areas where people can sit and chat, watch the parade or just hang out together,” Bock said. Set up a drinks station and an hors d’oeuvres station in different parts of the house, Bock suggests. Though, she admits, “I can’t do that in my house because my dogs would just gobble up the hors d’oeuvres.” She suggests repurposing a kitchen nook for kid seating, or as a serving area. Kobylinski might set up a half-built puzzle in a side room. She even puts out winter jackets and boots for “the gentlemen” for the moment when she urges them to go out on the porch to smoke cigars and drink brandy so they won’t be underfoot. Forgetting to set the mood As a finishing touch, don’t neglect to set the mood by using lamps around the room instead of harsh overhead lights. Putting out tapers or tea candles establishes an intimate feeling. “That just leans into the cozy fall vibe,” Cope said of low lighting. But don’t use scented candles, Bock warns. Or a smelly flower arrangement. “That can overwhelm you when you’re eating,” Bock said. Putting on a favorite music playlist can set the mood and take away self-consciousness, especially early in the evening. The most important thing on Thanksgiving is simply for everyone to enjoy one another’s company. A little advance preparation can help you, the host, stay relaxed throughout the evening so you can interact with your guests. As Bock advised, “Keep it simple for Thanksgiving.” Let friendship and fellowship be the stars of the show.