Liverpool fight back against Leicester to stretch growing title race lead - 5 talking pointsBill Belichick is among the best coaches in the history of the NFL. He won six Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots, and two more as an assistant coach with the New York Giants. But Belichick — famous for his curt, curmudgeonly answers as much as for his success of the field — has been around football for much more than a handful of championships. Here is a timeline of important moments in Belichick’s career: 1976 — In his first job at the pro level, Belichick was part of Tommy Hudspeth’s staff with the Detroit Lions. The whole staff was fired after the 1977 season. 1979 — Belichick latches on with the New York Giants, and begins a 12-year run with the team. After working as an assistant under Ray Perkins, Belichick assumes control of the defense under head coach Bill Parcells. That tandem helps the Giants to two Super Bowl wins. 1991 — Belichick earns his first head-coaching gig, with the Cleveland Browns. After a playoff run in 1994, Browns owner Art Modell announces the team’s intended move to Baltimore during the 1995 season. The Browns falter the rest of the way, and Belichick and his staff are fired. 1996 — Belichick goes back to the Super Bowl with Parcells, as an assistant in New England. Belichick begins forming his relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft. January 2000 — After a messy divorce with the Patriots in 1997, Parcells and Belichick went together to the New York Jets. After the 1999 season, Parcells resigned as Jets head coach. Belichick was supposed to be elevated to the job. Instead, Belichick scribbled “I resign as HC of the NYJ” on a napkin, attended his introductory press conference, and explained he was leaving. Soon after, Kraft hired him to lead the Patriots, replacing a fired Pete Carroll. April 2000 — The Patriots selected former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady 199th overall in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Belichick stashed him on the roster as the team’s fourth quarterback with Brady appearing in only one game his rookie season. The Patriots finished 5-11 in Belichick’s first season as New England’s coach. 2001 — Belichick elevated Brady to Drew Bledsoe’s backup to begin the season. In Week 2, after Bledsoe sustained a concussion and a collapsed lung in the second half of a game against the Jets, Brady took over under center. The Patriots went on to win their first Super Bowl, upsetting the St. Louis Rams. 2003 — The Patriots win the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, beating the Carolina Panthers, 32-29. 2004 — The Patriots became a full-fledged dynasty under Belichick with their third Super Bowl win in four years, beating the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21. 2007 — “Spygate!” An NFL investigation validates claims that a New England videographer was recording defensive signals used by the Jets during a season-opening win. The Patriots were fined $250,000 and docked a first-round draft pick for violating NFL rules. Belichick was fined $500,000. 2007 — The Patriots responded to “Spygate” by averaging an NFL-best 36.8 points per game. They beat their first eight opponents by a combined 204 points. New England completed a perfect regular season, finishing with a 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants. But the Patriots’ hopes of an unbeaten season ended in 17-14 Super Bowl loss to the Giants. 2011 — The Patriots finished the regular season 13-3 and earned a trip to their fifth Super Bowl under Belichick. But they were again thwarted by the Giants in a 21-17 loss. 2014 — The Patriots finished their third straight regular season with 12 wins and earned their sixth trip to the Super Bowl in Belichick’s tenure. The game ended in dramatic fashion when undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler intercepted Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson’s short throw into the end zone and the Patriots end a decade-long drought without an NFL title by beating the defending champion Seahawks, 28-24. 2016 — The Patriots earned a fifth Super Bowl win in historic fashion, rallying from a 28-3 deficit in the third quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28, in Super Bowl 51. 2017 — Patriots made their eighth Super Bowl appearance under Belichick, but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on the “Philly Special” trick play. 2018 — New England rebounded from the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles and made its ninth Super Bowl appearance under Belichick, beating the Rams 13-3 to capture the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy. Belichick joined George Halas and Curly Lambeau as the only coaches with six NFL championships. 2020 — Belichick acquired former MVP Cam Newton to replace a departed Brady, but the Patriots stumbled to a 7-9 finish. Brady, meanwhile, led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win, earning his seventh ring. 2021 — The Patriots drafted former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. Jones got a Pro Bowl bid as a rookie and the Patriots went 10-7 in the regular season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Buffalo, 47-17. January 2024 — After stumbling through a pair of lackluster seasons, during which Belichick tried some questionable coaching assignments, the Belichick-Kraft marriage dissolved. The Patriots and the sure-to-be Hall-of-Fame coach parted ways after 24 seasons and nine trips to the Super Bowl, including six wins. December 2024 — After spending time as a television analyst and being on the hot-list for several NFL coaching vacancies, Belichick is hired as the next head football coach at the University of North Carolina, marking his first head coaching job at the college level. This story was originally published December 11, 2024, 6:11 PM.Manchin, Sinema prevent Democrats from locking in majority on labor board through 2026
AP Business SummaryBrief at 3:32 p.m. EST
None
BBC Shetland fans 'call it a day' as they fume over 'worst' final episodeAt least three people died and four others were injured after a bus ferrying tourists from Singapore and other nationalities crashed in northern Norway on Dec. 26, local police said. Image from @ScandinaviaWind/X The bus ran off the E10 highway in stormy weather at around 1:30pm (local time) and ended up partially submerged in the Åsvatnet lake near the Rafsundet strait, Norwegian media reported. It is a major road that links Norway's mainland to the Lofoten archipelago, a popular tourist spot to catch the aurora borealis. Police said the bus was believed to have been carrying 58 people at the time, BBC reported. Bus carried tourists from 8 countries, 3 dead so far Bent Are Eilertsen, chief of staff in the Nordland police district, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the bus was carrying passengers from eight countries: China, France, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and South Sudan. Eilertsen said three deaths have been reported so far. Four people were assessed to have slight to serious injuries, police told Norwegian newspaper VG . A total of 11 people from the accident were subsequently conveyed to Stokmarknes hospital, nine by ambulance and two by helicopter. The Norwegian Red Cross, various emergency services and several rescue helicopters were activated to the scene. Reports of heavy snowdrifts and strong winds in the area have complicated rescue efforts, according to BBC . Tragic Bus Accident in Norway: Three Dead After Vehicle Skids Into Lake A bus carrying around 60 passengers veered off a highway and plunged into a lake in Norway, leaving three people dead, according to NRK reports. The accident has shocked the nation, with emergency services... pic.twitter.com/Q4itPRd6fX — Ali Shunnaq (@schunnaq) December 27, 2024 At least 5 S'pore passengers on bus: Shin Min A passenger claiming to have been a doctorate student in Singapore wrote in a Xiaohongshu post that he had been on the bus with his wife as the cruise they booked had been cancelled due to bad weather, Shin Min Daily News reported. The user wrote the bus had been driving at a fast speed in "heavy rain and snow" conditions prior to the accident. He indicated that after exiting a tunnel, the bus lost control and skidded, before hitting the side of the road. It then flipped, fell down the slope and into the icy lake. "People started screaming in the bus. After checking that my wife and I were unhurt, we made our way out of the bus through broken glass," the user wrote. He added that they made it safely to a hotel, along with other travellers. At least five from Singapore are believed to have been on the bus, based on messages posted to social media, Shin Min reported. Two reportedly sustained minor injuries in the crash. Our thoughts are with those affected: Norway PM Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on national television that his thoughts were with those who were affected by the accident. “It’s a very serious accident with many involved, some killed or seriously injured.” he told NRK . Investigations into the cause of the accident are underway. Mothership has reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for more information. Top image from @realzaidzayn/X
NoneJamshedpur: Many beneficiaries, mostly from poor families were deprived of food grains distributed through the public distribution system (PDS) in Jamshedpur and adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan, National Human Rights Commission's rapporteur for Jharkhand, Suchitra Sinha, said. Based on the complaints of these deprived beneficiaries, Sinha conducted raids at several PDS outlets in the past few days to take stock of the situation. Talking to TOI, Sinha said, "The raids conducted at various PDS outlets revealed gross anomalies where beneficiaries' thumb impressions were collected through the biometric system but were not given food grains. After recording their fingerprints, the beneficiaries were given hand-written notes on plain paper, informing them about the date when food grains would be distributed. But when they went to collect rice and wheat on the specified date, most of them had to return empty-handed as they were informed that food grains stocks had exhausted. This had been happening over a long period. "Moreover, registers at godowns and shops showed several loopholes and discrepancies. Many of the shops also used faulty measuring machines to dupe the beneficiaries," she said. Sinha, a former IAS officer, further said, "Many of the PDS shops exist only in ration cards but their addresses could not be traced physically. The beneficiaries associated with such PDS outlets have never received any rice, wheat or other items issued by the govt. The staff of my office have received many threats over the phone to stop the surprise visits to the PDS outlets, owned by powerful persons, threatening them with dire consequences." On the difficulties faced during the raids, Sinha said, "Vinod Kumar Jha and Lal Sardar, who own PDS outlets in the Jugsalai area and were summoned for questioning, never appeared and kept their mobile phones switched off. Beneficiaries have lodged several complaints against them." The shops she raided included -- Maa Mansa Mahila Samiti PDS Centre (Adardih), Chandra Mohan Gorai PDS Centre, (Adardih), Om Prakash Sharma PDS Centre (Sonari), Amresh Kumar PDS Centre (Sakchi), Anand Deo Rajak PDS Centre (Sonari), Anita Devi PDS Centre (Sonari), Ajay Kumar PDS Centre (Jugsalai) and Anil Kumar Chaudhary PDS Centre (Jugsalai). Informing that a report in this regard has been prepared and would be submitted to the NHRC soon, Sinha added, "The govt should take a serious note of such anomalies as they concern the welfare of the poor. If PDS owners in city areas are openly flouting norms, those in villages may be worse as the beneficiaries have less contact with the officials." Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, a symbolic gesture rejected by the United States and Israel. The resolution -- adopted by a vote of 158-9, with 13 abstentions -- urges "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," and "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages" -- wording similar to a text vetoed by Washington in the Security Council last month. At that time, Washington used its veto power on the Council -- as it has before -- to protect its ally Israel, which has been at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack. It has insisted on the idea of making a ceasefire conditional on the release of all hostages in Gaza, saying otherwise that Hamas has no incentive to free those in captivity. Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood repeated that position Wednesday, saying it would be "shameful and wrong" to adopt the text. Ahead of the vote, Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said: "The resolutions before the assembly today are beyond logic. (...) The vote today is not a vote for compassion. It is a vote for complicity." The General Assembly often finds itself taking up measures that cannot get through the Security Council, which has been largely paralyzed on hot-button issues such as Gaza and Ukraine due to internal politics, and this time is no different. The resolution, which is non-binding, demands "immediate access" to widespread humanitarian aid for the citizens of Gaza, especially in the besieged north of the territory. Dozens of representatives of UN member states addressed the Assembly before the vote to offer their support to the Palestinians. "Gaza doesn't exist anymore. It is destroyed," said Slovenia's UN envoy Samuel Zbogar. "History is the harshest critic of inaction." - 'Price of silence' - That criticism was echoed by Algeria's deputy UN ambassador Nacim Gaouaoui, who said: "The price of silence and failure in the face of the Palestinian tragedy is a very heavy price, and it will be heavier tomorrow." Hamas's October 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. That count includes hostages who died or were killed while being held in Gaza. Militants abducted 251 hostages, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 44,805 people, a majority of them civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry that is considered reliable by the United Nations. "Gaza today is the bleeding heart of Palestine," Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said last week during the first day of debate in the Assembly's special session on the issue. "The images of our children burning in tents, with no food in their bellies and no hopes and no horizon for the future, and after having endured pain and loss for more than a year, should haunt the conscience of the world and prompt action to end this nightmare," he said, calling for an end to the "impunity." After Wednesday's vote, he said "we will keep knocking on the doors of the Security Council and the General Assembly until we see an immediate and unconditional ceasefire put in place." The Gaza resolution calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to present "proposals on how the United Nations could help to advance accountability" by using existing mechanisms or creating new ones based on past experience. The Assembly, for example, created an international mechanism to gather evidence of crimes committed in Syria starting from the outbreak of civil war in 2011. A second resolution calling on Israel to respect the mandate of the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and allow it to continue its operations was passed Wednesday by a vote of 159-9 with 11 abstentions. Israel has voted to ban the organization starting January 28, after accusing some UNRWA employees of taking part in Hamas's devastating attack. abd/sst/jgc/nro/desFormer Prime Minister Manmohan Singh died at AIIMS Delhi on Thursday evening. He breathed his last at 9:51 pm at the age of 92. This came hours after he was admitted to the emergency department of the hospital. The veteran leader, who had faced health issues in the past, was taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention. The news of his demise was first confirmed by Robert Vadra who posted it on social media. Later, a medical bulletin was also released by AIIMS, confirming Singh's (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); death. Dr Singh retired from the Rajya Sabha in April this year, marking the conclusion of a distinguished parliamentary career. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had lauded Singh's contributions and outlined his key role in shaping modern India's economic landscape. As the finance minister in the PV Narasimha Rao-led government from 1991-1996, Singh spearheaded transformative economic reforms, steering India away from socialist-era policies toward a liberalized economy.
Right-wing commentator Nick Fuentes has been charged with misdemeanor battery after a woman accused him of pepper-spraying her after she showed up at his doorstep. Police arrested Fuentes and released him in late November for the incident. The woman told police he sprayed her and then pushed her onto the concrete outside his Illinois home. A police report said she had no visible injuries but that her eyes were "watery." TRUMP CABINET PICKS: WHO'S BEEN TAPPED TO SERVE IN THE PRESIDENT-ELECT'S ADMINISTRATION Fuentes caused an uproar earlier that month with a post on X that said: "Your body, my choice," referencing the abortion-rights "my body, my choice" slogan. Fuentes told police that since he “posted a political joke online,” he has received death threats and people have appeared at his house unannounced. He also told police he was “in fear for his life." GREATEST COMEBACK? HERE’S HOW TRUMP STACKS UP IN WHITE HOUSE HISTORY He will make his first court appearance on Dec. 19 in the case. Fuentes has a prominent social media following and is known for being highly controversial. He was banned under Twitter's previous ownership before Elon Musk reinstated his account. He posted his mugshot on his X account along with a post that said, "Free me n***a." In 2022, Fuentes had a dinner with Donald Trump that was highly publicized and stirred controversy. Trump suggested he did not mean to dine with Fuentes, but had a dinner with rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) scheduled and he brought Fuentes. He said he didn't know who Fuentes was. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Democrats used the dinner to smear Trump, saying for any other political party, such an act would be "instantly disqualifying." Fuentes aligned with Trump more closely than Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election but did not endorse him. Before the election, he said he believed, “Without serious changes we are headed for a catastrophic loss."
