lol646 casino Andrew RT Davies' decision to quit as Welsh Conservative leader in the Senedd in the face of a split among Tory politicians triggers a potential leadership contest, with no clear frontrunner to take over. It has been assumed in Welsh political circles for a while that a number of Tory MSs are interested in the leadership. As of late on Tuesday only one candidate had come forward - Darren Millar. In theory the group could coalesce around one candidate, and no contest will happen. Whoever wins will lead their party into crucial Senedd elections in 2026, where polling has recently suggested the party is in fourth place, behind Plaid, Labour and Reform. Davies quit on Tuesday after he narrowly won a vote of no confidence , with nine votes for and seven against. He has ruled himself out of the contest. Conservative chief whip Darren Millar was first out of the blocks on Tuesday afternoon. Promising to unify the Welsh Conservatives, the MS was first elected in 2007. Millar is a strong media performer who has been thought of as a leadership contender in the past, but has never run before. Millar made his name making punchy contributions on the Welsh health service when he was the party's NHS spokesman, particularly on North Wales' Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. He is a trustee of a Christian charity, the Evan Roberts Institute, which has attracted controversy for its association with a pastor called Yang Tuck Yoong, who was criticised for homophobic views . Millar has said he does not endorse those views. Millar is the only individual in this list who supported Andrew RT Davies in the vote of confidence - the rest of those below opposed him on Tuesday. There is a big element of speculation with the other names in this list - including Tory Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar. Based in Newport, Natasha Asghar entered politics after the death of her father , the late MS for South Wales East Mohammad Asghar in 2020, winning election to the Senedd the next year. She was the first woman of colour to be elected to the Welsh Parliament, and made a BBC list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world in 2021. Asghar, who serves the same region, has shown ambition before when she made a bid to stand to be Conservative candidate for London mayor . The former TV presenter hit the headlines before she was elected after a YouTube video emerged showing her pretending to interview leading sportsmen - she said she was practising her editing . One Conservative MS thought to be interested in becoming leader is Tom Giffard. The MS for South Wales West was elected in 2021 after a selection process where he beat the incumbent Suzy Davies for a favourable place on a regional list . Giffard grew up between Swansea and Carmarthenshire, and learned Welsh as a second language. He led the Bridgend Conservative group for four years before joining the Senedd. He is thought to be respected in the wider Westminster Conservative party. Giffard speaks for the party on culture, tourism and sport. In 2023 he gave a speech about darts in the Welsh Parliament generated by the ChatGPT AI system - he said he made the speech to show how advanced the technology had become. At a time some Tory activists want to see the Senedd abolished, Sam Kurtz is solidly from the pro-devolution wing of the Conservative party. Back in 2022 he went against Tory policy and called for a larger Senedd, saying the current set up with 60 members "doesn't feel like it works properly" . Like the outgoing leader Andrew RT Davies his roots are in farming - born and raised on a farm outside Fishguard in north Pembrokeshire. He is currently chair of the Pembrokeshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, and worked as a reporter before becoming a parliamentary aide. He is seen as a potential leadership candidate but it is not clear if he is interested. Sam Rowlands was elected to the Senedd in 2021 to represent the North Wales region in Cardiff Bay. He has had experience as a frontline local politician in the past, having previously led Conwy council. Before that, he worked as a credit risk manager for HSBC bank. Rowlands was born in Bangor and grew up in Penygroes, near Carmarthen, until he moved to Abergele aged nine. He currently holds the high profile shadow health spokesman position and were he to win the leadership his more understated approach would be in marked contrast to Andrew RT Davies. Rowlands had proposed a law to give every state school pupil the chance to go to an outdoor education centre, which ultimately failed to get the Senedd's support. Any runners and riders will need nominations from three other Tories submitted by 17:00 GMT on 5 December. If there are more than two candidates, the group will need to hold secret ballots until it is just two. If there are two candidates, then a ballot of the party membership will take place. The winner will not technically be the leader of the Welsh Conservatives as a whole - unlike Scotland, the leader only leads the group of Tories in the Senedd. They will be the leader of the opposition in the Senedd, however, taking on Eluned Morgan at her weekly first minister's questions. Additional reporting by Adrian BrowneTENN_Sampson 14 run (Gilbert kick), 13:22. TENN_S.White 9 pass from Iamaleava (Gilbert kick), 7:33. TENN_E.Davis 1 pass from Iamaleava (Gilbert kick), 2:19. TENN_B.McCoy 18 pass from Iamaleava (Gilbert kick), :08. TENN_B.McCoy 7 pass from Iamaleava (Gilbert kick), 13:32. TENN_Lewis 3 run (Gilbert kick), 8:09. TENN_Lewis 6 run (Gilbert kick), 1:30. TENN_Seldon 3 run (Gilbert kick), 8:24. A_101,915. RUSHING_UTEP, Locklear 8-37, Jackson 13-25, Josh.Dye 5-16, Pickles 8-3, M.Taylor 1-0, Odom 3-0. Tennessee, Sampson 11-77, Lewis 7-46, Seldon 9-44, Keith 4-39, Iamaleava 7-36, Shuler 1-(minus 1). PASSING_UTEP, Pickles 10-15-0-72, Locklear 10-19-1-50, Goodman 1-2-1-27. Tennessee, Iamaleava 17-23-0-209, Shuler 1-3-0-10, (Team) 0-1-0-0, Moore 0-2-0-0. RECEIVING_UTEP, Odom 8-70, White 5-18, Goodman 3-18, Jackson 2-6, Locklear 1-27, Davis 1-7, Vinson 1-3. Tennessee, B.McCoy 4-37, Kitselman 2-34, Staes 2-30, Sampson 2-25, Thornton 2-24, E.Davis 2-19, White 2-15, M.Matthews 1-25, Staley 1-10. MISSED FIELD GOALS_UTEP, Bowman 49, Flabiano 52.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The president of South Korea early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed on the country hours earlier, bending to political pressure after a tense night in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who appeared likely to be impeached over his actions, imposed martial law late Tuesday out of frustration with the opposition, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against opponents who control parliament and that he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea. Police and military personnel were seen leaving the grounds of parliament following the bipartisan vote to overrule the president, and the declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. Parliament acted swiftly after martial law was imposed, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declaring that the law was “invalid” and that lawmakers would “protect democracy with the people.” In all, martial law was in effect for about six hours. The president’s surprising move harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the country has not seen since the 1980s, and it was immediately denounced by the opposition and the leader of Yoon’s own conservative party. Lee Jae-myung , leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the 300-seat parliament, said the party’s lawmakers would remain in the Assembly’s main hall until Yoon formally lifted his order. Woo applauded how troops quickly left the Assembly after the vote. “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military,” Woo said. While announcing his plan to lift martial law, Yoon continued to criticize parliament’s attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors. He said lawmakers had engaged in “unscrupulous acts of legislative and budgetary manipulation that are paralyzing the functions of the state.” Jo Seung-lae, a Democratic lawmaker, claimed that security camera footage following Yoon’s declaration showed that troops moved in a way that suggested they were trying to arrest Lee, Woo and even Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s People Power Party. Officials from Yoon’s office and the Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment early Wednesday. Seemingly hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Assembly, waving banners and calling for Yoon’s impeachment. Some protesters scuffled with troops ahead of the lawmakers’ vote, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major property damage. At least one window was broken as troops attempted to enter the Assembly building. One woman tried unsuccessfully to pull a rifle away from one of the soldiers, while shouting “Aren’t you embarrassed?” Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order. It was questionable whether South Korea is currently in such a state. When martial law is declared, “special measures” can be employed to restrict freedom of press, freedom of assembly and other rights, as well as the power of courts. The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote. Following Yoon’s announcement of martial law, South Korea’s military proclaimed that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “social confusion” would be suspended, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said. The military said anyone who violated the decree could be arrested without a warrant. In Washington, the White House said the U.S. was “seriously concerned” by the events in Seoul. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the martial law announcement and was in contact with the South Korean government. Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said there was no effect on the more than 27,000 U.S. service members based in South Korea. The South Korean military also said that the country’s striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools. Soon after martial law was declared, the parliament speaker called on his YouTube channel for all lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly. He urged military and law enforcement personnel to “remain calm and hold their positions. All 190 lawmakers who participated in the vote supported the lifting of martial law. At one point, television footage showed police officers blocking the entrance of the National Assembly and helmeted soldiers carrying rifles in front of the building. An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, likely from the military, that landed inside the Assembly grounds, while two or three helicopters circled above the site. The leader of Yoon’s conservative party called the decision to impose martial law “wrong.” Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, said Yoon’s announcement was “illegal and unconstitutional.” Yoon said during a televised speech that martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He said he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.” “I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.” Yoon — whose approval rating dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022. His party has been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also attempted to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the central Seoul prosecutors’ office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations of Lee, who has been seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls. During his televised announcement, Yoon also described the opposition as “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our citizens.” He did not elaborate. Yoon has taken a hard line on North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, departing from the policies of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who pursued inter-Korean engagement. Yoon has also dismissed calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. Yoon’s move was the first declaration of martial law since the country’s democratization in 1987. The country’s last previous martial law was in October 1979, following the assassination of former military dictator Park Chung-hee. Sydney Seiler, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that the move was symbolic for Yoon to express his frustration with the opposition-controlled parliament. “He has nothing to lose,” said Seiler, comparing Yoon’s move to the Hail Mary pass in American football, with a slim chance of success. Now Yoon faces likely impeachment, a scenario that was also possible before he made the bold move, Seiler said. Natalia Slavney, research analyst at the Stimson Center’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was “a serious backslide of democracy" that followed a “worrying trend of abuse” since he took office in 2022. South Korea “has a robust history of political pluralism and is no stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments,” Slavney said, citing the example of former President Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female president, who was ousted from office and imprisoned for bribery and other crimes in 2017 . Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Matt Lee, Didi Tang and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.Joe Rogan and Elon Musk (Picture credit: Agencies) In a humorous exchange between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and podcaster Joe Rogan on the social media platform X, Rogan joked that if Musk buys MSNBC , he would start liking the channel's host, Rachel Maddow , and wear a similar outfit and glasses to hers. Musk jokingly agreed with Rogan saying, "deal." On Saturday, Joe Rogan commented on a tweet by Musk, which read, "The most entertaining outcome, especially if ironic, is most likely," regarding the idea of purchasing MSNBC. "If you buy MSNBC, I would like Rachel Maddow’s job. I will wear the same outfit and glasses, and I will tell the same lies," Rogan told Musk in the comment section. The SpaceX founder then replied to Rogan’s comment with a laughing emoji and said, "deal." Earlier, Donald Trump Jr suggested Musk buy MSNBC, sharing a post about telecommunications company Comcast putting the channel up for sale on X. "Hey @elonmusk, I have the funniest idea ever!!!" Donald Trump Jr posted. "How much does it cost?" Musk replied. Trump's son then responded, "I mean, it can't be much. Look at the ratings." Comcast recently announced plans to spin off several cable networks, including MSNBC and E!, due to declining ratings. The company will create a new, publicly traded entity from several of its cable networks, such as MSNBC, E!, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, SYFY, and the Golf Channel. Comcast will focus on its remaining brands, including NBC and Bravo. "When you look at our assets, talented management team, and balance sheet strength, we are able to set these businesses up for future growth," said Brian L Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast.

Ruben Amorim with a stern warning for his Manchester United players ahead of Arsenal showdownUN General Assembly calls for 'unconditional' ceasefire in Gaza

Manchester United reporter Andy Mitten has revealed that England international Marcus Rashford had “issues” with “every” manager pre-Ruben Amorim. Rashford is likely to leave Man Utd in January as he’s announced that he is “ready” for a new challenge. The United forward’s form has dramatically declined since the 2022/23 campaign, in which he scored 30 goals in all competitions, and he’s rightly been heavily criticised for his poor performances. It was hoped that the appointment of Amorim would breathe new life into Rashford, but his arrival has not had the desired effect as he’s not been involved since being omitted from Man Utd’s squad to face Man City on December 15. Mitten – a journalist for The Athletic – thinks Amorim is a “smiling assassin” and he “had a big say” in the Rashford situation. READ: Five unexpected Man Utd gut punches for Ruben Amorim in the longest month of his life He also notes that “every previous manager had issues” with Rashford, who has a clear “perspective” of his own. “I do think that the manager has had a big say here,” Mitten said on talkSPORT . “I think he is doing it his way and he’s a smiling assassin, he’s a disciplinarian.” “And, every previous manager has had issues with Marcus Rashford. I’ve spoken to them, I know them, they’ve told me in confidence going back years and years and years. “And then, Marcus confounds those opinions because he has a really good season and from his perspective, and he does have a perspective here, there’s not a lot of support for him, I’ve got to say, among Manchester United fans.” MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365... 👉 Man Utd to ‘sack senior man’ with Amorim ‘unimpressed’ with two stars as INEOS ‘exodus intensifies’ 👉 Man Utd: INEOS ‘substantially axe’ charity ‘funding’ in latest brutal Ratcliffe ‘cut’ after ‘act of cowardice’ 👉 Man Utd pick £30m PL star as ‘favourite’ replacement for ‘unhappy’ player Amorim ‘wants out now’ “We played at Wolves a couple of days ago, thoroughly miserable there, but if I go back to Wolves at the start of February [last season], I was outside that away end, I couldn’t find a single Manchester United fan who wanted him to stay. “When he scored after three or four minutes, those very same fans were singing Marcus Rashford’s name, so that is the environment that you’re in, and football fans are like that, they change their tune very quickly. “But Marcus Rashford is not celebrated by United fans as he was, his stock is clearly very, very low. I don’t think he’s had a disastrous start to the season, he was worse last season, but clearly he’s nowhere near the levels that he would have hoped for.” Mitten has also revealed an issue Rashford could face as he attempts to leave Man Utd. “Now, if you’ve got Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona lining up going, ‘We’d love to take him’... But the reality, the economics of it, they just do not add up,” Mitten added. “I don’t know what the outcome is going to be, he signed a huge contract, and a lot of them have signed huge contracts, and this makes fans uncomfortable.”Back in 2005 World of Warcraft was ravaged by a digital plague that once removed from the raid dungeon it spawned in infected some four million players, spread across servers as how to give it to others was discovered, and left cities barren, skeleton-littered wastelands for a month before developers Blizzard were able to fix it. Now, somehow, briefly, someone managed to yet again spread the dreaded disease in World of Warcraft Classic. Posted to Reddit a few days ago is a bit of footage of WoW classic characters in Alliance capital Stormwind spreading the plague amongst each other in true 2005 fashion. It's not clear how the debuff got out of the raid instance this time. Some have suggested it wasn't that precise Corrupted Blood effect from the raid, rather one created by a weaker version of boss Hakkar the Soulflayer in another dungeon. Corrupted Blood is perhaps one of the most famous events in the history of MMOs, breaking containment at that time to even be covered in mainstream press and receive attention from scientific authorities. In 2007 a study of the corrupted blood incident was published in The Lancet, one of the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world. To quote that piece: "The Corrupted Blood outbreak in World of Warcraft represents both a missed opportunity and an exciting new direction for future epidemiological research." That turned out to be entirely true. During the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic that data was referenced and considered by those same researchers while looking at the spread of the real-world disease . We told the story of the Corrupted Blood incident in full ourselves in the documentary series Tales from the Hard Drive, hosted by Lenval Brown, the voice actor who narrated Disco Elysium: World of Warcraft has remained the top of the pack in MMOs for the full 20 years since 2004, a fact we recently marveled over and examined in a big ol' feature. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona

Jimmy Carter, who served one term as the 39th U.S. President, died on Dec. 29. He was 100. Statements were issued Sunday evening by members of New Hampshire Congressional delegation, including U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and U.S. Congressman Chris Pappas. Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter Jr.), 39th President of the United States, was born October 1, 1924, in the small farming town of Plains, Georgia, and grew up in the nearby community of Archery. His father, James Earl Carter Sr., was a farmer and businessman; his mother, Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse. He was educated in the public school of Plains, attended Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and received a B.S. degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. In the Navy he became a submariner, serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets and rising to the rank of lieutenant. Chosen by Admiral Hyman Rickover for the nuclear submarine program, he was assigned to Schenectady, New York, where he took graduate work at Union College in reactor technology and nuclear physics and served as senior officer of the pre-commissioning crew of the Seawolf , the second nuclear submarine. On July 7, 1946, he married Rosalynn Smith of Plains. When his father died in 1953, he resigned his naval commission and returned with his family to Georgia. He took over the Carter farms, and he and Rosalynn operated Carter’s Warehouse, a general-purpose seed and farm supply company in Plains. He quickly became a leader of the community, serving on county boards supervising education, the hospital authority, and the library. In 1962 he won election to the Georgia Senate. He lost his first gubernatorial campaign in 1966, but won the next election, becoming Georgia’s 76th governor on January 12, 1971. He was the Democratic National Committee campaign chairman for the 1974 congressional and gubernatorial elections. On December 12, 1974, he announced his candidacy for president of the United States. He won his party’s nomination on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention, and was elected president on November 2, 1976. Jimmy Carter served as president from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. Significant foreign policy accomplishments of his administration included the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords, the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. He championed human rights throughout the world. On the domestic side, the administration’s achievements included a comprehensive energy program conducted by a new Department of Energy; deregulation in energy, transportation, communications, and finance; major educational programs under a new Department of Education; and major environmental protection legislation, including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. In 1982, he became University Distinguished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded The Carter Center. Actively guided by President Carter, the nonpartisan and nonprofit Center addresses national and international issues of public policy. Carter Center staff and associates join with President Carter in efforts to resolve conflict, promote democracy, protect human rights, and prevent disease and other afflictions. The Center has spearheaded the international effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease, which is poised to be the second human disease in history to be eradicated. The permanent facilities of The Carter Presidential Center were dedicated in October 1986, and include the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, administered by the National Archives . Also open to visitors is the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Plains, administered by the National Park Service. According to his official White House biography , Carter could point to a number of achievements in domestic affairs. He dealt with the energy shortage by establishing a national energy policy and by decontrolling domestic petroleum prices to stimulate production. He prompted Government efficiency through civil service reform and proceeded with deregulation of the trucking and airline industries. He sought to improve the environment. His expansion of the national park system included protection of 103 million acres of Alaskan lands. To increase human and social services, he created the Department of Education, bolstered the Social Security system, and appointed record numbers of women, blacks, and Hispanics to Government jobs. In foreign affairs, Carter set his own style. His championing of human rights was coldly received by the Soviet Union and some other nations. In the Middle East, through the Camp David agreement of 1978, he helped bring amity between Egypt and Israel. He succeeded in obtaining ratification of the Panama Canal treaties. Building upon the work of predecessors, he established full diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and completed negotiation of the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union. There were serious setbacks, however. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the suspension of plans for ratification of the SALT II pact. The seizure as hostages of the U. S. embassy staff in Iran dominated the news during the last 14 months of the administration. The consequences of Iran’s holding Americans captive, together with continuing inflation at home, contributed to Carter’s defeat in 1980. Even then, he continued the difficult negotiations over the hostages. Iran finally released the 52 Americans the same day Carter left office. The Carters have three sons, one daughter, nine grandsons (one deceased), three granddaughters, five great-grandsons, and eight great-granddaughters. On December 10, 2002, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002 to Mr. Carter “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Information included from jimmycarterlibrary.gov and whitehouse.gov Subscribe to receive your free daily eNews + a note from the Ink Link publisher . Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.