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fortune rabbit com Would you pay $700 a night to sleep under the stars at this Colorado resort?

How a Temecula man dealt with freedom after he was wrongfully locked in prison for 20 yearsWelcome back to Kotaku ’s Weekend Guide, the post-Game Awards edition! If you missed out on last night’s pretty-darn-good awards show , we have a wrap- up of everything cool we saw, and a summary of all the awards won . But if you’re also looking for some great game recommendations to fill your weekend with, we most certainly have you covered here. This weekend we’ve got a GOTY nominee, some wild fun multiplayer shenanigans, and a super-fun 2D platformer. Let’s dig in! Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV) Current goal: Reach the Mad Mall The first time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower . The second time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower . And the third time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower , too. I have now played Antonblast and can confirm that while it shares similar Wario Land vibes and ‘90s DNA with last year’s crowd-pleasing, lightning-quick 2D platformer , Antonblast is definitely its own thing. It’s more challenging, even faster, and shares some familiar tropes from the slippy-slidy obstacle course racing of Crash Bandicoot , including stampeding through boxes, hitting a cache of explosives, and dying. The idea is to breeze through levels as quickly as possible, smashing through all kinds of colorful junk littering each stage, and survive the gauntlet of hazards and boss fights placed in your path. It’s loud, chunky, and occasionally gives me a headache with all of the screenshake. It’s also a firehose of satisfying arcade action and chaotic animations. I keep going back for more. — Ethan Gach Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV) Current goal: Start over! Back in 2015, I had worked my way pretty far into The Witcher 3 , only to find that I was capital-L Lost. I didn’t know what was going on. Barely understood the universe, and that’s to say nothing of my sloppy knowledge of the mechanics. So I restarted the game from the beginning with the intention of going through it nice and slow and, look at that, it became one of my favorite games of the 2010s. Now, on the cusp of 2025, I find myself in a similar situation with GOTY-nominated RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio . Whether it was my diving in while in a, um...high state of mind or simply that the game is so heavy—a little too heavy, in my opinion—on the fantasy political lore, I’m a bit too lost at this point to grasp what’s going on. But I do know that this game has had me intrigued since I decided to temporarily shelve it in favor of Forbidden West and I knew I was going to have to revisit it. So my goal for this weekend is to get a fresh start! I’m really excited to start unpacking Metaphor’s themes of, well, metaphors. I’m particularly intrigued by how the game plays with the ways fiction serves as important inspiration, offering a way to envision a better world. And I’m a sucker for anything with turn-based combat. The game is also visually delightful, so if I still struggle to keep up with the plot, well at least I’ve got something pretty to look at. — Claire Jackson Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV) Current goal: Turn my brain off I don’t know if it’s just the state of the world or if it’s seasonal depression or what, but I have been feeling really out of it lately. It didn’t feel great to be stuck at home while a lot of folks I know were gathered in Los Angeles for The Game Awards, and with my usual Marvel Rivals teammates MIA, I didn’t even play the games I’d normally play because it just felt bad to solo queue. This weekend, I’m gonna try to fight my inclination to avoid the game and instead play the Not- Overwatch until I pass out. I have to travel next week for the holidays, so getting started on something really involved right now wouldn’t be the best play. Instead, I’m gonna flank randos with Star-Lord’s ultimate until I get a clip. — Kenneth Shepard Play it on: Current goal: Level up my battle pass some more! And so, another weekend in which I’m planning to play more Fortnite is upon us. I’m starting to worry that people reading these every week might assume it’s the only game I play. It’s not! At this point in my life, though, I have to admit that Epic’s free-to-play battle royale is one of my most played games, likely beating out Skyrim, Half-Life 2, and even Halo . The number of hours I’ve put into Fortnite is probably starting to get close to surpassing the time I’ve spent with GTA Online . Scary to think about. Anyway, every few months Fortnite gets some new mode or event and I spend a few bucks to buy a skin or whatever and have a ton of fun playing it with my wife. Yeah, I know gamers playing the same four games and nothing else are slowly eroding the industry and destroying everything, but it’s not my fault that no other game lets me kill Goku while dressed as Spider-Man with Grogu on my back. Come on Ca ll of Duty , are you even trying? — Zack Zwiezen And that wraps our picks for this week! Happy gaming!The 49ers will do everything they can to finish the 2024 season with a 9-8 record but coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t thinking beyond that. A 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams all but ended their playoff aspirations with games at Miami, at home against Detroit and the regular-season finale in Arizona still to play. For a team that had played in the NFC Championship Game four out of the last five years and played in two Super Bowls, it’s a huge letdown. “I’ll talk about 2025 when we get to 2025,” Shanahan said in a conference call with local media Friday. “But you have hope every year. You put together the best team possible, you go and practice and you go out there and you battle. So that’s what we do every single offseason. “You figure out how to get the best players possible through free agency and the Draft, you try to keep your best players as possible, you go to work and you show up for Week One.” The 49ers are coming to grips with being an also-ran. The reasons for the 49ers’ slide go much further than making a bad choice last offseason to bring in linebacker De’Vondre Campbell as a temporary replacement for Dre Greenlaw, who was rehabbing a torn Achilles. The 49ers are working through the process of removing Campbell from the roster either through suspension or release after he declined to play against the Rams. One thing Shanahan has no intention of doing is questioning his team’s want-to and preparation, even of those qualities have resulted in something foreign for the 49ers in terms of playing clean football. “I thought our guys showed up ready to play,” Shanahan said. “I thought we battled and a few key plays were the difference in the game. But I thought our guys sold out and I expect them to sell out the next three games.” While the 49ers’ commitment wasn’t an issue other than Campbell, their execution and playmaking was a huge problem on offense. The 49ers gained 191 yards of total offense, the second-lowest number since Shanahan arrived in 2017 and took control of the offense. It’s only the second time the 49ers failed to gain 200 yards of offense in 141 games with Shanahan as head coach. The only time they gained fewer yards was a 31-7 loss to Philadelphia in the NFC Championship game played for more than three quarters without a viable quarterback since Brock Purdy (elbow) and Josh Johnson (concussion) were injured and Purdy had to re-enter the game unable to pass. The 49ers were so anemic against the Rams they failed to reach the red zone just one week after going 5-for-6 in a 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears. Asked if he could ever remember that happening as a play-caller, Shanahan said, “I’m not sure. I’ve been doing this a long time.” On the 49ers’ second series, Purdy found tight end George Kittle for a 33-yard gain — the play set up a 53-yard field goal by Jake Moody for a 3-0 lead — and the 49ers didn’t have a snap that gained more than 18 yards the rest of the night. They averaged 3.6 yards per snap and were 3-for-12 on third-down conversions. “I know that we were averaging like three yards a play at halftime. I don’t know what it was after that,” Kittle said. “They came out with some funky looks once in a while, but I just thought as skill positions, whether it was tight end, quarterback, running back, fullback, wide receiver, I just thought we could have stepped up our game and played better and we didn’t. ” Purdy insisted there were plays there for the taking — rain or no rain. “The weather was the weather in the first half, but even with that, I think there were still some ops for us to convert on third down and move the chains,” Purdy said. “In the second half there were drives where we could’ve stayed on the field. I had to be better for this team and didn’t play my best.” GREENLAW’S RETURN Linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s return was an inspiration to Shanahan and his teammates, with the 49ers’ linebacker registering eight first half tackles and ranging sideline to sideline as if he’d never had a ruptured Achilles. He departed when his leg tightened up, with Monday bringing the news that it had more to do with fatigue than another injury. With the 49ers getting a mini-bye this weekend before visiting Miami in Week 16, Greenlaw could be good to go for another start. “He’s got some soreness. He’s day to day,” Shanahan said. It reminded Shanahan of Greenlaw in Year 3, when he had a groin injury in the opener that needed surgery, and other than 13 snaps in Week 11 against Minnesota, didn’t play again until the regular-season finale against the Rams when he had 12 tackles. “We needed to win that to go to the playoffs,” Shanahan said. “And that game, I thought he had one of the best games I’ve ever seen from linebacker play and it was looking a lot like that last night too. Exactly the same, it was just only a half a football, but it was amazing.” THE INJURY FRONT — Left tackle Trent Williams continues to heal slowly from an ankle injury but Shanahan hopes to get him in the lineup before the season is over. “He’s trying to get back, but it’s just been a frustrating injury for him,” Shanahan said. ” t hasn’t healed like he or we would like. Having these 10 more days before our next game, hopefully that gives a better chance” — Defensive end Nick Bosa emerged from the Rams game without any setbacks to his oblique/hip injuries. “It was awesome to get Nick back and he really helped us,” Shanahan said. “It was a good sign that they didn’t tell me about anything today.” — Linebacker Dee Winters is day to day with a neck injury. SNAP JUDGEMENTS 64: Linebacker Fred Warner, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and cornerback Renardo Green each played all but one snap on defense. 60: One game after playing a career low 15 snaps, safety Ji’Ayir Brown played 60 snaps with Malik Mustapha missing the game with a chest injury. Brown came out of the game with a groin injury and is day to day. 54: Guards Aaron Banks and Dominick Puni, tackles Jaylon Moore and Colton McKivitz, center Jake Brendel and Purdy played every offensive snap. 51: Starting split end Jauan Jennings was targeted nine times from Purdy while missing just three snaps but had just two receptions for 31 yards. 41: The 75.9 percent figure of snap counts was the most for Isaac Guerendo in his rookie season after coming in questionable with a foot sprain. Backup Patrick Taylor Jr. played just three snaps. 30: Greenlaw made a remarkable return in his first game back from rupturing an Achilles tendon last Feb. 11. 26: Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, playing with a sore knee, played 26 snaps mostly after Greenlaw’s departure with Campbell refusing to enter the game. 10: Tashaun Gipson got his first work on defense since rejoining the 49ers on Nov. 7. 5: Edge rusher Ronald Beal Jr., who has had trouble getting traction as a pass rusher all season, played sparingly with Nick Bosa (47), Leonard Floyd (39) and Yetur Gross-Matos (31) getting the bulk of the work.

Would you pay $700 a night to sleep under the stars at this Colorado resort?Tess Daly's look-a-like daughter has shared a look into her home life with her famous parents. Phoebe, 20, teamed up with her presenter dad Vernon Kay as they gave fans a rare look into their stunning six-bedroom mansion. Tess and Vernon are proud parents to Phoebe and Amber, 15. The couple, who married in 2003, have both enjoyed numerous high-profile TV roles, with Tess host of Strictly Come Dancing . When they take a break from the limelight, the famous pair enjoy their expansive six-bedroom country home in the Beaconsfield area of Buckinghamshire, which has been named one of the best places to live in Britain. Phoebe left the nest last year to attend drama school, however has returned for Christmas . She has been seen in new photos with her famous dad Vernon as they prepare for Christmas in their lavish kitchen. Vernon revealed the family are looking forward to the festive season where they can play games together. Opening up on parenting, the former Family Fortunes host told the Sun: "With me and Tess, we've made sure the kids feel that no conversation is kind of off the table so when it comes to discussing stuff, they're really good. "Sometimes it takes a while, but we do talk about all kinds of things and I think technology is a big one because you can get really sucked up into the vacuum cleaner that is the digital world . You've got to maintain that connection of reality so we do encourage them to to go out and and play and take up sports, like Phoebe is has taken up golf , which is a joy for me." Phoebe has been spotted in the audience watching her mum Tess host Strictly Come Dancing. She arrived at the BBC studios in the company of Gabby Logan's daughter, Lois Maya Logan, and the pair looked ready to enjoy an entire night of fun and foot tapping action earlier this month. The 20-year-old stood out in a sleeveless, halterneck top in a striking animal print design. She matched the top with a pair of sand coloured trousers and added extra height by wearing a pair of pointed, shimmering silver heels. Lois also looked sharp in an animal print shirt of her own. Earlier this year, Tess opened up about her struggle to watch her eldest daughter go to university and leave the nest. She told Hello!: "I remember when she first went, with all her bags and her first frying pan... a plate for one, knife and fork for one. I was heartbroken just dropping her off and waving goodbye. But it was fine, because she was back after a couple of weeks, visiting. She comes back quite regularly." She also opened up about the potentially difficult teenage years. Tess said: "I’m lucky, as I’ve got two really good girls. You have to negotiate those teenage moods and hormones. They want to be in their bedroom, talking to their friends; they want to socialise, but that’s just part of the process. I’m really hands-on because I just love it. For me, every step along the journey of parenting has been precious, because I know one day they’ll grow up and leave, and I’m not even ready to think about that yet." Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

MOSCA, Colorado — A handmade sign at the start of a long dirt road in the rural San Luis Valley indicates to visitors that they’ve arrived at the future site of Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa . The peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains barely make a dent in the big blue skies above the 40 acres purchased by founder and CEO Gamal Jadue Zalaquett. He aims to transform the land into a resort featuring 20 villas, a spa, a restaurant and a planetarium. “It’s a place of alignment. Kosmos is a place of connection,” Jadue Zalaquett said. “Kosmos, in a way, is a place to heal, and the San Luis Valley has a lot to do with healing.” He bought the property for $11,000 in December 2020. But with glass domes for stargazing and expensive price tags to stay the night, Jadue Zalaquett’s ambitious brainchild falls snugly into the category of “luxury ecotourism.” His site is an ideal spot for admiring constellations and distant galaxies. According to the National Park Service, the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is considered an International Dark Sky Park. Jadue Zalaquett said the area is a class two location on the Bortle dark-sky scale, which translates to “ truly dark ” skies. The resort’s planetarium will include a 1-meter telescope. In terms of getting visitors to Kosmos, “that’s gonna be the biggest attractor,” Jadue Zalaquett said. Development is still in the early stages, but it’s already garnering attention from the public: More than 12,000 Instagram users follow the resort’s page where project renderings and updates are shared. Kosmos plans to open its first villa early next year, said marketing operations manager Jennifer Geerlings. Although it’s still under construction, the resort has already booked more than 2,000 reservations, she added. “A lot of it, for some people, is the excitement of being the first to be able to stay in an experience like this,” Geerlings said in a phone interview. “There’s really no other resort that’s doing this.” While Jadue Zalaquett put about $500,000 toward getting the project off the ground, a crowdfunding campaign raised $1.9 million, Geerlings said. Donors paid a one-time fee to receive 50% discounts off their reservations for early 2025. So instead of paying the usual $700 nightly rate, they booked at $350 per night, Geerlings said. And after the campaign’s end, people continued to contribute directly via Stripe, which put total revenue from crowdfunding at more than $2 million, Jadue Zalaquett added. So why is it worth it to stay at Kosmos? For Geerlings, the answer is a combination of the villas — with their jacuzzis nestled in glass domes under the stars — and amenities like the planetarium. “You’re able to experience some of the best stargazing. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye,” Geerlings said. “A planetarium is something that’s never been at a resort before.” Future plans for Kosmos In November, director of field operations Auston Duncan stepped over sagebrush and loose hardware to outline the state of construction on the project. An unfinished villa offered a hint of what’s to come. The rectangular building with exposed wooden rafters and newly-installed glass sliding doors will soon house a bedroom and a bathroom. Jeremy Stephen, the founder of Steamboat Springs-based Evolve Construction , built the villa out of hempcrete , which is made of hemp, water and lime. It works as an eco-friendly insulator, helping to mitigate heating and cooling costs and lending itself to the vision of Kosmos as a resort with sustainability in mind. On one side of the villa, a hot tub will be installed. On the other, a dome made out of glass and wood from Ekodome will cover the kitchen and loft area. The development will occur in phases. Next year, 16 stargazing villas (which hold up to four guests) and 4 galaxy villas (which hold up to eight guests) will be constructed, Geerlings said. Every stay includes an hour of a guided stargazing experience and telescope training. In 2026, the amenities will be built out. Those include the Mediterranean-style restaurant and the wellness center with spa features like hyperbaric chambers, a sauna and a cold plunge. In 2027, the planetarium will be added to the resort. To ensure dark skies, guests will park their cars and use electric golf carts to navigate the resort, Jadue Zalaquett said. He mentioned that discussions with consultants on the stargazing center included a NASA representative, who was interested in hosting a mission workshop at Kosmos next year. Both the planetarium and the spa will be open to the public, Geerlings added. “Back at my roots” All in all, it’s a bold plan. And Kosmos is looking to hire to make it happen. Right now, the business is in search of employees to lead their stargazing experiences. So far, it’s recruited a former Great Sand Dunes ranger, Geerlings said. The team is considering college students from Adams State University in Alamosa as interns. Kosmos will also need to staff resort operations, including housekeeping, security and front desk workers. “We’re gonna try and hire pretty much everyone locally,” Geerlings said. For Jadue Zalaquett, taking on an endeavor like this runs in his blood. He currently lives between Alamosa and Boulder, but Jadue Zalaquett was born in Chile and grew up in Miami. When his family migrated to Chile, they ran hotels. Several paternal relatives work as architects. However, Jadue Zalaquett didn’t initially follow the family business. Instead, he worked in technology startups for almost a decade. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he visited the San Luis Valley. He realized that, although the Great Sand Dunes were located less than a half hour away, tourists could only choose from a few lodging options. So came the idea for Kosmos. And “here I am, back at my roots,” Jadue Zalaquett said.THE China spy linked to Prince Andrew also rubbed shoulders with British political leaders including David Cameron, Theresa May and George Osborne. Pictures of the espionage suspect at the heart of Britain’s political establishment raised fresh questions about his activities. The Chinese networker - who cannot be named for legal reasons - is seen with the top Tories at glitzy events in a string of snaps obtained exclusively by the Sun on Sunday. In one he poses in black tie with a smiling Theresa May and her husband Sir Philip at a Christmas event. Another shows him with David Cameron and his wife Samantha, while a third image shows him in a large group with George Osborne. It is believed to be taken in 2014 when Mr Osborne was Tory Chancellor in charge of Britain's purse strings. It came as yesterday the Telegraph reported Chinese money given to the Duke of York is being investigated by MI5 - and that the King was made aware of this prior to the story breaking on Thursday of Andrew’s links to the spy. Chung Ching Kwong, analyst for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said the revelations must be a wake up call for the UK to finally get tough on Beijing. She said: “How bad does it have to get for the Government to take action? “We’ve been warning about Beijing’s infiltration for years, yet we are still having a ludicrous debate over whether or not China will be in the top tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. “Can we put this silly debate to bed now please? China is our biggest threat.” Andrew is likely to have been used by spy pal to merely “open doors” to more powerful figures, China experts told The Sun on Sunday yesterday. The unidentified suspect - dubbed “H6” in bombshell court papers - knew the disgraced Duke of York had no direct access to valuable classified information. But their close association would have helped him forge close ties with figures at the pinnacle of Britain’s political and business establishment. His mission as an agent for the China’s United Front Work Department network was to act as “radar” to identify targets useful to his Communist masters. The snaps alongside top politicians would have been an invaluable tool as H6 sought to appear well connected and credible to contacts in possession of valuable secrets. Ex-UK diplomat and lecturer Charlie Parton who worked for 22 years on Chinese affairs said yesterday: “I doubt if Andrew actually oiled any wheels in this case but he would have been useful to the Chinese. “Being seen to swim in the same pond as a senior member of the royal family could certainly open doors. “The United Front might appear to be dedicated to attempting to influence policy, which is acceptable. “But when its actions are seen to be covert, coercing and corrupting, we have a right and duty to protect ourselves.” One of United Front agents’ key roles is to infiltrate elite groups and flag valuable assets who may eventually betray secret or sensitive information. Mr Parton added: “United Front people move in influential circles in the hope of being able to spot someone - perhaps involved in industry or technology - who may be useful. “The aim is for the Chinese narrative to dominate foreign media but also to collect valuable classified information where possible. “That is where influence becomes espionage.” Rana Mitter, Professor of US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School said China is "certainly spying a great deal on Britain". He said Prince Andrew’s case was "not so much about spying in the sense of trying to find out secrets, it's about trying to influence". "Getting to know the elites of countries like Britain is a useful task not for immediate knowledge but maybe for long term development of links in society. “It seems that's what has been going on here," Former Tory security minister Tom Tugendhat said: "I suspect Prince Andrew was completely oblivious to what he was doing, as he was oblivious to his friendship with Epstein and oblivious to so many other things in his life.” The alleged spy was banned from Britain on national security grounds in 2021 - a decision confirmed and made public earlier this week. The Chinese businessman, 50, became closer to the disgraced prince after withdrawing from public life over his links with paedo pal Jeffrey Epstein months earlier. He was allowed to act for Andrew, 64, in talks with private investors, according to court documents. He visited Buckingham Palace, St James’ Palace and Windsor Castle at the invitation of Prince Andrew, it has been reported. But he was stopped at the border and barred from entering Britain in 2021 under counter terror laws. UK authorities said he was engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” on behalf of the United Front Work Department. He was accused of trying cosy up to leading royals and politicians as part of a strategy known as "elite capture" to wield influence on the country's leading figures. He moved to Britain in the early 2000s, and studied at York University before setting up business here. Glowing reports of him in China boasted that his circle of friends “includes royal nobles and business tycoons”. Prince Andrew has known and worked with him for a decade. The spy has also boasted of being friends with A-listers including Meryl Streep and in his spare time said he unwinds by watching The Crown and Downton Abbey. While hobnobbing with Prince Andrew, he also was cosying up to leading British businesses and politicians including Tory royalty Mr Cameron, Mr Osborne and Mrs May. But in 2021 he was pictured at the China Communist Party HQ in front of the red flag. Speaking at the time, he said: "The personal destiny of each of us is closely linked to the development of the motherland. “Every Chinese works hard and strives for his or her dream, and when put together, it is the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." A spokeswoman for Theresa May said: “Baroness May and her husband, Sir Philip, are photographed at numerous events in any given year. "As such, she doesn’t remember when or where this particular photograph was taken or the man in question.” Mr Cameron was leader of the Conservative Party for over a decade and is understood to have met thousands of people in his role. Mr Osborne does not remember seeing or meeting the alleged spy, The Sun on Sunday understands. The spy scandal plunged Britain’s relationship with China back into the spotlight. David Cameron and George Osborne tried to launch a new “Golden Era” of relations with China - even inviting Xi Jinping for a state visit in 2015. But Britain's relationship with Beijing has cooled, and Rishi Sunak was planning a crackdown on Chinese influence. Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government has been accused of cosying up to China again and Rachel Reeves is visiting Beijing next month. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has already been amid claims Sir Keir has gone soft on China by dropping Tory plans for a Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS). Meanwhile, Angela Rayner is expected to overrule council objections and give the green light to a new Chinese super embassy in central London. If it gets the go ahead, a massive China's spy hub would be created in the heart of London’s historic city, critics say. Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader of the Conservative Party who has been sanctioned by China for speaking out about their human rights abuses, accused Labour of being weak on China. He said: “Labour have kicked everything we were doing on China into the long grass. It is pathetic. “They are on bended knee to Beijing.”Home | ANC North West brushes off suggestions structures are dysfunctional The ANC in the North West says the party is functioning well despite many branches in the province not being in good standing. 60% of ANC branches in the North West are not in good standing. The terms of office of many Branch Executive Committees (BEC) have expired. The SABC has reliably learnt that in Bojanala, the party’s biggest region in the province, with a total of 153 branches, fewer than ten branches are in good standing. Interim structures are currently leading many branches. PEC member and Spokesperson Tumelo Maruping says plans were made to ensure functionality. “The guidelines that we have issued as the ANC Provincial Executive Committee was that branches that have lapsed since the last national conference must turn the BEC (Branch Executive Committees) into the BTT (Branch Task Team). Where the BEC does not exist, we then instructed them to establish a task team which will lead to a BBMG. The BBMG is where the BEC gets to nominate a BEC,” he says. Meanwhile, political analyst Thabang Motswaledi says the situation is worrying. “It clearly shows you about the kind of leadership that is in the party. The ANC still struggles to find resonance among the people. The (North West) is still one of the provinces that is still the stronghold of the African National Congress. So, therefore, this tells a story, to say the ANC needs to actually look in the mirror and at self,” says Motswaledi. SABC © 2024

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Ja'Kair Sanchez's 15 points helped Wagner defeat NJIT 50-43 on Saturday night. Sanchez added five rebounds for the Seahawks (6-4). Zae Blake scored 11 points, going 5 of 11 (1 for 4 from 3-point range). R.J. Greene shot 2 of 9 from the field and 2 for 4 from the free-throw line to finish with six points, while adding seven rebounds. The Highlanders (2-11) were led by Sebastian Robinson, who recorded 14 points and two steals. Tim Moore Jr. added 11 points, 10 rebounds and two steals for NJIT. Tariq Francis finished with six points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ twin daughters, 17, celebrate senior night after attending their dad’s third bail hearingMSDF, QRCS sign agreement to enhance cooperation, share family protection expertise

The floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Prometheus is expected to depart from Shanghai in a matter of hours, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said on Friday. The FSRU will form part of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project at Vasiliko. Responding to reporter’s questions on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Ahera Photovoltaic Park by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), the minister confirmed the vessel’s imminent departure. Minister Papanastasiou said that after leaving Shanghai, the “Prometheus” will head to another destination to undergo certification as a floating gasification unit. He added that discussions were underway to deploy the unit temporarily at another location until the infrastructure at Vasiliko in Cyprus is ready. EAC Chairman and Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA) Vice President Geroge Petrou highlighted that final preparations were being made for the vessel’s departure, including obtaining the necessary certifications. “If everything proceeds smoothly and water levels rise, the vessel may set sail for Singapore as early as tomorrow morning.” Addressing concerns about potential challenges in Cyprus’ involvement with the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) project, Papanastasiou clarified that the project was progressing as planned. He said Cyprus has political and financial support, including an annual contribution of €25 million for up to five years, capped at €125 million. He added that Cyprus has access to European funds that could be used to become a shareholder in the project, though this would depend on meeting specific conditions. He noted that a commissioned evaluation study conducted a cost-benefit analysis and suggested amendments to documents provided by the project’s implementing body, ADMIE. Papanastasiou dismissed reports of significant delays or issues with the project. On the question of Cyprus’ involvement without ownership, the minister remarked that this is one of the considerations under discussion. He stressed that any financial contribution from Cyprus should ensure proportional ownership, reflecting its capital investment. He expressed optimism that continued collaboration between Cyprus and Greece, fostered by their memorandum of understanding, would lead to solutions for all outstanding issues raised by the evaluation.Scots mercenary fighting for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine unmasked as former Tennent’s brewery worker

Rep. Nancy Pelosi was hospitalized and undergoing medical evaluation Friday after sustaining an undisclosed injury during a European trip with a congressional delegation. It wasn’t immediately clear what type of injury the former House Speaker suffered or how serious her condition is, although she was said to be continuing to work from the hospital. A spokesperson said the 84-year-old California Democrat is “currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals.” “Pelosi sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation,” Ian Krager, the spokesman, said in a statement. Pelosi traveled to Luxembourg with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of World War II’s Battle of the Bulge , a key turning point in the fight against the Nazis. “(Pelosi) regrets that she is unable to attend ... engagements to honor the courage of our service members during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nation’s history,” Krager added. Despite her advanced age, Pelosi appears to be in good health and has suffered few known major medical scares. She recently won reelection to a 20th term representing San Francisco’s deep-blue 11th congressional district. Pelosi has remained a major political force in the Democratic Party even after handing the Democratic baton in the House to Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , who recently won a second two-year term as minority leader. She was credited with bulldozing President Biden into dropping his reelection bid after a dismal performance in a debate with President-elect Trump. The two Democratic allies admit they haven’t spoken since, a sign of continuing friction. ©2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was on the verge of backing a 16-week federal abortion ban earlier this year when aides staged an intervention. According to Time magazine's cover story on his selection as its 2024 Person of the Year, Trump's aides first raised concerns in mid-March that the abortion cutoff being pushed by some allies would be stricter than existing law in numerous states. It was seen as a potential political liability amid ongoing fallout over the overturning of Roe v. Wade by a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that includes three justices nominated by Trump in his first term. Trump political director James Blair went to work assembling a slide deck — eventually titled “How a national abortion ban will cost Trump the election" — that argued a 16-week ban would hurt the Republican candidate in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, the magazine reported. “After flipping through Blair’s presentation" on a flight to a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in April, Trump dropped the idea, according to the report. "So we leave it to the states, right?" Trump was quoted as saying. He soon released a video articulating that position. At the time, Trump’s campaign denied that he was considering supporting the 16-week ban, calling it “fake news” and saying Trump planned to “negotiate a deal” on abortion if elected to the White House. Here are other highlights from the story and the president-elect's 65-minute interview with the magazine: Trump reaffirmed his plans to pardon most of those convicted for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. “It’s going to start in the first hour,” he said of the pardons. “Maybe the first nine minutes.” Trump said he would look at individuals on a “case-by-case" basis, but that “a vast majority of them should not be in jail.” More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they met to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory . More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial of charges, including misdemeanor trespassing offenses, assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. Trump insisted he has the authority to use the military to assist with his promised mass deportations , even though, as his interviewers noted, the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the use of the military in domestic law enforcement. “It doesn’t stop the military if it’s an invasion of our country, and I consider it an invasion of our country," he said. “I’ll only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows. And I think in many cases, the sheriffs and law enforcement is going to need help." Trump did not deny that camps would be needed to hold detained migrants as they are processed for deportation. “Whatever it takes to get them out. I don’t care," he said. “I hope we’re not going to need too many because I want to get them out and I don’t want them sitting in camp for the next 20 years.” Trump told Time he does not plan to restore the policy of separating children from their families to deter border crossings, but he did not rule it out. The practice led to thousands of children being separated from their parents and was condemned around the globe as inhumane. “I don’t believe we’ll have to because we will send the whole family back,” he said. “I would much rather deport them together, yes, than separate.” Trump dismissed the idea that Elon Musk will face conflicts of interest as he takes the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency , an advisory group that Trump has selected him to lead. The panel is supposed to find waste and cut regulations, including many that could affect Musk's wide-ranging interests , which include electric cars, rockets and telecommunications. “I don’t think so," Trump said. “I think that Elon puts the country long before his company. ... He considers this to be his most important project." Trump lowered expectations about his ability to drive down grocery prices. “I’d like to bring them down. It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up. You know, it’s very hard. But I think that they will,” he said. Trump said he is planning “a virtual closure" of the "Department of Education in Washington.” “You’re going to need some people just to make sure they’re teaching English in the schools," he said. “But we want to move education back to the states.” Yet Trump has proposed exerting enormous influence over schools. He has threatened to cut funding for schools with vaccine mandates while forcing them to “teach students to love their country" and promote “the nuclear family,” including “the roles of mothers and fathers” and the “things that make men and women different and unique.” Asked to clarify whether he was committed to preventing the Food and Drug Administration from stripping access to abortion pills , Trump replied, “It’s always been my commitment.” But Trump has offered numerous conflicting stances on the issue, including to Time. Earlier in the interview, he was asked whether he would promise that his FDA would not do anything to limit access to medication abortion or abortion pills. "We’re going to take a look at all of that,” he said, before calling the prospect “very unlikely.” “Look, I’ve stated it very clearly and I just stated it again very clearly. I think it would be highly unlikely. I can’t imagine, but with, you know, we’re looking at everything, but highly unlikely. I guess I could say probably as close to ruling it out as possible, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to do anything now.” Pressed on whether he would abandon Ukraine in its efforts to stave off Russia's invasion , Trump said he would use U.S. support for Kyiv as leverage against Moscow in negotiating an end to the war. “I want to reach an agreement,” he said, “and the only way you’re going to reach an agreement is not to abandon.” Trump would not commit to supporting a two-state solution, with a Palestinian state alongside Israel, as he had previously. “I support whatever solution we can do to get peace," he said. "There are other ideas other than two state, but I support whatever, whatever is necessary to get not just peace, a lasting peace. It can’t go on where every five years you end up in tragedy. There are other alternatives.” Asked whether he trusted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , he told Time: “I don’t trust anybody.” Trump would not rule out the possibility of war with Iran during his second term. “Anything can happen. It’s a very volatile situation," he said. Asked if he has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since the Nov. 5 election, Trump continued to play coy: "I can’t tell you. It’s just inappropriate.” Trump insisted that his bid to install Matt Gaetz as attorney general ”wasn’t blocked. I had the votes (in the Senate) if I needed them, but I had to work very hard.” When the scope of resistance to the former Republican congressman from Florida became clear, Trump said, “I talked to him, and I said, ‘You know, Matt, I don’t think this is worth the fight.'" Gaetz pulled out amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations, and Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the Cabinet post. Trump, who has named anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, did not rule out the possibility of eliminating some childhood vaccinations even though they have been proved safe in extensive studies and real world use in hundreds of millions of people over decades and are considered among the most effective public health measures in modern history. Pressed on whether “getting rid of some vaccinations” — neither Trump nor the interviewers specified which ones — might be part of the plan to improve the health of the country, Trump responded: “It could if I think it’s dangerous, if I think they are not beneficial, but I don’t think it’s going to be very controversial in the end.” “I think there could be, yeah," Trump said of the prospect of others in his family continuing in his footsteps. He pointed to daughter-in-law Lara Trump , who served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and is now being talked about as a potential replacement for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump has chosen for secretary of state. Trump said the former and soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump will be joining him at the White House during second term and will "be active, when she needs to be.” “Oh yes,” he said. “She’s very beloved by the people, Melania. And they like the fact that she’s not out there in your face all the time for many reasons.”MOSCA, Colorado — A handmade sign at the start of a long dirt road in the rural San Luis Valley indicates to visitors that they’ve arrived at the future site of Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa . The peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains barely make a dent in the big blue skies above the 40 acres purchased by founder and CEO Gamal Jadue Zalaquett. He aims to transform the land into a resort featuring 20 villas, a spa, a restaurant and a planetarium. “It’s a place of alignment. Kosmos is a place of connection,” Jadue Zalaquett said. “Kosmos, in a way, is a place to heal, and the San Luis Valley has a lot to do with healing.” He bought the property for $11,000 in December 2020. But with glass domes for stargazing and expensive price tags to stay the night, Jadue Zalaquett’s ambitious brainchild falls snugly into the category of “luxury ecotourism.” His site is an ideal spot for admiring constellations and distant galaxies. According to the National Park Service, the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is considered an International Dark Sky Park. Jadue Zalaquett said the area is a class two location on the Bortle dark-sky scale, which translates to “ truly dark ” skies. The resort’s planetarium will include a 1-meter telescope. In terms of getting visitors to Kosmos, “that’s gonna be the biggest attractor,” Jadue Zalaquett said. Development is still in the early stages, but it’s already garnering attention from the public: More than 12,000 Instagram users follow the resort’s page where project renderings and updates are shared. Kosmos plans to open its first villa early next year, said marketing operations manager Jennifer Geerlings. Although it’s still under construction, the resort has already booked more than 2,000 reservations, she added. “A lot of it, for some people, is the excitement of being the first to be able to stay in an experience like this,” Geerlings said in a phone interview. “There’s really no other resort that’s doing this.” While Jadue Zalaquett put about $500,000 toward getting the project off the ground, a crowdfunding campaign raised $1.9 million, Geerlings said. Donors paid a one-time fee to receive 50% discounts off their reservations for early 2025. So instead of paying the usual $700 nightly rate, they booked at $350 per night, Geerlings said. And after the campaign’s end, people continued to contribute directly via Stripe, which put total revenue from crowdfunding at more than $2 million, Jadue Zalaquett added. So why is it worth it to stay at Kosmos? For Geerlings, the answer is a combination of the villas — with their jacuzzis nestled in glass domes under the stars — and amenities like the planetarium. “You’re able to experience some of the best stargazing. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye,” Geerlings said. “A planetarium is something that’s never been at a resort before.” In November, director of field operations Auston Duncan stepped over sagebrush and loose hardware to outline the state of construction on the project. An unfinished villa offered a hint of what’s to come. The rectangular building with exposed wooden rafters and newly-installed glass sliding doors will soon house a bedroom and a bathroom. Jeremy Stephen, the founder of Steamboat Springs-based Evolve Construction , built the villa out of hempcrete , which is made of hemp, water and lime. It works as an eco-friendly insulator, helping to mitigate heating and cooling costs and lending itself to the vision of Kosmos as a resort with sustainability in mind. On one side of the villa, a hot tub will be installed. On the other, a dome made out of glass and wood from Ekodome will cover the kitchen and loft area. The development will occur in phases. Next year, 16 stargazing villas (which hold up to four guests) and 4 galaxy villas (which hold up to eight guests) will be constructed, Geerlings said. Every stay includes an hour of a guided stargazing experience and telescope training. In 2026, the amenities will be built out. Those include the Mediterranean-style restaurant and the wellness center with spa features like hyperbaric chambers, a sauna and a cold plunge. In 2027, the planetarium will be added to the resort. To ensure dark skies, guests will park their cars and use electric golf carts to navigate the resort, Jadue Zalaquett said. He mentioned that discussions with consultants on the stargazing center included a NASA representative, who was interested in hosting a mission workshop at Kosmos next year. Both the planetarium and the spa will be open to the public, Geerlings added. All in all, it’s a bold plan. And Kosmos is looking to hire to make it happen. Right now, the business is in search of employees to lead their stargazing experiences. So far, it’s recruited a former Great Sand Dunes ranger, Geerlings said. The team is considering college students from Adams State University in Alamosa as interns. Kosmos will also need to staff resort operations, including housekeeping, security and front desk workers. “We’re gonna try and hire pretty much everyone locally,” Geerlings said. For Jadue Zalaquett, taking on an endeavor like this runs in his blood. He currently lives between Alamosa and Boulder, but Jadue Zalaquett was born in Chile and grew up in Miami. When his family migrated to Chile, they ran hotels. Several paternal relatives work as architects. However, Jadue Zalaquett didn’t initially follow the family business. Instead, he worked in technology startups for almost a decade. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he visited the San Luis Valley. He realized that, although the Great Sand Dunes were located less than a half hour away, tourists could only choose from a few lodging options. So came the idea for Kosmos. And “here I am, back at my roots,” Jadue Zalaquett said.Falslev scores 27 as Utah State beats South Florida 88-67 for best start in school history 10-0

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Arsenal, Man City and Bayern advance to Women's Champions League quarterfinalsLast year, a homeless shelter in Portsmouth called Cross Roads House received a little over $65,000 in donations from charitable gaming, while the NH Coalition to End Homelessness brought in about $39,000. Both nonprofits partnered with different New Hampshire casinos — one significantly larger than the other. A new legislative proposal from State Rep. Dick Ames, a Jaffrey Democrat, seeks to reshape charitable gaming by capping the revenue any single nonprofit or charity can receive annually. The bill stems from concerns raised during state gaming commission meetings this year. Some charities voiced frustration that while a few rake in over $100,000 a year in donations, others struggle to make even $10,000. “It would be an interim step towards developing a better system,” said Ames. “But it would be fair and more systematically constructed.” The exact limits on annual revenue haven’t been finalized yet, Ames said. As for whether different types of charities — like booster clubs or veterans’ organizations — should have separate caps, he said that’s not something he plans to weigh in on. Meanwhile, another lawmaker wants replace historic horse racing machines with video lottery terminals that are similar to slot machines. State Rep. Fred Doucette, a Salem Republican, is championing this change to direct more money to both the state and charities. Article continues after... Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess Operating historic horse racing machines is costly because of their complex technology and math, and right now, only 8.75% of the revenue from those machines goes to charities. But with video lottery terminals, Doucette says charities will get the same 35% of casino revenue in donations as they do from table games if they operate video lottery terminals. “The inevitability of going forward with these types of machines is beneficial to all involved, most importantly, the charities,” Doucette said, though he acknowledged that the faster pace of play might raise some concerns. “In my book, the state has an opportunity to get some more revenue. The market is there.” Under the current draft of the bill, a quarter percent of the revenue from these slot-like machines will be directed to problem gambling programs, while 4.75% will go to the retirement fund for police and fire personnel. At the same time, State Rep. Bill Ohm, a Nashua Republican, has introduced a proposal to let municipalities decide whether they want historic horse racing machines in their communities — much like how they can allow or ban Keno, the electronic lottery-style game. Right now, casinos must apply for historic horse racing licenses, and towns don’t have the option to opt-out. When charitable gaming was first allowed in New Hampshire, the goal wasn’t to open the door for big casinos. Instead, it was meant to support smaller, local operations. But over time, that’s turned into a boom of gaming halls, complete with restaurants and entertainment. “My bill is, to try to correct that situation I thought it’d be appropriate to put this decision in the hands of the voters,” said Ohm. “If we want that, then that’s fine, but let’s make sure that we go through the normal procedure, which is to have a new form of entertainment in the form of this historic horse machines be treated as we did Keno.” Ohm is also pushing for a new bill that would assess large gaming halls, like the ones in Salem and Nashua, based on the enterprise value of the property. One emerging bill would make historic horse racing facilities share a cut of the revenue from their machines with the communities where they’re located. Another one is focused on creating a charitable gaming oversight commission to ensure casinos are transparent about how they select charity partners and how the charities spend the money they receive. A recent projection from a gaming consultancy hired by a legislative commission suggests that New Hampshire’s gaming market could grow into a $1.1 billion industry in just three years, thanks to current trends and an influx of out-of-state casino operators. With new gaming venues popping up across the state, the gambling landscape is shifting from small gaming rooms to full-fledged entertainment complexes. Legislators are working to get ahead of this growing industry with new regulations and oversight. “It’s evolving rapidly, much more rapidly than anticipated,” said Ames. “There’s a lot to think about and a lot that was not anticipated in terms of the amount of money involved. The casinos that are participating in charitable gaming are becoming large and owned in most cases by out-of-state interests.” Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com.

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