Denver (9-6) at Cincinnati (7-8) Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 3. Against the spread: Broncos 11-4, Bengals 9-6. Series record: Broncos lead 22-11. Last meeting: Bengals beat Broncos 15-10 on Dec. 19, 2021, at Denver. Last week: Chargers beat Broncos 34-27; Bengals beat Browns 24-6. Broncos offense: overall (22), rush (19), pass (22), scoring (10). Broncos defense: overall (9), rush (5), pass (18), scoring (4). Bengals offense: overall (10), rush (29), pass (1), scoring (6). Bengals defense: overall (28), rush (21), pass (26), scoring (28). Turnover differential: Broncos plus-6, Bengals: plus-4. Broncos player to watch CB Riley Moss. The second-year pro is returning from a sprained MCL that sidelined him for a month. Denver’s defense wasn’t the same without Moss, who has 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in his first season as a starter opposite Patrick Surtain. With him back, the Broncos could return to their favored man coverage after their zone coverage was exploited by the Browns, Colts and Chargers. Bengals player to watch QB Joe Burrow is having perhaps the best season of his career. He passed for 252 yards and three TDs last week against the Browns and is among the NFL leaders in most passing categories. Burrow has thrown at least three TD passes in each of his past seven games. Key matchup Bengals passing game against the Broncos secondary. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 14 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns last Sunday. After Week 16, Chase led the NFL leaders in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The Broncos passing defense is ranked eighth in the NFL. Surtain has allowed 234 receiving yards this season, the fewest allowed by a cornerback in a season through 16 games since at least 2018. Key injuries The Broncos are as healthy as they've been all season. The only player who was limited at practice this week was RB Jaleel McLaughlin (thigh), but he was a full participant by Wednesday. Bengals: DE Sam Hubbard (knee) and DT Sheldon Rankins (illness) are out for Saturday. WR Tee Higgins (ankle/knee), DT Amarius Mims (ankle) and S Geno Stone (illness) are questionable. TE Tanner Hudson (knee) is doubtful. Series notes The teams have traded wins in their past four meetings since 2016. ... The Broncos' longest win streak was eight from 1983 to 1998. ... The Bengals have managed to win two in a row in the series just twice in 1971 and '72; and 1975 and '76. The largest margin of victory was a 45-14 win by Denver in 1991. Stats and stuff Denver QB Bo Nix is three touchdown throws shy of becoming the fifth rookie in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns his rookie season. The others: Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert. ... WR Courtland Sutton needs 72 yards to reach 1,000 for just the second time in his career (2019). ... The Broncos have scored 166 points in their past five games, their most in a five-game span since 2014. ... Zach Allen's 26 quarterback hits are the most by an interior defensive lineman in the NFL this season. His 67 QB pressures are the second most by an interior DL, behind only the Chiefs' Chris Jones (74). ... Nik Bonitto has sacks in 10 games so far, two shy of the Broncos record held by Von Miller. ... Brandon Jones is the first Broncos safety since Hall of Famer Steve Atwater in 1995 to have 100 or more tackles and three or more interceptions in a season. ... Cincinnati's defense forced three turnovers and had five sacks in the win over Cleveland last week. ... Burrow was sacked four times by the Browns, but also passed for three touchdowns. ... Cincinnati has won its past three games to improve to 7-8 on the season and can get to .500 in the final home game of the season. ... All of the Bengals' seven wins have come against teams with losing records. ... Seven of Cincinnati's eight losses have been by one score. ... Bengals K Cade York is 4 of 5 on field goals since being promoted from the practice squad to replace the injured Evan McPherson. York was drafted by the Browns in 2022 ... Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has 13 1/2 sacks. Fantasy tip Bengals RB Chase Brown is poised for a breakout. Brown has 91 rushing yards in the win over Cleveland last week and 97 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee the previous week. The second-year player is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated Press
...Says Police Records 30,313 Arrests, Recover 1,984 Firearms, 23,250 Ammunition ABUJA – The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, on Tuesday held a strategic meeting with senior police officers of the Nigeria Police Force. The meeting, which took place at the Goodluck Ebele Peacekeeping Hall, Force Headquarters Abuja, served as a platform for reviewing the achievements of the Force in the year 2024 while outlining strategic plans for innovation and adaptability as the Force prepares for the challenges of the coming year. The Force Spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a statement to newsmen said, the IGP acknowledged the hard work and dedication displayed by police officers throughout the year, particularly the significant accomplishments in crime reduction and community engagement. The IGP also noted the importance of collaborative efforts in fostering trust between the police and the public. In the year under review, the IGP revealed that the Nigeria Police Force recorded major successes in tackling crime, leading to the arrest of 30,313 suspects for various heinous offences, the recovery of 1,984 assorted firearms, 23,250 rounds of ammunition of varying calibres, and the rescue of 1,581 kidnapped victims. The IGP further emphasized that the Force will prioritize innovation in technology and operational strategies in 2025, learning from experiences and adapting as we move on. He encouraged senior officers to embrace modern tools and progressive practices that enhance the Force’s effectiveness in crime prevention and investigation. “As the nation approaches the festive season, the Nigeria Police Force, under the leadership of IGP Egbetokun, is poised to implement the necessary measures to ensure a peaceful and secure environment for all citizens. “The IGP reiterates the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the public, ensuring safety, and fostering a culture of accountability.”MasterChef staff were given ‘whistleblowing hotline to report Gregg Wallace complaints THREE years ago’
Dolphins make big move with this two-time Super Bowl championIt looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Denver (9-6) at Cincinnati (7-8) Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 3. Against the spread: Broncos 11-4, Bengals 9-6. Series record: Broncos lead 22-11. Last meeting: Bengals beat Broncos 15-10 on Dec. 19, 2021, at Denver. Last week: Chargers beat Broncos 34-27; Bengals beat Browns 24-6. Broncos offense: overall (22), rush (19), pass (22), scoring (10). Broncos defense: overall (9), rush (5), pass (18), scoring (4). Bengals offense: overall (10), rush (29), pass (1), scoring (6). Bengals defense: overall (28), rush (21), pass (26), scoring (28). Turnover differential: Broncos plus-6, Bengals: plus-4. Broncos player to watch CB Riley Moss. The second-year pro is returning from a sprained MCL that sidelined him for a month. Denver’s defense wasn’t the same without Moss, who has 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in his first season as a starter opposite Patrick Surtain. With him back, the Broncos could return to their favored man coverage after their zone coverage was exploited by the Browns, Colts and Chargers. Bengals player to watch QB Joe Burrow is having perhaps the best season of his career. He passed for 252 yards and three TDs last week against the Browns and is among the NFL leaders in most passing categories. Burrow has thrown at least three TD passes in each of his past seven games. Key matchup Bengals passing game against the Broncos secondary. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 14 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns last Sunday. After Week 16, Chase led the NFL leaders in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The Broncos passing defense is ranked eighth in the NFL. Surtain has allowed 234 receiving yards this season, the fewest allowed by a cornerback in a season through 16 games since at least 2018. Key injuries The Broncos are as healthy as they've been all season. The only player who was limited at practice this week was RB Jaleel McLaughlin (thigh), but he was a full participant by Wednesday. Bengals: DE Sam Hubbard (knee) and DT Sheldon Rankins (illness) are out for Saturday. WR Tee Higgins (ankle/knee), DT Amarius Mims (ankle) and S Geno Stone (illness) are questionable. TE Tanner Hudson (knee) is doubtful. Series notes The teams have traded wins in their past four meetings since 2016. ... The Broncos' longest win streak was eight from 1983 to 1998. ... The Bengals have managed to win two in a row in the series just twice in 1971 and '72; and 1975 and '76. The largest margin of victory was a 45-14 win by Denver in 1991. Stats and stuff Denver QB Bo Nix is three touchdown throws shy of becoming the fifth rookie in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns his rookie season. The others: Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert. ... WR Courtland Sutton needs 72 yards to reach 1,000 for just the second time in his career (2019). ... The Broncos have scored 166 points in their past five games, their most in a five-game span since 2014. ... Zach Allen's 26 quarterback hits are the most by an interior defensive lineman in the NFL this season. His 67 QB pressures are the second most by an interior DL, behind only the Chiefs' Chris Jones (74). ... Nik Bonitto has sacks in 10 games so far, two shy of the Broncos record held by Von Miller. ... Brandon Jones is the first Broncos safety since Hall of Famer Steve Atwater in 1995 to have 100 or more tackles and three or more interceptions in a season. ... Cincinnati's defense forced three turnovers and had five sacks in the win over Cleveland last week. ... Burrow was sacked four times by the Browns, but also passed for three touchdowns. ... Cincinnati has won its past three games to improve to 7-8 on the season and can get to .500 in the final home game of the season. ... All of the Bengals' seven wins have come against teams with losing records. ... Seven of Cincinnati's eight losses have been by one score. ... Bengals K Cade York is 4 of 5 on field goals since being promoted from the practice squad to replace the injured Evan McPherson. York was drafted by the Browns in 2022 ... Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson has 13 1/2 sacks. Fantasy tip Bengals RB Chase Brown is poised for a breakout. Brown has 91 rushing yards in the win over Cleveland last week and 97 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee the previous week. The second-year player is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated PressNatWest Cymru customers given chance to buy Christmas dinner for homelessGus Malzahn is resigning as Central Florida's head coach to become Florida State 's offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press on Saturday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Gus Malzahn is resigning as Central Florida's head coach to become Florida State 's offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press on Saturday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Gus Malzahn is resigning as Central Florida’s head coach to become Florida State ‘s offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press on Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Seminoles have not confirmed Malzahn’s move, which is pending a state background check. ESPN first reported the decision. The Knights made official that Malzahn is leaving in a statement released a day after UCF (4-8) concluded its season with a 28-14 loss to Utah. “We would like to thank Coach Malzahn for his contributions to our football program over the past four seasons, including our transition into the Big 12 Conference,” the school said. “We appreciate his professionalism and dedication to our student-athletes throughout his tenure at UCF and wish he and his wife, Kristi, the very best in their future endeavors.” Malzahn finished with a 28-24 mark in four years at UCF, the last two ending with losing records after joining the Big 12. He coached at Auburn for eight seasons before being fired in 2020. Malzahn replaces offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, who was fired Nov. 10 following a 52-3 loss at Notre Dame. The Seminoles rank 131st out of 134 in total offense and scoring offense, averaging 15.8 points a game heading into Saturday night’s rivalry game against Florida. The Seminoles (2-9) have dropped significantly since going 13-1 last season and winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. The Knights, meanwhile, struggled mightily in Malzahn’s fourth season — most of it because of quarterback issues. Four players took snaps from center as the Knights finished 2-7 in conference play. It was the program’s worst record since going 0-12 in former coach George O’Leary’s final season in 2015. Florida State coach Mike Norvell fired Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and receivers coach Ron Dugans amid the Seminoles’ season-long skid. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Advertisement AdvertisementWinnipeg Jets (18-6, in the Central Division) vs. Dallas Stars (14-8, in the Central Division) Dallas; Sunday, 4:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Stars host the Winnipeg Jets after Mason Marchment scored two goals in the Stars' 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Dallas has a 14-8 record overall and a 5-2-0 record in Central Division play. The Stars have a +17 scoring differential, with 76 total goals scored and 59 conceded. Winnipeg has an 18-6 record overall and a 7-1-0 record in Central Division play. The Jets have gone 10-1-0 in games they score at least one power-play goal. Sunday's game is the second time these teams square off this season. The Jets won the last matchup 4-1. Cole Perfetti scored two goals in the victory. TOP PERFORMERS: Marchment has nine goals and 14 assists for the Stars. Roope Hintz has five goals and one assist over the last 10 games. Kyle Connor has 13 goals and 16 assists for the Jets. Mark Scheifele has scored five goals with three assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Stars: 6-4-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.6 assists, 3.3 penalties and 8.6 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game. Jets: 5-5-0, averaging three goals, 4.7 assists, 4.2 penalties and 11.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game. INJURIES: Stars: None listed. Jets: None listed. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Friday Local Scores (Nov. 22) And Saturday Schedule
Reprinted from Keystone State News As President-elect Donald Trump takes office, federal safety net programs such as Medicaid, CHIP and SNAP, which support 85 million low-income Americans, may face cuts to reduce inflation and debt. In Pennsylvania, 40% of the child population is covered through Medicaid. Carolyn Myers, communications director for Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said Medicaid has been instrumental in reducing the child uninsured rate. Cuts to the program will threaten coverage and benefits to the 1.2 million children currently enrolled in Pennsylvania. "They don't have access to the comprehensive health benefits package that Medicaid offers, which identifies early problems, regular well-child visits, immunizations, tracking physical mental development, blood lead testing and dental, vision and hearing screenings," Myers outlined. "It then provides the appropriate treatment and medical care needed for the child." Myers emphasized Medicaid enrollment is open year-round, allowing families to access essential health care. She highlighted health care coverage has significantly improved children's health and graduation rates and cutting funding could jeopardize the vital benefits. Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, said cuts to the program will have widespread effects as Medicaid is the largest source of federal funds coming into state budgets. "Medicaid accounts for about 56% of all federal money that is flowing to states," Alker pointed out. "If we do see big cuts to Medicaid, that will affect all areas of states' budget, not just their health budget." The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could face cuts as well. Mayra Alvarez, president of the Children's Partnership, said the proposed changes outlined in Project 2025 could make the program harder to access while increasing inefficiencies. She added each SNAP dollar generates $1.54 in economic activity. "SNAP or food stamps, it's our nation's first line of defense against hunger," Alvarez asserted. "It provides more than 40 million people with the financial assistance they need to put food on the table every month without adequate access to food, stress or health outcomes and increased debt are likely to occur." As of September, SNAP provided more than $367 million in federally funded food assistance to over 2 million people in Pennsylvania.
Kemi Badenoch eschewed customary slogans of a return to office when she embarked on her run for the Conservative leadership. Instead her lecterns and placards bore something rather more oblique: “Renewal 2030”. For Ms Badenoch, the distant choice of year reflects the seriousness of her mission: to retool the mainstream right for a new decade. Her restless detractors offer a less sympathetic interpretation. The new Tory leader, they complain, is proving so laggardly in setting out her stall that it will be five years before she deigns to explain what she stands for. Ms Badenoch was elected primarily for her strengths as a communicator. After their conclusive rejection by the electorate in July, and with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK monopolising momentum in British politics, her party needs those skills more than ever. Now the leadership is hers, however, Ms Badenoch’s natural supporters could be forgiven for detecting an uncharacteristic reticence. Unlike Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary she defeated handsomely, she declined to offer substantive policy prescriptions during the leadership campaign and remains unrepentant.Harris: Fine Gael ‘will gain seats’ amid further fragmentation of Irish politics
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Fine Gael won 35 seats in the 2020 election, but 18 of those TDs did not seek re-election in Friday’s poll. An exit poll puts the party’s support at 21%, a fraction of a percentage behind the main opposition party Sinn Fein. Mr Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach, was elected with 16,869 first preference votes, well above the quota. He celebrated with his wife Caoimhe, his parents Bart and Mary, his sister Gemma and his political team at the count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Ahead of his re-election, Mr Harris told reporters he was “cautiously optimistic” about the election result and said it was “clear that my party will gain seats”. “It’s also clear that Fine Gael will top the poll in at least 10 constituencies, many more than we did the last time, that we will gain seats in constituencies where we haven’t had seats in many years, like Tipperary South and Waterford, and that we will add second seats in other constituencies as well,” he said. “I think the people of Ireland have now spoken. We now have to work out exactly what they have said, and that is going to take a little bit of time.” In one of the five consecutive broadcast media rounds he did from the Greystones count centre, he said there were a lot of areas where there were “straight shoot-outs” between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for final seats. He described the Sinn Fein vote as “pretty significantly down”, the Fianna Fail vote as “marginally down” and the Fine Gael vote as “static” compared with its 2020 vote. He said it was “a very close, a very competitive election” and that “we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it”. He said: “It was predicted by many that I would become the Taoiseach for a brief period of time, take over from Leo Varadkar, and then have to rebuild my party from the opposition benches as Sinn Fein led a government. “We don’t know what’s going to happen on government formation yet, but that is now looking less likely than it was.” He acknowledged that it was “a very difficult day” for the Green Party and paid tribute to their work in the coalition government, alongside his party and Fianna Fail. “Definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented,” he said. Fine Gael minister Helen McEntee said that her party’s campaign had been “positive”. “The feeling on the doors was very much that people were relatively happy with the government,” she said on RTE Radio. “It will come down to the last seats and it will come down to transfers,” she said of the final result, adding that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were performing better than the exit poll estimated.Fabian Schär scored a dramatic late equaliser as Newcastle United held Premier League leaders Liverpool to a 3-3 draw in an exhilarating encounter at St James’ Park. The Reds appeared on course for a win that would have extended their nine-point lead at the top, having twice come from behind, but Schär’s volley in the final moments salvaged a deserved point for the hosts. Liverpool seemed set to claim all three points after Mohamed Salah put them 3-2 ahead with just seven minutes remaining. However, Schär capitalised on a failed attempt by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher to claim a free-kick, volleying home to restore parity. The match came just days after Liverpool’s commanding victory over defending champions Manchester City, which had propelled them nine points clear at the summit. However, Jurgen Klopp’s side struggled to find their rhythm against a resolute Newcastle team that started with great intent. Jacob Murphy gave an early warning to Liverpool when his shot clipped the post, and shortly after, Alexander Isak stunned the visitors with a superb long-range strike to put Newcastle 1-0 ahead. Moments later, Anthony Gordon could have doubled the lead, but his effort was saved by Kelleher following a mistake by Joe Gomez. Liverpool fought back early in the second half, with Curtis Jones firing a clinical first-time strike from Salah’s cross to level the score. But just when it seemed Liverpool might take control, Gordon sent the home crowd into raptures with a brilliant solo effort, cutting inside before his strike squeezed past Kelleher. Salah was not done, however, as he first equalised with a delicate finish, then appeared to score the winner with a composed finish to give Liverpool the lead once again. But Schär’s dramatic intervention in the dying minutes ensured the game finished all square, leaving both teams with mixed feelings after a thrilling clash.CYNICS said 2024’s television could only get worse after it started with ITV’s landmark drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. But you know the funny thing? They were absolutely right. 18 Smoggie Queens was one of the worst sitcoms of the year... maybe ever Credit: PA 18 Football Focus was among this year's worst television Credit: BBC 18 The same can be said for dating show Love Island All Stars Credit: ITV/x Two weeks after the brilliant Toby Jones series finished, Love Island All Stars was filling the same slot and a pattern had been established for this rollercoaster TV year. For every Clarkson’s Farm, there was a Dating Naked. For every Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams, an Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends. And for every Sharron Davies, who spoke out about the obscenity of biological men beating up women at the Olympics, there were half a dozen Clare Baldings at the BBC who stared at their feet and said nothing. In between times, Gladiators made a triumphant return, Phillip Schofield gave self-pity a bad name on Cast Away, Chris McCausland saved Strictly, the art of the sitcom died with the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm and the BBC’s obsession with drag acts reached its bloody conclusion with Smoggie Queens. READ MORE TV NEWS new generation Gavin & Stacey star reveals spin-off hope as hit BBC comedy comes to an end NOT FUNNY Mrs Brown’s Boys’ Brendan O’Carroll reveals if BBC comedy will return With awards for the following: BEST QUIZ SHOW ANSWER 2024 : The Chase, Bradley Walsh: “Which leader was exiled to islands in the Mediterranean and South Atlantic?” Sophie: “Tony Blair.” If only, if only, if only. BEST SHOW : Any of the following could’ve won, or deserve a namecheck: Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, Industry, Clarkson’s Farm, Helmand: Tour Of Duty, Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams, Slow Horses, The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars, Enemy In The Woods, Wolf Hall, BBC1’s faithful and brilliant Gladiators reboot, Ludwig, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Hell Jumper, Shogun and Gavin & Stacey. Most read in News TV CHRISTMAS JOY Lorraine Kelly shares sweet snap of granddaughter Billie's first Christmas NO PLACE LIKE HOME Lorraine Kelly shares plans to quit England with her daughter HOLYROOD HONOUR Strictly Come Dancing champion given special honour in Scottish parliament OH MY WORD Scots Countdown contestant is first woman to be crowned champion in 26 years But it’s the size of the gap left by Larry David’s sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm, after its 12th and final series, that sets it apart from everything else. With a couple of honourable exceptions on the streaming channels, such as Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle, there is no mainstream comedian now who dares to say the unsayable and I will miss this show for ever. Football Focus 'goes for broke' as it forgets the sport is its main prioity, claims Ally Ross WORST SHOW : Dishonourable mentions for Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends, Buying London, Piglets, Rylan’s Hot Mess Summer, Gino And Fred: Emission Impossible, BBC1’s criminally irresponsible documentary The Chris Kaba Shooting, The Pet Psychic, Josh Must Win, Have I Got News For You, The Last Leg, Parents’ Evening, The Fortune Hotel, Red Eye, Love Island All Stars, Football Focus, The Way, with Michael Sheen, C4’s zombie disaster Generation Z and BBC1 thriller Nightsleeper. None were as bad, though, as BBC3’s Smoggie Queens, a sitcom so witless, repellent and woke I’m certain the drag-fixated Beeb will give it at least another three series. BEST LIVE TV MOMENT : I greatly enjoyed Israel briefly leapfrogging everyone and getting 12 from Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest, when the public vote was opened, and also Stephen Mulhern inviting Ricky Hatton to “hit me,” at Dancing On Ice. Which he did, very very hard. But neither was quite as funny as the meltdown Emily Maitlis , Susanna Reid, Ed Balls and the rest of Britain’s breakfast TV luvvies suffered in the early hours of November 6, when Donald Trump won the US election. With the killer line belonging to GMB work experience lad Noel Phillips, at Kamala Harris’s “victory party”. “The mood, despite there being nobody here, is one of hope.” WORST LIVE TV MOMENT : Saturday Kitchen Live’s Pride special “in honour of the LGBTQI+ community” was a cult meeting so terrified of offending the alphabet people it cancelled the usual “heaven or hell” recipe feature in case anyone got the impression there was any negative side to the event. But it was still less sinister and woke than the $130million Olympic Games’ opening ceremony with its headless women, Last Supper fat lass, environmental bleats and musical segment in honour of the EU. 18 Chris McCausland won Strictly with partner Dianne Buswell Credit: BBC 18 Mr Bates v The Post Office was landmark telly MOST GRIEVOUSLY MISLEADING TITLE : C5’s Sue Perkins: Lost In Alaska. BEST DRAMA : The mesmerising Wolf Hall, Slow Horses, Industry, Shogun and Until I Kill You may all have been technically better, but none of them had the same emotional impact as Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which led to questions in Parliament, new legislation and King Charles forcing former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to return her CBE for “bringing the honours system into disrepute”. Yet still the newly knighted Sir Alan Bates hasn’t received any compensation. Extraordinary. WORST DRAMA: It would take a special kind of disaster to beat BBC1’s Nightsleeper, which seemed to be heavily based on Thomas The Tank Engine’s Rusty And The Boulder episode. But Michael Sheen’s utterly deranged drama The Way, about a left-wing Welsh workers’ uprising, was that special kind of disaster. It featured a Masonic sex orgy, a talking teddy bear and was very much like the Two Ronnies’ old Worm That Turned sketch with Diana Dors, but took itself incredibly seriously. Most chillingly, it was “produced with the support of the Welsh Government”. Get out now, my Welsh friends. Get out while you still can. BEST OLYMPIC NAME : Li Shiting in the Chinese kayak, which the IOC urgently needs to stamp out. COCK-EYED OPTIMIST OF THE YEAR : Alleged political satirist Adam Hills, the day after the General Election, proudly declaring: “Keir Starmer has given us all a promise of hope.” And how’s that working out for you, Adam? WORST TALENT SHOW : Made In Korea: The K-Pop Experience. Vocal coach Jin Young-Jan teamed up with choreographers Seung Hyun Yu and Do Yun Wun to polish a British boyband before a performance for Hee Jun Yoon. Only one problem. Kun Fuh-Kin Sing. WORST LOVE SCENE : Gary Neville with Keir Starmer before the England v Spain Euro final. Get a room, guys. HEALTH AND SAFETY WARNING OF THE YEAR : Amazon Prime’s screenings of Holocaust film Zone Of Interest, which arrived with a warning it contains: “Alcohol use and smoking.” ’Cos that’s the eternal worry isn’t it. A death camp commandant exceeds his 14 units while committing genocide. ABOUT-TURN OF 2024 : One week in March, The Last Leg host Adam Hills was joking about the Princess of Wales’ death and fanning the flames of the Photoshopping controversy by saying: “I’ve never seen our office as excited as it was by this story.” The next, Kate had announced she had cancer and Adam Hills was claiming: “We watched the news together, as a production team, and it’s fair to say a lot of people were really emotional. Our thoughts go out to the Princess and her family.” Too late, Adam. 18 Clarkson's Farm has continued to impress into its third season Credit: Amazon MGM Studios 18 Larry David’s sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm reached its 12th and final season Credit: �Home Box Office, Inc HBO® and all related programs are the property of Home Box Office, OLYMPIC FILTH GOLD MEDAL : Weightlifting, Jono Farr: “Duangaksorn Chaidee made us sweat in the snatch, she made us sweat in the clean, it took a while to get into position, but that jerk was very powerful.” THE AIR MILES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD 2024 : Serial Panorama p**s- taker Richard Bilton, who flew from Iceland to the Alps to Sydney to the Barrier Reef to Southern Carolina to California and back again to Britain, via Arizona, to answer the question Can Scientists Save The World? Only to tell us: “Cutting carbon use is vital.” You first, Richard. OLYMPIC HEROES AWARD : While others, like Clare Balding , avoided the destruction of female sport issue and the grotesque spectacle of men taking part in women’s boxing, other BBC employees didn’t cower. With special mentions for Nicola Adams, Matthew Pinsent and the supremely brave Sharron Davies, who accused the IOC of “Legalising beating up females.” She deserves a damehood for services to women’s sport. WORST REALITY/TALENT SHOW CONTESTANT : Just ahead of Dean McCullough from I’m a Celebrity , Joey Essex and the entire cast of Love Island and Dating Naked? All- singing, all-dancing celebrity flasher John Barrowman, who had one shot at redemption on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, but quit just 32 minutes after the contestants arrived at their New Zealand base. GASLIGHTER OF THE YEAR : Dating Naked, the Paramount+ channel: “Strict hygiene and dignity protocols were in place during filming.” Column returns January 10. Dumbest quiz show answers 18 One Mastermind contestant thought Jocky Wilson was a cyclist Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd CELEBRITY Mastermind, Clive Myrie: “Which English naval captain lost his right arm in 1797 during an attack on the town of Santa Cruz on the island of Tenerife?” John Whaite: “Captain Hook.” Mastermind, Clive Myrie: “In the 1980s, Jocky Wilson, right, John Lowe and Keith Deller all won the world championship of what indoor sport?” Emma: “Cycling.” The Weakest Link, Romesh Ranganathan: “In geology, the White Cliffs of Dover are principally formed out of what substance, chalk or cheese?” Helen Flanagan: “Cheese.” The Finish Line, Roman Kemp: “Which late football manager was known as Cloughie?” Emily: “Sir Alex Ferguson .” And Romesh: “In sport, the US tennis player who won all four grand slams in the 1990s and an Olympic gold medal is Andre who?” Vicky Hawkesworth: “The Giant.” Best actor 18 Mark Rylance has been mesmerising in Wolf Hall Credit: BBC A BLANKET finish between Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer), Toby Jones (Mr Bates Vs The Post Office), Lesley Manville (Sherwood), Marisa Abela (Industry), Anna Maxwell Martin (Until I Kill You) and my favourite, mesmerising Mark Rylance, who wasted not a single gesture in Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light. Worst actor 18 Phillip Schofield's performance in C5’s Cast Away was abysmal Credit: Channel 5 THE Day Of The Jackal’s Lashana “Bianca” Lynch was narrowly beaten by Phillip Schofield for his performance in C5’s Cast Away and delivery of the line: “I’ve been chucked under the bus and I could drive the same bus over so many people. “But I’m not that sort of person, I never have been.” Ones that god away 18 I just don't get the appeal of The Traitors Credit: PA THEY may well be works of TV genius but, without apology, I just didn’t get the appeal of The Traitors (it’s a game of blink murder), Bridgerton or Rivals, which was the Disney+ channel’s ironically s**t adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel, without the “ironically” bit. Longest career suicide 18 Joey Essex proved to be a bit unpleasant on Love Island Credit: ITV Joey Essex, who spent 55 days on Love Island thoroughly convincing us that, far from being just an amiable fool, he is in fact a short-tempered, pot-stirring opportunist with a nasty passive-aggressive manner and an incredibly high opinion of himself. BEST REALITY/TALENT SHOW CONTESTANT Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland, obviously Best subtitle for the deaf 18 A subtitler put this on a cooking programme featuring Carol Vorderman Credit: Supplied With thanks to chef Tony Singh who got Carol Vorderman to cook lamb pie, and the subtitler who attached these words just below her: “It’s mutton. OK.” Fine with me. Read more on the Scottish Sun CHRISTMAS MIRACLES Christmas baby joy for Scots parents as little ones begin arriving EDGE OF THE WORLD Inside the remote Scots golf club dubbed 'the world's loneliest course' PSYCHIC PREDICTION OF THE YEAR Channel 5 News, July 12, asparagus-flinging psychic Jemima Packington: “I see a K for Kane, an E for England. It’s coming home. Best job application NO candidates from Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales on this year’s series of The Apprentice, but the ever “diverse and inclusive” BBC did pick a vile bigot called Doctor Asif Munaf, who denounced Zionism, on social media, as “a Godless Satanic cult.” Asif, you’re so fired. Worst collaboration BBC2’s Boybands Forever concluding with the cheerful news “911 have had a massive hit with Vietnamese superstar Duc Phuc,” while the rest of us were mourning the fact he didn’t team up with Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen and give the world Phuc That. THE “DR LIVINGSTONE, I PRESUME” AWARD The Big Show, its Midnight Game Show segment, Michael McIntyre to Bradley Walsh: “Please welcome, Fanny Chmelar.” Lookalikes of the year 18 Sarah Parish as Julie Spry in Piglets and Are You Being Served?’s John Inman 18 Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew in Scoop and Peter Shilton 18 Labour's Deputy Moron Angela Rayner and Chucky 18 Paloma Faith's biscuit version of Paul Hollywood on The Great Celebrity Bake Off and DLT 18 Shayne Ward on Strictly and Sid the Sexist from Viz comic
Richard Parsons, Former Time Warner Chairman, Dies at 76