DALLAS — After a deep postseason that saw Luka Doncic effectively lead all offensive categories into his first NBA Finals run, followed by only a brief summer rest before competing for Slovenia at the Olympics, the wear and tear on the franchise star finally saw the “check engine” light turn on. Dallas received a blow to their 2025 chances on Christmas Day when Doncic left the Western Conference Finals rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a left calf strain, logging just 16 minutes in the loss. Doncic, currently the West’s top scoring guard, will be away from action through January, effectively removing him from MVP consideration and leaving the Mavericks facing a tough test to start the new year. Please embed this tweet: Luka Dončić injury update: Luka sustained a left calf strain on Christmas Day. Dončić will be re-evaluated within one month. Wishing @luka7doncic a speedy recovery. We know you will come back stronger than ever. #MFFL pic.twitter.com/gTBWkfFZNX Luckily for Dallas, this was a scenario that they are better prepared for than at any point in Doncic’s career. The ability to weather a Luka absence remains promising after the front office spent the last couple of years trying to build competitive depth around their star point guard. Their gritty 98-89 win over the Phoenix Suns in their first game without Doncic showed that depth and their resolve. Five Mavs reached double digits and none scored more than 20 as spreading the looks proved fruitful. More importantly, with the tough road ahead, the team showed that they have each other’s backs when they scuffled with Suns’ enforcer Jusef Nurkic. That P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall came to Daniel Gafford’s aid during that tussle might have landed them suspensions , but it also was the type of rallying point that can take them through the upcoming gauntlet as they await their anchor. It won’t be easy, of course, not without Doncic who often acts as the engine that makes the offense go as one the league’s best players. To that point, even with the win over Phoenix, the team is 1-2 since losing Doncic. The good news is they’ve remained competitive, losing by no more than six points in either loss, but their vaunted depth is starting to get challenged. Dereck Lively II, Washington, and Marshall missed Friday night’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, leading to increased minutes for end-of-bench players Dwight Powell, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Maxi Kleber. Marshall will miss three additional games serving his suspension for punching Nurkic, with Kyrie Irving continuing his ascension to team leader by covering the fines. Irving will also be looked at to shoulder the load of go-to threat in Doncic’s absence, which will make watching his minutes crucial to avoid the wheels falling off come playoff time for the 32-year-old. Irving played 37 minutes against Minnesota and 40 in the Phoenix win before logging 26 shots in just under 40 minutes against the Blazers. His effort in Portland was the highest-scoring night of the season for Irving, attaining 46 points after dropping 39 on Christmas. The absurd career-high shooting percentages continued for Irving, with 62% from two, 41% from deep, and a perfect 100% on free throws. Irving has been superb this season, sandwiched between Doncic and De’Aaron Fox among the Western Conference leaders in scoring for guards. Dallas enters the final week of 2024 with a 20-12 record, fourth in the standings in the West, and two games out of second. They’ve done well to show that their run in the playoffs wasn’t a fluke. Now they’ll have to show that they’ve built a team that can still win games even without Doncic. Keeping their run going in Luka’s absence may not hand Irving his own MVP votes, but he will surely deserve a ninth All-Star appearance, which would be his first as a Maverick. Dallas has one more date with 2024 in a Monday night matchup versus the rudderless Kings. Sacramento is 12th in the West and has just dismissed the reigning NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown in an effort to keep superstar Fox in the fold. The Mavs will then welcome the new year with a contest against the surprising third-place Houston Rockets in a New Year’s Day duel that begins their January marathon, the first of 16 games in 31 days without Doncic. Do you think the Mavs can survive the upcoming onslaught without their All-NBA star? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Bluesky @irvin.bsky.social .baccarat dupe zara 。

Athiya Shetty's Heartbreaking Reaction Goes Viral As Pat Cummins Dismisses KL Rahul For A Duck - WatchMany expected Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to bounce back in a big way from their first loss of the season in Week 11 at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. However, in Week 12, the Carolina Panthers made it a close game that came down to the wire. Still, Mahomes led his team to a game-winning drive, as new Chiefs kicker Spencer Shrader drilled a 31-yard field goal as time expired, giving Kansas City a 30-27 win in Charlotte. Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany Mahomes, made the trip to the East Coast to support her husband. Following the win, she took to social media to share a post regarding the three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback. The post includes six different photos of herself on the field at Bank of America Stadium, flexing her Chiefs-inspired outfit. One of them had the couple sharing a postgame moment together as well. "15," Brittany Mahomes captioned her Instagram post with a heart emoji. Brittany Mahomes’ Post After Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a win over the Panthers. pic.twitter.com/gUsaQE1vaw In the win over Carolina, Patrick Mahomes had one of his better games of the season. The eighth-year quarterback out of Texas Tech completed 27-of-37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, with an additional 60 yards on the ground, including a clutch 33-yard scramble on the final drive of the day. Patrick Mahomes' two favorite targets in Charlotte were both of his tight ends. Travis Kelce ended the game with six catches for 62 yards, while Noah Gray added four grabs for 66 yards and two scores. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Chiefs jumped to 10-1 on the season and still remain atop the AFC standings, with the Bills right behind them. They will look to create another winning streak in Week 13 as they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday. Meanwhile, the Panthers' struggles continued as they fell to 3-8. They will get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their next battle. Related: Cowboys Fans In Shambles Despite Chaotic Win Over CommandersLeader’s foreign policy advisor reaffirms unwavering support for Resistance Axis

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The world's warming tropical wetlands are releasing more methane than ever before, research shows — an alarming sign that the world's climate goals are slipping further out of reach. A massive surge in wetlands methane — unaccounted for by national emissions plans and undercounted in scientific models — could raise the pressure on governments to make deeper cuts from their fossil fuel and agriculture industries, according to researchers. Wetlands hold huge stores of carbon in the form of dead plant matter that is slowly broken down by soil microbes. Rising temperatures are like hitting the accelerator on that process, speeding up the biological interactions that produce methane. Heavy rains, meanwhile, trigger flooding that causes wetlands to expand. Scientists had long projected wetland methane emissions would rise as the climate warmed, but from 2020 to 2022, air samples showed the highest methane concentrations in the atmosphere since reliable measurements began in the 1980s. Four studies published in recent months say that tropical wetlands are the likeliest culprit for the spike, with tropical regions contributing more than 7 million tonnes to the methane surge over the last few years. "Methane concentrations are not just rising, but rising faster in the last five years than any time in the instrument record," said Stanford University environmental scientist Rob Jackson, who chairs the group that publishes the five-year Global Methane Budget, last released in September. Satellite instruments revealed the tropics as the source of a large increase. Scientists further analyzed distinct chemical signatures in the methane to determine whether it came from fossil fuels or a natural source — in this case, wetlands. The Congo, Southeast Asia and the Amazon and southern Brazil contributed the most to the spike in the tropics, researchers found. Data published in March 2023 in Nature Climate Change shows that annual wetland emissions over the past two decades were about 500,000 tonnes per year higher than what scientists had projected under worst-case climate scenarios. Capturing emissions from wetlands is challenging with current technologies. "We should probably be a bit more worried than we are," said climate scientist Drew Shindell at Duke University, The La Nina climate pattern that delivers heavier rains to parts of the tropics appeared somewhat to blame for the surge, according to one study published in September in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. But La Nina alone, which last ended in 2023, cannot explain record-high emissions, Shindell said. For countries trying to tackle climate change, "this has major implications when planning for methane and carbon dioxide emissions cuts," said Zhen Qu, an atmospheric chemist at North Carolina State University who led the study on La Nina impacts. If wetland methane emissions continue to rise, scientists say governments will need to take stronger action to hold warming at 1.5 C (2.7 F), as agreed in the United Nations Paris climate accord. WATER WORLD Methane is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2) at trapping heat over a timespan of 20 years, and accounts for about one-third of the 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 F) in warming that the world has registered since 1850. Unlike CO2, however, methane washes out of the atmosphere after about a decade, so it has less of a long-term impact. More than 150 countries have pledged to deliver 30% cuts from 2020 levels by 2030, tackling leaky oil and gas infrastructure. But scientists have not yet observed a slowdown, even as technologies to detect methane leaks have improved. Methane emissions from fossil fuels have remained around a record high of 120 million tonnes since 2019, according to the International Energy Agency's 2024 Global Methane Tracker report. Satellites have also picked up more than 1,000 large methane plumes from oil and gas operations over the past two years, according to a U.N. Environment Programme report published on Friday, but the countries notified responded to just 12 leaks. Some countries have announced ambitious plans for cutting methane. China last year said it would strive to curb flaring, or burning off emissions at oil and gas wells. President Joe Biden's administration finalized a methane fee for big oil and gas producers last week, but it is likely to be scrapped by the incoming presidency of Donald Trump. The Democratic Republic of Congo's environment minister Eve Bazaiba told Reuters on the sidelines of the U.N. climate summit COP29 that the country was working to assess the methane surging from the Congo Basin's swampy forests and wetlands. Congo was the largest hotspot of methane emissions in the tropics in the 2024 methane budget report. "We don't know how much [methane is coming off our wetlands]," she said. "That's why we bring in those who can invest in this way, also to do the monitoring to do the inventory, how much we have, how we can also exploit them."

SPEAKING OUT On this 128th anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal’s martyrdom, we pause to remember and honor the sacrifices of a man whose love for his country and his people knew no bounds. Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero, once declared: “Death does not matter if one dies for those one loves - his country and for others dear to him.” His words resonate today, reminding us of the profound dedication and patriotism that fueled his life and legacy. Rizal’s unwavering commitment to the Philippines was evident in his words and actions. Through his novels “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” he exposed the injustices and ignited a movement for reform. His intellect, courage and passion became the catalyst for change, inspiring Filipinos to rise against oppression. On Dec. 30, 1896, Dr. Rizal faced his execution with the same bravery and dignity that defined his life. He was very calm as he walked his final steps from Fort Santiago to Bagumbayan. Moments before he was shot, a Spanish doctor felt his pulse and found it incredibly normal. Denied of his request to be shot facing the firing squad, Rizal made the supreme effort to turn around, upon being hit by the firing squad’s bullets. He fell to the ground on his back, his face towards the sky. His sacrifice was not in vain as it united a nation and fueled the drive for freedom. Today, we look back with gratitude and admiration for a man who taught us that true patriotism is not just about loving one’s country, but also about being willing to sacrifice for it. As we commemorate this solemn day, let us reflect on Rizal’s enduring legacy. May his words and actions continue to inspire us to work toward a better future for our nation. Let us embody the same love, dedication, and selflessness that he demonstrated, always striving for the greater good. Long live the memory of Dr. Jose Rizal! Prayers and wishes for 2025 As we welcome the New Year, let us collectively hope and pray for new beginnings, boundless opportunities, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. As we celebrate , let us also express our hopes and dreams for our beloved Philippines. Let us hope and pray for unity and harmony within our nation. May we continue to bridge divides, foster understanding, and work together as one resilient and compassionate community. Let us cherish our shared heritage and build a future where every Filipino feels a sense of belonging. Let us hope and pray for prosperity and progress. May the Philippines thrive in all aspects –economically, socially, and culturally. Let innovation and creativity flourish, bringing forth opportunities for growth and development that will uplift every Filipino. Lastly, let us hope and pray for peace and safety. May our country be a sanctuary of peace, free from conflict and fear. Let us stand strong together, protecting and supporting each other, so that every Filipino can live a life of security and freedom. As we embark on this New Year, let us carry forward the spirit of hope, love, and determination. Here’s to a prosperous 2025 for our beloved Philippines. Mabuhay! ( [email protected] )

With ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz out of the way as Donald Trump's nominee to be his attorney general, a noted election lawyer made the case that he Florida Republican's replacement is also ripe for a take-down. Appearing on MSNBC's "The Weekend," attorney Mark Elias called out the Gaetz replacement nominee, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi , as an "election denier" who should be grilled at her Senate confirmation hearings about the 2020 presidential election. Asked if he was preparing Senate Democrats for the Bondi hearing, what he would ask, he replied, "So look, the question I always asked before the election was somebody ask Donald Trump what state he legitimately lost in 2020." ALSO READ: The America-attacking Trump is coming for our military — and then he's coming for us "So one thing I would do with her is revisit these comments in 2020 and ask if she stands by them and what evidence she now has of fraud in Pennsylvania and where else?" he elaborated. "She will say that is ancient history, we don't need to cover that and the truth is we do need to cover it. The moment we move on from allowing people to make irresponsible statements about the 2020 election, which they still stand by, she won't repudiate it, she'll say let's move on." "The moment she continues to be allowed to wiggle out there, we lose something important," he added. "The other thing is, I think a very important clip you guys played, and I think everyone needs to focus on this: she has said that there needs to be political prosecutions. She has said they need to investigate the investigators, not because she had any knowledge, not because she was privy to any wrongdoing on their part, but simply because Donald Trump has said that he wants to go after his political opponents, he wants to go aferr Jack Smith and his investigators and anyone who stood up to him. " "To have the power to oversee criminal investigations and parrot that language, she has to be asked about that.," he added. "That is not only not normal, that is absolutely dangerous." Watch below or at the link. - YouTube youtu.be