Ben Askren is currently recovering from a double lung transplant, a complex medical procedure that came with a significant cost.
The surgery reportedly cost him upwards of $2 million.
Despite the challenges, Askren is focusing on his recovery and taking the necessary steps toward regaining his health.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-i-grateful-ben-askren-opens-generosity-jake-paul-dana-white
Hugo Ekitike believes Alexander Isak’s presence will aid his development as the young striker welcomed the increased competition at Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s Premier League champions made waves in the summer transfer window, with the 23-year-old Ekitike following the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez to Anfield. Ekitike joined from Frankfurt in a deal worth £69 million plus a potential £10 million (approximately €11.45 million) in add-ons and has hit the ground running, scoring five goals in eight appearances across all competitions.
But Liverpool maintained a strong interest in Newcastle sharpshooter Isak throughout the summer and secured the striker for a British record £125 million on deadline day.
“I think it’s good to have players in such a big club,” Ekitike said. “I can’t see one big club playing with only one striker, so I think it’s good that he’s here. Even for me at my age, I think I still have a lot of things to improve and learn, so for me it’s good that he’s here.”
He added, “As for if we can play together, that’s for the coach to decide how he wants to play. That’s not me. But obviously, he’s a great player. I’ve been playing in two-striker compositions and one-striker systems, so I can do a lot of things. If we have to play together, I can do that.”
Ekitike certainly appears to be loving life at Liverpool, having joined despite interest from the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle.
“It was just the best choice,” he said. “You know, it’s the champions of England. For me, they have great players, a great history. It just fitted with what I was looking for after Frankfurt.”
Ekitike was speaking on the eve of Liverpool’s Champions League match at Galatasaray, where the young striker is in line to make his first appearance since last Tuesday’s embarrassing sending-off.
The Frenchman replaced Isak at half-time of the Carabao Cup clash against Southampton and went on to score a late winner. He famously removed his shirt and held it up to the cameras in celebration. However, the substitute had already been booked and received what Slot called a “stupid red card” that ruled him out of Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace.
“I think that wasn’t smart,” Ekitike admitted. “Obviously, I punished myself alone, I’d say. I felt a bit disappointed to watch the boys from home last Saturday, but as I said on Instagram, I apologise to everybody already, to my teammates. That kind of thing won’t happen again. I just move on now. I am just looking forward to playing and I just focus on football.”
Ekitike will hope to make amends in Istanbul, where Liverpool arrived without Federico Chiesa due to what Slot described as a “little niggle.” The Liverpool boss did not want to take any risks ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea—a match he hopes to approach on the back of a morale-boosting victory against Galatasaray.
“I think we always have to do, no matter if you win, lose, or draw, what is asked of you if you want to compete for trophies, but let alone if you wear a Liverpool shirt,” Slot said. “That is giving everything you have and combining that with the best football you can play.”
“We created more chances during the course of the game, more chances than we had in all the three games we played before against Palace, but we also conceded many more chances than we did before. So we can improve, and the things we can improve I will show tonight to the players.”
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/hugo-ekitike-reckons-alexander-isak-competition-will-boost-him-at-liverpool-1812742.html
Emerald Fennell has doubled down on her decision to cast Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in her film adaptation of *Wuthering Heights*, despite receiving pushback from fans over the choice.
The Oscar winner shared insight into her casting decisions while speaking at the Brontë Women’s Writing Festival on Friday. She acknowledged the huge responsibility she felt in adapting Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel for the big screen.
“It’s very personal material for everyone,” Fennell said.
Speaking at the festival held in Brontë’s hometown of West Yorkshire, Fennell revealed she had been obsessed with the book in her teens. One past edition of the novel even inspired her casting of Elordi. Fennell explained that she asked the *Euphoria* star to play the brooding Heathcliff while on the set of *Saltburn*, as he looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff in the first book she ever read.
Per the BBC, she added, “I had been thinking about making it [*Wuthering Heights*], and it seemed to me he had the thing… he’s a very surprising actor.”
However, fans of Brontë’s novel did not necessarily agree with this casting choice. Heathcliff is notably described as dark-skinned in the book, and the casting of the white Elordi sparked an outcry online, with some accusing the new adaptation of whitewashing the role.
There was also frustration among fans over the casting of Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff’s love interest, who is a teenager in the novel. Since Robbie is 35 years old, many felt she was too old for the role.
Fennell, however, made it clear she disagreed. She said Robbie was unlike anyone she had ever met, which was exactly what she needed for the role of Cathy.
“I mean, Margot’s beauty is something else,” Fennell joked. “She could commit a killing spree and nobody would mind. And that is who Cathy is to me.”
“Cathy is somebody who just pushes to see how far she can go,” Fennell continued. “So it needed somebody like Margot, who’s a star—not just an incredible actress, which she is, but somebody who has a power, an otherworldly power, a Godlike power, that means people lose their minds.”
*Wuthering Heights* arrives in theaters nationwide on February 13, and internationally starting on February 11.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/emerald-fennell-defends-casting-margot-024915586.html
Oil prices declined recently amid expectations of an increase in OPEC production. Market participants anticipate that the organization will boost output, putting downward pressure on crude prices.
Meanwhile, China’s manufacturing activity has contracted for the sixth consecutive month, highlighting ongoing challenges in the sector. This persistent slowdown contributes to concerns about the broader economic recovery in the region.
In European markets, Euro Stoxx 50 futures dipped during early trading, reflecting investor caution amid these global economic developments. Traders are closely monitoring how these factors will influence market sentiment moving forward.
https://thewest.com.au/business/asia-shares-gold-rise-on-us-shutdown-watch-c-20187675
Electronic Arts (EA), the renowned videogame company, has been acquired by a Saudi fund in a deal valued at approximately $55 billion. This significant acquisition marks a major milestone in the gaming industry.
The deal is expected to close in early 2026 and is subject to approval from both EA shareholders and regulatory authorities. Once finalized, this acquisition could have far-reaching impacts on the future of EA and the videogame market as a whole.
EA Sports logo is seen in this illustration, August 10, 2022. (Photo credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO)
**Mumbai: Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench Upholds POCSO Act in Minor Marriage Case**
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has ruled that neither a love affair between a minor girl and an adult man, nor their families’ consent to marriage followed by the birth of a child, can be grounds to quash criminal proceedings under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
### Plea to Quash FIR Rejected
A bench comprising Justices Urmila Joshi-Phalke and Nandesh Deshpande dismissed a plea filed by a 29-year-old man and his parents seeking to quash a First Information Report (FIR) registered against them under the POCSO Act and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
### Details of the Marriage
According to the prosecution, the man married the minor girl on June 2, 2024, as per Muslim rites, with the consent of both families. At the time of the marriage, the girl was below 18 years of age and subsequently gave birth to a child while still a minor.
### Court Observations
The bench noted, “Though she states that the said marriage was as per Muslim rites and religion, at the time of marriage, she was below 18 years of age. When she delivered the child, she was also below 18 years old.”
### Accused Fully Aware of the Minor’s Age
The court observed that the accused, who was 27 years old at the time of the marriage and is now 29, was fully aware of the girl’s minor status. The judges stated, “At least, he ought to have understood that he should wait till the girl attains 18 years of age. Then, in spite of having knowledge that the girl is a minor, when he takes her away from the legal custody of her parents, from that point itself he commits the offence. Merely because now the girl has given birth to the child, we are of the opinion that the acts of the applicants cannot be brushed aside.”
### Reference to Supreme Court PIL on Age of Consent
The bench also referred to the Supreme Court’s ongoing suo motu public interest litigation regarding the “Right to Privacy of Adolescents.” In this case, the Union Government has categorically opposed reducing the age of consent.
In its affidavit, the Centre maintained that lowering the age “would disturb the very purpose for which the POCSO Act was enacted” and would reintroduce the mischief the law seeks to prevent.
### Legal Standing and Court’s Conclusion
The bench remarked, “As the consent of the minor is irrelevant and the stand taken by the Central Government before the Apex Court also shows that it would be against the mandate of the Constitution of India, as law is not for individuals but for society at large.”
Holding that justice must be administered according to law, the court concluded that there were no exceptional circumstances warranting interference under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“We, therefore, do not find this to be a fit case… The application stands rejected,” the judges ruled.
—
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https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/bombay-hc-minors-consent-or-marriage-with-family-approval-no-ground-to-quash-pocso-case
**The Number of Trucking Companies and CDLs Issued Without a Full Legal Name Is Truly Absurd**
*Posted by TigerClaws (MaybeDanielleLeee)*
I’ve been talking about this issue for months. The number of trucking companies and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued without a full legal name is truly absurd.
—
**Comments:**
**TigerClaws:**
For my job, I sometimes pull a trailer that has to follow all the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. I’m paranoid about weigh stations and logging. I’m sure I’m doing some things wrong because, as an occasional driver, it’s very complex. Yet these people get away with bogus licenses, illegal status, and can’t even speak the language. I’d love it if DOT officers announced that they were concentrating only on clearing the roads of these individuals.
**cyclotic:**
This has been going on forever. Who do you think is hauling out of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach?
**Yogafist:**
I went to trucking school for three months and then had my skills tested thoroughly for four months by a trainer before the company let me drive on my own. I can’t imagine anyone doing any less.
—
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https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4343386/posts
**Key Takeaways**
What supports the Solana breakout case? SOL held the $200 support level with $35.55 million in exchange outflows, signaling accumulation and strengthening breakout momentum.
Where could volatility lead next?
*The post* **Inside Solana’s breakout – Why THIS wedge matters more than you think** *appeared first on AMBCrypto.*
https://ambcrypto.com/inside-solanas-breakout-why-this-wedge-matters-more-than-you-think
MANILA, Philippines — Young Filipinos know what it takes to stay healthy, but far fewer follow through, highlighting “significant” gaps between awareness and action.
This insight comes from a new Manulife Philippines study that surveyed 500 respondents nationwide, with 40 percent residing in Metro Manila.
The survey found that while 83 percent described themselves…
https://business.inquirer.net/549811/youth-health-awareness-high-but-action-lacking-manulife-study
The European Commission has confirmed that all research and innovation funding will be channelled through Horizon Europe. This comes under its proposal for the post-2027 EU budget instruments.
The planned European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) will focus exclusively on deployment, separating its role from research and innovation funding.
According to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, all research and innovation activities must be funded through a Framework Programme. Massimiliano Esposito, head of the strategic planning unit in the Commission’s research directorate general, emphasized this point on September 23.
https://sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-funding/planning-fp10/eu-competitiveness-fund-will-not-finance-research-activities
