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HOPE Qatar Centre for Persons with Disabilities celebrated the completion of 18 years with a three-hour cultural extravaganza that brought on stage over 100 students with intellectual and physical disabilities who left the audience in awe. Students studying at HOPE Qatar, representing 19 different nationalities, converged at the Awsaj Academy auditorium in Qatar Foundation’s Education City this weekend in front of an audience comprising Qatari and expatriate communities, Bangladesh ambassador Mohamed Nazrul Islam, Indonesian ambassador Ridwan Hassan, Indian embassy first secretary Eish Singhal, parents, and other well-wishers. The celebration was based on the theme ‘Beats Across Borders’ and conducted on a day after the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was celebrated across the world. The performance by the students included dances from across different countries including India, Bangladesh, Romania, Africa, Spain, Egypt, Portugal, Philippines, Indonesia, England, and Ireland. Students in the 3-25 age range danced to various popular tunes often bringing the applauding audience to its feet. The students were also accompanied by HOPE Qatar staff members in some performances. The faculty also performed a medley of dances including Tinikiling (Filipino), Dabke (Arab), and Kalbeliya (Rajasthan) reflective of the diversity among the team consisting of representatives from over 16 countries. A solo song by Arth, a student, was received with a standing ovation from the audience for his soulful voice and rendition. A special award ceremony honoured 19 differently-abled HOPE Qatar students who had transitioned into the mainstream schools during the previous academic year. The class teachers of such students who transitioned were also given certificates of appreciation. Founder and chief mentor Dr Rajeev Thomas said the annual events enhance the confidence of the students, and also ensure they learn essential social skills while practising and performing. “A heightened sense of discipline, and systematic learning is required by each participant to be able to co-ordinate all the movements and steps needed for such a show, and it becomes more challenging when children with special needs are involved. “The team at HOPE Qatar has consistently enabled these children to demonstrate to the society that if given the right opportunities at the right time, children and youth with disabilities can achieve great success in their lives.” Dr Thomas also called upon the educators, lawmakers, parents and the general public to come together to ensure the creation of support systems that are essential for individuals with disabilities to thrive in the community. Bangladesh ambassador described HOPE Qatar as one of his favourite places in Qatar. “I am constantly surprised that each year the team comes up with something more than last year. It is such events that helps the individuals with disabilities to demonstrate their abilities in spite of their challenges,” he added. Indonesian envoy said the event has proven that individuals with disabilities have the potential, and wherever they are given an opportunity, they will shine. He recounted how his own daughter studying at HOPE Qatar has shown tremendous progress in her studies and has cleared the open schooling examinations and is gearing up for further studies. “As we as the family and community grow to accept out differently-abled children, in addition to facilitating their academic, social and emotional learning, we will also become more optimistic as we follow their development and growth to become their best selves,” he said. Singhal, who represented Indian ambassador Vipul, commended the efforts and enthusiasm shown by the students on stage. He applauded the HOPE Qatar team for integrating the children with such efforts, patience and enthusiasm. Gabriella Galatanu, a Romanian national and mother of Stefan, a student, spoke to the audience about the developments in her son’s life after joining HOPE Qatar. “With a heart filled with gratitude, and great appreciation for this incredible school and its staff, I acknowledge that Stefan my son has been a part of this community since 2019, and these years have been nothing short of transformative for him and our family,” she said. “As a parent, I always wanted an environment where he would not only learn, but also would feel included, feel understood, and also celebrated for who he is as a person. HOPE Qatar has provided exactly that and helped him to grow socially and emotionally, and nurtured his social skills in such a way that brings us so much pride,” she concluded while thanking the teachers for their patience, understanding and attitude of never giving up. Related Story QNL to lead transformation as IFLA Mena Regional Office QND celebrations begin at KataraPatrick Stewart's first act as Rangers chief executive could be to sack Philippe Clement
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Pelosi’s Jan. 6 narrative collapsing, Democrats deaf to voters and other commentaryA GOGGLEBOX star is unrecognisable as she returned from uni to reunite with her famous sister. The star was catapulted to fame when she was just a young child thanks to the Channel 4 show. But she's been off screens for nearly a decade as her celebrity sister appeared on I'm A Celebrity. Scarlett Moffatt took to social media to reveal her younger sister Ava had returned home for the holidays. Sharing a video of them both shopping, Scarlett told fans: "Love that my sis is back from uni for Christmas." Now all grown up, Eva could be seen laughing with Scarlett, 34, as they spent quality time together. Scarlett appeared on Gogglebox between 2014 and 2016, with Eva and their parents Betty and Mark also leaving too. The Sun recently told how Scarlett's ITV2 dating show Love Bites had been axed after just one series . Speaking about its cancellation, she told us: “I get so many people talking about Love Bites, that was a show that we did during Covid. "We did around 30 episodes, we just did bulk episodes because it was easy and something that could be filmed during Covid but obviously they still needed new shows. “It was never meant to be a long thing, it was just meant to be something for Covid and loads of people are always asking ‘when is Love Bites back?’. “I feel like if ever I was to do my own show, I’d want to bring Love Bites back, simply because loads of people always say that they love it. “Whenever you flick through, it’s on. It’s a good one to have in the background, where you can dip in and out of it.” These are the celebrity pairings that are taking part in the special for Stand Up To Cancer.
TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) announced that it has entered into an agreement with JKI, established by the fund managed and operated by J-Will, whereby all shares of Teva Takeda Pharma Limited and its wholly owned subsidiary Teva Takeda Yakuhin Ltd. will be transferred to JKI. Teva recently communicated that it was open to exploring new strategic approaches in Japan, including a possible divestment of its Teva-Takeda business venture, in alignment with its Pivot to Growth strategy. The divestment will allow Teva to focus on its innovative medicines business in Japan. Teva expects the divestiture to be completed by 1 April, 2025, subject to standard closing conditions, including obtaining required regulatory approvals. All the employees of the business venture in Japan will remain employed, subject to the terms of the agreement. “This is another step in our Pivot to Growth strategy to focus the business,” said Mark Sabag, Executive Vice President, International Markets Commercial. “Furthermore, we are confident that this agreement with JKI will ensure the continued delivery of high-quality, affordable medicines to patients in Japan.” About Teva Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) is a global pharmaceutical leader, harnessing our generics expertise and stepping up innovation to continue the momentum behind the discovery, delivery, and expanded development of modern medicine. For over 120 years, Teva's commitment to bettering health has never wavered. Today, the company’s global network of capabilities enables its ~37,000 employees across 58 markets to push the boundaries of scientific innovation and deliver quality medicines to help improve health outcomes of millions of patients every day. To learn more about how Teva is all in for better health, visit www.tevapharm.com . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “target,” “may,” “project,” “guidance,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe” and other words and terms of similar meaning and expression in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks and uncertainties relating to: our ability to successfully divest our Teva-Takeda business venture in Japan; the terms, timing, structure, benefits and costs of such divestiture and whether such divestiture will be consummated at all; the impact of any divestiture transaction on the remaining businesses of Teva in Japan and our ability to focus on our innovative business in Japan; our ability to satisfy the closing conditions to completing the divestiture of our business venture in Japan, including to obtain the required regulatory approvals; our ability to successfully execute our Pivot to Growth strategy, including to expand our innovative and biosimilar medicines pipeline and profitably commercialize the innovative medicines and biosimilar portfolio, whether organically or through business development, and to sustain and focus our portfolio of generics medicines; and other factors discussed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the third quarter of 2024 and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, including in the sections captioned "Risk Factors.” Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
How co-writing a book threatened the Carters' marriageFormer Virginia guard Jalen Warley is transferring to Gonzaga, according to several reports Monday. Gonzaga appeared to confirm the transfer by reposting the news on social media. Warley, who has 96 college games (58 starts) under his belt, will use a redshirt this year and spend 2025-26 in Spokane, Wash. Warley played three seasons at Florida State before transferring to Virginia before the 2024-25 season. He was allowed to enter the transfer portal again following the surprise retirement of coach Tony Bennett just three weeks before the season. With the Seminoles, Warley averaged 6.0 points, 2.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. His junior year was his best, as he put up 7.5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game over 33 appearances (32 starts). --Field Level Media
ST. CLOUD — A new Stearns County Sheriff's Office report offers details in the death of 13-year-old Alexander “Xander” Mick, who was killed on Oct. 12 while working at the Harvest of Horror Haunted Hayride in St. Augusta. Mick, of Rice, was working as a “scarer” — someone who dressed up in a costume and stepped out to scare people — when he was run over by a trailer and killed. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that his death was accidental and caused by blunt-force trauma to the head. ADVERTISEMENT The case is closed and nothing revealed in the investigation warranted it being referred to the county attorney’s office, Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka told St. Cloud LIVE on Thursday afternoon. The sheriff’s office report said Mick was wearing denim overalls over several layers of warm clothing, as well as what appeared to be a mask or wig. Employees of the event said scarers were assigned different zones along the hayride route and would step onto a bar on the side of the metal trailers to scare guests, according to the report. However, the trailers did not stop along the route, and the driver of the tractor pulling the trailer that ran over Mick said the cruise was set at 2.5 mph, the report said. A sheriff’s deputy at the scene believed that Mick may have tripped or got caught on the back part of the trailer, which pulled him under, according to the report. Multiple employees told investigators they had been concerned about Mick being a scarer, the report said. One employee told law enforcement he shared concerns over Mick’s size and age while another said Mick was not always aware of his surroundings. Jason and Tracy Stock, the hayride owners, canceled the remainder of the season after Mick’s death. Mick’s father, Steven Mick, is friends with the owners of Horror Haunted Hayride and permitted his son to volunteer as an actor for the hayride, according to the report. Mick was an eighth-grader at Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School, according to his obituary. ADVERTISEMENTSomething unexpected – but hardly unprecedented – happened in South Korea on December 3, 2024. With little warning, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared , citing the threat from “pro-North Korean anti-state forces.” The move, which appeared more about curtailing efforts by the main opposition – the center-left Democratic Party – to frustrate Yoon’s policy agenda through the DP’s control of the National Assembly, left . As one Seoul resident : “It feels like a coup d’état.” That interviewee wasn’t far off. As scholars of the of , we have spent countless hours since World War II. Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration – it lasted just a few hours before being lifted – was an example of what political scientists call an “autogolpe,” or to give the phenomenon its English name, a “self-coup.” Our that self-coups are becoming more common, with more in the past decade compared with any other 10-year period since the end of World War II. What follows is a primer on why that’s happening, what self-coups involve – and why, unlike in around 80% of self-coups, Yoon’s gambit failed. The components of a self-coup All coup attempts share some characteristics. Each involves an attempt to seize executive power and entails a concrete, observable and illegal action by military or civilian personnel. In a regular coup, those responsible will attempt to take power from an incumbent or presumptive leader. Historically, most coups have been perpetrated, or at least supported, by military actors. A classic example is when the Chilean army under General Augusto Pinochet of Salvador Allende in 1973 and imposed military rule. Some coups, however, are led by leaders themselves. These self-coups are coups in reverse. Rather than the leader of the country being replaced in an unconstitutional manner, the incumbent executive takes or sponsors illegal actions against other people in the regime – for example, the courts or parliament – with the goal of staying in office longer or expanding power. This may take the form of a chief executive using troops to shut down the legislature, as Yoon tried unsuccessfully to do in South Korea. Others have had more success; Tunisian President orchestrated a self-coup in July 2021 by dismissing parliament and the judiciary to pave the way for expanding his presidential power. More than three years on, Saied remains in power. Alternatively, a leader may try to to overturn an election loss. We saw this happen with after the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and as such we include his attempt to pressure local officials – and then-Vice President Mike Pence – to overturn the election result in our list of “self-coup attempts.” The varieties of self-coup methods But not all are self-coups. For example, if a president gets the legislature to extend presidential term limits and the courts approve – as Bolivian President did in 2017 – this may be a blow to executive constraints and democracy, but we don’t consider it a coup since the procedure for changing the law is constitutional. In all, we have recorded 46 self-coups since 1945 by democratically elected leaders in the forthcoming dataset, including the latest attempt in South Korea. Our self-coup data was compiled over the past three years with the aid of some enterprising undergraduate students at Carnegie Mellon University. Reviewing the circumstance – and outcomes – of these incidents helps us identify the most common characteristics of self-coups. Yoon’s actions in South Korea were typical in some ways but not in others. Over half of self-coup attempts in democratic countries target the judiciary or the legislature, while around 40% explicitly seek to undermine democratic elections or prevent election winners from taking office. The rest target other regime elites or a nominal executive. Yoon declared martial law to grab executive power from an opposition-led legislature. Interestingly, only a quarter of self-coup attempts in democracies involve such emergency declarations. Much more common are attacks on opposition parties and leaders and election interference. Approximaely one in every five self-coup leaders suspends or annuls the constitution. Relatively few self-coup attempts in democracies involve attempts to evade term limits, though self-coups that result in so-called “ ” are becoming more common in Africa. Why are self-coups on the rise? Coups and self-coups are two of the most common ways democracies die, though their relative frequencies have changed over time. Whereas coups were the leading cause of democratic breakdown during the Cold War, self-coups have become the leading cause since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. A third of all self-coup attempts by democratically elected leaders since 1946 have occurred in just the past decade. Though more research is needed to account for the recent rise of self-coups, we believe part of the answer lies in the – in which democracies punish coup leaders by withholding recognition, foreign aid or trade deals – and the globally. Why do self-coups fail? A president or prime minister who attempts a self-coup presumably thinks there is a good chance of success – otherwise, the leader probably wouldn’t attempt a coup in the first place. The fact that Yoon launched his self-coup bid seemingly is very unusual. While only half of traditional coup attempts succeed, more than four out of five self-coup attempts by democratically elected leaders succeed, according to our data. So what went wrong for Yoon in South Korea? Coup success a lot of people, including partisan allies and military elites. Although overt military support of the kind Yoon initially received is helpful, it is not always decisive. Most self-coup failures happen when military and party elites defect. The reasons for these defections tend to involve a mix of structural and contingent factors. When masses of people pour into the streets to oppose the coup, military members can get nervous and defect. And international condemnation of the coup can certainly help overturn self-coup attempts. Public support for democracy also helps. That’s why self-coups typically don’t happen in long-established democracies like the United States that have accumulated “ ” – the stock of civic and social assets that grows with a long history of democracy. South Korea, although a military dictatorship from 1961 to 1987, has had decades of democratic rule. And the system worked in South Korea when it was threatened. Party leaders united to vote against Yoon. That contrasts with successful self-coups in the country by and . What happens to failed self-coup leaders? Rarely have failed self-coup leaders remained in office for long. The self-coups may lead them to be ousted by coup, as occurred to Haiti’s Dumarsais Estimé in May 1950. Or they may be impeached, as occurred with . According to our data, only one failed self-coup leader managed to hang on to office for more than a year to the end of hia term. Though not forced from office after the flawed 1994 Dominican elections, was forced to agree to new elections in 1996 in which he would not be a candidate. Odds are, then, that President Yoon’s days in power are numbered. Following his attempted self-coup, six opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion against the president. That motion needs of the National Assembly to pass. All 190 present members voted to end martial law, including 18 of the 108 members of Yoon’s party. Only a few more of the conservative party’s legislators would have to vote against Yoon for impeachment proceedings to advance. Threatened by a self-coup, South Korea’s democratic institutions – at least for now.
South Korea president’s ‘self-coup’ try is part of a global trendMiami of Ohio and Colorado State will try to overcome notable transfer-portal defections during Saturday's Arizona Bowl at Tucson, Ariz. Miami (8-5) enters the game without its top two wide receivers Javon Tracy and Reggie Virgil after the duo elected to play elsewhere. Tracy, a redshirt sophomore who caught 57 passes for 818 yards with seven touchdowns, is moving on to Minnesota. Virgil, a junior who tallied 816 yards on 41 receptions with nine touchdowns, is bound for Texas Tech. "It's kind of insane, to be honest," Miami coach Chuck Martin said. "We'll lose some real good kids in the portal, but we'll also gain some good ones. It's just crazy. "In some ways, it stinks, but in some ways, it's fun, too. We're looking at a lot of some good ones." Miami has also lost two cornerbacks, including sophomore Raion Strader to Auburn. Strader had 53 tackles with two interceptions and a team-best 17 passes broken up. Will Jados, a redshirt junior offensive tackle who started 38 games for Miami, is transferring to Texas Tech. Colorado State (8-4) also lost its two top receivers in the portal. Sophomore Caleb Goodie committed to Cincinnati and sophomore Jamari Person remains undecided. Goodie caught 21 passes for 436 yards with four touchdowns, and Person had 36 receptions for 386 yards and a touchdown. Another sophomore, linebacker Buom Jock, also is in the transfer portal after he led the Rams with 100 tackles. "They lost a couple receivers in the portal, just like us, so they've adjusted, just like most teams in the bowl season have adjusted to the team that they have available," Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. Redshirt sophomore Armani Winfield, who had 37 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns, is the top available receiver for the Rams. Miami's leading receiver entering the game is fifth-year senior Cade McDonald (49 catches for 606 yards and three touchdowns). Miami won seven straight games before losing to Ohio in the MAC championship game behind sixth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert, who has completed 57.6 percent of his passes (204 of 354) for 2,737 yards and 21 touchdowns. Gabbert has been prone to throw interceptions, with 11, including one against Ohio in the conference title game. He did not throw an interception in a 30-20 victory over Ohio earlier this season. Keyon Mozee is Miami's featured running back with 1,073 yards on 170 carries with four touchdowns. Matt Salopek, a sixth-year linebacker, leads Miami with 113 tackles. He is the first player in program history with four 100-tackle seasons. Colorado State won six of its last seven games -- committing only seven turnovers in that span. Senior running back Avery Morrow has 956 yards on 166 attempts with nine touchdowns. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, a redshirt sophomore, has thrown for 2,475 yards while completing 207 of 335 attempts (61.8 percent) with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Chase Wilson, a fifth-year senior linebacker, has 91 tackles this season, three for loss. --Field Level MediaIt's Dana Holgorsen's 'focus on execution' that's impressing Matt Rhule — not just his play calls
MiLaysia Fulwiley put up 23 points and Chloe Kitts scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 1 South Carolina routed Coppin State 92-60 on Thursday in Columbia, S.C. Te-Hina Paopao added 13 points and five assists for the Gamecocks (3-0). Joyce Edwards and Maryam Dauda each contributed 10 points for South Carolina, which shot 51.5 percent from the floor and compiled a 51-23 rebounding edge. Laila Lawrence scored 20 points and Angel Jones notched 17 for the Eagles (2-2). No. 8 Iowa State 80, St. Thomas (Minn.) 47 Audi Crooks shot 12-for-17 en route to 26 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds as the Cyclones topped the Tommies in Ames, Iowa. Sydney Harris registered 13 points while Addy Brown had 10 for Iowa State (4-0). Amber Scalia's 11 points paced St. Thomas (3-1). No. 10 Kansas State 86, Creighton 68 Ayoka Lee powered for 28 points in 16 minutes as the Wildcats topped the Bluejays in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State (3-0) jumped out to a 22-9 lead after one quarter and rolled to the win. Temira Poindexter and Serena Sundell each had 12 points for the Wildcats, with Sundell adding eight assists and seven rebounds. Kennedy Townsend scored 16 points, Morgan Maly added 15 and Kiani Lockett had 11 for Creighton (1-2). No. 13 North Carolina State 79, Kent State 51 After leading by just five points at halftime, the Wolfpack expanded the lead in the third quarter and then cruised in the fourth to beat the Golden Flashes in Raleigh, N.C. Aziaha James paced NC State (2-1) with 20 points and nine rebounds, and Zamareya Jones scored 16 points. Kent State (1-2) got 17 points and eight rebounds from Bridget Dunn, plus 15 points from Jenna Batsch. No. 16 Duke 84, Dayton 49 Six players logged double-figure point totals for the Blue Devils in the one-sided victory over the Flyers at Durham, N.C. Ten players hit the scoresheet overall for Duke (3-1), which got a team-high 17 points from Jordan Wood. Toby Fournier added 15 points. Ivy Wolf had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Ajok Madol contributed 12 points for Dayton (2-1), which shot 32.1 percent from the floor and committed 24 turnovers. No. 17 Baylor 104, East Texas A&M 55 Darianna Littlepage-Buggs recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Bears nearly doubled up the Lions in Waco, Texas. Aaronette Vonleh (18 points, 11 rebounds) also had a double-double for Baylor (2-1). Cora Horvath was the top offensive threat for East Texas A&M (2-2) with 22 points. No. 19 Ole Miss 80, Delaware State 42 Starr Jacobs hit 8 of 10 shots from the floor and scored 18 points as the Rebels pulled away from the Hornets in Dover, Del. Madison Scott, Kennedy Todd-Williams and Sira Thienou each put up 13 points for Ole Miss (2-1), which outscored Delaware State 43-21 in the second half. The Hornets (1-3) were led by Kiarra Mcelrath with 13 points and Mahogany Cottingham with 10. No. 22 Alabama 88, Alcorn State 59 Essence Cody amassed 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as the Crimson Tide thrashed the Lady Braves in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Aaliyah Nye scored 17 points, Eris Lester had 15 and seven rebounds, and Sarah Ashlee Barker chipped in with 14 points and three steals for the Crimson Tide (5-0). Destiny Brown was the only player in double figures for Alcorn State (1-3), scoring 12 points. No. 23 Illinois 84, Eastern Illinois 37 Reserve Jasmine Brown-Hagger hit 10 of 15 shots scored 23 points to lead the Fighting Illini to a laugher against the Panthers in Champaign, Ill. Gretchen Dolan added 13 points, Kendall Bostic produced 11 points and 12 rebounds and Adalia McKenzie also had 11 points for Illinois (3-0). Jayda Johnston finished with eight points for Eastern Illinois (0-3). --Field Level Media
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Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby: Spurs-Knicks Christmas game is also an animated one at Disney WorldWhat’s Cowboys Source Say About Signing Daniel Jones?
By BRIAN MAHONEY, Associated Press Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA’s Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the “Dunk the Halls” game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse’s Christmas wish . “Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible,” Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They’ll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. “It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level,” said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella’s castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy’s room from “Toy Story ;” the “NHL Big City Greens Classic” during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “ The Simpsons Funday Football. ” Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. “So, this is a level of detail that we’ve never gone, that we’ve never done on any other broadcast,” said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he’d look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. “Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It’s like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character,” said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama’s presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA’s five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade” for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports’ visualization technology and Sony’s Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN’s “SkyCam” during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. “It’s going to be so crazy to see the game animated,” Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. “I think what’s dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
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Wheel of Fortune contestants whiffing their bonus puzzles is nothing new, but on December 4’s episode, a player came up short on a $40,000 puzzle that left fans joking that she may never want to visit a Disney theme park again. The game show’s latest big miss involved Vandana Patel, an Indian fusion food expert from Chicago. She won the episode and proceeded to the coveted bonus round with $20,600, a trip to Florida, and the selection of “What Are You Wearing?” as her category. Joined by host Ryan Seacrest and the off-side support of her waving mom, daughter, and husband, she faced the two-word puzzle. Choosing a “DMH” and “A,” Vanna White added a mere “H” to the first word. “We want more!” Seacrest chanted. With that tough break, the 10-second timer began. The puzzle read as, “‘_ H _ T E’ ‘_ L _ _ E S.'” A stern Patel did her very best to concentrate on cracking it, successfully saying “White” was the first word. But she couldn’t figure out the second word, and the timer ran out. The full puzzle was unveiled, “WHITE GLOVES.” Seacrest revealed the gold envelope contained the $40,000 amount and put a consoling arm around Patel’s shoulder. “This was on your bucket list!” he told her. “It was,” she replied. The game show shared the big miss on Youtube, where fans reacted to the loss with the top comment being about how the contestant will likely never want to see Mickey Mouse, or Mario of the Nintendo games, again given their white gloves. “Now she never wants to see mickey or mario again,” the fan wrote scoring 20 likes. “Or the keeper of the Stanley Cup,” replied another. A third fan wrote, “I knew it said WHITE GLOVES and I even solved it before the timer was displayed.” A fourth penned, “Don’t worry, Vandana, I was stumped too. I got the first word, but not the second. That’s alright, you’re a winner regardless. $20K is nothing to sneeze at. Great job! A fifth said, “I knew gloves from the initial and her h got me white. Tough puzzle “Wow. At least it wasn’t the hundred thousand dollar wedge,” wrote one more. Meanwhile , Seacrest, of course, had huge shoes to fill replacing the legendary Pat Sajak after four decades for Season 42. His debut month was the strongest ratings month for WoF in the past three years, and viewers were already treated to a viral moment (via a round of sausage) . That said, there have been some questionable hosting moments. In September, Seacrest suffered what fans dubbed his “first blooper” , involving a prolonged reaction to rewarding a bonus round. Fans also called out the host for ruling against another player before the timer was up. Most controversially, last month, fans called out the host for not reminding a player to pick a letter , leading to him losing the game in a misunderstanding and by a mere $147. This past two weeks, a more puzzling issue has come to light, which is that there has been a mere one bonus puzzle win out of the last eight episodes , many fans blaming the players and not the host. Wheel of Fortune , Weeknights, Check your local listings More Headlines: