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The US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.None
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jaylon Johnson wasn't all that interested in discussing any bright spots or reasons to have hope for the Chicago Bears. The star cornerback made his feelings clear. “I’ve been in slumps four, five years in a row now,” Johnson said Monday. "So, I mean at the end of the day, I don’t look for, ‘OK, what is going to be better in the future?’ ... It will be better when it’s better. So, right now, it’s not better. That’s all I can go off of.” The Bears (4-7) are last in the NFC North and have five straight losses after falling 30-27 to Minnesota in overtime. They wiped out an 11-point deficit in the final 22 seconds of regulation, only to come up short again when the Vikings' Parker Romo kicked a 29-yard field goal. It was the third game during this skid that came down to the final play. The Bears also lost on a Hail Mary at Washington in Week 8 and had a game-ending field goal attempt by Cairo Santos blocked by Green Bay in Week 11. Players have openly questioned some of the coaching decisions in recent weeks. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron got fired before the game against Green Bay. And coach Matt Eberflus' game management came under more scrutiny against Minnesota. With the Bears trailing 17-10 in the third quarter, there was some confusion on a fourth-and-4 at the Vikings 27. Eberflus said he didn't do a good enough job communicating on the previous play that they would go for it on fourth down. That led to a chaotic sequence in which Santos and long snapper Scott Daly ran onto the field, only to get waved off by a lineman. Quarterback Caleb Williams had to rush to get everyone lined up properly in order to avoid a delay of game. He wound up barking out the wrong play because he misheard the call from offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and threw an incomplete pass. Receiver DJ Moore said Eberflus had not addressed that play with the team. The Bears were scheduled to meet later Monday. “That moment was just like, like a ‘what is going on’ moment that we could have avoided,” he said. What's working The passing game. Williams has clearly looked more comfortable in the two games since Brown replaced the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator. The No. 1 draft pick followed up a solid performance against Green Bay by throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fourth straight turnover-free game and fifth in a row without an interception. What needs help Field goal protection. One week after his game-ending 46-yard field goal attempt against Green Bay got blocked, Santos had a 48-yarder rejected on his first try against Minnesota. It happened from the same area, in the middle of the line, when the Vikings' Jerry Tillery knocked down the kick. “I just think it’s technique," Eberflus said. "It’s getting your foot down, bracing up there, staying lower. ... We just have to do a better job there with that.” It was the third blocked field goal for Santos this year, the most for Chicago in a single season since it also had three blocked in 2012. He had a 43-yard try blocked in a win over Jacksonville on Oct. 13. Stock up Moore. The Bears have done a better job getting Moore involved under Brown. Moore caught seven passes for a season-high 106 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota. That gave him 14 receptions for 168 yards the past two games, compared to 13 for 104 yards over the previous four. Johnson's 27-yard catch down the middle set up Santos' tying field goal at the end of regulation. But it's not just deep shots. The Bears are finding ways to get the ball in his hands, allowing him to turn short passes into bigger gains. He also had a 13-yard run. Stock down RB D’Andre Swift. After a string of solid outings, Swift had just 30 yards on 13 carries. To be fair, he has been dealing with a groin issue, and he was going against the NFL's No. 1 run defense. Injuries The Bears reported no injuries during the game. Key number 5-18 — The Bears' record in one-possession games in nearly three seasons under Eberflus, including a 2-5 mark this year. They are 14-31 overall during Eberflus' tenure. Next steps The schedule doesn't get any easier, with a Thanksgiving matchup at NFC North leader Detroit. The Lions (10-1) have won nine straight since losing to Tampa Bay in Week 2. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLClear & Brilliant: I had my face zapped with lasers and my sun damage is gone
Sparkling Sir Gino takes breath away with a stunning debut at the Wayward Lad Novices Chase Nicky Henderson's Sir Gino debuted over fences at Wayward Lad Novices Chase The result was a mesmerising dismantling of the much-vaunted Ballyburn By DOMINIC KING Published: 17:30 EST, 27 December 2024 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 27 December 2024 e-mail View comments The magic of racing is fuelled by stories of early morning wonder and those tales of horses doing spectacular things at home. For the past two months, the word emanating from Seven Barrows, Nicky Henderson’s base, has revolved around Sir Gino to the exclusion of all others; dreams have been fired by reports of him clearing fences on the school ground like a gazelle and treating galloping companions with contempt. Such stories can occasionally be embellished but not this time. Henderson chose to give Sir Gino his first start over the biggest obstacles in the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices Chase and was rewarded by arguably the best debut over fences on these shores since Kauto Star at Newbury 20 years ago. This was absolutely mesmerising, a dismantling of the much-vaunted Ballyburn – sent over from Ireland by Willie Mullins – that needed to be seen to be believed. It was powerful, slick and so thrilling that he is now an even money shot to win the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival . ‘You would have to go a long way to see anything like that,’ said Henderson, who 24 hours earlier had been basking in the glow provided by Constitution Hill’s glorious return to action. ‘It was frightening, to be honest with you. ‘I think he learnt over the first couple of fences and then he said: “right, let’s go!” – that wasn’t the plan at all. We thought we’d have to sit on (Ballyburn’s) tail and wait to have a crack in the straight. But he was just too exuberant. He was having fun, wasn’t he? Nico (de Boinville) certainly was.’ Sir Gino stormed to victory at the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novices Chase on Friday Nicky Henderson will now look ahead to the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival And how. Two leaps – the one after five fences, another four from home – left you thinking about the other great two-mile chasers Henderson has trained, Sprinter Sacre et al, and there is now the obvious potential for him to win a lot of the very best races. To frame it another way, Ballyburn is regarded as a machine by his connections – from his joint-owners Ronnie Bartlett and David Manasseh to trainer Mullins – but he was legless having tried to keep pace up Kempton’s straight. Sir Gino had been backed in 8/13 and defeat was never an option. ‘He’s got a long way to go but, so far, he has done nothing wrong in his whole life,’ said Henderson, who had relaunched Sir Gino’s career over hurdles at Newcastle in November. ‘He has always been a very, very talented horse. He has so much scope. ‘If he hadn’t done that, we could have always come back into the hurdling game but now he has lost his maiden over fences, we can’t do that. It’s always useful having that allowance. I think it’s pretty obvious where he is going now. ‘He is a genuine two-miler. It’s great to see it. We always get a little but nervous at the last moment and you don’t want to overhype it but he was there to do the talking. I think he is spoken to you. You couldn’t see a cleaner performance than that. Let’s hope he grows into the big shoes.’ Share or comment on this article: Sparkling Sir Gino takes breath away with a stunning debut at the Wayward Lad Novices Chase e-mail Add comment
BALTIMORE (AP) — Wayne Bristol Jr. scored 21 points as Hampton beat Loyola (MD) 76-68 on Saturday. Bristol added 10 rebounds for the Pirates (7-5, 1-0 Coastal Athletic Association). Etienne Strothers shot 4 for 10 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to add 14 points. Richard Goods had 13 points and shot 2 of 3 from the field and 9 for 10 from the line. The Greyhounds (5-5) were led in scoring by Milos Ilic, who finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Stiemke added 12 points for Loyola. Jacob Theodosiou also had nine points. Hampton took the lead with 7:30 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 32-26 at halftime, with Goods racking up nine points. Hampton outscored Loyola (MD) in the second half by two points, with Bristol scoring a team-high 13 points after the break. These two teams both play Saturday. Hampton hosts Howard and Loyola visits DePaul. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press
OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Lajae Jones and Chance Moore scored 16 points each in Saint Bonaventure's 71-52 victory over Niagara on Saturday. Jones had eight rebounds for the Bonnies (12-1) and Moore five. Melvin Council Jr. shot 5 for 11, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points. The Bonnies picked up their sixth straight victory. Olumide Adelodun finished with 19 points for the Purple Eagles (5-7). Zion Russell added 11 points for Niagara. Jaeden Marshall finished with 10 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .