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U.S. ties with England to continue to keep Planet Cup dreams alive


United states of america Fans clearly show their assistance through working day 3 of the FIFA Planet Cup 2022 Qatar Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park on November 21, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Tullio Puglia – FIFA/FIFA)

Tullio Puglia – Fifa | Fifa | Getty Photographs

The United States and England fought to a purpose-less draw in Qatar on Friday evening, as The us held hope alive for advancing to World Cup knockout action.

A properly arranged U.S. group pressed properly and annoyed England and could feel upset in the finish immediately after creating the better probabilities in the sport.

Christian Pulisic rattled the bar with English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford crushed in the very first 50 percent whilst Weston McKennie, 2 times blazed more than the bar from promising positions. Crew Usa also unsuccessful to capitalize on a sequence of corners in the 2nd 50 percent.

The United States, with two factors following drawing 2 times, is in third position of Group B, behind England and Iran which previously in the working day scored a amazing victory against Wales.

The People end team participate in on Tuesday against Iran and a victory more than Staff Melli would promise no even worse than a 2nd-location U.S. complete and development.

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter reported he was happy with the position on Friday but presently experienced his intellect on the future games.

“We’re happy but our work’s not done,” he mentioned in an on the subject in an job interview area. “We have to win on Tuesday. We know 5 details receives us in, we’ve bought to target on the five details.”

Before Friday night’s match in Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, the United States and England had only performed twice in Earth Cup record.

The People in america defeat their compatriots throughout the Atlantic in the 1950 tournament, 1-, in Brazil.

Then the United States escaped with a 1-1 attract versus the A few Lions, in South Africa, in 2010. That tie was only probable when Clint Dempsey’s smooth shot in the 40th moment was inexplicably fumbled into England’s web by goalkeeper Robert Inexperienced.

That level proved critical to the United States in 2010, as Landon Donovan scored a well-known stoppage-time winner in his team’s closing team match versus Algeria. The Us residents concluded with 5 factors in Group C, 1 additional than third-position Slovenia, letting them to qualify for knockout play.

The U.S. match against Iran is established to kickoff at Tuesday at 2 p.m. EST at Al-Thumama Stadium. It can be watched on Telemundo or streamed in Spanish on Peacock.



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Politics

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has big marketing campaign dollars edge above GOP’s Herschel Walker likely into runoff election


Rev. Raphael Warnock, Democratic Senator for Georgia (L), and Georgia Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Herschel Walker.

Reuters

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock’s marketing campaign has virtually 3 instances as much funds on hand as Republican prospect Herschel Walker’s heading into the final extend of Georgia’s runoff Senate election, in accordance to new Federal Election Fee filings.

Warnock, who is seeking to protect his seat in a limited race, experienced just above $29 million on hand as of Nov. 16. Walker, a former NFL participant and favorite of ex-President Donald Trump, experienced around $9.8 million on hand heading into the remaining weeks of the election.

The filings show fundraising knowledge for each applicant from Oct. 20 — times just before the midterm elections —through Nov. 16. Warnock’s campaign elevated $52 million in the course of that time time period, as opposed with Walker’s nearly $21 million, documents demonstrate.

The runoff election is scheduled for Dec. 6. The battle among Warnock and Walker went to one more spherical soon after neither contender garnered the 50% of the vote desired to clinch the seat outright underneath state regulations in the Nov. 8 midterms. 

Warnock is top Walker by 4 proportion factors, according to an AARP poll.

Democrats will keep Senate manage in the future Congress with at the very least 50 seats. The Ga race will establish irrespective of whether they can obtain an outright greater part — and likely count fewer normally on Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.

In the midterms, Democrats flipped Pennsylvania’s GOP-held Senate seat and defended contested seats in Arizona and Nevada.



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World

Omicron boosters most likely are not pretty efficient from moderate Covid disease, but will likely prevent hospitalizations, gurus say


A health care employee administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic in the Peabody Institute Library in Peabody, Massachusetts, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

Vanessa Leroy | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures

The new omicron Covid boosters likely usually are not incredibly efficient at protecting against Covid infections and moderate health issues, but they will possible enable retain the aged and other susceptible groups out of the healthcare facility this winter, authorities say.

The Facilities for Illness Handle and Prevention, in a authentic-entire world research revealed this week, uncovered the boosters are fewer than 50% helpful in opposition to moderate illness throughout practically all grownup age groups when as opposed to individuals who are unvaccinated.

For seniors, the booster was 19% efficient at avoiding gentle illness when administered as their fourth dose, as opposed to the unvaccinated. It was 23% helpful in opposition to moderate sickness when provided as their fifth dose.

While the vaccine’s efficiency versus delicate disease was reduced, persons who acquired the boosters were greater off than those people who did not. The booster amplified people’s defense in opposition to mild ailment by 28% to 56% in contrast to those who only acquired the old shots, depending on age and when they been given their previous dose.

The Food stuff and Drug Administration licensed the boosters in late August with the objective of restoring the large degrees of defense the vaccines shown in late 2020 and early 2021. At that time, the photographs had been more than 90% efficient in opposition to infection. But the initially authentic-globe info from the CDC signifies that the boosters usually are not assembly those people high anticipations.

“The boosters give you some additional defense but it is really not that strong, and you should not rely on it as your sole protective machine versus infection,” claimed John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Health-related University.

Moore stated men and women at increased threat from Covid have each and every rationale to get a booster considering that it modestly will increase defense. But he claimed popular sense actions these types of as masking and staying away from substantial crowds stay essential applications for susceptible groups given that the boosters usually are not remarkably powerful versus infection.

The CDC review appeared at a lot more than 360,000 adults with healthy immune units who examined for Covid at retail pharmacies from September to November when omicron BA.5 was dominant. The contributors been given both the booster, got two or far more doses of the previous pictures or they were being unvaccinated. It then in comparison individuals who examined favourable for Covid with all those who did not.

The study did not assess how perfectly the boosters carried out in opposition to critical disease, so it really is nonetheless unclear regardless of whether they will offer improved protection towards hospitalization than the outdated photographs. The CDC in a assertion claimed it will provide facts on much more intense results when it becomes available.

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Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, claimed the reality that the pictures are furnishing some protection from infection in an era of highly immune evasive omicron subvariants is a very good indicator that they will offer robust defense from hospitalization. The vaccines have generally executed greater from intense sickness than delicate ailment, he explained.

“It’s superior than very little. Undoubtedly, it does not kind of clearly show that the safety is extremely high versus an infection,” Pekosz mentioned. “I would count on that you would then see even bigger security from hospitalization or loss of life.”

Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, explained trying to reduce delicate disease is not a viable general public well being approach for the reason that the antibodies that block infection simply just wane more than time.

“Safety against mild ailment just is just not that great in the omicron subvariant era. The aim is shielding towards critical sickness,” claimed Offit, an infectious disorder qualified at Children’s Healthcare facility of Philadelphia who helped develop the rotavirus vaccine.

Dr. Celine Gounder, a senior public overall health fellow at the Kaiser Relatives Foundation, mentioned she’s not alarmed by the knowledge. Minimizing risk by even a modest sum at the specific stage can have a major optimistic result on community wellness at the population amount.

“If you can cut down threat amid the aged by even 30%, even 20%, that is considerable when 90% of the COVID deaths are transpiring in that team,” Gounder claimed. “For me, what is actually really gonna matter is are you retaining that 65 year aged out of the healthcare facility.”

The boosters, known as bivalent vaccines, goal each omicron BA.5 and the initial Covid strain that first emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019. The original pictures, known as monovalent vaccines, only contain the first Covid strain.

It really is however unclear how the boosters will perform against more immune evasive omicron subvariants, such as BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, which are now dominant in the U.S. Pfizer and Moderna last 7 days said early scientific trial info demonstrates the boosters induce an immune reaction from these subvariants.

About 11% of all those eligible for the new booster, or 35 million people, have received it so much, in accordance to CDC data. About 30% of seniors have received the shot.



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Travel

Delta and United Airlines will see tailwinds from prolonged-haul flights in 2023, states Raymond James’ Syth


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Savanthi Syth, Raymond James airline analyst, joins ‘Closing Bell’ to go over vacation journey traits and the influence on airline stocks.

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Health

Omicron BQ Covid variants that threaten people with compromised immune systems are now dominant in U.S.


A person receives a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 22, 2021.

Andrew Kelly | Reuters

The omicron BQ coronavirus subvariants have risen to dominance in the U.S. as people gather and travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, putting people with compromised immune systems at increased risk.

BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are causing 57% of new infections in the U.S., according to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. The omicron BA.5 subvariant, once dominant, now makes up only a fifth of new Covid cases.

The BQ subvariants are more immune evasive and likely resistant to key antibody medications, such as Evusheld and bebtelovimab, used by people with compromised immune systems, according to the National Institutes of Health. This includes organ transplant and cancer chemotherapy patients.

There are currently no replacements for these drugs. President Joe Biden, in an October speech, told people with compromised immune systems that they should consult with their physicians and take extra precautions this winter.

“New variants may make some existing protections ineffective for the immunocompromised. Sadly, this means you may be at a special risk this winter,” Biden said.

The XBB subvariant is also circulating at a low level right now, causing about 3% of new infections. Dr. Anthony Fauci, in a White House briefing earlier this week, said XBB is even more immune evasive than the BQ subvariants.

Fauci said the new boosters, which were designed against omicron BA.5, probably aren’t as effective against infection and mild illness from XBB. But the shots should protect against severe disease, he said. Singapore saw a spike in cases from XBB, but there wasn’t a major surge in hospitalizations, he added.

Moderna and Pfizer said last week that their boosters induce an immune response against BQ.1.1, which is a descendent of the BA.5 subvariant.

Fauci, in the press briefing this week, said public health officials believe there is enough immunity from vaccination, boosting and infection to prevent a repeat of the unprecedented Covid surge that occurred last winter when omicron first arrived.



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World

EU delays talks on Russian oil cost cap until finally next week, diplomats say


Rail wagons for oil, gasoline and liquefied gas cargo stand in sidings at Yanichkino railway station, shut to the Gazprom Neft PJSC Moscow refinery in Moscow, Russia, on Monday, April 27, 2020.

Andrey Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Illustrations or photos

A conference of European Union governing administration reps, scheduled for Friday evening to focus on a Team of Seven proposal to cap Russian seaborne oil charges, was canceled, EU diplomats reported.

“There was not more than enough of a convergence of views,” 1 diplomat explained.

“There will not be a assembly tonight nor this weekend,” a second diplomat said.

On Thursday, European Union governments were being split on the degree at which to cap Russian oil costs to suppress Moscow’s ability to fork out for its war in Ukraine without having creating a worldwide oil supply shock. The cap is to enter into pressure on Dec. 5.

The strategy of the cap is to prohibit transport, insurance coverage and re-insurance policy firms from dealing with cargoes of Russian crude all over the globe, unless of course it is bought for a lot less than the cost established by the Team of Seven nations and its allies.

Simply because the world’s key shipping and delivery and insurance policies firms are based in G7 nations around the world, the price tag cap would make it really tricky for Moscow to promote its oil – its biggest export merchandise accounting for some 10% of entire world source – for a increased price.

Poland, Estonia and Lithuania were pushing for a considerably reduce cap than the $65-70 for every barrel proposed by the G7, while Greece, Cyprus and Malta lobbied for a better cap, or some variety of payment for the anticipated loss of business to their substantial delivery sectors.

The EU diplomats, who declined to be recognized, reported it was not very clear how around equally sides ended up to an agreement.

“The hottest is that Poland, Estonia and Lithuania are striving to outdo just about every other on their toughness on the rate cap,” one particular of the diplomats near to the talks reported, adding that Poland desired to website link settlement of the price cap to a new offer of sanctions in opposition to Russia.

“Meanwhile Malta, Greece and Cyprus are in it for the revenue, whichever way they can get it – via a higher cap, or compensation, and many others. So positions are even now quite much apart and the U.S. is nowhere to be observed to carry the two sides jointly,” the diplomat reported.



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Business

Walmart shooter bought pistol on the day of the attack and left behind a ‘death note’


A police tape is seen at the site of a fatal shooting in a Walmart on November 23, 2022 in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Nathan Howard | Getty Images

The Walmart night crew supervisor who shot and killed six his co-workers Tuesday used a handgun he purchased the morning of the attack and left a “death note,” according to details released Friday by Chesapeake, Virginia, officials.

The new details indicate 31-year-old Andre Bing used a 9-millimeter pistol which he legally purchased from a local store the same day as the shooting.

Officers said they found ammunition, a receipt and paperwork related to the gun purchase at Bing’s residence.

Police responded to the shooting shortly after 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, minutes after the attack was reported, and mere days before Thanksgiving and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. A 16-year-old boy was among the victims, officials said. The victims were honored in a vigil Thursday night.

Bing, who officials said had no criminal history, died at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The note recovered on Bing’s cellphone revealed complaints the mass shooter had about his co-workers and provided a glimpse into his potential motive for the deadly shooting.

In the note, which included references to God and the Holy Spirit, Bing described alleged harassment by his co-workers. His former colleagues, according to The New York Times, had described him as “weird” and said he would sometimes demonstrate a “nasty attitude.”

Officials added that two victims are being treated in area hospitals. One remains in critical condition, while the other was improving.

If you are having suicidal thoughts or are in distress, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor.





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World

Brain expert: The No. 1 issue that sets ‘SuperAgers’ aside from persons with ‘weak memory skills’


There is a group of folks that longevity researchers call “SuperAgers,” who are in their 80s and further than, but have the cognitive function of these a long time younger.

Conversely, it really is possible for your mind to be older than your chronological age, which is what we want to stay clear of.

As a neuroscience researcher and author of “The Age-Proof Brain,” I’ve identified that it really is our behaviors, not just our genes, that have a effective impression on our brain’s destiny.  

So what sets SuperAgers aside from persons who have weak memory expertise? In accordance to a 2021 study that followed SuperAgers above the program of 18 months, 1 critical differentiator was that they retained learning new matters all through their daily life.

SuperAgers find out something new each and every working day

Imagine of the brain like a lender account. We make “deposits” — or new connections between our mind cells — by discovering. Our memories are housed in these connections.

As we age, we normally shed some of individuals connections. It is really like making a withdrawal each and every year. But the far more deposits we make all through our lives, the considerably less our net worth is impacted by these withdrawals.

A single analyze discovered that older people with a lot more yrs of education and learning had far more active frontal lobes when they took memory tests. Activity in the frontal lobe is involved with greater memory.

But larger training is just not the only way to sustain memory. In a different study, even if men and women had reduced amounts of education, if they attended lectures, study, wrote and browse often, they had memory scores on par with these with extra training.

Which styles of understanding are ideal for mind health and fitness?

Trying to keep your mind balanced is not all about Sudoku, Wordle or crossword puzzles. People can have cognitive advantages, but you are mainly performing exercises with the understanding and abilities you currently have.

What does make considerably new connections in the mind is understanding new competencies and details. And the system must be challenging: SuperAgers embrace — and sometimes crave — that experience of disappointment when they study a thing outdoors of their knowledge.

‘Cross-train’ your brain

Method understanding the way you would with health and fitness training. You wouldn’t go to the fitness center and only operate out your forearms. Eventually, you would glance like Popeye.

The exact same goes for the brain. Discovering a new language, for illustration, is effective out different pieces of the brain than a new sport or instrument does.

You can cross-prepare your brain by mixing mental and physical studying activities. Get out your calendar and system various types of actions making use of this plan:

No matter what it is, finding out new issues retains your brain young. So if you learned some thing you failed to know prior to from reading through this report, you might be by now supporting your mind age at a slower pace.

Marc Milstein, PhD, is a mind wellbeing expert and writer of “The Age-Evidence Mind: New Strategies to Increase Memory, Shield Immunity, and Struggle Off Dementia.” He gained both his PhD in Organic Chemistry and his Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Mobile, and Developmental Biology from UCLA, and has executed analysis on genetics, most cancers biology and neuroscience. Observe him on Twitter and Instagram.

Really don’t pass up:

Want to get paid additional and function considerably less? Sign-up for the cost-free CNBC Make It: Your Income virtual party on Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. ET.

Harvard nutritionist: This is the No. 1 vitamin to keep your brain sharp





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Purchasing new Apple iphone for much better digicam, battery, more rapidly chip? Cybersecurity received an upgrade, also


Buyers store at the Apple Fifth Avenue keep for the release of the Apple Apple iphone 14 in New York Town, September 16, 2022.

Andrew Kelly | Reuters

It really is Black Friday and the official start out of the vacation buying period, and you will find a new Apple iphone 14 for individuals in the sector to improve their Apple machine. From superior cameras and lengthier battery lifestyle and speedier chips, there are plenty of options buyers will think about when purchasing a new Iphone.

A single new security aspect that has been acquiring a whole lot of notice is emergency satellite communication. Cybersecurity may not be amid the top rated advertising details, but the new Iphone and iOS16 do have some important protection upgrades, too.

The concentrate on safety is practically nothing new from Apple, which has designed user privacy one of its critical messages for many years, routinely including new stability options in iOS updates and on new telephone designs, like Experience ID facial recognition, application monitoring prevention and private searching.

Enhanced lower-gentle photo talents and the extended battery life may possibly have attraction than security updates on the new Apple Apple iphone 14, Apple iphone 14 Additionally, Iphone 14 Pro or Apple iphone 14 Professional Max. But from the new satellite connectivity options to Apple’s initial-at any time eSIM-only phones, the Apple iphone 14 features a range of new systems to further safeguard your privateness, including the brand name new Lockdown Method.

Lockdown: Apple’s most intense security manner

All versions of the Iphone 14 appear preinstalled with iOS 16, which attributes a new variety of security known as Lockdown Manner. This software allows an excessive level of security that prevents malware from accessing your telephone, blocking most concept attachment kinds, FaceTime calls, and more. Though in Lockdown Manner, cellphone phone calls, basic textual content messages and crisis attributes will keep on to work.

You are not envisioned to use this element, except you are, or soon program to develop into, a CEO or head of state.

“It can be only meant for a small area of people who could be specific by a nation-condition menace actor,” explained Kathleen Moriarty, chief engineering officer at the Center for World wide web Stability. “That staying reported, it could be a CEO for a corporation … [an] formal in the governing administration, and that skill to lockdown the gadget and prevent execution or access to details on your mobile phone could be vital.”

But the element may be attractive to a broader base of security-minded men and women.

Investigate has identified that more than 90% of not known stability bugs dwell in code that is seldom executed, said Justin Cappos, affiliate professor of Laptop Science and Engineering at New York University Tandon Faculty of Engineering and a member of New York University’s Center for Cybersecurity. Lockdown Method does take away that chance, although building the phone practical experience “a minimal far more inconvenient” for most customers.

Right after tests out Lockdown Mode, Cappos mentioned the only visible modifications he found have been fonts appearing otherwise and the icons for wellness applications not exhibiting correctly. And because of to a extremely comparable person expertise and extra stability positive aspects, he designs to use Lockdown Manner as his default and only exempt apps if important.

Android phones have available a functionality called “Lockdown” since 2018, when the characteristic became accessible on Android 9. Created to block all biometric stability and voice recognition, it operates a little bit differently than the Apple element.

Fingerprint, facial and voice identification disable on the Android in Lockdown to prevent anyone from accessing your cell phone. Even so, the moment an Android is unlocked through password, pin or sample, Lockdown is turned off. When the Iphone retains your system in Lockdown Method at all instances, the Android only makes sure this security if consumers re-allow the aspect each and every time they unlock their product.

Even with the identical names, Android’s Lockdown is far more concentrated on preventing physical hijacking of a telephone. Apple’s strategy emphasizes safeguarding a product in opposition to electronic threats. Equally modes are, in most circumstances, not intended for day-to-day use by the normal general public, but options that can aid individuals in increased-danger conditions.

The swap to eSIM-only telephones

Steve Positions never needed the original Apple iphone to have a SIM card tray, and the Apple iphone 14 versions are lastly achieving this goal. Apple launched eSIM cards back again in 2018, but the new cellphone collection is the initially of its type to remove the SIM card tray totally and use only eSIM for the U.S. sector. All Apple iphone 14 designs bought in the U.S. are eSIM-only, which enables users to very easily hook up and transfer their strategies digitally.

“It stops anyone from physically swapping your SIM card out if you go away your cellphone unattended. This has been made use of to steal accounts for large-profile folks like Jack Dorsey, former CEO of Twitter, and also to steal millions in cryptocurrency,” Cappos explained.

While the actual physical kind of identification theft decreases, there are even now security challenges to look at before switching to the eSIM-only Apple iphone 14.

“Carriers cite security fears these as an attacker using about your mobile phone variety because of to there not getting a bodily SIM card essential for a provider modify, just the eSIM presently on the cell phone and an SMS code,” Moriarty stated. “At the same time, carriers are also worried mainly because the eSIM lets for an simpler transition involving carriers for the close consumer, which could hurt user retention.”

The Android 9 was the 1st variation of the cellular phone to implement the use of eSIM. The enterprise has revealed a developing hard work to supply both of those SIM playing cards and eSIM on its more recent telephones, but no Android is eSIM-only.

Apple launches iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus with new satellite SOS feature

Crisis SOS through satellite

In attempts to develop upon the iPhone’s security capabilities, the new lineup presents Emergency SOS by way of satellite which permits end users to instantly link to a satellite and call emergency services when exterior of mobile or Wi-Fi coverage. When Crisis SOS is activated, the phone will prompt questions to assess the user’s problem and direct them wherever to point their mobile phone in buy to connect to a satellite. These issues will be sent to Apple-trained experts who will then simply call for aid.

There is a likely safety challenge relevant to this new characteristic.

“It unquestionably will make conditions wherever somebody’s stranded or in dire require a whole lot safer for that particular person. But, of study course, obtaining further ways to converse supplies chances for surveillance and matters like this as well,” Cappos said.

Apple notes that messages are despatched in encrypted kind but are then decrypted by Apple so that emergency expert services can stage in. Your location will also be shared with Apple and its partners when using this attribute.

“It tends to make you have to believe in Apple a tiny more, but it could also possibly save your lifestyle in specified situations,” Cappos stated.

Emergency SOS via satellite is launching on Iphone 14 products this thirty day period with an iOS 16 program update. Even so, this element will only be obtainable in the U.S., together with Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, together with Canada. Consumers will be able to make the most of this attribute for no cost for two decades from the get started of their system. After that, it could turn into a compensated more company for Apple iphone users.

Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s senior vice president of Android and other Google companies, not long ago confirmed by means of Twitter that the business is performing on satellite connectivity for the Android 14 running method, which will demand hardware variations from businesses that make Android phones.





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Business

Qatar World Cup bans English soccer fans from dressing as medieval Crusaders


When the United States’ national men’s team faces England at the Qatar World Cup later on Friday, one thing will be missing: medieval knights.

Soccer’s governing body FIFA has told English soccer fans to ditch imitation chain mail, shields and swords or miss the game, according to the Times of London.

“Crusader costumes in the Arab context can be offensive against Muslims. That is why anti-discrimination colleagues asked fans to wear things inside out or change dress,” the newspaper quoted a FIFA official as saying.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The teams’ second match in Qatar kicks off at 10 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), with both nations hoping for a win to help them progress from the group stage into the high-stakes knockout phase.

While not favorites to win the tournament, England beat Iran 6-2 on Monday. The U.S., meanwhile, tied 1-1 with Wales, which until this year had not qualified for the tournament in decades.

Iran beat Wales 2-0 earlier on Friday, increasing the pressure on the U.S. to pick up the points they need to qualify from Group B.

The controversy around the decision to bar the costumes centers around the Crusades, when Christian kingdoms launched a series of wars on the Muslim-held Holy Land, with some aiming to retake Jerusalem to burnish various rulers’ claim to Christian glory.

England fans have worn similar outfits at previous tournaments while watching other sports. Press photos and social media footage show that England fans wearing Crusader gear were allowed into the stadium to watch their team’s match against Iran.

But despite their ancient origins — between the 11th and 13th centuries — the Crusades reverberate today.

Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, wrote in his manifesto: “ASK YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD POPE URBAN II DO?,” referring to the pope who called on Europeans to go to war against Islamic forces in the Middle East in 1095, leading to the first Crusade.

President George W. Bush also used the term in announcing his “war on terror” in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, causing alarm and anger.

“This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while, and the American people must be patient,” he told reporters at the White House on Sept. 15, 2001.

Indian journalist and author Sameer Arshad Khatlani made this point in an opinion piece published Thursday night, in response to the Crusader outfit controversy.

“I believe global sporting events have a great unifying power to bring the world together and to promote peaceful co-existence,” he told NBC News.

“The last thing we need is the promotion of ideas such as the Crusades howsoever inadvertent as they have caused among the worst atrocities in human history.” 

And talk of Crusades is even more relevant in the Muslim world, said Simon John, a senior lecturer in medieval history at Swansea University in south Wales.

“As soon as you know anything about crusading history, you know it would produce a reaction like this in the Islamic world,” he said.

“We’re talking about a period of history that is still very much remembered and talked about in the Muslim world in quite a detailed way — the same is not true in the West.”

It is unclear whether the people wearing the knight outfits know they are dressed as Crusaders or as St George, the patron saint of England.

That England fans wear the red-and-white cross of St George, also the English national flag, is a long-lasting result of the popularity of the cult surrounding George as a military saint during the Crusades. George is thought to have fought in the Roman army and died in the early 4th century, so wouldn’t have fought in the Crusades.

The British Foreign Office advises traveling Brits: “Qatari laws and customs are very different to those in the U.K. Be aware of your actions to ensure that they don’t offend.”



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