online games 666 Broker says this ASX 200 share offers 'compelling value' for investorsLuke Richardson was fired as coach of the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, the NHL club announced, after the team stumbled to the league's worst record so far this season. Swede Anders Sorensen, coach of the Blackhawks' top developmental club, was named interim coach for the NHL squad. Richardson, a 55-year-old Canadian, went 57-118 with 15 overtime losses in three seasons with Chicago. The Blackhawks are 8-16 with two overtime losses this season for a league-low 18 points after going 19-54-9 last season, second-worst in the NHL, and 26-49-7 in 2022-23, third-worst in the league. "Today I made the difficult decision to move on from Luke as our head coach," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. "As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary." The Blackhawks are on a four-game losing streak and 3-9-1 in their past 13 starts with 2.42 goals a game this season, second worst in the NHL. They have reached the Stanley Cup playoffs only once over the past seven seasons. "I fully support Kyle's decision in making this change as he continues to do what is needed to move our team forward," Blackhawks chairman and chief executive Danny Wirtz said. "I have the utmost confidence in him and the rest of our hockey operations team as they begin their search for the next head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks." Richardson became the third NHL coach fired this season after Boston dumped Jim Montgomery last month. He was hired five days later by St. Louis after the Blues fired Drew Bannister. js/bb

Exiled Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof's definition of home is shifting

The application of rubber in the field of shoe materials, and how to improve the abrasion resistance of rubber outsolesINDIANAPOLIS — Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel came to Indianapolis in July with a purpose. He wanted a sense of what Lucas Oil Stadium was like before making what he hoped would be a return trip in December. On Saturday, he'll be back on the same turf. Plenty has changed for Gabriel and the Ducks since they came to town all those months ago for their inaugural Big Ten media day appearance. Oregon sits atop the playoff seedings, remains the last unbeaten team in major college football and Gabriel has a new title — Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. It's been a dream season in every way for the soon-to-be 24-year-old Gabriel, right down to leading the Ducks into the conference championship game against Penn State on Saturday (5 p.m., CBS). “If we didn't think we'd be there, I wouldn't have attended,” Gabriel said. “But I just felt really good about it. I was glad we were able to go see it (Lucas Oil), feel it, smell it. It was a good experience. Now that we're going back with the whole squad, everyone's excited.” Winning a conference title in his final season — and Oregon's first season in its new league — would be the cherry on top for Gabriel now that both teams are virtual locks to make the first 12-team College Football Playoff. The winner likely earns a first-round bye, while the loser probably hosts a first-round game. There is big money at stake: The Big Ten stands to get $4 million for each school that makes the CFP and the payouts escalate beginning with the semifinals to $6 million per school; a conference whose school makes a run from the first round to the title game gets $20 million. The CFP also provides millions to cover expenses. While Oregon (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) was a preseason favorite to be back in town this weekend, No. 3 Penn State wasn't supposed to make it after losing to then-No. 4 Ohio State. But the Nittany Lions (11-1, 8-1) rebounded by winning their last four and got help last weekend when Michigan upset the Buckeyes. It's the first time Penn State has reached a Big Ten championship title game since beating Wisconsin in 2016 — and they don't intend to go home empty-handed this time, either. “Being from Pennsylvania, seeing that game from 2016, like I always imagined being in these shoes, being in that moment, trying to win a Big Ten championship,” running back Nick Singleton said. “Being in that moment right now feels good, but we've got to go out there and win it.” Gabriel concurred. “When you walk in that building everyone is excited to do stuff and ready to go,” he said. “So it's about execution, playing clean and being who we are.” Though Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and Gabriel are ranked seventh and eighth in FBS passing efficiency this season, both could be under serious pressure Saturday. Defensive ends Matayo Uiagalelei of Oregon and Abdul Carter of Penn State are two of the nation's premier pass rushers. Uiagalelei is tied for ninth nationally with 101⁄2 sacks while Carter is tied for 12th with 10. The Ducks also have another fearsome pass rusher in defensive end Jordan Burch (81⁄2 sacks). It will be a major challenge for both offensive lines, especially if Oregon right guard Marcus Harper II is out (knee). Penn State certainly isn’t complaining about playing for a trophy, but it scrambled the schedule. It began with coach James Franklin calling an audible in last Saturday's postgame speech, announcing Sunday's scheduled off-day had been scrapped so they could start cramming for Oregon. That was just the start. “It was going to be a week for rest and recovery, some strategic practices,” he said Sunday. “But we always have to be prepared for these different scenarios. So right after the game I told them, ‘We’re going to practice Sunday.’ Now it’s back to a normal week.” Franklin will be chasing his 100th win in his 11 seasons with the program. And he could be doing it with some familiar faces around him. Oregon special teams coordinator and nickel back coach Joe Lorig first worked with Franklin at Idaho State and then Franklin hired Lorig in 2019. After three seasons, though, Lorig headed to the West Coast where he opted to work for another old friend, Oregon coach Dan Lanning. Franklin doesn't believe Lorig's inside information will make much difference in this game. “The coordinators have all changed,” Franklin said. “So I think we both probably have a similar amount of information on each other.” The game also will be a homecoming of sorts for Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen and injured Oregon offensive lineman Matthew Bedford. Allen is an Indiana native who spent the previous seven seasons as the Indiana head coach. Bedford also was a five-year starter for Allen's Hoosiers. And the Duzansky family is doubling up Saturday: Penn State long snapper Tyler Duzansky and Oregon long snapper Nick Duzansky are brothers.

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Shoprite has warned that the website checkershypersa.co.za, selling products at significantly discounted prices, is a scam. The supermarket chain told MyBroadband that its cybersecurity team has already initiated a takedown and is closely monitoring the process. MyBroadband was informed about the website by a reader and has reached out to the domain registrar, 1Api. The scam site also appears to use Flutterwave for its payment gateway. Neither Flutterwave nor 1Api had responded by publication. The website bears the Checkers Hyper branding and claims to sell several technology products, including washing machines, laptops, and gaming consoles. To entice buyers, all items are on sale — most of which are roughly 50% off. Shoprite said it notifies its customers about fake websites, competitions, or scams through its official social media platforms. It has also provided several guidelines that users can follow to stay safe when engaging with its platforms online. Scams like this are particularly prominent around Black... Daniel Puchert

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Exiled Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof's definition of home is shifting

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Around 100 Japanese and Chinese pundits gathered in Tokyo on Thursday, calling on their governments to expand dialogue and promote people-to-people exchanges to improve public sentiment amid fragile bilateral relations. At a forum on Sino-Japanese ties, scholars, alongside prominent political and business leaders from both countries, urged the establishment of a "framework of confidence-building" to prevent emergencies, including regular talks between their defense authorities. "The mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests, agreed upon by the two governments, will be realized through understanding and trust between their nationals," a statement issued after the conclusion of the two-day discussions said. The event was co-chaired by the Japanese nonprofit think tank Genron NPO and the China International Communications Group. On Monday, the two organizations released their annual joint survey, which revealed that approximately 90 percent of Japanese and Chinese people hold negative perceptions of each other. The two Asian nations have been at odds over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by Beijing. Chinese vessels have repeatedly intruded into Japanese territorial waters surrounding the uninhabited islets. Repairing the deteriorated sentiment is a "challenge to be prioritized," the statement said, adding Tokyo and Beijing "should make serious efforts" to expand interactions between Japanese and Chinese individuals. Participants also explored a wide range of topics related to bilateral cooperation at the annual forum, held in person in Tokyo for the first time in six years.

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California officials are making new efforts to "Trump-proof" the state, pushing back against the incoming Republican administration's expected policies by protecting undocumented immigrants from deportation. The latest step, taken by the state attorney general, prohibits public institutions from cooperating with immigration authorities. The measure, based on SB-54, which was passed in 2017 and limits the information state institutions and agencies can share with the federal government for immigration enforcement , was reinforced this week by Rob Bonta. State law prevents police, sheriff's deputies and public spaces like libraries, schools and hospitals from sharing legal statuses or other compromising information with federal agents that could be used for immigration enforcement. These institutions must also provide resources on immigration rights and train staff and volunteers on how to respond to enforcement-related requests. "Let me be clear, President-elect Trump's immigration agenda is draconian and his rhetoric, xenophobic," Bonta said. "We're issuing updated policies to guide institutions and their staff in complying with California law limiting state and local participation in immigration enforcement activities." Bonta, who also introduced the measure six years ago, said the updated measures came as a response to Trump's "inhumane threats of mass arrests, detention and deportations." California has the largest share of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., with about 1.8 million as of 2022. The state and several cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have "sanctuary laws" in place that limit cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Axios reports. Bonta also reassured local immigrants at the press conference , acknowledging their anxieties as Trump is set to take office in just a few weeks. "It's true that we're entering days, months and years of uncertainty, but one thing is certain: California will remain the beacon of progress that it has always been," he said. The Attorney General asserted he was laying the groundwork for more resistance. "Today is just the beginning. In the months ahead my office will roll out more 'know your rights' resources for our immigrant communities, " the Democratic Attorney General said. Bonta's updated measures come as the California Governor and other state lawmakers kick off a special session to safeguard progressive state policies in anticipation of Trump's return to office. The session aims to fortify California's legal and political position against expected federal challenges to state laws and initiatives. Newsom has also requested increased funding for the attorney general's office to prepare for legal battles, building on California's precedent of opposing the Trump administration through lawsuits during his first presidency. In a statement Monday , Newsom said the state will work with the incoming administration, "but when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action." Bonta and his team are also preparing briefs and written arguments to challenge a potential national abortion ban, Trump's mass deportation plans, potential rollbacks to net-zero carbon initiative, voter ID requirements, and restrictions on transgender rights. Originally published on Latin Times .