gaming competitions near me ISLAMABAD — A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital on Wednesday killed the Taliban refugee minister and two others, officials said, in the most brazen attack on a member of the Taliban inner circle since they returned to power three years ago. The explosion struck inside the ministry, killing Khalil Haqqani, officials said. His last official photo showed him at a meeting chaired by the deputy prime minister, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, earlier Wednesday. Khalil Haqqani is the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister who leads a powerful network within the Taliban. Haqqani was the most high-profile casualty of a bombing in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power and the first Cabinet member to be killed since the takeover. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. The government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a post on X that Haqqani’s death was a great loss and described him as a tireless holy warrior who spent his life defending Islam. Haqqani’s killing might be the biggest blow to the Taliban since their return to power given his stature and influence, according to Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute. It also comes at a time when the Taliban have staked their legitimacy on restoring peace after decades of war, he added. “The killing of a top Haqqani leader inside one of its own ministries undercuts that core narrative,” he said. Former President Hamid Karzai and Haqqani’s nephew, Anas, also paid tribute to the minister. Taliban security personnel blocked the road leading to the blast site and barred filming and photography. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the killing as a “terrorist attack.” “Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Dar said, adding his government was in touch with Kabul to get further details. The Islamic State group’s affiliate, a major rival of the ruling Taliban, has carried out previous attacks across Afghanistan. In early September, one of its suicide bombers in a southwestern Kabul neighborhood killed at least six people , wounding 13 others. But suicide attacks have become increasingly rare since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 and U.S. and NATO forces withdrew. Such attacks have mostly targeted minority Shiite Muslims, especially in the capital. Ibraheem Bahiss, an analyst with Crisis Group’s South Asia program, said the timing of the assault was interesting as it came days after Sirajuddin Haqqani gave a speech appearing to criticize the Taliban leader for his authoritarian decision-making and lack of consensus building, especially around more controversial edicts on women and girls. While the timing could fuel speculation that the suicide bombing was an inside job, Bahiss said he didn’t expect a civil war among the Taliban. “They don’t want to ruin their hold on power. They are the most unified political force in Afghanistan and have been able to manage their differences.” Bahiss said he anticipated an outpouring of sympathy and support for Sirajuddin Haqqani and that this could provide an opportunity to strengthen the Haqqani network further.Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa now unlikely to play against Browns

After missing out on Juan Soto, the New York Yankees made their first splash of the offseason. The Yankees and left-handed starting pitcher Max Fried have agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract, several reports said Tuesday. The contract includes the most guaranteed money for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history, ESPN reported. A two-time All-Star, Fried will join right-handed ace Gerrit Cole to form a one-two punch at the front of the Yankees' rotation. Fried, 30, spent his first eight MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves and went 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA across 29 starts last season. He had 166 strikeouts and a career-high 57 walks over 174 1/3 innings. He also pitched a major league-high two complete games (one shutout). Fried was an All-Star in 2022 and 2024, and he received votes for the National League Cy Young Award in 2020 (placing fifth) and 2022 (second). In 168 career games (151 starts), Fried has gone 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA and 863 strikeouts against 246 walks in 884 1/3 innings. He has tossed six complete games, including four shutouts. --Field Level Media

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Boise State did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. “Utah State is reviewing the court’s order," Doug Hoffman, Aggies associate athletic director for communications, said in an email. "Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on.” San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

SATURDAY'S BOWL GAMESFelicity Curin, founder of the Montessori-inspired Little Kitchen Academy, told Fox News Digital why she believes interest in cooking with vegetables has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. A Maryland mother said she's saving $1,800 a year by growing fruits and vegetables for her family – and she's paying it forward this Christmas by gifting homegrown presents from her garden. Christen McCoy, 39, grows over 50 types of plants in her backyard garden, including tomatoes, peppers, sprouts and pumpkins — saving herself and the family about $50 each week on groceries, news service SWNS reported. The Baltimore music teacher, wife and mother of three said she feeds her family these fruits and vegetables throughout the year – reducing the items she needs to buy at the grocery store. FAMILIES CAN SAVE $100 A MONTH ON FOOD BY DOING THIS: OREGON MOM "I save a lot of money in the winter months as I preserve the produce from earlier in the year," McCoy told SWNS. "In the summer months, I am able to grow strawberries and raspberries that my three young children will eat like oxygen." In a video recently posted on her Facebook page, McCoy provided an itemized list of the fruits and vegetables that have saved her cash. Christen McCoy (right) said she's saving her family $1,800 each year by growing her own fruits and vegetables in her backyard garden (left). (SWNS) McCoy claimed to have saved $230 on peppers; $205 on raspberries; $110 on strawberries, which she also uses in smoothies and to make jam; $80 on bush beans (she's got a freezer stocked with them); and $40 on herbs. McCoy only saved $30 in blueberries this year because her patch is still growing. EASIEST VEGETABLE STIR-FRY RECIPE EVER, SAYS FOUNDER OF LITTLE KITCHEN ACADEMY "But I know they'll pay off big time in the future," she said. "Tomatoes were the real money-maker," McCoy also said. "I saved $890." Among the vegetables grown in McCoy's garden: peppers, beans and tomatoes (shown above). (SWNS) One of her favorite dinners to cook from her garden, she said, is a one-pan meal made from peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs, paired with sausages and pasta , according to SWNS. "All my kids will gobble it up," she said. "It has so many fresh ingredients in there. Everything apart from my pasta and sausage is coming from my garden." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER McCoy said that by harvesting her own fruits and vegetables, she educates her children about the process of growing food . "All my children are very active in the garden with me," she said. "It has had a huge impact on my family life, especially with my youngest. He is connecting everything he does with the science around growing things." McCoy says she saves money in the winter months by preserving the produce she harvested earlier in the year. (SWNS) This year, McCoy plans to gift family and friends some of her homegrown foods , including jars of jams and pepper jellies, which she told SWNS will save her $500 on gifts. For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle "I don't have to go to the store to buy them," she said. McCoy said her "gardening expenses are minimal." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP She added, "The flavor, the freshness and knowing exactly where your food comes from — you can't put a price on that." Fox News Digital reached out to McCoy for further comment. Peter Burke is a lifestyle editor with Fox News Digital.

Revolutionary Single-Layer Film Eliminates Helmet Changes, Enhancing Driver Safety and Performance LAS VEGAS , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Racing Optics®, the global leader in high-performance tearoff visor film technology, proudly unveils its latest innovation: the Twilight Tearoff . This groundbreaking single-layer tearoff is engineered to elevate driver visibility during late-afternoon and early-evening races, providing superior glare reduction and contrast enhancement. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Nasdaq surges above 20,000 after US inflation data matches estimatesSan Jose: Willow Glen’s Cider Junction closing after 7 years in business