Betting is now embedded in modern sport. In Türkiye, referees are under investigation for placing thousands of bets. NBA players and coaches are facing major sanctions over gambling violations. But on the flip side, those same players, teams and leagues wear and promote gambling brands. Samantha Johnson explores the contradictions shaping today’s sports betting economy
Panama’s indigenous Guna people may be the example to follow for others affected by climate change, having moved most of their community, traditions and all.
The approval rating for United States President Donald Trump remains at its lowest level since he began his second term in January, according to a new poll.
But Thursday’s survey, conducted by the news agency Reuters and the research firm Ipsos, found a jump in the share of respondents who said they disapproved of his performance.
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His disapproval rating increased from 52 percent in mid-May to 58 percent in November. His approval rating, meanwhile, stayed at approximately 40 percent, roughly the same as it was in May.
The online poll, conducted over six days this month, surveyed 1,200 US adults nationwide about their opinions on top political figures and who they planned to vote for in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
It found that Democrats appeared to be more enthusiastic about next year’s midterms than their Republican counterparts, a result perhaps influenced by key Democratic victories this month.
Approximately 44 percent of registered voters who called themselves Democrats said they were “very enthusiastic” about voting in the 2026 elections, compared with 26 percent of Republicans.
Some 79 percent of Democrats said they would regret it if they did not vote in the midterm races, compared with 68 percent of Republicans.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be up for grabs next year, as will 35 seats in the 100-member Senate. Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress.
But Democrats have recently been buoyed by wins on November 4, during the off-year elections.
The party won resounding victories in governor’s races for Virginia and New Jersey, and in New York City, a closely watched race mayoral race saw Zohran Mamdani sweep to victory over his centrist and right-wing competitors.
Voters in California also passed a ballot measure that will redraw its congressional districts to favour the Democrats, in response to Trump-inspired gerrymandering in Republican states.
The Reuters-Ipsos poll closed on Wednesday, just before Congress voted to end the longest government shutdown in US history.
The new spending bill, which extends federal funding until January 30, passed in the House of Representatives by a margin of 222 to 209, with six Democrats joining the Republican majority to reopen the government.
Trump signed a federal government spending bill late on Wednesday, ending the 43-day shutdown, which caused tumult for federal workers, families in need and air travel.
The bill had previously passed the Senate on Monday, after seven Democrats and one independent agreed to support it.
While Democrats appeared more “enthusiastic” than Republicans in the Reuters-Ipsos poll, the survey noted that the two parties appeared to be evenly matched in voter intention moving forward.
When poll respondents were asked whom they would vote for if congressional elections were held today, 41 percent of registered voters said they’d pick the Democratic candidate, while 40 percent chose the Republican candidate.
Residents in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s home village are appealing to the Hollywood legend to dig deep and save their Christmas after the local market was scrapped for lack of cash.
The tiny, picture postcard Austrian village of Thal, near Graz — where the Terminator star was born — has been forced to cancel its beloved annual Christkindlmarkt because the community coffers are completely empty. And locals now say the only man who can bring it back is their most famous son.
“They should knock on Arnie’s door — he loves his hometown so much,” one resident posted on Facebook. “For him, that’s pocket change.”
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Another added: “Now it’s time for the man himself to show some generosity towards his village.” But so far, there is no sign of a Christmas miracle from California. Mayor Matthias Brunner said the decision to pull the plug was painful but unavoidable.
“It hurts because it was one of my favourite projects,” he told Austria’s Kleine Zeitung newspaper. “But due to the financial bottlenecks, we simply can’t do it anymore because we can’t cover the costs.”
“We had stallholders, a stage, sound equipment, drinks for the music club, decorations, the huts — it all adds up,” he said. “We’re talking about more than 10,000 euros.”
And for a community of just 2,400 residents, that’s just far too steep a bill. The town has been losing money on the event year after year, he said, and this time, there was no rescue fund left.
Online, emotions ran high. Some villagers suggested Arnie was a grinch, arguing said it was time Arnie showed his famous muscles in a new way — by lifting Thal’s Christmas spirit with a cheque.
“He’s proud of where he comes from — now he can prove it,” wrote one. Others pushed back. “Yes, he has the money, but why should he pay for everything?” one woman argued.
“There must be hundreds of people asking him for help.” Another added: “I knew his mother. She was modest and kind. Money isn’t everything.”
With a chilly spell due, now is the perfect time to get a heated blanket (if you haven’t already), and Zara McDermott’s current go-to favourite is on offer with £12 off. Sharing a few of her favourite buys right now with her followers, Zara said the Beurer HD 75 Nordic Electric Blanket “gets so warm and toasty”, and despite not enjoying the winter, she loves to get this electric blanket out.
Normally priced at £69.99, this cosy blanket is now £57.99 in a flash sale on Amazon. The blanket features six different temperature settings that can be manually tweaked with a handheld switch.
The switch can also be removed, allowing the blanket to be easily washed when needed.
Not to mention, if you fall asleep and forget to switch it off, it will do so automatically after three hours, so you can snuggle in peace knowing the blanket will turn off safely.
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Zara isn’t the only fan of this blanket. It boasts hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon for its cosy feel and different heat settings.
One shopper wrote, “I bought this on Amazon last year for winter and continue to use it now. I use it to lie on when watching TV, and it’s easy to fall asleep as it’s so cosy. It has a three hour timer shutoff so it doesn’t run endlessly if you fall asleep and forget to turn it off.”A second added, “This is great. The fluffy fabric is good quality, the blanket heats well, it is simple to use. Just set the slider to the heat you want and turn it on. After three hours it turns itself off. No complex controllers to try to remember, just simple and effective. Great! The slider goes from 1 to 6, and I find 4 is perfect. Some heated blankets are quite weak and the hottest setting is required, but this blanket seems a little more powerful than some others, so you probably won’t need to set it to 6.”
Not everyone was as impressed, however. One reviewer commented, “As a blanket this is really cosy to cuddle up with on the sofa. It’s a nice size and feels so soft against my skin. My main issue with is that even on the highest heat setting, it doesn’t get very warm. It’s only on the highest heat setting that it feels remotely warm.”
iI you want something similar for a little less of an upfront cost, Lakeland’s StaySnug Velvety Taupe Heated Throw is now £29.99 in an early Black Friday sale, and has great shopper reviews.
Jude Bellingham is in line to start on the bench for England’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia on Thursday, with Morgan Rogers set to play in the number 10 role.
Bellingham, 22, has missed the past four internationals – partly due to a shoulder injury – but was recalled to the squad to this week’s games against Serbia and Albania, with England having already qualified for next summer’s tournament.
England manager Thomas Tuchel told the BBC on Wednesday that Aston Villa midfielder Rogers is carrying a slight hamstring issue and would require a late fitness check.
Meanwhile, uncapped Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott has been left out of the squad to face Serbia.
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has also not made the 23-man party as the centre-back continues to recover from a foot injury.
Scott was handed his first senior call-up by Tuchel last week following an excellent start to the season with the Cherries.
England travel to Albania for their final qualification game on Sunday.