News blog

NEW YORK CITY -- Thousands of people have gathered in Times Square for the dropping of the New Year's Eve ball at midnight to ring in 2026! Some camera shots during the live stream from Countdown Entertainment, Times Square Alliance and Dick Clark Productions. The Ball Drop tradition dates to 1904, with the first ball dropped in 1907 . Built by a young immigrant metalworker named Jacob Starr, the 700-pound (318-kilogram), 5-foot- (1.5-meter) diameter ball was made of iron and wood and featured 100 25-watt light bulbs. The only years when no ball drop occurred were 1942 and 1943, w hen the city instituted a nightly "dimout" during World War II to protect itself from attacks. Crowds instead celebrated the new year) with a moment of silence followed by chimes rung from the base of One Times Square. Last year, the Constellation Ball, the ninth and largest version, was unveiled. It measured about 12 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter and weighed nearly...

Miami vs Ohio State Prediction, Odds, Picks, How to Watch College Football Playoff

The Miami Hurricanes take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Cotton Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Ohio State is favored by 9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -350. Miami, meanwhile, enters as a +9.5 underdog and is +280 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 40.5 total points. Here’s my Miami vs. Ohio State prediction and college football picks for Wednesday, December 31. Miami Odds Point Spread Over/Under Moneyline +7.5 -110 40.5 -108o / -112u +270 Ohio State Odds Point Spread Over/Under Moneyline -7.5 -110 40.5 -108o / -112u -320 Odds via FanDuel . Get up-to-the-minute NCAAF odds here . FanDuel Logo

Pistons vs. Lakers final score: Dominant fourth gets Detroit the W

Cade Cunningham was dominant, and Marcus Sasser was the brightest spark on a bench full of them in a dominant 128-106 win for the Pistons. The win ends a brief two-game losing streak for Detroit and allows the Pistons to end a grueling stretch that sw them play eight road games in their last nine on a positive note. The Pistons were simply too much for the Lakers to handle on the offensive end. Detroit was getting anything they wanted, and what they wanted was to get easy looks in the paint. Detroit had more than 40 paint points in the first half alone and finished the game with 74 points inside. Cunningham was brilliant — 27 points and 11 assists on 63% shooting from the floor. Cade might have been overshadowed, however, by Marcus Sasser. It was a surpise to see Sass get first-quarter minutes, but Caris LeVert was out and Detroit lost Tobias Harris early (hip injury) so Detroit turned to the third-year guard. Sasser, who missed most of the early part of the se...

Tatiana Schlossberg, Daughter of Caroline Kennedy, Dies at 35

Tatiana Schlossberg , the middle child of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, at the age of 35, her family announced. The news was shared through the JFK Library Foundation’s social media accounts on behalf of her extended family. “Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” the statement read, signed by several family members, including Caroline Kennedy and her children. No cause of death was immediately released.

Patriots WR Stefon Diggs faces strangulation charges, denies allegations

- December 30, 2025

New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with an incident that happened earlier this month, police said. News of the charges emerged after a court hearing Tuesday in Dedham , Massachusetts. It is unclear what led to the charges, which include felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery. " The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs ," the Patriots said in a statement on Tuesday. "Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time." Diggs' lawyer, David Meier, also said in an emailed sta...

Why was Luke Littler booed by Ally Pally crowd at World Darts Championship?

- December 30, 2025

World No 1 Luke Littler was booed by the Ally Pally crowd during his round of 16 match with Rob Cross at the World Darts Championship on Monday night. Littler appeared fired up during the match and was seen pointing at a section of the crowd asking “what now?” after he wrapped up a 4-2 victory to book his place in the quarter-finals. In his post-match interview, a riled up Littler sarcastically thanked the crowd for paying for his prize money and for booing him, having usually had the fans on his side throughout his career. Littler complained about crowds at events in Germany earlier this year, and a section of German fans appeared to target Littler during Monday’s match, leading to the teenager singling them out after his win. The Ally Pally crowd also seemed keen to get behind the underdog - 2018 winner Cross - who has been struggling for form recently, and it almost worked as Cross had a dart to take the match to a deciding s...

Falcons Stun Rams 27–24 on Monday Night, Extend Winning Streak to Three

The Atlanta Falcons pulled off an unlikely upset Monday night, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 27–24 in a game few expected them to win. Playing only for pride , Atlanta delivered a gritty, defense-led performance against quarterback Matthew Stafford, an MVP favorite. The Falcons intercepted Stafford three times and made several key stops in crucial moments. Their defense set the tone early, shutting out the Rams in the first half — just the third time a Sean McVay–coached team has been held scoreless before halftime. Los Angeles managed only 80 passing yards and 26 rushing yards in the opening half, while committing two turnovers. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich mixed coverages and pressure effectively throughout the night, disrupting the Rams’ rhythm and keeping Atlanta in control. The win marked the Falcons’ third straight victory and one of their most impressive performances of the season.

Anthony Joshua's promoters say two team members killed in Nigeria crash that injured boxer

British boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured and two of his team members have been killed in a car crash near Lagos in Nigeria, promoter Matchroom says The two associates, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele , were also close friends of Joshua - here's who they are Matchroom also says the boxer is in a stable condition and will remain in Nigeria for observation Officials suspect Joshua's vehicle crashed into a stationary lorry while overtaking at speed - footage shows Joshua grimacing as he's rescued from the car Joshua - a two-time world heavyweight champion - has family roots in Sagamu, a town in Ogun State YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul, who Joshua recently beat in the ring, has responded, saying, "life is much more important than boxing"

Iran president declares ‘full-fledged war’ with US, Israel, and Europe

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated Saturday that his country is engaged in a “full-fledged war” with the US, Israel, and Europe, describing the multifaceted pressures as more complex than the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. This remark appeared in an interview published on the official website of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamene i. “In my opinion, we are in a full-fledged war with America, Israel, and Europe. They do not want our country to stand on its feet,” Pezeshkian said, accusing Western powers of besieging Iran economically, culturally, politically, and in security matters. He contrasted the current situation with the Iran-Iraq war , noting that the earlier conflict involved clear military engagements, whereas today’s pressures are broader and more insidious. Pezeshkian warned that any renewed attacks by Israel or the US would face a “more decisive response,” while asserting that Iran’s military is now stronger than before the June 2...

Environment Canada issues yellow rainfall and wind warnings

Environment Canada has issued yellow rainfall and wind warnings for the region. The warnings are in effect for Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent. The weather agency said total rain and freezing rain amounts between 20 to 40 millimeters with locally up to 50 millimeters possible. Rain will be heavy at times through Sunday afternoon and evening with risk for a few isolated thunderstorms. The rain will ease overnight. The Essex Region Conservation Authority issued a watershed conditions statement through noon Monday as the rain may causing ponding and possible flooding in low-lying areas and smaller waterways. Residents are reminded to use caution near watercourses and keep children and pets away . Strong winds are expected on Monday with southwesterly wind gusts of 80 to 90 km/h possible. Environment Canada said local utility outages are possible, including damage to roofs, fences, branches or soft shelters is possible. The winds are expected to ease th...

Saints vs. Titans free live stream: How to watch NFL game online (12/28/25)

Six Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks were selected for the Pro Bowl Games. The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, along with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers, are sending five players. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, Drake Maye and Justin Herbert are the AFC quarterbacks. Sam Darnold, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford are the QBs for the NFC.

49ers game grades: Offensive fireworks, a defense in trouble and a No. 1 seed to be had

The San Francisco 49ers were under the gun from the first snap until the last, but somehow survived and beat Chicago behind the remarkable efforts of Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey . The final 59:45 of the game made it tough to remember how terrible the first 15 seconds were for the 49ers . Brock Purdy threw a pick-six on the first snap and left tackle Trent Williams was forced from the game with a hamstring injury. After that, Purdy was sensational. He completed 24 of 33 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more TDs. His loop-de-loop scramble on his second TD pass (to Kyle Juszczyk ) brought to mind — depending on your age — Fran Tarkenton or Steve Young. And lest we forget, Christian McCaffrey was brilliant. Pushed to the point of exhaustion, he ran for 140 yards (and a TD) and added 41 receiving yards. In their past three game

records historic triple-double in overtime comeback win over Warriors

Scottie Barnes went off for the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon. Barnes dropped a monster triple-double to lead the Raptors to a 141-127 overtime win against the Golden State Warriors at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. He had the triple-double secured before overtime even began, and had a career-high 25 rebounds in the win — which is the most recorded by a player in a single game anywhere in the league so far this season. It also matched the Raptors' franchise record set by Bismack Biyombo in 2016, too. Barnes had 23 points and 10 assists to go with his 25 rebounds. It marked the seventh triple-double of his career, and the first ever 20-20 triple-double in Raptors history. Barnes is now just the second player since 1980 to record a 20-25-10 game anywhere in the league, along with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić. The Warriors seemed well on pace to grab the win in Canada on Sunday afternoon, and held a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter. But Toronto ...

Buffalo loses by going for win instead of OT. Bills vs. Eagles score, highlights, stats

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills’ five-year reign atop the AFC East has officially ended after a 13–12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on a rainy Sunday night at Highmark Stadium. Combined with the New England Patriots ’ decisive win over the New York Jets, the result clinched the division title and eliminated Buffalo from contention with one week remaining in the regular season. The outcome had appeared increasingly likely over the past several months, but it became reality following another uneven offensive performance by the Bills. Buffalo struggled for most of the night against a dominant Eagles defense that consistently pressured quarterback Josh Allen, limiting production until a late surge in the final five minutes. Despite the late push, the Bills were unable to overcome their early offensive shortcomings, bringing their AFC East dominance to an end.

NFC South in loss to Seahawks, set up potential winner-take-all clash with Bucs in Week 18

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers had a chance to lock up the NFC South title and a playoff spot. But a ball-hawking Seattle Seahawks defense ensured that the NFC South remains up for grabs. The Panthers turned the ball over on consecutive possessions in their own territory to open the second half Sunday in Charlotte, and the Seahawks converted each of those turnovers into touchdowns to take control of a 27-10 Seattle win.

Bears vs. 49ers Week 17: How to Watch, Stream and Listen